Very muddy CFB Playoff projections

I stopped doing my weekly CFB Playoff rankings once the real deal came out. But this week I started doing some reading, took down some notes, and came up with this scenario that is somewhere between loosely accurate and bizarrely far-fetched!

One thing is clear about the CFB Playoff committee's thinking - they hold the SEC and Big 10 in high regard. At this point I don't see a second ACC or Big XII team getting in. So setting current, projected championship teams (Miami/SMU, BYU/Colorado) of those respective conferences aside, and assuming either Boise State or Army gets the at large spot...let's lay things out, with the playoff contenders in bold:

• November 23rd, 12:45pm - Georgia vs UMass
• Bama @ Oklahoma, Kentucky @ Texas, Ole Miss @ Florida, A&M @ Auburn
• Indiana @ Ohio State, Penn State @ Minnesota, Oregon (bye)
• Notre Dame vs Army
• November 26th, 7:30pm - next round of CFB Playoff rankings revealed
  
• November 29th, 7:30pm - Georgia vs GA Tech
• Bama vs Auburn, Texas @ A&M, Ole Miss vs Miss St
• Indiana vs Purdue, Ohio St vs Mich, Penn St vs Maryland, Oregon vs Washington
• Notre Dame @ USC
• December 3rd, 7:30pm -penultimate round of CFB Playoffs rankings revealed
• December 7th, NOON - Big XII Championship, teams TBD (doesn't really matter)
• December 7th, 4:00pm - SEC Championship Game, teams TBD
• December 7th, 8:00pm - ACC Championship Game, teams TBD (doesn't really matter)
• December 7th, 8:00pm - Big 10 Championship Game, teams TBD
• December 8th, noonish - (who the hell really knows!)

Let me be clear, nothing is certain. Of course. Notre Dame could lose to Army this weekend and somehow the committee still washes their feet in absolution. I can see a world where Indiana plays Ohio State close before losing, beats Purdue, and still gets in despite the Hoosiers best win coming against Michigan. (I mean, look at their schedule and tell me who they've beaten that matters.)

Looking deeper at the premiere conference - the SEC - Tennessee gets back in the mix only with help. So we'd have to lose to GA Tech and/or Bama loses to Auburn. Texas A&M gets back in the mix by beating the Longhorns. The rest is pretty simple as all five teams control their own destiny. With the exception of the Longhorns going to College Station to end the regular season, none of the contenders play each other until the SECCG. 

In the Big 10, Oregon obviously has the easiest path getting a bye week this weekend. After the Ducks, I don't like Penn State as a playoff contender considering their awful schedule. But if they beat the Gophers and Terps, they are likely in. Ohio State has the tougher schedule, undefeated Indiana and rival Michigan, but both are at home.

Indiana is a wildcard. They're undefeated for a reason: their opponents suck, but how much does that factor into the committee's ruminations...??

The ACC might be the most clear. SMU and Miami win and they are in their conference championship game. It would then be a winner goes to the playoff, loser does not. Turns out Clemson's loss to Louisville at home was an elimination game for the Tigers.

Like the ACC, I don't see two Big XII teams getting in. Which leaves this projected layout:

• SEC - Conference champion, runner up, and two others. I'll go with Bama upsetting Texas for the SEC Crown. Longhorns host while Georgia and Ole Miss go on the road in the 1st round.
• Big 10 - Also, conference champion, runner up, and two others. I'll go with Oregon beating Ohio State (again). Buckeyes host while Penn State hosts as well, and Indiana goes on the road in the 1st round.
• ACC - SMU vs Miami, winner gets a bye. Loser gets a bowl.
• Big XII - More convoluted than the ACC, but let's say Colorado vs BYU. Winner take a bye. Loser a bowl.
• Notre Dame
• Boise State

The seedings if you will:

1. Oregon (bye)
2. Alabama (bye)
3. SMU (bye)
4. Colorado (bye)
5. Texas hosts 12 Indiana
6. Ohio State hosts 11 Boise State
7. Notre Dame hosts 10 Georgia
8. Penn State hosts 9 Ole Miss

Why do I feel I've just completed an exercise in futility? If you've read this entire post, thanks. And I'm sure you and I can agree, weird that an Indiana team could slide in ahead of a team like Tennessee. But it does bring a smirk to my face!

Go Dawgs!

Bye weeks and home games and seedings, oh my!

So how are we feeling with the updated ranking last night? Dawgs moved up after beating Tennessee, but looks like we will need help to earn either a first round home game, and certainly a trip to the SECCG and potential bye week.

To be honest, I was a little surprised our Dawgs didn't get more of a bump in the standings. Taking a broader view, it looks like the committee is trying to find value in things like strength of schedule, overall wins vs losses against ranked opponents.

But if that were truly the case, Georgia should be higher. Never mind what I type and what they think, what say you?

In the end, here on Nov. 20th, we still have more meaningful football to be played. We could say that in years before, but this year seems to be tenfold. I mean, would SMU @ Virginia be of much concern were it not for potential impact in the ACC Conference standings?

Regardless, make sure you are still participating in the Mumme Poll. The dear Senator is truly missed this season. It's the least we could do. Because God I miss his insight in times like this!

When anxiety gives way to Eagerness

You're having a nice meal in a very nice restaurant. It hasn't been perfect, but the company at the table is fun and engaging. Sure, you've had better meals. But it's a great evening and you won't have to do the dishes. The bar has a terrific array of bourbons. The wife is happy with her wine selection. Then...

CRACK! You bite down on something, a tooth crumbles and you just scream.

Life is pain. Mileage may vary.

Our Dawgs are out of sync, and almost out of time as well.

Yep. I think Saturday night was the first game in a while I didn't enjoy. Well, beyond the opening moments. After that it was a nightmare.

Sure, Tuscaloosa sucked. But we showed fight. Even a weird story like Jekyll & Hyde has some thrilling moments weaved into the insanity.

