the Friday Misery is cocaine, cheese, and baby blue free y'all!

Yes, we’re back. New era. Newly constructed knee. Newly constructed quarterback controversy. Newly invented SEC East favorite Tenersee VLOLS!! Newly prepped tailgate gear. New gameday wear. New pitcher of kool-aid, and a new pitcher of reality tonic. New blackout date set! And fresh tots for your lunchroom plate!

But, of course, it's the same old Misery.

Carolina history lesson, the crib notes version: Follow these directions for me real quick: open up your Google machine thingiemadoohickie and type these words into the search bar - north carolina football traditions. (now, be sure and add the “north” to the beginning of your search or else you gonna step right into some chickenshit that we’ll save for later in October.) Okay, now click on the first link which as of the typing of this post was a 247Sports “article” outlining the Tarheels’ top five football traditions. Now, let’s dive in!

1. At first the Tarheels’  own “4th Quarter Hype” reads similar to our Krypton Fanfare to start the fourth quarter. But then you get here…”Everyone then moves their arms back and forth, almost like a Seminole chop, signifying the end for the opposition.” Wait, so one of your top five traditions can only be described by mentioning one of your conference rivals? Uh, that’s just too cute baby blues! Then this... “The video board shows highlights of the team. It is impossible to not get excited.” Okay, try me.
2. This next one uses their video board again, but this time to remind fans and opposing visitors of all the past Tarheel greats…”Fans love seeing the faces of some of the all-time Carolina greats such as Jeff Saturday, Julius Peppers, T.J. Yates, and Giovanni Bernard.” Excuse me, but wasn’t Lawrence Taylor a Tarheel?

Awww hell...

Okay, enough of that exercise. Here’s what we know as fact: they once had a coach with a cool name like Carl Torbush. That’s a tackle football coaching name right there. Say it with me...Carl TORbush! If your coach is named TORbush you tackle a damn ball carrier to the ground or you don’t bother going back to the sideline for fear of the TORBUSH WRATH.

But UNC fired him and replaced him with a guy that has a baseball coach’s name - John Bunting. There is absolutely NO goddamn bunting in football. None. The equivalent of bunting in football is punting...from the 30...your OWN damn thirty. That’s just weak. Very extremely weak. Very.

And now they wear a fedora. He's the one that has that cute new fangled offense with the pretty pass protection and the quick screens. Buncha gus bus finesse bullshit if you ask me.

Which is why we run the damn ball. Look it, this norcareliner defense is like a colander. And not the one made of iron that weighed twenty-eight pounds and your grandma used for forty years through both the Great Depression to drain navy beans as well as through the second World War to make the neighbors a warm, home-cooked meal while the men were off shooting goddamn Nazis out of the sky. No this is a colander you buy at a Dollar Store and you get change back and then it melts because the water is too hot and it’s made of plastic. Very, very thin plastic.

Yep, there are holes all through it. Both the small holes that were there when it was manufactured as well as larger ones that are the result of shitty coaching by grown men wearing baby blue pants with matching baby blue blouses. And they refer to their clothes as outfits. Yes...outfits. So effin' cute!

Whatever helps you get through your miserable day cupcake.

So for us it’s not rocket surgery. You hand the ball off and chew that clock and wear their sorry Zinfandel ass out before the end of the first half.

Home...away from actual home. No Athens tomorrow. Sorry. We’ll have to wait another week. But we ain’t going far; this is still SEC country. Forget that the game is played in Tech’s backyard. The last time we lost to those pansies in Atlanta I was still in school and George Bush was president...yes, Daddy Georgia Bush. Because NO! As a matter of fact I don’t recognize that “loss” in 1999 because Jasper’s knee was down goddammit! Between the moment his knee hit the turf and that Al Ford bastard blew his disdainful whistle George O’Leary had time to add three bullet points and two more degrees to his resume.

Yet I digress...

"Why can't our power forward tackle 27??"

