Three Observations
3. Humility is here
Kirby Smart always says humility is only a week away. This may be his most accurate observation. Ask Alabama. Or Notre Dame.
But then it also seems like some folks are just blessed. They were born on third base against a blind pitcher. They start out rich, get ahead via the right connections instead of merit, never lose against a dealer’s 10, and generally just fall through life upward.
There’s no justice to it. And they are usually from Texas.
Texas fans think they have this game in the bag. The Longhorns expect to score like they were at a Tennessee family reunion. And they may very well. Maybe this is not the week Texas comes back to earth. Maybe this is their dream season. It feels like it. But at some point, the nanny shows up late in more ways than one and the wheels come off.
Ask Georgia.
Georgia feels like it has the speed wobbles right now. The Bulldogs could do no wrong in the regular season for three years. Everyone in the nation hated seeing that G. They forgot the 40-year drought and thought Georgia just got lucky. Now things are bumpy. Still, Smart and company are built for the long haul. They didn’t get here through daddy’s money. They fought for it. And they are focused on the process. That will get them back under control eventually.
Humility is here. Georgia fans feel it. Texas might too after this weekend.
2. Spoiled Rotten
What in the overacted-Matthew-McConaughey-motivational-speech is going on here? I get that Georgia is not the juggernaut it used to be, but it feels like some fans have lost their damn minds. I haven’t seen this much self-loathing since Lady Macbeth did the laundry.
The Bulldogs are not as good as they were. Some of your current starters were beaten out by better teammates. Would you feel better going into Austin with Amarius Mims, Ladd McConkey, Kamari Lassiter and Tykee Smith? Of course. Yet you are playing with some guys they beat out. But it’s not like their replacements haven’t developed and matured. They have and can win you games. But they just aren’t as dominant. Yet.
And that’s why we are spoiled. Having to win games with great but not elite players? Ewww. How do the poors stand this?
We expect to win every game by 30 and when it doesn’t happen, there is a loud vocal minority that screams like an Auburn sheep stuck in a fence. These same folks dog-cussed Stetson Bennett for two years. Now they talk about retiring his jersey. I remember their promises that Kirby Smart would never win a title because he was too stubborn in sticking with a walk-on quarterback. Now those same doubters say Smart is too stubborn in sticking with an inept offensive coordinator. They yell, “Smart won’t play the best players!” while Georgia has more new starters than just about any team in America.
They are gonna cuss Smart this Saturday too. And then one day, years from now, they’ll be on Facebook talking about, “Smart would have never gone 8-4 like this current bastard!”
Kirby has spoiled us. He is the victim of his own success. Georgia landed a 5-star defensive tackle today. The news was greeted warmly, but as an expectation. If you are old enough to have been called out of your room to come change the channel on the TV, you know not to take anything like that for granted. These are the good ole days.
1. The Matchup
Smarter people than me have broken down this contest in every way possible. Coach Donnan had Rece Davis on and the ESPN analyst did a great job pointing out the quarterbacks Texas has faced this season. In a word, meh. Trent had the matchups, Dayne and Brent broke down the film, and Dash did the opposition research while Jed logged injuries and the news coming out of Austin.
I ran down rumors of some things that didn’t happen, some that did, and some that don’t matter. Like apparently Beck traded in his Lambo for a Range Rover? I think that moved the line a couple of points. How healthy is Jared Wilson? Apparently good enough to start. Will we see more Ellis Robinson this week? Not sure but it won’t be for a lack of opportunities in practice.
The only thing I know for certain is that few people are giving the Bulldogs a chance to win. Understandable. But those same people are ignoring the fact that Georgia has been battle-tested. They aren’t going to pee down their leg at the first loud sound. They may have lost at Alabama but the experience gained there may help them win tomorrow.