But Oxford man...no answers. No clue. No way. It was mistake after mistake where you just wanted to be able to take a knee the entire 4th stanza and get the hell out of there.

Jan.1st, 1993     Zeier > Herbstreit

Yet, once they had their second chance to storm the field and it was finally over, I could breathe easier. I still believe these are the best of times. I matriculated during an era when our best season (by far) was a Citrus Bowl trip. I remember leaving the stadium in Donnan's first game, an 11-7 loss to Southern Mississippi, we saw a kid holding up his free t-shirt for attending the game and setting it on fire!

I can take this and roll with it. Yes, it's your individual prerogative to call for a new quarterback, a new head coach (!!), a new coordinator. We got pantsed by Kiffin and you can be butthurt about it. But would you rather be a Seminole fan about now?

Didn't think so. Part of me was anxious about what we might see when the hypefulled up volunteers come rolling into town tomorrow. But I'm now eager, not anxious.

The whole team looked out of sync Saturday night in Oxford. Tanner mentioned on yesterday's podcast, it felt like the coaches had no confidence. The line can't block, the quarterback can't throw, the receivers can't catch. Jesus Christ on a bicycle! You may be sick of screen passes, but what is Bobo to do?

Punt. Okay, now let's do the defense....

Nope, that's enough. Let's move forward. Because whether you hate this team or you're sticking by them, we should all be able to agree that there's one team in the nation no one wants to play when their backs are against the wall - Kirby Smart's Georgia GotDamn Bulldogs!

They comin'!

Let them bring their boxes of Franzia, sing their strangely semi-fictional fight song, and talk about the days when Bill Clinton was misusing cigars and Tom Hanks was desperately trying to save Private Ryan from Nazi controlled Europe. I'm eager to see how we handle another strong defense. I'm eager to see how well the crowd affects their ability race the play clock. I'm eager to see Coach Strickland grab and struggle to hold Kirby's belt. I'm eager to see how the team responds. And by God, I'd love to see Thorson use another gap wedge right leg to paint their offense into a super tight coffin corner!!

I've mentioned how this team appears to lack a leadership that we've grown accustomed to seeing the last few years. Well, it's time to step up. It's getting late and the committee is seeing longer shadows. Let's tee it up 'tween the hedges and give them something to think about!

Go Dawgs!

4th & 3 Dudes - episode 12

Forced to rehash the Ole Miss loss, we add Matt Tanner in to set the scene that was Oxford Saturday night. Then we move on to (hopefully) greener pastures.

Digesting Ole Miss...and our own fans

Turns out I was right, the offensive line play was key. Unfortunately, we weren't up to the task of remotely blocking their well paid world beaters.

The next day Brooks shed some light in the wake of the Stacy Searels haters.

Matt Luke left a void the trip to Oxford could not navigate.

But to be honest, I'm most disappointed in our fan base. We got overly disgruntled at Carson when he smiled on the sideline. We called for the heads of Bobo, Searels, and even Kirby. 

Absent a trip to Atlanta for the SEC Championship, we have all of our goals in front of us. Win out at home and we're in the playoffs. Why are we bitching and whining about our backup quarterback cheering up our starting quarterback when he was at his lowest? Isn't that something we should applaud?

Look in the mirror. If you're reading this you are most likely a fan of the National Championship team two of the last three years.

Get.

A.

Grip.

Then let's kick Tennessee a new one.

Key to a W in Oxford

I think it starts with our offensive line. This is the highest paid, most talented defensive front we've faced this season. They thrive in the backfield, averaging over 10 TFLs and 4.5 sacks a game. 

It is definitely a full defensive team effort, but these are the four main culprits, all averaging double digits in tackles for loss:

• 

  Suntarine Perkins leads the Rebels in sacks and TFLs

  #4 Suntarine Perkins - Soph LB having a whale of a season
• #38 JJ Pegues - Senior DT in his third season in Oxford after starting in Auburn
• #1 Princely Umanmielan - Senior Edge Rusher, previously a Gator
• #11 Chris Paul Jr. - Junior LB picked up off waivers from Arkansas

They way I see it, we have two things playing in our favor: 1) our OL is as healthy as its been in awhile, and 2) their defense hasn't played nearly the level of opponents that we have.

Our OL did pretty well in Texas, all things considered. It's going to be hard to run on these guys, so I'm looking for Bobo to get creative in the running game and utilize 11 and 86 in some misdirection and take advantage of the Rebels' tendency to be aggressive.

The last thing Carson Beck needs is a defensive front that consistently has their ears pinned back. Bobo might press the gas pedal down in some situations, but I'd like to see a workmanlike effort to move the chains and sit on the clock. If we're leaning on this defense in the 4th quarter, it's gonna be Goodnight Rebs!

"He overcame a lot today." - Kirby on Beck

In between ripping lips, glad BassinDawg also caught this nugget from SEC Inside. Watch it and then answer a couple questions.

#Dawgs Kirby definitely has Beck’s back as seen in this video from SEC Inside.
“He didn’t play his best game, but we can help him by playing better around him.”
💯🐶🏈 #GoDawgs #Kirby pic.twitter.com/yhFbtBnZWr

— GATA Dawgs (@BassinDawg) November 7, 2024

Does Kirby's locker room have a morale problem?

Can it be any clearer that 15 is our ride or die guy?

Carson "what the heck" Beck

Let's start with what we know.

• Beck has an NFL arm that he will use to play on Sundays.
• He has been pretty conservative with the ball dating back to last season. Checks down to safe(r) targets when necessary.
• Except when he doesn't. The biggest games we've had this season (@ Bama, @ Texas, Florida) he's made some costly decisions with the ball. It's not just the 11 total INTs this season compared to six (!!) total last season. It's that most of them have been very bad reads/decisions.
• Sometimes a QB gets dinged with an INT that could actually be another offensive player's fault - bad route, tipped ball, receiver got outplayed for the ball. Most of Carson's are entirely on him. And that's what's unsettling.
• That all being said, Beck is our clear QB1, and based on the fact that he's thrown 7 interceptions in the last three games and yet Kirby still has not pulled him, it ain't very close between Beck and QB2.
  

