the Friday Misery is a Champion at Comeuppance

About last night...

Seriously, we’re gonna run them mountain goat humpers ragged Saturday. They’ll eventually make a 30 for 30 about it. Go Dawgs!

— Bernie (@BernieDawg) September 29, 2017

Bank on it.

Butch’s temperature, a week to week examination

Week 1, visit to Athletic Director’s office

Butch - “Wahoo! You like that goal line stand in OT BABY!!”

AD Currie - “Wonderful. Now put that damn trash can back in the locker room. Coach football, not future internet memes you sonofabitch.”

Week 2, luncheon with boosters

Butch - “Put that whoopin’ on Indiana State boy! Offense starting to come together. I like this kid Dormady. Think I might make a poster of him...Stormin’ the Beaches of Dormady. Nice!”

Booster Cleetus - “No you’re not.”

Booster Bobby Jo - “Boy, you gotta purty mouth. Reminds me of ma best goat”

Week 3, family dinner table

Butch - “That was one heckuva throw. Can’t believe we lost that one like that. Hate it for my guys.”

Wife - “Yeh, into single coverage, on the last play of the game, 60 yards from the endzone. Duh!” (tops glass off with the boxed wine and storms down hallway)

Son 1 - “And that was a BAD gator team Dad, real bad.”

Son 2 - “Can we live in Florida next year and not Michigan or Ohio again?”

Son 3 - “Pass the tater tots please.”

Week 4, getting that wannabe high and tight

Butch - “I tell ya, that’s about the best 0-4 team I’ve ever coached against. Wow!”

Barber - “What about those smokey gray uniforms again? And a pregame speech about flashlights making the dark spots shine bright!”

Butch - “Oh, yeh. I like that! And the batteries are like the energy that makes it all happen!”

(Mystery solved. It’s been the barber all along, from the bricks through the trashcan. He’s got clippers in one hand and a copy of “Coaching Motivationals for Dummies” in the other.)

Week 5, back in Currie’s office

Butch - “KnockKnock! Hey there John, I brought the trashcan like you asked. I was wonderin…”

Currie - “Good, close the door.”

The buzz cut from La Mancha

Don Quixote was a fictional dreamer; a romantic Spanish gentleman, in pasteboard armor and saddled on a horse well past its prime, driven to insanity by his relentless pursuit of Chivalry.

Butch Jones is an actual professional cheerleader; paid handsomely as a college football coach to drum up motivational slogans and tactics in a continuous failing pursuit of an SEC East crown.

"I DON'KNO WUHT A QUIXOTE IS!! SOME
FRANCH SPELLIN' FOR COYOTE?!!??"

For both, the beginning is whimsical and delightful. Knoxville, much like the Spanish countryside of the 1600s, was a blank canvas in 2013 and in much need of a new spark and direction. Enter Jones who quickly proclaims himself a master mason proficient in the use of words and catchphrases as bonding agents.

The results are mixed. I’m sure Spanish prostitutes didn’t mind being referred to as high class ladies and the innkeepers enjoyed being “lords of the castle”, but when windmills are envisioned as monstrous,murderous giants things take a dark turn.

Besting Georgia two seasons in a row and ending Florida’s 11 year win streak really put Tennessee’s future in a rosy hue. But the epic tumble the Vols experienced the rest of the 2016 season was a dramatic, painful adventure on Rocky Top, as if Rocinante itself had thrown Butch from the saddle into his own pile of bricks.

But here’s where the romantic cheerleader takes a different path from Cervantes’ star gazing Hidalgo. Quixote never parts ways with his “squire”, Sancho Panza. They’re relationship is as loyal as it is symbiotic. Jones on the other hand fires assistants, thereby uprooting their families, in order to continue his ponzi scheme of slogans. After the 2015 season it was defensive coordinator John Jancek, and after last season it was newly hired offensive coordinator Mike DeBord. What started out as a whimsical play with words has devolved into a bloody battle of stab the scapegoat in the back.

Perhaps Cervantes himself said it best: “The truth may be stretched thin, but it never breaks, and it always surfaces above lies, as oil floats on water.” Butch, you’ve run out of heads to lop off and your trashcan is full of broken bricks. Perhaps your barber can provide some sound investment advice for that buyout.

Down to the business of kicking ass

Ladies and gentlemen, though we have more than one enemy tomorrow, only one of them is truly formidable. And no, it doesn’t wear orange and it doesn’t play football.

Hear me out now.