This is the landscape where basketball remains a backdrop until January, dammit! Football is our hard tack and bourbon is what forces it down the gullet. Meanwhile in Chapel Hill…

“Oh dear Percival. I must say these Georgia Bulldogs are rather braggadocious with their barking and other animalistic behaviors that I’ll spare mention of in front of our better halves. Would you like that I procure another pound of Beaufort D’ete for our pregame table? Nothing charges the ole gridiron battery like a gruyere and a mellow merlot for good measure! I say!!”

WTF? Seriously. What. The. F**k? Look, I know about as much about french cheese as I do UNC’s African and Afro-American Studies Program. Which is to say if I could throw a ball in Chapel Hill I could get an A in the course. And to be fair, I didn’t know Jim Harrick Jr. had the credentials to teach the subject. But I do know that you can’t let these sissyass-britches come up in here and pretend to be superior when they’ve been handing out A’s for decades to point guards and wide receivers that are now selling Toyota Carollas all the way from Raleigh to Wilmington.

But that’s none of my business because the NCAA certainly isn’t interested...

Instead we need to set our own table. And the perfectly blunt assessment after an entire offseason is this table is a GOTdamn mess. Most of y’all wanted to start the meal with a fork and the rest feel safer with a knife. That’s all fine and good except you seem to have forgotten that YOU WILL EAT THIS GODDAMN MEAL THE WAY THAT COACH KIRBY SMART TELLS YOU TO!

I don’t care if he puts my old English 102 professor in the first huddle tomorrow. Yes, the fancy dude with the starched pinstripe button down and the matching navy sweater with the sleeves cuffed. Yes, talk about Mr. McPrissy Britches. But you know what? Never saw him wear baby blue. Never saw him draw up some weak ass screen pass when his running back was gaining six yards a clip.

And I damn sure never saw him wear a fedora.

The point is you, me, my mailman, the guy at the office that reheats fish for lunch in the microwave, the kids’ algebra teacher, the lady in the produce section at Kroger back in March that saw your Georgia cap and decided to weigh in with her thoughts on Jacob Eason, and also the guy at the beach this summer that cornered you for a half hour next to the low tide to explain away his expertise in tackle football...none of us...NONE of us know shit.

While he's smacking a damn gator Kirbs says,"Time is short 
so I'll get right to the point...support your
team asshole. Be a team player or GTFO!!"

We’re all the same damn people that cheered with joy when we heard Schottenheimer was gone. And we’re the same damn people that nodded our heads in approval when Coach Smart hired Jim Chaney. So what’s changed? Really, what makes us think we can dictate which quarterbacker takes the field first? What makes me more qualified than an actual real life footballing coach? These guys haven’t even taken the sideline in their first game with a McG signed paycheck, yet we can’t help but second guess them like we wrote the damn book on how to wear a headset in the SEC.

“But...but Eason played so well at #93KDay Bernie!”

STFU dumbass. He also didn’t need to worry about getting his ass sacked either. Your own tired ass could complete a pass or two if you had anywhere between seven and twenty seconds to step into one.

Please. I’m sick of it. Let’s stop sniffing the Krazy Glue tube and start acting like we have just an ounce of goddamn sense. Jesus. Put down the tweeter and pick up your dignity while I stop bitching and start barking. It’s time y’all. It. Is. TIME!

No (zero, none, nada) more days left on the countdown calendar. No more hours left to pick our own damn butts.

The Tarheels are coming. We need to put a fat ass red clay stain on those baby blues. Go Damn Dawgs!

Now, let us bow our heads… Dear Lord God Almighty and your Southern Saint Lewis Grizzard, please don’t let these northerners slander our grits and unsweeten our tea pitchers. Give Mr. Chubb gaping holes a’plenty and let our kickers be true. Amen.

Go Dawgs y’all!

Good night Offseason, you miserable bastard.

Originally posted at BullDawg Illustrated

Tae Crowder on the first day of fall camp (Photo: Greg Poole/Bulldawg Illustrated)

Two days. The butterflies are tumbling around in your gut and you’re all twitchy with scenarios. What if it comes down to a field goal? What if Nike replaces our uniforms again? What if Chubb misses the bus?

Of course, that last one can’t happen because he’s driving the damn thing. But before the season starts there’s a few things I’d like to deposit here so that once Saturday hits we can fully focus on actual football. Talk is soon over. The toe will meet the leather!