Some things we've seen and heard that shed some light:

• Bobo calls plays to start a game to get Beck in a rhythm. We know this based on our early game plans. When it goes well you get a 51-13 win over Kentucky in Athens last season. When it doesn't you get a 13-12 rock fight like we saw in Lexington back in September.
• Beck has lost his most trusted targets. This is pretty evident as well. Many times Beck and his targets are not on the same page. And it's not just McConkey and Bowers being in the NFL. Word is his greatest rapport with a receiver after 2023 ended was with RaRa - gone! Next was Colbie Young - not available.^*
• Beck is not like Stetson. Well duh, but let me broaden this out. We've had quarterbacks for years who have (at least) grown up in Georgia, some even lifelong Dawg fans. Zeier, Bobo, Greene, DJ, Hutson, Fromm, Stetson just to name a few. Beck I think is more like Stafford. He came to Athens because it was the right business decision. Beck wanted to learn from Monken and now Bobo, because they could best prepare him for the NFL Draft.

Personally, I don't fault that decision if it's indeed true. He signed with Georgia right as Coley was being replaced by Monken. His other SEC options were Florida and Alabama. We know Mullen wasn't a great recruiter, so I see why Beck chose not to take his chances in Gainesville. So it was Sark or the incoming Monken. Beck had to see a better opportunity in Athens with Fromm leaving town. He'd be in a QB room with JT Daniels (Soph), Stetson Bennett (Jr), and D'Wan Mathis (Fr).^** Alabama had Mac Jones (Jr) and Bryce Young (Fr).

Regardless, to my earlier point, Carson Beck is who we've got. In the third quarter against the Gators, Kirby/Bobo had every right to put in Stockton or Rashada. They didn't. That's all we need to know about which quarterback gives us the best chance to win. You can whine and complain, it doesn't matter. Beck is our quarterback. Ride or die! Just find a way to enjoy it. It's college football, not political nonsense. 😎

Kirby Smart and Mike Bobo know football. The rest of us are just thumb typing and sideline watching. Go Dawgs!

^{* Sounds like there is a chance Young makes it back on the roster. But at the moment for the unforeseeable future, the senior wide receiver is suspended pending battery and assault charges.}

^{** Jamie Newman had transferred to UGA, but opted out in August 2020. Since Newman was a senior and Bennett was a junior and former walk-on, I can see why Athens was the more attractive landing spot.}

National landscape - week 10, muddy waters

While I feel like we have a few teams that are definitely worthy, it's just a mess behind them right now. Luckily the real CFB Playoff rankings come out tonight. For now, let's get straight into it.

1. Oregon (bye)
2. Georgia (bye)
3. Miami (bye)
4. BYU (bye)
5. Indiana (hosts)
6. Texas (hosts)
7. SMU (hosts)
8. Ohio State (hosts)
   
9. Notre Dame
10. Boise State
11. Tennessee
12. Penn State

Oregon continues to show up and show out. Georgia is winning in spite of rampant turnovers behind a defense that looks like it's only going to get better. 

Indiana continues to impress. They go to Ohio State in a couple weeks. I considered dropping Penn State, but in the end left them at 12.

SMU is undefeated in the ACC, their only loss was to BYU by a field goal. I still have little faith in Miami, but they just keep winning. So Clemson's loss is their gain.

The SEC...I don't know. Texas, Tennessee, A&M, and LSU are good teams. I decided to leave the two of them with two losses out, for now.

Clemson and Iowa State are two that slipped out, but could work back into the fray. I have them on the bubble behind the likes of Army who probably deserves to be ranked. And they will if they take down Notre Dame (at home) in a couple weeks.

Anyway, as always, we close this weekly post with this: Those are at least some intriguing matchups in Round 1. $till not $old on making the $ea$on thi$ long. But I'd watch, and I gue$$ that'$ why they expanded, right?

Digesting the WLOCP - the bad, the good, and the HAVOC

Let's get the bad out of the way. Carson Beck had another awful start. He continues to struggle connecting with targets and overall doesn't look polished like he did towards the end of last season. The interceptions were baffling, to be honest.

The defense struggled in the first half and clearly missed Jackson and Aguero. The Gators should not have gotten that last field goal to end the half. Our secondary followed their motion and left a weakened weak side over-matched.

That's it. That's the bad. The defense returned to form when Jackson and Aguero were given their helmets back and released from SEC officiating purgatory. Florida didn't amass 200 total yards of offense until that last touchdown drive midway through the 4th quarter.

Bobo called a great game, balancing it between managing through Beck's rough start and losing Etienne. Frazier stepped up into the role well, and Cash did his usual Cash things. So the loss of Etienne was troubling, but not devastating by any means.

And Hello! Peanut! 

We are all Peanut fans#GoDawgs | @DwightP_2024 pic.twitter.com/ee2ZPAVmNm

— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) November 4, 2024

Saturday was probably the best game our tight end room has had this season: blocking, route running, and catching. That's encouraging!

Woodring and Thorson had great days, but until that bad snap/hold Florida was having an even better day at special teams.

I watched the tv version last night and was surprised to hear Herbstreit say the Georgia fans were not into it. In the stands I felt the opposite was true. Going back to Kirby's words to the fans after the Auburn game, I feel like Dawg fans have only gotten louder and dug in deeper behind the team.

And having a couple great defensive outings has helped. You take a play like Daniel Harris made, that brings a lot of noise from Georgia fans. Sacks, solid tackling, meeting the ball carrier at the line of scrimmage, CJ Allen leaping in anticipation of a bad pass...just HAVOC in general dissolves any perceived separation between those in red on the field and those in red in the stands.