Understand, Tennessee can’t beat us. They just can’t. They are one thread away from becoming completely unraveled. They’re the trash at the bottom of the bin. They’re soon to be has beens being cheered on by low lifes in checkerboard overalls and fancy pants frat boys with a funnel protruding from their nether regions. That’s all they are. They just aren’t able to beat us.

UMass exposed them for what they are, they just lacked the talent and ability to finish the job. Georgia comes out tomorrow and smacks them in the mouth and they’ll crumble into a pile of rubble at their false prophet’s feet.

However, if not taken seriously, our true enemy can absolutely be formidable. She can turn the most prepared and talented team into an on field three ring circus. Her name is Adversity and she planted the Neyland sod that claimed three ACLs in 2013 and Chubb’s entire knee in 2015.

She connives for missed blocking assignments. Next thing you know your quarterback just got blind-sided and the ball is scooped up and headed the other damn direction.

Adversity gives birth to setbacks. And setbacks don’t treat Georgia well. They tend to make a better Georgia team fall flat at a lesser opponent’s feet. They get into our heads and scramble things up until the next thing you know that squib kick turned into a game tying field goal and oops they just intercepted and somehow we just lost to georgia tech.

So tomorrow, when JimBob Cooter drops a stack of cash in a referee’s pocket and Chubb gets flagged for roughing the passer because he ran out of bounds and tripped over Dormady’s out-stretched cleat, we have to stare back at Adversity with a steely gaze.

“You messing with the wrong mothereffer today bitch.”

Kirby has filled us with hope. We believe we’re past the days of wetting the proverbial bed and making up excuses for our own inadequacies. Maybe so. But we’re right where Missy State fans were this time last week. And those doggies got walloped from the get-go and never bothered to get back up into the fray.

So when She swings and connects, don’t reach up to wipe the blood from your mouth. Smile at Her and tell her what Damien and Greenie and McMichael and Verron told her before that last drive in ‘02 - “Nice shot, but you’re gonna need more than that today.”

It’s a long road through a college football season. Knoxville is just the next stop. Let’s treat it like a business trip. And like it says right there on our business card,

Georgia Football

“We’re here to make your life even more of a living hell.”

Four dissatisfied customers from Starkville to South Bend.

You’re next!

Through our own faults, we’ve fallen victim to this Hillbilly regime’s magic and sheer dumb luck before. Still today, two years removed, they mock our best player’s injury, like some dipshit point of pride that they can’t use fertilizer for anything other than their own goat farming. For that and many other reasons they need their comeuppance. They’re overdue for a good ass whoopin’. Set your jaw and turn your motor all the way to HIGH.

Now, please bow your heads...dear Lord, Herschel’s angels, Mr. Grizzard and the late, great Munson, please keep their Franzia Frat boys away from our Dawg brethren tomorrow. Let Chubb run free and Roquan run amok! Thank you please, Amen.

Rewatch notes, plus a retraction

Rewatched the Miss State game last night with the family. It made for a nice evening, so I highly recommend it if you are able. What follows are just a few notes I wanted to add to my original thoughts on the game.

The main reason I wanted to rewatch it is because that goal line stand was at the opposite end zone from where we were seated standing. And man was it even nicer to see up close on the tv screen. It was equal parts pathetic desperation on MSU's part, and sheer effort and domination for the real Dawgs. Best thing about it, those kids making plays are freshmen!

I mentioned Sunday how impressed I was with the secondary. The snaps Parrish played really showed how versatile this group can be. I think Blackledge even mentioned at one point that Aaron Davis is like a safety playing at corner. True enough as those guys hit and tackle as well as they cover.  And it's a beautiful mix of experienced older players and a lot of youth. McGhee's break up was just as awesome as JR Reed's. Very nice to see.

On Sunday I remarked on our "trouble running in between the tackles". Friend of the blog Scott suggested that I reconsider the play of the line, especially those inside offensive linemen. And true enough, Chubb had a nice gain on an inside trap. And that Sony run up the middle featured MSU's all world woman beater Simmons getting double teamed into the turf. Seriously, I think that cat is still buried there five and half feet below the surface.

Roquan.

Watching the replay and is it wrong to say that I hope Roquan Smith marries him a very fertile young lady?

Damn, son. Damn. #Dawgs

— Bernie (@BernieDawg) September 27, 2017

Seriously, that dude is everywhere. He could put the UGA Orbit buses out of business just jetting around campus during the week!

Lastly, at one point while the cameras were focused on Mullen, in the background you could see an assistant coach's hands holding a cell phone. Pan across to the other side and Scott Sinclair is pulling on Kirby's belt while everyone else is coaching. What a telling visual that could explain a lot about what we witnessed Saturday night.