1.It looks like the Indoor Practice Facility will be ready for use before the (potential) bowl game (and if somehow we don’t make a bowl game this season there will be enough hand-wringing and angst to make us all want to go into an early hibernation). So I want to come clean on my record here. I’ve been against it. It’s a waste of money, except on the recruiting trail. You’ve got keep up with the Joneses to impress the 17yo’s these days.

Why am I against it? We could use the money elsewhere, most notably in upgrades to Sanford to make concession lines less daunting and to help the restrooms resemble something newer than 1970’s era urinal lanes. Yes I know the upgrades to Sanford are ongoing, but they’re way overdue. Like, YEARS! But I was also against it because I could envision a day when Richt would get talked into using it just for kicks and giggles. In other words, the IPF would become a toy of convenience for current players instead of just a recruiting enticement for future ones.

I’m not sure I see Kirby being so swayed. Granted it’s still early and we’re all getting to know him, but if we’re preparing for a road trip to Jacksonville and a weather system is preparing to move across the panhandle, I absolutely do not want to read a tweet about the team heading indoors to avoid a few sprinkles. I think Coach Smart is on the same page. But I’ll be watching.

2. Don’t be swayed by anyone trying to convince you that someone other than Jacob Eason will start Saturday. Lambert may play, but he won’t take the first huddle. Ramsey may play, but if so it would be from a punting formation.

3. Also don’t be swayed into believing what many would have you believe when they say North Carolina will be greatly improved on defense. Greatly improved for Chizik’s squad means they’re no longer in the 5th percentile stopping the run. Chubb will have a day. And so will Douglas. And so will Crowder and Herrien. And The Real Deal 2 as well if he can go.

4. Sakerlina plays tonight. Nothing like some junior varsity on a Thursday night. Gonna be nice to crack open a beer and sit out on the porch to watch Agent Muschamp's bulging carotid get 'Dored.

5. Lastly, I know I’m new here so I wanted to give you a couple days notice before my regular Friday pre-game post. It’s not for the faint of heart. I mean, if my pastor reads it he doesn’t mention it to me directly. So I take that as tacit approval as well as full absolution. And if my mom reads it I get text message that is partly a battle against her phone’s auto-correct and mostly a “Listen here boy” lecture. But at it’s roots the Friday Misery’s sole purpose is to set the table and ring the dinner bell.

Sure, a weekly reminder that it’s time to let the Big Dawg eat!

Let’s face it, we spend some of a game week packaging away the previous win or loss and the rest of it worrying about the upcoming Saturday’s matchup not to mention the tailgate plans, and tickets, and injury list, and the lawn that needs to be mowed and that meeting with your kid’s teacher and the injury list again and also whether you’ve been drinking too much coffee. So Friday needs to be spent setting our jaw and getting our minds set and focused on how much we hate the next opponent.

You’ve been warned. Don’t click on it unless the color baby blue makes you purely miserable.

Around the Tailgate - Who's your breakout player for 2016?

Originally posted at BullDawg Illustrated

Michael Barnett

So we've discussed the issue at quarterback, and then yesterday we talked about the game we'd most like to win. Today we're going to see who the guys think will be 2016's breakout player.

Give me one player you think we need to watch for that could be this year's very pleasant surprise. And his last name can't have two consecutive B's in it.

Namaman: I am hoping the player(s) to watch this year will be the entire TE corps.  Still the most under-utilized position in offenses - especially UGA offenses - in recent history. Let's get back to where we have proven, NFL caliber TE's like McMichael and Watson that can help Lambert, Eason and Chubb open up things for the WR's as well.  That is one of my fondest wishes... GO DAWGS!

Robert: I want to go with Jackson Harris, but you have to assume that a lot of the tight ends are going to see playing time.  How about Michael Chigbu? Then again, Kirby said the receivers would most likely be by committee.  I still like the Chigbu pick.  He should get significantly more targets, and I expect him to have a breakout year and be the pleasant surprise.