Two Questions
2. Can Georgia stop Texas?
All week long, the pundit class has cited Texas’ offensive stats, albeit they leave off that the numbers are against sub-par competition. The Longhorns put up 43 points per game on average. The talking heads also mentioned Georgia’s struggles on defense but ignored the fact it took four weeks for a team to score a touchdown against the Bulldogs. Kirby is going to challenge his defense to see if they are man enough. Mykell Willaims will not be limited to just 11 plays like last week. Jordan Hall can play now. The Georgia D-line should be a strength and maybe take pressure off the secondary. Quinn Ewers is elite but not a run threat. Ideally Georgia can get him off his mark and avoid the long ball that is Georgia’s Achilles heel. The Dawgs will come out looking to end the new narrative that they can’t stop anybody,but I’ll still be watching the game through my fingers like a 9-year-old at her first Cabin the Woods screening.
1. How can Georgia attack?
Texas’ defense is No. 1 in the nation. They give up less than a touchdown each game. That seems good. But they aren’t playing a freshman, walk-on quarterback with a peg leg this week. Carson Beck has the big cows nervous. I expect to see him create some plays in space for Dillon Bell, Trevor Etienne, Nate Frazier and Anthony Evans.
The Longhorns have some big linebackers but they are not as fast as what Georgia is used to. So if the Bulldogs can get some perimeter runs and screens going, the offense will move the ball.
One Prediction
We have no idea which Georgia team will show up tomorrow. The optimist in me says Smart has been in this position before. The Ole Miss and Tennessee games come to mind. Georgia wins big games under Smart. And that’s rare for any coach not named Saban. But we also saw this team fall behind 28-0. So they could win by 21 or lose by 21. Neither would surprise me.
I originally wrote “I see Georgia scoring four touchdowns and a field goal. I see Texas scoring five touchdowns and a field goal.”
I changed my mind. Kirby and company pull this off. See you on the Watch Along Show.
P.S. Georgia landed 5-star Elijah Griffin today. They lost 5-star quarterback Jared Curtis earlier in the week. Several players will be deciding on going pro at the end of the season. If the Bulldogs want to keep landing commits, keep the ones that have, and entice some guys to put off the NFL for a year, a good NIL war chest is essential. But you don’t need to personally write a check. Just stop buying Quaker granola bars and get Bulldog Bars instead. Order them directly from Bulldogs Snacks. The fine folks there have already taken care of 12 UGA student-athletes. So it works. Go HERE. You could win a chance to watch Georgia practice.
3. Humility is here
Kirby Smart always says humility is only a week away. This may be his most accurate observation. Ask Alabama. Or Notre Dame.
But then it also seems like some folks are just blessed. They were born on third base against a blind pitcher. They start out rich, get ahead via the right connections instead of merit, never lose against a dealer’s 10, and generally just fall through life upward.
There’s no justice to it. And they are usually from Texas.
Texas fans think they have this game in the bag. The Longhorns expect to score like they were at a Tennessee family reunion. And they may very well. Maybe this is not the week Texas comes back to earth. Maybe this is their dream season. It feels like it. But at some point, the nanny shows up late in more ways than one and the wheels come off.
Ask Georgia.
Georgia feels like it has the speed wobbles right now. The Bulldogs could do no wrong in the regular season for three years. Everyone in the nation hated seeing that G. They forgot the 40-year drought and thought Georgia just got lucky. Now things are bumpy. Still, Smart and company are built for the long haul. They didn’t get here through daddy’s money. They fought for it. And they are focused on the process. That will get them back under control eventually.
Humility is here. Georgia fans feel it. Texas might too after this weekend.
2. Spoiled Rotten
What in the overacted-Matthew-McConaughey-motivational-speech is going on here? I get that Georgia is not the juggernaut it used to be, but it feels like some fans have lost their damn minds. I haven’t seen this much self-loathing since Lady Macbeth did the laundry.
The Bulldogs are not as good as they were. Some of your current starters were beaten out by better teammates. Would you feel better going into Austin with Amarius Mims, Ladd McConkey, Kamari Lassiter and Tykee Smith? Of course. Yet you are playing with some guys they beat out. But it’s not like their replacements haven’t developed and matured. They have and can win you games. But they just aren’t as dominant. Yet.
And that’s why we are spoiled. Having to win games with great but not elite players? Ewww. How do the poors stand this?