Now, onto Tennessee. Because I guarantee you they'll be a LOT more focused on the game on the field. Go Dawgs!

Why there’s not a quarterback controversy in Athens

I’ve heard this topic pop up in both casual conversation as well as in formal ones in and around the media. So let’s nip this in the bud shall we?

First, the illogical opinion will be framed around concepts derived outside of the football field. People will say things like the following even though they’re not based in what’s real:
- “Well, Eason was the starter before the injury. So he should get the QB1 spot when he’s ready for action again.”
(Reality - Sorry, this is SEC football and not a five year old tee ball team. Georgia is 4-0, 1-0. Every snap must be earned, from the placeholder on field goal attempts to the quarterback.)
- “Fromm has looked like a freshman at times and that scares me.”
(Reality - Without two drops and one throwaway Saturday evening Fromm would’ve finished a perfect 11-11, 250+ yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs. What exactly about that is scary? Maybe you should watch a nice Hugh Grant romantic comedy on Saturday nights.)
- “Eason worked hard for this chance and deserves the opportunity.”
(Reality - I agree with you...but that was a month ago. We’ve won four games since Eason went down. He can work his way back and earn it again.)
(Bonus reality - Small sample size, but before he was injured Eason wasn’t exactly in sync and hitting on all cylinders. Similarly, people saying that Fromm has under performed are basing that on a small sample size. Who has the most data, experience working with both young men, and best vantage point to make the decision as to which player has earned the next snap? The coaches. Not you, and certainly not me. Kirby, Chaney, and the offensive staff are no doubt putting every effort into determining which player, 10, 11, or 12 gives us the best chance to score points.)

And that brings me to my last point. When we fired a 10 win a year coach a couple years ago we told the world we were ready to adopt a new mindset. Remember? That new mindset isn’t anything about giving a player time on the field just because it feels right or because one has another year of experience on the player behind them. It’s about winning, not about hunches and what feels like it’s just the right thing to do.

Like it or not, that’s where we are. If this mindset doesn’t get us to Atlanta this year or next I’ll be screaming for a new mindset to take over. Nothing against Eason, I hope when he’s ready he pushes Fromm to get better or pushes himself past Fromm to get the start.

Either way, it makes the team better. Go Dawgs!

Sunday Thoughts on being the much, MUCH better Dawg in the fight

It’s hard to know where to start, and time is short for me this morning. But I know this - I can’t wait to rewatch this game!

Probably the best way to break down my thoughts this morning is in these three parts:

Crowd 

Loudest and involved Sanford’s crowd has been since 2013 LSU. Now as usual, a lot of that had to do with what was happening on the field, which was in a word, spectacular. And we’ll get to the coaches and the players in a minute. But whenever the crowd noise can impose its will on an opponent it’s with more than a mention.

The level of engagement matched the intensity on the field. (Well, except for the crew behind me that spent 10 minutes having everyone check under their seat for a phone that ended up being in one of their pockets. Hahaha) It was a night to remember as a fan of Georgia football.

Coaches

The score clearly indicates that MSU was out-played. But it doesn’t take much to realize that in between the lines to see that it was the Georgia coaches preparation and game plan that set the tone. From the perfect play call on our first offensive series to having an answer for everything they asked Nick Fitzgerald to do, it was quite a statement for Smart and his staff.

As amazing as the game plan and play calling were (and yes, it’s time we give Chaney a break y’all; even I can see he’s earned it) it’s the physicality and the discipline on the field that is just as nice to see.

Take this for instance:

“We play physical and we practice physical,” Bellamy said. “Sometimes you’ll be like, ‘Gosh, coach, we’re going full pads again?’ But on Saturdays it shows how physical we are and I think that’ll keep carrying over.”

We might be a long way from realizing our dreams since it’s still just September, but it’s clear something is going right in Athens with Georgia football.

Players
I think I would start with Deandre Baker. His game last night is a welcome sight considering all those years we suffered under Willie Martinez with defensive backs out of position and never, ever, ever turning to the ball to make a play (not to mention avoid the interference penalty). There were times when Fitzgerald made the right decision to throw Baker’s way, but it was never because 18 was out of position, just in single coverage.

And that interception was just a thing of beauty. The defensive front seven has earned every bit of praise and headline they’ve made, but it’s time the secondary earned some props. They held their own while Parrish was out, and now they are their own force to be reckoned with.

Offensively, anytime you can use the program’s second all time leading rusher as a lead blocker for a true freshman sensation, you’re living life right. Even though we have trouble running in between the tackles, Chaney is using the players he has to find production outside of that. On Chubb’s direct snap touchdown run, great downfield block by pulling Wynn into a hole that Jayson Stanley opened up.