The Wrangler: I am going on the defensive side of the ball and picking #7 Lorenzo Carter.  The defensive intensity Coach Smart has brought to UGA will motivate Carter to be the best he can be.  After a great 2014 season, he was very quiet last year.  You know he has been waiting all summer to prove that he can be the man.  Since we are breaking in a new offense, the defense will have to be solid to take some pressure off the offense.  I predict 10 sacks for Carter this year.

Smokewagon: Wow….another tough question!  Mecole Hardman is a name that I haven’t heard much in pre-season coverage.  I hope I didn’t miss a story on him being injured or otherwise not available. I admit that I have not been clicking on the blogs all summer!  Perhaps the new stealthy coaching staff is holding his explosiveness under wraps and away from the media.  If not Mecole, I would go with Charlie Woerner.  I think Nauta and Holyfield will have serious impact, but I don’t think that will be a surprise.

I agree with the Wrangler and that it will be a defensive player, and we're going to need a big man to step up on the defensive front early. So I going with a guy that I think started to come on strong there last season in Michael Barnett. I have it on very good authority that 94, although he's a nice young man, has a real mean streak on the football field. Plus he's coachable. And we have one of the best d-line coaches around in Rocker.

Thanks for joining us for this preseason primer around the tailgate. Hope you've enjoyed it, and Go Dawgs y'all!

Around the Tailgate - Which game do you want the most?

Originally posted at BullDawg Illustrated

Sic'em Kirby Smart

There’s a Coach Smart answer to this question to make sure the team is focused on the next Saturday, and then there’s being truthful with yourself and which team you want to beat more than the others. Much more.

Yesterday we talked about the signal callers. On today’s Around the Tailgate, let’s see who is channeling their inner-Kirby and who can’t wait to gator hate!

Kirby Smart just calls you out of the blue and says to give him the one game on the schedule to circle, the one you want more than any other. (If you choose Nicholls State I'm going to need your answer as a 50K word dissertation.)

Namaman:  I am pretty sure this is a trick question, because if Kirby calls me and asks that question, he is expecting me to say THE NEXT ONE.  So I will... UNC baby. A prime-time showdown with ACC vs. SEC with us having a lot to prove once again.  (Then it will be Nicholls St...#JustSayin)

Robert: For as long as I can remember, it seems like the Florida game either puts UGA in the driver seat, eliminates UGA, or places UGA back in the race for the SEC East and a trip to Atlanta. It will likely be that way in 2016, and for that reason I would circle the Florida game.

Joe Waterloo: As much as I hate that nasty orange in Knoxville Florida is the one I want the most.  When I made the trip from up north to become a Dawg it was was Ray Goff's 1st season as head coach.  Florida has owned every coach I've known at UGA and while winning year one under Kirby may not change that it at least gives me 365 days of knowing what it feels like to at the top of the totem pole.

The Wrangler: You know how bad I want to say FL since we have wet the bed against them the last few years, but I am going with North Carolina.  With a new coaching regime and possibly a new QB, this team needs to get a big time win early to build confidence for the rest of the season.  With road games at Mizzou, Ole Miss, and USCe in the first half of the season, it is critical that this team hits its stride early.  Ole Miss is ranked 11th  and UT 9th in the AP preseason polls, and we will have to tackle both of them before going to the Cocktail Party.  Confidence and execution will be key, and it needs to start on September 3rd in the GA Dome.

Smokewagon: That is always a tough question.  I start off thinking like a coach and say that the next game is the most important.    The UNC game will be important for many reasons.  Kicking off the new era of Georgia football for the staff, the team, and the fans will be key.  Losing that game will be a major setback for the outlook on the season.  If we are going to be in contention for anything, the Tennessee game is likely the most important game…… certainly don’t need vol fans getting used to a winning streak again.  Of course no win is sweeter than a win in Jacksonville and no loss hurts worse than a Tech loss.  If I have to pick one game that I want to win more than any other this season, it would be the SEC championship game….. but I am thinking you meant the regular season.  Tennessee is probably the correct answer, but I don’t want to start out 0-2 against McElwain.  Florida is my final answer!

For me the answer is always Florida, until the week of Thanksgiving. But I have to admit...it's gonna be sweet seeing Chubb run for 250 over those HillBillies and watching Butch's bricks turning to dust 'tween the hedges.