Let's end with Beck. I'm sure you are hearing it too. No one knows more than Carson that he needs to be better. The fact that he's had three interceptions in each of the last two games and we've still managed to win both by two touchdowns is both amazing and nerve wracking.

But if you think he's not our best option by a wide margin, you're just not paying attention. Many coaches would've pulled the quarterback after that third interception in the early moments of the second half. And let's be honest, Beck could've had four by that time!

But Kirby did not pull him. That tells me Beck was still our best option to win the game. That being said, in the television replay I could see Kirby getting less "hand holding" with 15 and more firm in the "it's time to step up" message as we entered the final frame.

And let's be fair, Carson did step up. He was 11 for 11 in the deciding final 15 minutes of the game. 

I may spend another post on our quarterback later in the week, but for now let's acknowledge the fact that we've won four straight in Jacksonville. Something that we haven't been able to do since the '80s!

Go Dawgs! 

the Friday Misery says FTMF!

"We need a miracle!" screamed Dorsey Hill, now fortified by more than collards.

"Holding pigs for my dad to castrate was quite a challenge. I can't say that helped prepare me for football, but it sure did remind me a lot of sacking Steve Spurrier." - Bill Stanfill

"Hey Stevie...BOO!"

With your bright orange shirts and your sissy blue britches, you can go to Hell you sonsabitches! Gators...Gators...how'd ya like to bite my ass?!

How much do I hate florida? Turn the toaster oven to 500, throw it into the center of a thousand suns, and then into the molten lava center of a box of pizza bites.

the legacy of Willy Napier

On the day of November 28, 2021, Napier was known for bringing success to the Sun Belt Conference's UL-Lafayette. He was known as a solid recruiter, and was replacing known counter-recruiting aficionado - Danny Mullen. It seemed a thoughtful pivot for the bull gator intelligentsia.

Also, Billy had turned that ULL program around. They made bowl games in all four of Napier's seasons there as he lead them to a 40-12 overall record. Could he be the full package for florida? And would that aforementioned intelligentsia give him the space and time to right the ship that Muschamp, Sharkdaddy McIlwain, and Mullen had steered into jagged rocks?

Recruiting has improved, which is to say the current gator coaches engage in it and recognize its importance. But (current Georgia backup QB Jaden Rashada) is currently suing Napier and the Gator Guard Collective for failing to stand by their NIL commitment of $13 million and change. It's the first suit of its kind.

And for any gator fan that has stumbled from their single-wide/meth lab over here? When I type "suit" I'm referring to a legal action, not the fact that your 15 jersey with the sleeves ripped off matches your frayed edged jorts.

So in summation, it's been and still is rocky water in the swamps around Gainesville. Ya hate to see it! Where does the SunBelt Billy legacy lead? A win tomorrow could warrant it more time on the gator sideline. A loss might find it at the bottom of the swamp chained to a concrete block.

a Hate as old as time

Gator family, or alligatoridae as it were, have been around since well before Steve Spurrier returned to Gainesville. I'm talking the Eocene epoch, like before they evolved into eatin' boogers. Man came along roughly 29 million years later. Many species of alligatoridae are now extinct. So despite the age difference, the overall record in this series is almost unfathomable - 8 billion humans and nearly a billion dogs to roughly 3 million embiggened lizards.

Why? Well, all scientists agree (even the ones on campus in Gainesville wearing their lab coats backwards) that the alligator evolved much more slowly than mammals and even birds.

I know, shocker right?! These are the reptiles whose fans clap as if their left hand is on fire. Have you ever seen an alligator wearing jean shorts? No, me neither. Then again, I guess jorts are cheaper than alligator skin outerwear.

According to their team fanpage Wiki, in 2010 after outlasting the Dawgs in overtime 34-31, their fans "were found to gather in large numbers for group courtship, the so-called 'alligator dances'." Egad! Sounds like a scene from a late night Cinemax flick.

No thank you! So despite all the millenniums of evolution (mostly on our part fellow Dawg fans), the goal remains the same.

Beat.

Florida.

of note

Did you know that during the years of Prohibition, Georgia dominated this series 6-2-1? Which proves that a florida tackle football team is no better when they are sober.

I believe I took this pic prior to the 2017 WLOCP. On one hand I took it because I have two daughters, and this is not mine nor their mother's impression of "chivalry". But I also took it because...screw you florida douche ass punk! Be a man and carry the case of beer! Jesus, it's not a toothbrush or, Heaven forbid, a non-fictional account of College Football prior to the 1990s!

I imagine it went down something like this:

"Hey babe, let's go catch that bus and get to lil Dickie's tailgate. And can you carry the beer? This bad ass lanyard and my Skoal Bandits are really weighing me down."

"Well, you made me pay for them, so I guess it's only right."

Back to reality. Danny Wuerffel ain't walking down that tunnel tomorrow. More to the point, Trevor Etienne ain't gonna be wearing a helmet with the cute cursive print on it. Prohibition is long over. It's time to work those corked bottles, snap back cans, twist tops and shot glasses. It's the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party! It was a metal, steel chair. With about a five inch cushion! JAWS was about a shark, not a gator. Monthly parole is no longer a undergraduate major, the Urban era is done. FTMF! That's what my coach said. One bit, two bits, three bits ain't gonna get you shit tomorrow! Lindsay RAN so Munson lit the cigar. Your fans throw meth raves and your players throw cleats. You're so poor, you couldn't keep Cam Newton on the roster. You're closer to a circus than a College Football Playoff. To give a nod to ol' Dorsey again, "I haven't worked since Texas, and I haven't slept since Clemson. You expect me to go back home when we play Ole Miss in six days!??" God IS a Bulldog!

Now let us bow our heads...dear little baby Jesus, in the words of Dan Magill, please smite these florida Philistines and keep our ice cold and our Dawg hearts warm. In the name of Nat Hudson, Robert Edwards, Dick Sam IV, and Nakobe Dean...Amen and Go Dawgs!