Fromm had his best game thus far (and again you have to commend Chaney for putting a true freshman in good positions to make safe throws. Perhaps the experience of trying to do the same thing last year for Eason helped in that regard). He started by completing his first eight passes and ended up  4-5 for 143 yards on throws of 10+ yards. So it’s not just checking down and throwing the ball away.

And I’ll end with the execution on special teams. Nizialek (sp?) is amazing. He’s now averaging 44.5 yards per punt and the ball is up in the stratosphere forever! Blankenship wth six more kickoff and guess what? Six more touch backs. I cry tears of joy every time it happens. What a time to be alive!

And just like that it’s Tennessee week. Let’s go help the UT brass write out Butch’s pink slip!

the Friday Misery has bad news for Grantham's towel

A nun, a priest, and a rabbi walk into a bar in Starkville...

j/k Starkville has zero of those nouns.

Welcome to Athens!! We have beer drawn from kegs! Not your Uncle Rufus’ tub!

Back in '05 the wife and I spent a month in Starkville one afternoon, so what follows are factual accounts.

It’s the perfect town if you like to spend a day shopping for God’s word at the Bible Outlet store, crossing the road to the WalMart to replenish the underwear drawer, swinging through the Zaxby’s drive-thru to pick up some over-fried chicken, and then setting up a picnic under the town water tower.

And that’s just about it. The town is a desolate homage to what life was like during the post-depression era. It’s just that it has yet to progress any further.

Is that supposed to be a dog? A bear? A gopher?

Case in point, on Saturday find a Missy State fan that’s made the trip from Starkville. Now they have to have come from Starkville. Not one of those rare cowbell clanging fans that now lives in Atlanta, or anywhere east of the Tuscaloosa-Starkville-Meridian Triangle.

If you have trouble, listen for a couple discussing how in the world they are going to play this football game after dark. “I know Winona, I wus jus’ wondering the same thing. It’s gon be dark long before the bands even toot their marching horns! Now how’s Fitzgerald gonna tell the difference between the center and the left guard’s hindquarters?”

Anyway, find that fan, probably in a #7 maroon jersey fitted neatly under some overalls and wearing a cowbell around his neck, and ask him if he has a cell phone. Or even knows what one is.

Ask him if he has an opinion about whether The Stones were better than The Beatles.

Ask his wife anything about the Bay of Pigs and the resulting strained relations with Cuba.

Ask either of them their thoughts about milk going from cardboard cartons to plastic jugs.

Then prepare to stare into the actual and real face of Stupefied personified. Seriously, they will probably walk away quietly while whispering cautions of crop circles, aliens, and satanic worshippers.

“Bubby, why don’t these people get their milk from glass jugs like normal people do?”

After scaring the buhjeebus out of Mr. And Mrs. Clanga, catch back up to them and introduce them to the world of wonder that is Athens GA. In all of its Millennial brilliance! The lights, the vehicles not powered by two mules and a gust of wind, the delicious food, being able to walk more than two steps without having to negotiate a cow pattie, the trees, the running water, the “outhouses” made of plastic, THE LIGHTS!!

They might not want to leave. And really, why would they?

The part where Toddles waddles back ‘tween the hedges

Let’s be real, Todd Grantham did a lot to improve our defense when he arrived in 2010. It took a couple years, but we caught a glimpse of what a squad of eleven men can do when they’re coached to do football things like cover receivers. And tackle.

The douchebag deserves some credit there, okay? Really, he does.

That said, what a poser. What a coward. What a semi-deranged lunatic with an nonsensical white towel fetish.

His greatest memory in Athens - confronting Vandy’s penis-head of a coach at midfield. His lowest? Pick from a plethora of plays where the opponent had huddled, set, gone through a cadence of voice commands, and then snapped the ball all while our defense was gazing at the sideline like a herd of clueless sheep waiting on some kind of direction.

Here’s my take...Chubb breaks one and is running free along the Missy State sideline. All that stands between him and a touchdown is 60+ yards of Sanford paydirt. As the fans reach the top of their audible crescendo...wait, what’s that? No, who was that?

"I WOULD LIKE YOU TO KNOW THAT I ACCIDENTALLY PUT
GARLIC ON MY CHEERIOS THIS MORNING!!"

Grantham steps in front of Chubb waving said towel like some maniacal bull fighter whose cap is more than slightly askew and whose face is toxic with anger.

The cheers become gasps. Some avert their eyes in the milliseconds before impact. Others, now empowered with the full realization of what in the holy hell is actually happening right here under the lights on national tv and my God I think even some grandmas are watching, shriek like they’ve never shrieked before.