We expect to win every game by 30 and when it doesn’t happen, there is a loud vocal minority that screams like an Auburn sheep stuck in a fence. These same folks dog-cussed Stetson Bennett for two years. Now they talk about retiring his jersey. I remember their promises that Kirby Smart would never win a title because he was too stubborn in sticking with a walk-on quarterback. Now those same doubters say Smart is too stubborn in sticking with an inept offensive coordinator. They yell, “Smart won’t play the best players!” while Georgia has more new starters than just about any team in America.
They are gonna cuss Smart this Saturday too. And then one day, years from now, they’ll be on Facebook talking about, “Smart would have never gone 8-4 like this current bastard!”
Kirby has spoiled us. He is the victim of his own success. Georgia landed a 5-star defensive tackle today. The news was greeted warmly, but as an expectation. If you are old enough to have been called out of your room to come change the channel on the TV, you know not to take anything like that for granted. These are the good ole days.
1. The Matchup
Smarter people than me have broken down this contest in every way possible. Coach Donnan had Rece Davis on and the ESPN analyst did a great job pointing out the quarterbacks Texas has faced this season. In a word, meh. Trent had the matchups, Dayne and Brent broke down the film, and Dash did the opposition research while Jed logged injuries and the news coming out of Austin.
I ran down rumors of some things that didn’t happen, some that did, and some that don’t matter. Like apparently Beck traded in his Lambo for a Range Rover? I think that moved the line a couple of points. How healthy is Jared Wilson? Apparently good enough to start. Will we see more Ellis Robinson this week? Not sure but it won’t be for a lack of opportunities in practice.
The only thing I know for certain is that few people are giving the Bulldogs a chance to win. Understandable. But those same people are ignoring the fact that Georgia has been battle-tested. They aren’t going to pee down their leg at the first loud sound. They may have lost at Alabama but the experience gained there may help them win tomorrow.
Two Questions
2. Can Georgia stop Texas?
All week long, the pundit class has cited Texas’ offensive stats, albeit they leave off that the numbers are against sub-par competition. The Longhorns put up 43 points per game on average. The talking heads also mentioned Georgia’s struggles on defense but ignored the fact it took four weeks for a team to score a touchdown against the Bulldogs. Kirby is going to challenge his defense to see if they are man enough. Mykell Willaims will not be limited to just 11 plays like last week. Jordan Hall can play now. The Georgia D-line should be a strength and maybe take pressure off the secondary. Quinn Ewers is elite but not a run threat. Ideally Georgia can get him off his mark and avoid the long ball that is Georgia’s Achilles heel. The Dawgs will come out looking to end the new narrative that they can’t stop anybody,but I’ll still be watching the game through my fingers like a 9-year-old at her first Cabin the Woods screening.
1. How can Georgia attack?
Texas’ defense is No. 1 in the nation. They give up less than a touchdown each game. That seems good. But they aren’t playing a freshman, walk-on quarterback with a peg leg this week. Carson Beck has the big cows nervous. I expect to see him create some plays in space for Dillon Bell, Trevor Etienne, Nate Frazier and Anthony Evans.
The Longhorns have some big linebackers but they are not as fast as what Georgia is used to. So if the Bulldogs can get some perimeter runs and screens going, the offense will move the ball.
One Prediction
We have no idea which Georgia team will show up tomorrow. The optimist in me says Smart has been in this position before. The Ole Miss and Tennessee games come to mind. Georgia wins big games under Smart. And that’s rare for any coach not named Saban. But we also saw this team fall behind 28-0. So they could win by 21 or lose by 21. Neither would surprise me.
I originally wrote “I see Georgia scoring four touchdowns and a field goal. I see Texas scoring five touchdowns and a field goal.”
I changed my mind. Kirby and company pull this off. See you on the Watch Along Show.
P.S. Georgia landed 5-star Elijah Griffin today. They lost 5-star quarterback Jared Curtis earlier in the week. Several players will be deciding on going pro at the end of the season. If the Bulldogs want to keep landing commits, keep the ones that have, and entice some guys to put off the NFL for a year, a good NIL war chest is essential. But you don’t need to personally write a check. Just stop buying Quaker granola bars and get Bulldog Bars instead. Order them directly from Bulldogs Snacks. The fine folks there have already taken care of 12 UGA student-athletes. So it works. Go HERE. You could win a chance to watch Georgia practice.