Hate week, florida edition - 4th & 3 Dudes

I'll let you be the judge, but I don't think I exuded enough hate.

Rate, share, subscribe!

And/or follow us on YouTube!

Mid week feelings on the WLOCP

We're getting close! As I cross over the Trout River each day and putter towards MLK, get closer and closer to taking that exit instead. Hope all y'all traveling down in the coming days drive and fly and boat safely. The weather is good this year. I think we'll head into the game in the low 80's, so it could hot sitting in portions of the stands. But overall a very pleasant weatherly outlook.

As for the game:

• I like that we are healthier than we have been in a month or so. Getting Tate back is big. Sounds like Mykel will still be on a play count. On their side of the field, they have a lot of playmakers listed as questionable - RB and especially wide receiver. Most of the real game experience is still available though; the exception being senior RB Montrell Jackson. They've done pretty well with freshman Jadan Baugh toting the rock.
• Here a few days out it just feels like a game that starts slowly before we really lean on them. So it could be close at half, but I like our interior lineman on both sides of the compared to theirs.

I enjoy this week for the social media posting too. One of the greatest Dawg fans I know, Billy goes old school with this post:

And Greg came in with the full video experience. Go Dawgs!

A video that never gets old. “Screw Florida and the mule they came in here on!”. Erk Russell ‘1980 pic.twitter.com/9vJXns7w9d

— 𝐺𝑟𝑒𝑔 - 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑜 𝑒𝑎𝑡! (@Dawgsfan4ever) October 29, 2024

National landscape - week nine, Oregon stands tall

Oregon stood up to Ohio State and dominated Illinois. Those are their only wins against ranked opponents. Does that make them worthy of the top spot? At this point I have them neck and neck with Georgia. Then again, it doesn't mean too much to be #1 vs #2 now that the playoff includes 12 teams. 

1. Oregon (bye)
2. Georgia (bye)
3. Clemson (bye)
4. BYU (bye)
5. Texas A&M (hosts)
6. Penn State (hosts)
7. Ohio State (hosts)
8. Notre Dame (hosts)
9. Iowa State
10. Miami
11. Texas
12. Boise State

The biggest move this week was A&M jumping up to #5. Last week I had LSU at #6, and really thought the winner of Saturday evening's game wouldn't be that strong of a consideration. But the Aggies showed me something different...in the second half. Marcel Reed makes them a true contender I think. Going to South Carolina will be a true road test, and they get Texas at home to close the season.

Elsewhere in the SEC, Georgia sits on their bye weekend. Moved Texas down a spot after their win over Vanderbilt. That's mostly because I still don't believe they have an offensive line that can consistently let their playmakers make plays. They're really, really bad.

Miami beat FSU by three touchdowns. Think about that for a moment. As recently as a year ago all the way back to the 90's, that would be a major headline. FSU is that bad and I really don't think Miami is that good. Again, without some help from the referees, the Canes could be 5-3.

The Big 10 is truly a mystery to me. After Oregon, what team is deserving? Indiana probably should be next. In the end I decided to let the Ohio State at Penn State game this weekend shake things out.

BYU notched a cross country road win against UCF to stay atop the Big 12. Their biggest competition for the top spot is Iowa State. The Cyclones definitely have the harder schedule ahead: Texas Tech on Saturday and at Utah later in November. 

The Golden Domes trounced a good Navy team. That loss to the Salukis really brought Notre Dame around.

Which brings me to #12. I don't know how you can leave Boise State or Army out of the equation at this point. The reason they expanded the playoffs was to give teams like these a chance. Army is undefeated and is probably the one team that no one really wants to play. But I'm sticking with the Broncos as they beat my original Group of 5 inclusion, UNLV.

And just because it's hate week: Where are the Gators you ask? Basking in their OT loss to the Vols maybe?

Anyway, as always, we close this weekly post with this: Those are at least some intriguing matchups in Round 1. $till not $old on making the $ea$on thi$ long. But I'd watch, and I gue$$ that'$ why they expanded, right?

Let's re-visit a florida gator nightmare sequence

Nama shared this last night. What a game!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Row Sixty: A Georgia Football Podcast (@rowsixty)

We happened to be sitting behind Nolan Smith's grandfather. He busted a knuckle celebrating during that fumble return. So I went home with a bloody polo, but beyond overjoyed!

The longest two and a half minutes of Dan Mullen's career. And precipitated one of Kirby's greatest halftime speeches (at least to our knowledge) where he implores the team to "make them fucking quit!"

I can't wait for Saturday!

Episode 9 - 4th & 3 Dudes

This episode may be sensitive for any Texas listeners. If you or someone you know suffers from the Georgia pass rush, seek professional help. And also grow a pair!

Follow, rate, review - 4th & 3 Dudes

National landscape, week eight shakes things up!

Perhaps last week I was a bit hasty in saying "the waters are a little less muddy." Bama was wildly inconsistent on the road and Texas didn't bother showing up until the 3rd quarter. And even then, only had spurts of success. Let's dig on in shall we?

1. Oregon (bye)
2. Clemson (bye)
3. Georgia (bye)
4. BYU (bye)
5. Penn State (hosts)
6. LSU (hosts)
7. Ohio State (hosts)
8. Notre Dame (hosts)
9. Iowa State
10. Texas
11. Miami
12. Boise State

I watched Miami beat Louisville on the road. I'm still not sold on them winning the ACC, but it was a win in a hostile-ish environment. Clemson however still has the better resume, and I believe the better overall team. Let's not forget, Miami was the beneficiary of bad calls against VA Tech, Cal, and now Louisville. They could easily be 4-3. So the Canes move into the rankings, but that's all I got for them right now.

ACC-lite: Notre Dame looked impressive against GA Tech in the Benz. But again, they'll need to beat Navy this weekend and Army late next month to stay in.