“GET OUT THE GAHTDAMN WAY GRANTHAM YOU SONOFA…”

The rest trails off because when the dust clears there is just a towel, floating casually and effortlessly down towards the MSU 43 yard line, within feet of where Christian Robinson stands with mouth agape.

Then the cheers, slowly at first, begin to return. The dude in front of you points to the endzone and starts jumping up and down. Your eyes follow and that’s when you realize that the spectacle has only just begun. Nick Chubb’s arms are raised, and one of them hands Grantham the football.

“Is this what you were looking for a second ago Coach? Sorry, I wasn’t quite done with it.”

Grantham, his eyes dazed and his countenance thoroughly confused, reaches down and gently takes the ball. Then he slides off of Chubb’s shoulders and waddles back to the opponent’s sideline.

Drunk on night kicks

A couple weeks ago I told you that the Irish weren’t ready. And for the most part I was wrong. They played better than I thought they would. They’re a better team that I thought they were. To be perfectly honest, I underestimated them to some degree.

Now it’s game four and we’re still kicking off under the lights. In my nearly three decades of following Georgia football, I’ve never seen Sanford with the energy for a cupcake like we saw last week. It’s loud and people are into it, every aspect of it.

Thirty-five to seven in the third quarter and Samford has the ball looking for a first down, no matter. Dawg fans still up in their ears disrupting the set and the audibles.

And that’s so, SO important. Because the truth is that I don’t know if MSU is ready. I don’t know how good they are. I’d like to think we can contain this media darling quarterbacker they’ve got, force him into throwing it while applying the rush. I hope we can.

I also think our special teams can be a difference maker tomorrow night. They’ve been the model of consistency thus far. We had a long return called back in South Bend. Last week we had a blocked kick after Fromm fumbled. That tells me they’re capable of making that one play that is a huge difference in the outcome.

I think our offense can over-power their defense. I really think they can.

But I do know that I’m tired of hearing people talk about just how great “these Bulldogs” are just because they beat a half-assed LSU team at home. Who cares. We beat a pretty good Notre Dame team on the road. But that was two weeks ago. Teams are supposed to get better as the season progresses. The good ones do. Have we gotten better since boarding the busses in South Bend, prepping for Samford, beating them soundly, and then prepping for another team of bulldogs?

On the other hand, has Mullen’s team gotten better since last Saturday when they beat a team that’s notoriously hard to beat but is nothing more than a shell of its former self? Have they gotten better during a week when they’ve been continuously billed as the second best team in the SEC? “And Dan Mullen is the second best coach in the SEC!!”

Bullshit.

"These gloves make my face feel...different."

None of that matters tomorrow. It’s late September and I don’t give a damn who the second best team in the SEC is. I just want Georgia to be the best team on the field tomorrow night. I want Kirby to expose Mullen as a fraud and a joke, just another Urban Meyer project living out his days under the Starkville water tower, wearing wide receiver gloves on the sidelines to fight off a November chill.

And I want this amazing, uber talented, incredible game manager, dual-threat, future Heisman winning quarterback to completely and utterly fold like a cheap suit under the verified, the insurmountable, the downright imposing, the unified force of nature that is the deafening weight of Sanford Stadium. I want to see him try to bounce outside, think he’s gained the edge and then…

POP!!!

Roquan levels his ass and then Fitzgerald spends a moment on the turf seriously contemplating the consequences of returning to the next huddle.

We saw what Kirby’s team could do on the road against a storied program. It gave me a taste. Tomorrow night it’s just a casual rival that’s been continuously flagellated by the media all week, but it’s SEC football. Like the corny conference slogan says - “It just means more.”

It does, and I want it because it will taste even better than those Irish tears. Now, please bow your heads. Lord, please make Grantham pick up his own dirty laundry. Our thoughts continue to be with everyone battling these hurricanes. We pray for their safety. And also, we pray that the Chapel Bell rings loud and proud late tomorrow night! Amen.

Go Dawgs y'all!

Is this the hottest collective SEC coaches' seat we've ever seen?

It's early and there's a lot of football left to be played. But I just keep wondering how many new coaches there could be in the SEC come next season. Some of these guys started the season in troubled water and have done nothing to even pick up an oar. Others seemed safe a month ago and now their days may indeed be numbered.

Then there's Derek Mason living that Nashville dream son!

Let's break all 14 down from the safest Saban to the hottest Sumlin.

Bama - Saban will coach in Tuscaloosa until he's ready not to. Next!