Then again, like Joe said I can't help but hope Smart starts his WLOCP series as a head coach with a win in Jacksonville. And to do that he's going to need some players to step up with a tight chinstrap. So to wrap up this series, tomorrow we talk about which relatively unknown player will be at the front of the DawgNation's collective brain come season's end. Come on back tomorrow and let us know who your break out player is.

Go Dawgs y'all!

Around the Tailgate - The issue at quarterback

Originally posted at BullDawg Illustrated

Jacob Eason (10) tossing the ball with Greyson Lambert (11)

A big opener against the Tarheels looms. We have a new coaching staff. The program as a whole has that new car smell. Perhaps more so than any other August there are more questions than answers, so naturally, I turn to some folks I trust to get their opinion on a couple things. Let’s spend a few days going Around the Tailgate!

First let’s tackle the quarterback controversy question issue…

I'm not going to ask your opinion on the quarterback battle because we're all tired of discussing it from that angle. But try this one...First choice - Eason starts the season but it means we have a couple more losses due to his growing pains (think 7-5 with more wins toward the back of the season than the front). But it's clear he's developed very well by season's end and there's no question that next season is going to be special. Or, second choice - We deal with the question marks at quarterback into October and wait for Eason to earn his time in practice in order to get a couple more wins. What's your preference?

Namaman: As for Eason, I am all for working him in like we were doing with Stafford his freshman season.  Get him his series each half and let him get a feel for the speed of a real game before throwing him to the lions. Starting as a true freshman anywhere, much less the SEC is a tall order. I want to believe all of the hype and think he could come out like gangbusters and take the reins from the first snap in the Georgia Dome, but why not let him work his way into it and perhaps by the time we get back Between the Hedges to play Tennessee, Eason will be ready to start on the merits of his play (and not because of an injury to Lambert).

Robert: I do not ever want to sacrifice a win on the football field.  I am absolutely fine dealing with the question marks into October.  What do you tell the seniors on this team?  “You laid the foundation for the 2017 season, but we didn’t put you in the best possible position to win early on in 2016.”?  I also trust the coaches to make the decision here.  I know who the fans want to see, who the media wants to see, and even who the casual football fan wants to see.  What is important is who gives us the best opportunity to win.  In the UNC game, that may not be @skinnyqb10.  It doesn’t matter, because even if he doesn’t take snap one, he will play early and often.

Joe Waterloo: Unless Eason is the clear cut leader I would go with Lambert in game one.  I know a lot of people say Eason is the eventual starter so let him take his lumps in season 1 so next year can be special.  The problem with that is college and pro football are both full of examples of the can't miss prospect getting thrown into action too soon and never recovering from the psychological toll of not living up to expectations.  If Chubb is healthy game one against a UNC defense that was very porous against the run last year I go with Lambert.  Regardless of who the QB is this year we are going to be very dependent on the running game if we are going to have a good year.  Lambert certainly isn't anything  special, and he isn't going to win any games for you, but he's been there and knows how to hand the ball off.  Work in Eason a series or 2 and then wait for week 2 against Nichols St to get more reps.  The goal should be to have him ready by the 2nd half of the season.  That will be more than enough experience heading into next season without sacrificing any legitimate shot at a surprise in 2016.

The Wrangler: All we hear out of camp is that Chubb is healthy and has had good scrimmages and taken a few hits.  Knowing we have one of the best ground games in the conference, I would like to see Eason start.  We can take our lumps with him learning the speed of the game.  He is the most touted recruit for GA since Stafford, and although he never won anything, I would say that was because his defense was very weak.   I agree that Stafford had his freshman moments, but the same could be said of Lambert last year (and he is a “veteran”)   All indications are that our defense should be pretty strong this year.  Outside of Kimbrough, we haven’t lost a lot of players with starting experience, and we know Kirby has had these guys coached up.  Kirby’s job is to build for the future, and the future is Jacob Eason.  While we all want to play in the dome in December, most level headed GA fans just want to see a well-coached team that brings everything they have on every play.  Give me that, and I can live with 7-5 – check that, give me that, and we will compete for the East regardless of the starting QB.