Georgia's win in Austin moves them up into a bye. I debated on how far Texas should slide and landed on (newcomer to the rankings) LSU hosting and Texas moving into a first round trip to Columbus. Alabama's lackluster performance in Neyland was more than enough for me to move them out, especially given it is their second loss in the state of Tennessee. Did the Vols show me enough to move back in? Nope. Keeping the SEC at three teams.

What about A&M, the SEC's other undefeated team (in conference play)? I decided to be as fair as possible. I took to social media and asked followers to vote on these five teams as a third entry for this week's rankings - A&M, LSU, Missouri, Texas, and Vanderbilt. LSU ran away with more than 50% of the votes. (If you don't follow me, here's the FB page and here's my TXitter.)

Moving on, Oregon benefitted from Texas' beat down to move up into the top spot. And they may not give it back as they have #20 Illinois this weekend, and after that their next ranked opponent could be in the Big10 Championship game. I didn't like the idea of both Penn State and Ohio State hosting a 1st round game, but with Bama and Texas Tech dropping out it was hard not to. They play each other in a couple weeks anyway. It'll sort out.

What about Indiana you say? They are undefeated, but the schedule seems soft to me. If they keep winning and take down the Buckeyes next month... 

In the Big12, BYU remains atop the conference with Iowa State. I keep BYU as the conference winner and it seemed time to move the undefeated Cyclones in.

As far as true contenders for the whole enchilada...Dawgs definitely showed they can put things together. Again, I don't think Oregon is going to move much, so I have them as a true contender. And then I guess you have to include Ohio State as well since their game with the Ducks could've gone either way. And I think they're my only three at this point. Everyone else either hasn't impressed me enough to put on that level, or they are simply suffering from a weak schedule so far. We'll see.

Anyway, as always, we close this weekly post with this: Those are at least some intriguing matchups in Round 1. $till not $old on making the $ea$on thi$ long. But I'd watch, and I gue$$ that'$ why they expanded, right?

Digesting Texas

First of all, I need to own up. I was one of the ones not just thinking but also espousing that this Georgia defense was not up to the standard we've seen the last few years. And yes, there's still a long way to go.

But Saturday night was special. Our offense turned the ball over twice in the first quarter and the Longhorns still went into halftime with zero points. There's a reason their quarterbacks looked like this on the sideline just before half:

"Did...you see the size of that dude?"
"Yeh."
Yeh."

Jalon Walker was impossible to defend Saturday night on his way to 8 tackles and 3 sacks. Mykel, Wilson and Everette added 4 more sacks. The pressure threw off Ewers timing with his receivers, and their running game was a non-issue. Take away the negative sack yardage and the Longhorns struggled to 64 yards on 17 carries.

In short, Georgia's defense quickly put their offense in a box with one hand tied behind them. And when Ewers was able to get the ball off, the secondary (and linebackers...hello Chris Cole!) were more than up to the task. In 49 dropbacks, the Longhorns managed just 230 yards.

By the time the clock hit zeroes, the Georgia defense had limited the Sarkisian offense to 4.69 yards per pass (that is roughly half what they were averaging coming into this game) and 3.76 yards per run (again, taking out ALL of the sack yardage).

Rumor is Muschamp really stepped in to help the secondary prepare for this road trip. Maybe that was because of Schumann's wife giving birth Wednesday to their 3rd kid, or maybe Coach Boom just needed to scratch an old itch. Regardless, the end result was domination.

Offensively, it wasn't domination but I felt like we executed at a much higher level. Yes, Beck had a few bad reads. The receivers had some drops. And a couple more times pretty sure  they are running wrong routes. In short, the offense as a whole is still not completely in sync.

On the plus side, the offensive line had a great night when Jared Wilson returned to the lineup. Gave up just one sack (which may have been as much on Beck) and provided a steady pocket from start to finish.

Etienne remains a bright spot. It's always nice to have a three down back that can run, catch and block. Delp had his best game of the season.

If I were to quibble, I hope the focus going into the off week is downfield blocking. Sure would be nice to spring Etienne on a few long ones at the WLOCP! But on a night that saw Bobo calling in plays on our own walkie talkies, an enjoyable performance to say the least.

Kirby said it post-game. No one believed in those guys. Word is Gameday was a clean sweep for the Longhorns. They scrambled our comms. Threw bottles at us. And then the refs tried to take matters into their own hands. (sidenote - when will the SEC hire full time referees, and make them face the press after games) And still, the Dawgs more than handled their business road trip.

Lastly, thanks to all you Road Dawgs! You sounded great and added an exclamation point to the win with all the horns down pics around Texas Memorial Stadium that floated onto social media. Go Dawgs!

the Friday Misery doesn't wear chaps

Hey Beevo, keep your dadgum ivoryish bovine protrusions away from our doggy!

steered clear

Seriously, why is that thing on the field? I've heard many raise the question, but have yet to hear a true answer. When Ralphie visited Sanford he was on his best behavior. I don't think his handlers even had to sedate him. I mean he ran on the field without trampling Joe Cox. Thank God!

But if this is the same Texas mascot that was at the Sugar Bowl a few years ago, give him a horse tranq for God's sake!

And I don't even know if Uga is travelling. I sure wouldn't if I were Boom and knew what that ornery two-ton sumbitch tried against Que. Give that good boy a tummy rub and let him just nap through the pre-game from the comforts of the Seiler sofa.

(UPDATE: Charles says Boom will indeed be safe in Savannah this weekend.)

when the secondary is a primary concern

Deeeeep.

Breath.....

Okay, it was uneasy then uncomfortable then unfathomable to watch our secondary get torched time and time again Saturday night. I get it, that was not fun at all. Offense was eating up yards and putting up points, but the defense just couldn't make ol' Missy State quit!

It starts, in my humble never been a tackle football coach's opinion, with the pass rush. I was a little, just a little, too hard on the secondary on Tuesday. Upon further reflection, every time we sent a blitz they had the correct call. And it went for a lot of yards if not a touchdown.

