What a month!

On the first day of the year emotions among the DawgNation took a significant and downward turn. It was shaping up to be a miserable off season. More so than usual that is. We were primed and ready for eight months of arguing about injuries, defensive lapses and degradation, whether the new quarterback is ready for the reins that were thrust upon him, and countless replays of a football not being batted down.

Well, a month later and we're still going to be subjected to seven more months of some of that. But there's no question the fanbase has had a big dose of happy pills the last couple weeks. And that's because the program itself has undergone some drastic and very welcome changes. Complete overhaul defensively, as Andrew lays out chronologically here.

• January 1: Georgia loses to Nebraska 24-19 in a disappointing close to the 2013 season.
• January 9: Scott Lakatos resigns as defensive backs coach.
• January 12: Defensive Coordinator Todd Grantham leaves Georgia for Louisville.
• January 14: Former FSU DC Jeremy Pruitt hired by Georgia.
• January 15: Defensive line coach Chris Wilson leaves for Southern Cal.  Linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti leaves to coach with the Washington Redskins.
• January 24: Former South Alabama DC Kevin Sherrer hired to Georgia defensive staff.
• January 27: Tracy Rocker hired as Georgia DL coach.
• Oh also…recruiting has been going on like crazy.

Wow. What a whirlwind. And all before the all important first Wednesday of February. If the remaining targets are feeling just half of the buzz DawgNation is feeling, it could be a fun week coming up. Stay tuned.

Jokes about off season expectations aside, there are some real reasons to be excited. And it starts with Coach Richt and his efficiency at getting a top flight replacement for Grantham before the former defensive coordinator's towel hit the spin cycle. From that moment forward, you could question a lot of things, but the head coach's energy and enthusiasm for winning wasn't one of them. I think that went a long way towards restoring a lot of faith for many of us.

And it has all happened while keeping together the 2014 recruiting class together- and possibly building on that class significantly.