Smokewagon: I would go with option 2, which sounds like 9-3 compared to 7-5.  I am not sure who those other 2 losses would be to, but I can only imagine the extra agony associated with losses 4 and 5.  Going 7-5 is pretty much like going .500 when the schedule has Nicholls State and UL Lafayette.  In both scenarios above, I would presume we feel good at quarterback going into the next season with Eason as a sophomore (and Ramsey as a senior).  Therefore, I prefer option 2 with wins 8 and 9, which may be Auburn and Tech.  I am looking forward to seeing Eason’s productive career and I hope it involves no losses to either those two teams.  As I type this, I am thinking how disappointed I will be with the 3 losses in a 9-3 season.  I am guessing the 3 losses would be Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Florida…… The more I think about this, I think both options stink.  Start Eason and win them all!

That does sound good Smokewagon! As much as it would be nice to have Coach Cheney's salary, I don't envy him trying to decide who to send out to the 2016 season's first huddle. Like Nama said, hopefully, the decision is based on merit and not due to injury. Or by shaking the Magic 8 Ball.

See y'all tomorrow when I ask the guys to circle one game on the schedule.

As the Dawg Abides - the 2016 schedule, part two

Originally posted at BullDawg Illustrated

So, I made a bold schedule prediction yesterday of Georgia heading into Homecoming against Vanderbilt sporting a record of 4-2, 3-1. If you missed that post, go and catch yourself up on how I see the team developing from an opener in the Dome all the way through their second trip to a Columbia. Now it's time to pore over the second half of the Dawgs' 2016 schedule.

I’m not going to go so far as to label our 2016 Homecoming contest against the Commodores as a “trap” game, but you can envision a scenario where both fans and players are looking past these guys. Vanderbilt only tabled four wins last year, but there were some true signs of life. Especially within the conference. Hell, they came a lot closer to beating Florida than we did. Meaning they at least got off the bus.

Weird things happen against Vandy too. Sometimes even the punter has to make a tackle to save the game. But the talent gap is just too wide here. And heading into a bye week before the trip to Jacksonville, the stakes will be too high for Georgia to lose. Surely we pull away in the second half, and the coaches use the opportunity to get a look at some players that might otherwise be buried on the depth chart.

(If you read between the lines there, then yes! Yes, I just predicted Elijah Holyfield would have his first career 100 yard game on a lovely Homecoming afternoon in Athens.)

The only way the Bye Week beats us is if Isaiah Crowell visits from Cleveland and plants some synthetic mary jane in Eason’s locks of love. Seriously, one of the things to watch during the season will be how differently things feel during an off week. The team should be pretty hungry at this point and feeling pretty good about their chances at a return trip to Atlanta. The off week can get some bruises cleared up and maybe there will be another Kirbycopter sighting on the recruiting trails.

Oh Jacksonville! Richt gave us some memories during his time, but it took a while to find some good ones. How will Kirby Smart start his series against the hated gators? One thing Smart has in his first year that Richt didn’t is a true appreciation for the magnitude of this game. He went 1-3 as a player against Florida. He knows he can’t repeat that record against Florida as Georgia’s coach.

Both teams have off weeks before the WLOCP, so the first quarter should go for whichever team has game planned best and made the most of the time off. The team that wins will have made the right adjustments for the players to make the plays.

That last sentence probably has you saying, “Well...duh!” But I left it there for a reason. This game is why I hope Eason starts the season against UNC. This is a game where we need a big time arm that is attached to a player who has seen enough defensive schemes to process it all under the lights. A few throws that we’ve seen Eason make (albeit mostly at GDay when there was no real rush) could go a long way towards giving Chubb and Michel room to break some ankles, move some chains, and score some touchdowns.

Truly, this far out it’s both hard to predict a win or a loss. So much could change between now and then. My forecast here for October 29th is similar to mine yesterday for UNC in the Dome - 50% chance of sunshine and 50% chance of gloom. Since I’m all but certain to type a post for a beatdown on Friday, October 28th, today I’ll lean towards another loss.

I hate Florida. I HATE them.