We just couldn't get our hands on the kid. And that starts in the trenches. Tomorrow we have to be able to generate a push and at least get some hands in Ewers' face. We made Miss State one-dimensional early. They wanted to run the ball, but we wouldn't let them.

Here's a dude that can GATA!

And while that eventually turned on us when they started to pass, we need to do the same tomorrow night. Yes, it's hard when Mykel isn't 100%. It's hard with Mondon sidelined. But these kind of games are won up front.

Now everybody...yes, even you pea brains in the back still whining about Kirby's forearm shiver. Let's all get into a three point stance...that's it...get your ass down Poindexter! Okay, now. Right arm up ready to chop wood, and...GET AFTER THEIR ASS!!

egos are especially bigger in texas

Gather around longhorns, and put your 10 gallon learning caps on. You are officially in the SEC now, so you have to act right. Yes, even though you were named after a steakhouse chain. And no, most of us don't want you around here anyway. And it's not because we're afraid of you. No, the decisions were and are made above our paygrade.

So listen here, stop whining every time an opposing fan gives you the horns down. Yes, we know it hurts your feelings and we saw when the Big12 front office enabled you like a green-faced toddler that doesn't wanna eat strained peas.

Grow a pair. Instead of putting a replica of a bull's scrotum on your trailer hitch, try loosening your girly chaps and find your own set. This is the SEC son! We can joke about Vandy "blowing the Admiral", and Carolina's choking chicken, and still have some modicum of respect for each other. Yes, we bark at perfect strangers. Yes, Florida claps like the graduating class for the directionally challenged. Missouri goes on the road...to play UMass! And don't get me started on Tennessee's Tour de Franzia or their depressing locker room mantra:

Narrator voice: "It was true. It could not be found."

Taunting, trash talk, turning Parliament Funkadelic's P-Funk hand signal upside down...it's all part of the fan experience. It's expected. It's understood. (And yes, I understand Auburn is more of an exception. But trust me, they're worse than a toddler with strained peas in his ears.)

Now, proudly pat that SEC patch on your jersey and understand you are now playing in the ELITE playground. No more plastic primary colored fake shit. I'm talking solid wood foundation with steel bars. I guess what I'm saying is, if the slide in our playground doesn't chap your ass, then an inverted set of fingers shouldn't either.

Let's all circle up and pray...take off your cap and let's see your pretty-boy haircut Arch! There we go...Lord, please protect these men tomorrow night as we continue to pray and look for ways to support hurricane victims across the southeast. And please, pleeeeaase! Let us get Ewers jersey dirty. Even after 8:50pm. Because we know it's ALWAYS 10 TO 9 IN TEXAS!! AMEN and Go Dawgs!

Bonus - this week's 4th & 3 Dudes episode

National landscape, week seven

Waters are becoming less muddy I guess. And now that we're in the thick of it, and despite knowing that some two and maybe even three loss teams will make the playoffs, it sure feels like some one loss teams need to prove their worth.

1. Texas (bye)
2. Oregon (bye)
3. BYU (bye)
4. Clemson (bye)
   
5. Ohio State (hosts)
6. Georgia (hosts)
7. Alabama (hosts)
8. Texas Tech (hosts)
9. Notre Dame
10. LSU
11. Penn State
12. Boise State

The biggest game of the weekend brought us the best game of the season. The Ducks outlasted the Buckeyes and have solidified their bye week, at least for now. To round out the Big10 I kept Ohio State at 5 and dropped Penn State down to 11.

The Big12 has three undefeated teams in BYU, Texas Tech, and Iowa State. I'm keeping BYU as the conference winner, kept Texas Tech at 8, and considered letting Iowa State in. I've felt like Utah would play themselves back into contention, but their loss to Arizona State Friday night is gonna leave them hunting for a bowl game. BYU (probably) has the easiest path to a bye week in the playoffs. But along with Texas Tech and Iowa State, I think Kansas State and Arizona State are in contention.

ACC...each week I feel Clemson stakes a better claim than Miami. We'll see if the Tigers can hold it together.

ACC Lite...will it be Notre Dame's last week in the standings? They have trips to GA Tech and then Navy in the next two weeks. Win those as well as a 11/23 home game against Army and they may just survive that home loss to the Salukis.

Boise State Cruised through Honolulu, and they may very well keep cruising all the way to their season finale against Oregon State. As a reminder, the Broncos' only loss is to Oregon, by a field goal.

Lastly, the SEC. The only real change was swapping Ole Miss for LSU. I still feel it's more likely the SEC gets just three teams in the playoff bracket. Texas seems the only shoe-in. Bama is on a couple shaky wheels, and it's hard to believe LSU is good enough defensively to carry them into a playoff bid.

And with our Dawgs, the next month's gauntlet will prove we're deserving, or not.

Anyway, as always, we close this weekly post with this: Those are at least some intriguing matchups in Round 1. $till not $old on making the $ea$on thi$ long. But I'd watch, and I gue$$ that'$ why they expanded, right?

Digesting Miss State

Let's start with the bad. Our secondary was exposed. To be fair, we couldn't develop a pass rush after we made them a one-dimensional offense. But every time we committed to a blitz, our secondary couldn't stand up to the task.

Burnt toast!

So it was nice to see Ellis Robinson gets some snaps late in the game. The true freshman may need to grow up fast if we are to challenge the meat of our schedule starting Saturday night in Austin.

The good. The offense found a groove. Carson trusted his playmakers downfield. That rollout where he flung it to the endzone and Dillon Bell caught it for the touchdown...that's what we've been waiting to see. The screens and check downs are still there, but our offense used the entire field Saturday which was nice to see.

The short of it is this: we're not the team we were hoping for. It was discouraging to give up so many long passes and touchdowns. Mississippi State is not a good football team and they're depending on a true freshman quarterback. Have seen a lot of people lament on Muschamp not being on our sideline any longer. But I prefer Brooks' point:

I answer this question as Kamari Lassiter, Javon Bullard, and Tykee Smith are in the midst of starting for yet another week in their rookie seasons.