Vandy - Mason is the trifecta. 1) at a school that doesn't like to spend time on athletic decisions, especially coaching searches 2) he's a damn good coach that can steal some wins with less talent at a school that doesn't like to spend $$ on recruiting budgets, and 3) after a very slow start to his career, he's got that thing in a bit of a groove Stella.

Miss State - Mullen is also in the perfect place at the perfect time. Ole Miss could spend the better part of a decade getting out of where they're heading. Meanwhile, it's not beyond reason to think Mullen could host Alabama in a couple months with no more than one or two losses. Maybe less. That'll buy another water tower or two down yonder.

Georgia - Kirby's our guy. He got his signature win in South Bend, the next step is winning the East. If that doesn't happen this year, then it better next year or he'll be much further down this list.

South Carolina - Muschamp is recruiting well enough to bring that program above the hole Spurrier dug. He also seems to have matured some, which certainly helps. You know, he has more of that head coach vibe going for him. In Florida he just always seemed like an extra mad assistant.

Kentucky - Stoops can win enough games at a basketball school to survive as long as he doesn't take Calipari's parking spot.

Florida - McElwain is swirling above the turds...for now. But that mess is really starting to stink. If the team starts losing too (which should've happened Saturday to be honest), it's only going to swirl faster.

LSU - "Ol' Coach O need to coach em up now and coach dem up good too. Dem suits already made that move wonce so Coach O kno dey pissed. Woo boy yeh!"

Auburn - Malzahn's entire career is built on a quarterback that fell into his lap. We've been asking for years, "If he's such a genius, why can't he replicate stats and actual on field results?" He'll need better than 8-4 to have a chance. And nine wins doesn't look like enough unless one of them is against that King up there at the top.

Ole Miss - Matt Luke is just borrowing the office on a six month lease. Could a miracle happen? Sure. If he rallies them to a big win or two he could at least get an interview. Also, Ole Miss could decide they don't have a better option for the time they're in NCAA purgatory. A lot still undecided here.

Arkansas - Bret coaching for his job this weekend against Sumlin. Who's the most desperate for the win? I think Sumlin is the better coach, but who has a firmer grasp of their team after rocky starts? A Razorback loss and Bret could have even more time for hoppin' on his wife.

Missouri - The only reason Odom isn't lower is because no one in Columbia MO is really interested in handing out a pink slip before summer is officially over. "Fired your defensive coordinator the second week of the season and then promptly lost to Purdue by 32 points? Alright, let's meet again in November Barry."

Tennessee - Butch needs to beat UMass Saturday and then beat Kirby the second time in as many meetings to stand a chance at seeing October. Lose to Georgia and his desk will be cleaned out before his post-game press conference is over. Lose to UMass and he may go missing before hitting the podium.

A&M - Sumlin is a dead man walking. It's not a matter of if, just when.

What an overall mess huh? Has there ever been a season that has seen this much coaching turmoil in one conference? It has everything from a scandal in Oxford to a glorified cheerleader in Knoxville trying to keep his career out of his own trash can. It's fun when it's not your team going through the uneasiness.

And it's going to be fun to see who can salvage enough to stay another year. As mentioned above, starting this weekend there will be a lot of games in the coming weeks that not only will decide places in conference standings, but also who starts shopping for moving companies.

Early thoughts on SEC play and the Starville pups

Georgia finally opens SEC play this week. After so many years of having the Gamecocks in week two or sometimes three, it feels weird opening up the conference schedule this late. But alas, the OOC slate is shelved until November and it's time to strap em a little tighter men!

Still a little surprised by what happened in Columbia Saturday night. No, not talking about Purdue. How did anyone think Missouri would stand a chance there? Can we officially get rid of those Tigers now? I guess not since they've actually competed in the SECCG twice since they joined the conference. But man, what a joke.

I digress..no, I'm referring to Kentucky beating South Carolina at their own game. Deebo socked them in the mouth the first play and those Cats just rolled with it. I hadn't completely bought into the Gamecock hype yet, but I thought they would push the Wildcats around. After all, that was the same Kentucky team that struggled some against Eastern Kentucky and even shuffled their quarterbacks around.

And now the Gamecocks have lost their best player for the season. Hate seeing such a good player go down like that, but this is football. Wish Deebo a speedy and full recovery.

Meanwhile, down in Gainesville Butch still has his DB's in press coverage on the final play of the game more than half the field away from the Florida endzone. You think Shoop wishes he'd played that just a little differently? Give credit where it's due, the Gators saw what they were up against and went right for the win and not the 30 yard out to hope for a true field goal.

