Three observations
3. Spinning our wheels
The DawgVent this week has been spinning faster than Alabama’s PR team. You’d think with a terrible football team coming to Athens we could have a nice quiet week talking about rubber ducks and Jeeps.
But when Dash broke the news about the arrest of Colbie Young, we knew that was out the window. The previous controversy about crowd noise seemed silly.
This is a black eye (no pun intended) for the University. And once the general public fixates on something, it becomes a confirmation bias thing. We go to Jacksonville looking for folks in jorts so we can point out how the meme is real. We look for Tennessee fans in overalls and we find them. Georgia’s foes are doing the same thing with the long list of arrests. Even if they don’t have another arrest for a year or two, the next one will elicit responses of, “See, they are out of control.”
So what can Kirby Smart do? I can’t think of a damn thing that he hasn’t tried.
I am not defending him. I just asked myself what else can he do? Threats? Check. Fines? Check? Suspensions? Check. Dismissals? Check. Speakers? Check. Educational programs? Check. Training? Check. Begging? Check. Punishments? Check. Background checks? Check, check, check.
I thought NIL would drive Kirby out of college coaching one day. I don’t think that anymore, as there is hope on the horizon. But this repeated stupidity by his players may do it. All those years of kindergarten and they still won’t listen. Kirby says he doesn’t worry about the things he can’t control. That’s true. But the futility of all the effort he puts into avoiding these situations has to be wearing him down.
2. I can’t hear you
While on the Watch Along show last week, we broke the news that Jared Wilson had a foot sprain. But that wasn’t the only text we got. Folks inside Sanford Stadium were texting me, “This palace is dead.” Smart mentioned as much after the game, and the hornet’s nest was stirred.
First, he should not have said he was disappointed in the fans. Just go with, “Next week we need to be a hell of a lot louder than we were today.” Second, what did he expect? He has a 90% win rate versus Auburn and the Tigers were 22-point underdogs. Facing a basketball school on a hot homecoming afternoon isn’t going to bring you the wildest fans. Smart is the victim of his own success.
My belief is that Smart was not overly concerned about forcing illegal procedures on the opposing offense. Rather, he wants the stadium rocking for the recruits in attendance. Sure, a tough home environment makes the game harder to win than Concentration with extra pieces. Yet think about the recruits who watched that Georgia-Bama game. That’s what he wants.
As for the in-game experience, that is another article. Let’s just suffice to say the blowback Georgia got for playing “Hot to Go” by Chappel Roan would make anyone hesitant to try something new.
1. Getting closer
Georgia is close to being what we thought it could be before the season started. While winning by 18 over Auburn was seen as a failure by some, I saw many positives.
Georgia had 8 drives. They scored on five of them.
1. Drive results in a touchdown.
2. Drive stalls due to a sack vs. a three-man rush. Punt.
3. Drive sees a long pass fail but Trevor Etienne goes off. Georgia gets to the Auburn 11 but that play is called back for holding. The drive stalls due to a sack vs. a three-man rush. Punt.
4. Touchdown in 45 seconds.
5. Drive ends on a long 3rd-and-5 pass to Arian Smith. Punt
6. Touchdown drive with a long throw to Colbie Young and a 21-yard run by Etienne.
7. Touchdown drive in five plays.
8. After a long Cash Jones reception, Nate Frazier has 2 runs for 28 yards. Georgia looking at 1st-and-10 from the Auburn 23-yard line. Then it was 1st and 40. Field goal.
Georgia left at least 11 points on the field due to correctable mistakes. Maybe the injuries played a part. But still, this offense feels like a cruise ship pineapple on its side. Just can’t quite bring itself to go all in.
Two Questions
2. Will Georgia stick with the run?
If Mike Bobo doesn’t call four verticals on every play then he will be accused of being predictable and unimaginative by the couch commandos. Those are the same folks who think predicting a pass on third-and-nine shows that they could have been an NFL head coach if they hadn’t fallen for their first love, actuarial tables.
But this week I hope Bobo gets about as wild as a Mennonite quilting bee. Run the damn ball, Mike. Mississippi State is giving up 213 yards on the ground per game. They are dead last in the SEC. Hell, they are almost last in the nation (No. 121). For comparison, Ole Miss is giving up 63 yards a game. This State team should be easier to run through than the Auburn cheerleaders and with a lot less entanglements afterward.
1. Will Kirby Smart coach the Jets?
Jesus take the wheel. I was asked about this on a national radio show. This all started from an account that calls itself College Football Trolls. The quoted Adam Sche
pter. Heck, they could have quoted Adam Sandler and folks would have still repeated it breathlessly.
The last time I saw so many people trolled was when we found out that Season 9 of Dallas was just a dream. Second place was the time we thought Brian Schottenheimer would be a good offensive coordinator. Third place in the fool-me-once Olympics was when we thought suspending Todd Gurley would appease the NCAA.
One Prediction
Nothing about this game is really prediction-worthy. So let’s just say I predict we are all in the stadium next spring for a concert.
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