The harsh reality is… you aren’t as good because you aren’t as good.

I’ll get more into the answers on tape this week. https://t.co/oyT0gJwVE7

— Brooks Austin (@BrooksAustinBA) October 13, 2024

National landscape, week six. The Tide falls.

For the second week in a row, the Alabama Crimson Tide is the lead story, and the biggest cause for the poll's shuffle. Vandy held the Tide down, inspiring the Fighting Sam Pittmans to take down the Vols.

So here we go:

1. Texas (bye)
2. Oregon (bye)
3. BYU (bye)
4. Clemson (bye)
5. Ohio State (hosts)
6. Georgia (hosts)
7. Alabama (hosts)
8. Texas Tech (hosts)
9. Penn State
10. Ole Miss
11. Notre Dame
12. Boise State

Michigan and Tennessee fall out of this week's poll after losses to Washington and Arkansas respectively. In their place I've moved Ole Miss back in, as well as Notre Dame.

It's not that I'm sold that both of those teams will make it in the end, but I couldn't find another team to go in ahead of them. Miami's gonna get caught paying off referees eventually, so I couldn't put a 2nd ACC team in. 

In the Big 10, Oregon hosts Ohio State this weekend. I doubt I drop the loser out next week. They'll probably just swap spots. Penn State impresses a little more each week and they travel to USC this weekend.

And if Ole Miss survives a night game in Baton Rouge, they'll have proven me right. For this week at least.

As for the SEC, I think in the end the committee will likely (at least try to) keep the conference at three teams. I just can't put a Miami ahead of Ole Miss. Who else is worthy? Iowa State? I just can't see it.

I do see a chance for Utah to move back into the picture. The Utes host both BYU and Iowa State next month.

So a lot to be settled in the next couple months. And it starts this weekend!

the Friday Misery doesn't want Abuurn's company

If a group of young men decide to use paint to express their school spirit, it is generally praised and welcomed by other fans. If said paint is to be used to spell words, it adds a delicate layer of importance in regards to placement.

Trust me, I was once the "W" in DAWGS for a winner take the SEC conference crown matchup in Stegeman Coliseum between Hugh Durham's basketball team and LSU's Tigers. And sure enough, when the camera did aim in our direction, the five of us were in the correct order. There was no confusion as to why we were rooting for "DWASG" or "ADSWG".

Then there's these dipshits from the plains.

Hey, any idiot can throw a roll of toilet paper...you know, in the event their War Eagle Tiger Plainsmen win a tackle football game. But it takes a special group of mouth breathing, illiterate dumbasses to misspell their school's name whilst calling so much attention to themselves with painted bare chests.

the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry

This game used to define friendly rivalry. These football programs have a history intertwined and woven into the very fabric of their being. Most notably: Vince Dooley was an Auburn man before he moved to Athens; and Pat Dye was a Georgia guy before settling in West Opelika.

Good boy Magillicuddy! (via)

There was even a time about 10 years ago when the series record was not only tied, but the total points scored were remarkably close. Georgia at Auburn in 1996 produced the SEC's first tiebreaker. Uga V tried to take a bite out of Auburn's Robert Baker, which brought the Georgia team out of the doldrums and we came back from a 28-7 deficit to force the OT.

But time has not been kind to this Auburn football program. They are the team you thought of when you were ever posed the question: would you rather win a national championship and then go through years of CFB purgatory, or have a consistent team that always at least makes a bowl game?

They paid Cecil Newton for his son, won the natty, everyone bailed, and they're on their fifth head coach since winning the 2010 BCS trophy. Worse than that, they've become whiny little pissants that get to play two home games against Georgia in back to back years. They not only yell obscenities at a coach on his way out, but also on his way in! 

They're miserable humans. I mean I don't approve of what Harvey Updyke did, but I get it. It's tiring listening to them complain when a call doesn't go their way, when they can't figure out which shoe is for their right foot, who their true mascot is, why their personal pan pizza is SOOO hot, and when it turns out the story their coach having an illicit affair was falsely reported by one of their own!

Maybe misery does love company, but go kick rocks Auburn fan. Sick of your shit!

10th Magnolia Avenue freeeezze out!

It's so fitting that Auburn bought out Harsin's contract just to bring in noted slut shaming Mr. School Issued Burner Phone, just so they could beat Saban's mighty Alabama. You know, the way Freeze did when he was racking up NCAA violations at Ole Miss. How's it working out? Well, Bama beat the War Tigers last season by a field goal, Freeze finished his inaugural season on the Plains at 7-6, then Saban retired.

And it's been downhill since for the little war tigers and Coach Freeze. Instead of developing quarterback talent, ol' Hugh has taken to bad mouthing his personnel to the media, radio show listeners, his wife, their equipment crew, or just about anyone who will listen. Or at least pretend to.

You weep reap what you sow little brother! This is the resume for the guy you hired:

1. engaged in rampant recruiting violations at Ole Miss
2. blamed a former coach for the violations, thereby opening up a defamation lawsuit by Houston Nutt
3. Nutt's attorneys then discovered the escort service calls, dating back to when he landed in Oxford
4. And definitely worst of all, while head coach at Liberty, DM'd a sexual assault survivor that had been critical of the school's hiring of Baylor's former AD who had been part of its unchecked sexual assaults by Baylor student athletes.

Wow. But this is the fanbase that celebrated Trooper's towel and Fairley's late hits. So we hope you are ready for your whoopin' Barners! Then you can continue to enjoy your stroll through Purgatory. Now, let's bow our heads...Lord, please keep Coach Freeze away from Chip Towers' Toppers this weekend. And please let his team's offense continue to be abundantly inept at protecting the football. Amen!

-----------

In memory of the great Senator Blutarsky. He did not care for Auburn. Sir, I hope you enjoy this one from your spot upstairs. Go Dawgs!