(pardon me while I spit that foul taste outta my mouth)

Shout-out to Coach Bobo for hanging tough against Bama. Sure, they never had a chance because of course they were far and away out-matched talent wise. But the Rams made it respectable by halftime and then scored some points in garbage time late. Our old quarterback showed he can move the ball against another elite defense. Good on ya Mike!

Ole Miss played their bowl game in mid-September and shat their pants. Oh well, basketball season should bring that old consortium feeling back to Oxford.

Back to the East, with Florida and Tennessee still trying to find their identity (one in the aftermath of a credit card scandal, the other perhaps at the bottom of a trashcan), is Vandy going to step up with Kentucky as the darling picks to challenge in the East? Granted, the Dawgs haven't proven to be the top dog yet, but we've had the most complete start to the season. However, if Vandy can play Bama as hard-nosed and tough as they did K-State Saturday night, then I'll be a firm believer.

Jared Stitham leads the Southern Conference in passing after torching the Mercer Bears for 364 yards Saturday. We were talking about this at the tailgate. Until Cam Newton or Nick Marshall's kid turns 18, Malzahn is gonna keep paying on that loan for the Struggle Bus.

Which leaves us with the dog fight Saturday night under the lights in Sanford. I guess I'm not surprised Miss State beat LSU. But I was shocked by the score. That Tiger defense just laid down huh? Clanga clanga.

Regardless, as a result the Fake Dogs come in boasting about being just shy of a touchdown favorite. I still like our chances. On the one hand they've got a mobile quarterback that is averaging 7.8 yards per pass and 7.78 yards per rush (via cfbstats.com). I still like our defense's chances at making their offense beat us through the air. And if Malkom Parrish can indeed play, forget about it.

On another hand, word is that Grantham has really pared down his defense. So you're telling me that gone are the days of 10 of 11 guys staring at the sideline as the center snaps the ball? Okay, good for you Toddles. But even despite my frustration with Coach Chaney's play-calling at times, I'd still take Jim against a defensive coordinator that's been run out of the last two towns largely because he can't make any mid-game adjustments.

In other words, anyone remember the MVP of the 2014 Belk Bowl?

Sunday thoughts on 20-19

Huge win in South Bend. What a showing by our defense! Just an incredible feeling this morning that helps instill a lot of hope for the future of this program.

But first, what went wrong.

- 12 penalties for 127 yards. From what I saw it was a mixture of bad calls, a little home cooking, over eagerness, and an aggressive defense trying to make a big play in a big game. Even good teams have trouble overcoming that much laundry on the field. The holds were especially damaging, so it was nice to see Smart get in Blazevich and Wilson's face and "coach" em back up.
- Play calling, especially in the 3rd quarter when Chubb disappeared, was very reminiscent of last season. And that's troubling. Chubb and Michel each got 13 carries and 14 total touches on the night. Swift deserves the touches he gets, that kid is explosive. But it still has a feel that 27 and 1 are under utilized.

With those items out of the way, let's get to the good stuff.

- So many big plays by the defense, but it's the small stuff that made the real difference. It's refreshing to see so few missed tackles, good angles to the ball carrier, and solid game planning. On one hand Notre Dame's red zone offense was 100%, but on the other they only had one touchdown. That's a vast improvement from last season and makes a huge difference in big games such as this one.
- Anyone think Davin Bellamy and Lorenzo Carter improved their draft stock last night? They lead the way and were everywhere! JR Reed is showing why Smart wanted him so badly. And Roquan and Patrick were their usual epitome of defensive dependability.
- Despite some troubling play calls, I thought Chaney did a good job of helping Fromm settle into the game early. He made a couple easy throws to start and it seemed to help the freshman get acclimated in his first road game.
- Staying with the young freshman, I thought his only real mistake was not dropping on the fumble. It looked he made the right reads. For instance, on the third and goal that lead to our first field goal, he had trips right and eventually threw to Michel towards the left corner of the end zone. It was a good throw just beyond Sony's reach. But most of all, given the coverage, it was the safest throw. Good game...even though he wasn't wearing khakis.
- I like seeing fullbacks get rewarded with carries for positive yardage.
- Godwin with two spectacular catches. Both put his vertical on display, not to mention incredible hand/eye coordination.
- Mecole is lightning in a bottle! Wow, his speed reminds me of Branden Smith.
- Congrats to Rodrigo, got a scholarship on Friday and came through with the game winner in South Bend.
- See you in Athens in a couple years Fighting Irish!