Off to Lexington! Nothing heals the wounds from a trip to the banks of the St. Johns like some of Kentucky’s finest bourbon. Dawgs roll big enough for us all to fit in a few extra distillery tours.

Entering the homestretch we hope the quarterback’s confidence is solid, and special teams are cohesive enough to swing a game in our favor, and/or prevent a critical mental lapse. We find ourselves back in Athens after a long month and desperately needing another SEC win to stay in the Eastern race.

Auburn comes to town possibly in their own desperate straits. Unless Coach Malzahn still has some magic up his sleeve, the War Plainsmen could be fighting for bowl eligibility. Meanwhile, Smart’s Dawgs are ready to enjoy a three-game homestand to finish the regular season and maybe help Chubb get over the 2000 yard mark.

This is the point in the season where the team is tired and physically battered, but they don’t have a moment to rest. It’s also the point in the season when you hope the second and third teamers have gotten enough action to make a difference.

The offensive line for instance. If a starter has to come out before a key fourth quarter drive, we’ll need to depend on a backup to help control the line of scrimmage. That’s a scary proposition, one Bill Connely recognizes in his Georgia preview:

“Perhaps the biggest concern is what the heck happens if someone gets hurt up front. In Brandon Kublanow and Greg Pyke, UGA boasts two linemen who have earned all-conference honors, and left tackle Isaiah Wynn is solid and experienced. Rhode Island transfer Tyler Catalina adds depth, but if any of the top six players goes down, Georgia will have almost no choice but to throw a youngster into the fire.”

It will be interesting to see how this young team finishes under its new coach. It’s hard not to expect a bad showing at this part of the season. Which is why I’m glad we get Auburn at home. Hopefully it’s a night game and Sanford provides some pep in the team’s step.

I think the key to beating the Tigers will be how much our linebackers develop in the first nine games and how well our secondary can tackle. A big game from players like Bellamy and Carter and a healthy ground attack could give us our seventh win of the season.

Then a cajun cupcake gives us our eighth.

Which brings us to Clean Ol’ Fashioned Hate. Sure, it’s a misnomer because there’s nothing clean about it, not when there's cut blocks and zebras telling us Jasper's knee wasn't down when I had time to wait on an Orbit bus and take it from the Arch to south campus parking before the ball came out of his hands!

But we all know his knee was down and I'm not going to belabor the point any further. (At least not it's time for some leftover turkey and dressing.) Because the Dawgs give the state’s biggest Johnson a thorough beating in his last game as the engiNerds’ coach.

It’ll be sad to see him go. But I don’t think it will be sad to see an eight or nine win season for Smart’s first in Athens. If the team uses those first couple games to come together and some key younger players develop quickly, I can even see ten wins in there. But here in mid-August eight and probably nine seems more likely.

But again...that's just like, my opinion man.

Go Dawgs y'all!

As the Dawg Abides - the 2016 schedule, part one

Originally posted at BullDawg Illustrated

This week we no longer find ourselves inching towards the start of a new season, but walking with a steady gait directly towards it. And soon we’ll be at an all out sprint. So let’s take a look at the schedule.

Ultimately a team is defined by how well they develop as the season progresses. This development is impacted by things such a big road win, or a devastating loss. And it’s also affected by injuries, play calls, morale, Penn Wagers’ former bunkmates, and at times, even rogue memorabilia dealers.

And especially since this is the dawn of a new era for Georgia Football, I’d prefer to look at the schedule through the lens of how it may (or may not) impact the Dawgs’ development. So of course, we start in Atlanta…

Whether we win or lose to UNC in the opener, by Labor Day we’ll know a lot more about this football team. More importantly, Coach Smart and his staff will know a lot more about them. That’s the benefit of a quality opponent right out of the gate. So I think the only thing that could possibly happen in the GA Dome against the Tarheels that would really impact this team negatively is to completely wet the bed.

And I just don’t see that happening. That’s the main gripe from the previous coach, so given the new coach’s energy and business-like attitude I just don’t think UNC runs us out of the building. This Georgia team will face a tough task stopping the Tarheels from scoring, and could find trouble putting points up as well.