Those are my initial thoughts. But we have to end with the fans. I think Kirby said it best post game. His 18yo quarterback was able to go through his cadence and make audibles with relative ease in an opponent's stadium. That just doesn't happen on the road without Georgia fans making the trip and flooding the stands with red. I remember being awestruck in 2008 walking into Sun Devil Stadium in a sea of Red. But we didn't turn it into a 50-50 split like there was in Notre Dame Stadium last night. There's no question that the players and coaches felt that presence and it helped.

So again, kudos to you Road Dawgs!

Two and Oh Baby! Bring on Samford!

the Friday Misery exposes the Irish torso

The short of it is this - Y'all, they ain't ready.

Of course I'm referring to Notre Dame, its fans, its town, its campus, and most of all its tackle football team.

Santa! Hey Santa!! SANTA!! Hey!

Their coach is on the hot seat, and someone just adjusted the flame so that's it's just a bit hotter. He's the kind of coach that addresses his team's failures by firing assistants and coordinators. Yes, Brian Kelly is trash.

Their history is as storied as it is ancient and irrelevant. At least to the game tomorrow night. Parseghian, Rockne, Leahy...they ain't walking through that tunnel. The Four Horsemen will have zero yards rushing and Joe Montana will attempt as many passes as my dog.

The Notre Dame of today can't even stand in its own History's shadow. They're nothing and they're on a map to becoming even less. They beat Miami last year, but lost to Duke at home. They managed just a field goal against NC State and blamed Mother Nature.

That's what storied programs do when they fail, they shift blame and try to distract you by pointing to all the Heismans in the trophy cases. The truth is that the "fighting Irish" have been just a squad of vegan yoga posers since before George O'Leary faxed that resume.

Georgia, on the other hand, is here and now. Kirby has zero F's to give.

While Kelly is drafting a gameplan for another losing side of the press conference where he points to turnovers, or special teams, or the fact that their water boy just switched from boxers to briefs, Coach Smart knows this is the kind of game that is won in the trenches.

Yes, their offensive line is large in size and stature. But they are even less of a match for Trent Thompson than they are for our defense's speed.

Quick, close your eyes and imagine Roquan Smith running around a big tree. One of those big south Georgia oaks. Now put a clock on him and see how long it takes him to get past that statuesque yet stationary massive growth. Two seconds? Less?

That's Smith and anyone else on Coach Tucker's three deep tracking the ball tomorrow night. Size is cool, but speed is sexy. And any and every Dawg fan will tell you that Saturday nights are made for sexy.

Other side of the ball is no different really. Both teams want to run. People have been telling me all week how many yards their running backs had against Temple. Okay, the same Owls that replaced half their defense from last season?

"But Bernie, Josh Jones is 6'2" and 225!"
"So? Jalen Hurd was 6-3 and 227 last season. Lemme give ya two more numbers...four and two. Put them together and that's how many yards he had in Athens."

I don't trust overly tall running backs. Too much of their torso is exposed. I bet Natrez Patrick is licking his chops.

As shown here, Hurd's torso coughing it up.

And please don't even start with me about this quarterback that set career highs as a freshman against UMass and then spent last season carrying a clipboard. Fromm stepped onto campus and was immediately the #2. If he'd've committed to Coach Kelly instead, well Wimbush would be carrying that clipboard again tomorrow night.

So gimme plenty of  Michel and Chubb, even with our offensive line that hasn't quite gelled into a consistent unit. Those Dawgs up front have their own big bodies, and I've met enough offensive linemen to know that they love nothing more than to "road grade" run block.

Let Fromm take the snap, hand it to Michel, and then let the big boys make pancakes. Huddle up, flex Michel out into the slot, then do the same thing with Chubb.

Rinse. Repeat.

Yes, there will be punts and it will be a field position game at the start. But just pace yourself and don't lose hope. Because I just know in my heart that those part-time ACC bodies can't handle 60 minutes of SEC football. If their admins and powers-that-be can't fully commit to a conference, no way their players can commit to taking a hit snap after snap.

These Irish want a "fight", well we've got fly, welter, middle, and plenty of heavy weights. But we ain't lacing up no gloves Coach Kelly. So tell your boys to strap those pretty yellow helmets on tight.

Now, please bow your heads...Dear Lord, please tell me who this Rudy guy is? I can't find him on any college football statistical website or reference book. Just a picture of the dude from Lord of the Rings. Supposed to be some tie between him, Georgia Tech and Notre Dame, so maybe he was O'Leary's agent, but I'm at a loss as to why I should even care. And please shove Irma back out to sea,. Shove her so far that South Bend IN is the only locale in the USA needing FEMA on Sunday.

Amen, and Go Dawgs!