But these are two good teams overall, so I expect a good game that will be decided by a touchdown or less. If we knew more about our place kicking situation, I might even pick Georgia here. But it feels more 50/50 here in mid-August.

The two following weeks should be easy wins. Nicholls State will be yet another Welcome Home Kirby affair for his first real game ‘tween the hedges since he was our running backs coach in 2005. And then a trip to Columbia West where the Dawgs have always played well. Chubb should be in full stride well before he boards the plane and we remember what he did the last time he was there.

That means we are 2-1 (or maybe even 3-0) and feeling pretty good heading into Oxford. By now we should have a steady hand at quarterback. I’d be surprised if Eason isn’t the clear #1 at this point and the defensive roster should be bolstered somewhat given that the youth up front is a little more seasoned as well as the possible return of a couple athletic linemen in Jonathan Ledbetter and Julian Rochester.

To beat the Rebels (or whatever they are calling themselves this season) on the road after travelling all the way to Missouri for a night game the week before would be a big upset. But right now it looks like a tall task. I’d like to see this as another 11:00am local kick. That helped us in 2011 the last time we played in Oxford. You have to think this is the third best SEC matchup that weekend for television. Florida-Tenn will certainly get the prime spot and LSU-Auburn next. Which probably puts this one as an ESPN2 night game or an SECN 4:00pm kickoff.

We’ll see, but at best I see Georgia 3-1 and likely 2-2 heading into a major showdown against Tennessee at home the next week. This one is going to be a major tilt and is sure to be under the lights after a full tailgate! The Volunteers will be coming off a home game against Florida. At worst they should be 3-1 and if they can manage not to wet the bed again against the Gators they should come into Athens undefeated.

Take a step back and you can already tell that there will be a lot of pressure of Butch Jones in this game. This is the season he’s been laying bricks for and those hillbillys have everything invested in 2016. If Smart can counter with a calm, cool, and collected approach there’s no reason this can’t be a fourth quarter game. By the fifth game of the season this team should have its identity and be really ready to sink their teeth into somebody.

I’m glad Tennessee is in this spot on the schedule. Just as glad as I am this year we don’t have to play on their Neyland (quote) turf (unquote).

Last season Georgia became Butch’s signature win on Rocky Top. Can he twist the dagger in our sides by making us his first signature win on the road? Right now, albeit without having seen this Georgia team play under their new head coach, my answer would be “No”. I think Georgia wins with its offensive line and Chubb having the kind of night he should’ve had last year against Tennessee. I think this one is circled on the schedule by the entire Dawg Nation!

Right now I see us waking up on October 2nd with the SEC race on its ear and a lot of media pundits wondering why such a shade of orange looked so pretty back at Media Days. They should learn to not participate in felonies while driving a Prius no more than they use their private regions to drink boxed wine.

Anyhoo....

Which brings us to yet another trip to a town called Columbia as the Dawgs head east this time for a chicken dinner. South Carolina will be four games into their SEC schedule at this point and likely looking to regroup after an inauspicious start (@ Vandy, @Miss St, ECU, Kentucky, and A&M....I can see two wins in there for the Gamecocks, maybe a third if I squint real, real hard).

Muschamp’s first run in Chickumbia will have to be done with players Spurrier half-heartedly recruited and then walked out on. They’re going to have trouble scoring points and they’re going to have trouble tackling. Meanwhile, coming off of Tennessee, the Dawgs will either be ten feet tall and bullet-proof, or mad as all Holy Hell.

In other words kids, look forward to plenty of Mad Muschamp Memes on your local internet shelves October 9th!

To recap part one, mostly due to some youth on defense,lack of quality depth overall, what I expect to be a freshman at quarterback, and a very big question mark in the kicking game, I think we limp out to a 2-2 start before we gain our footing and all the off season work really starts to pay off.

This is a manageable schedule as a whole. But the front end has its challenges. Which is why I see Georgia heading into Homecoming at 4-2, 3-1. "But, that's just like, my opinion man."

Come back tomorrow for the second half, that includes a lot of SEC speed as well as a huge out of conference game...against the Ragin’Cajuns!

(Yes, you too engiNerds.)

Go Dawgs y’all!