Ok so today marks the last time I will blog for the year 2011-which happens to be the first year of my blog. I started this blog in January because I just like to write my opinions about my favorite school in the land-and because it was free and available, I said what the heck and just started it up. I have no idea how many people actually read this blog or follow it in any way, but it really doesn't matter if anyone follows, I plan to keep on going in the new year. I think 2012 is going to be a great year, well, maybe not so great for our hoops program and not sure about our baseball program either. BUT, after looking at our new schedule for 2012 in football, I feel REALLY good about us having another shot to play for an SEC title-and, if things break our way, possibly having a shot to play for a national title. Course, all of that is just speculation on my part and it seems UGA typically struggles when they are in the leader role. I think back to 2008, even before that back to 2004, and you just get an uneasy feeling in your stomach. But, as is the case with every new year I believe you should always start a year off being optimistic for the best. So let's quickly take a look at the 2012 football schedule-
Sept. 1 Buffalo
This school was 3-9 in 2011.
Sept. 8 at Missouri
First SEC game for Missouri-they finished 8-5 in 2011
Sept. 15 FLORIDA ATLANTIC
They were 1-11 in 2011
Sept. 22 VANDERBILT
Vandy is 6-6 heading to bowl game
Sept. 29 TENNESSEE
UT was 5-7 this year
Oct. 6 at South Carolina
Possible best record ever in Columbia this year if they beat Nebraska, enter game 10-2
Oct. 13 Open
Oct. 20 at Kentucky
5-7 in 2011
Oct. 27 vs. Florida (Jacksonville)
Worst season for Gators in MANY years, enter bowl 6-6 in 2011
Nov. 3 OLE MISS
New coach in place after horrible season in 2011, 2-10
Nov. 10 at Auburn
AU limps into bowl game at 7-5
Nov. 17 GEORGIA SOUTHERN
Southern made a pretty deep run in their playoffs, 11-3 final record
Nov. 24 GEORGIA TECH
Nerds enter Sun Bowl at 8-4
So if there was ever a schedule made for success, more than even 2011 because you replace Boise with Buffalo, you replace what was to be Bama with Missouri, I think this schedule qualifies. The good news for us, our roster in 2012 should be STRONG. What also helps, Mark Richt and Todd Grantham will be getting new deals, our recruiting class hopefully will follow suit and finish strong, then we have a great 2012 and again we have another dream team type class in 2013. Granted UGA always recruits well but we do not recruit on the same level as Bama or LSU-those two schools seem to always finish ahead of us, and look at how strong those schools are year in and year out. In fact, if you really look at that LSU team that beat us in the SEC title game, the biggest things that jump out to me, besides our losing the specials teams battle yet again, depth along the lines of scrimmage, in the secondary, and at running back. Those are areas where we need to get better and I believe we are getting better.
Before we can even talk about the 2012 fall season, we need to look at the first game of 2012, that being the Outback Bowl in Tampa this upcoming Monday. We play Michigan State and I believe the Spartans are the third best team we have played this year-I think only Boise and LSU are better than MSU-and we got beat by both of those two easily. Michigan State nearly beat Wisconsin in the first Big10 title game, coming within a roughing the kicker call from being in the Rose Bowl. MSU had three losses on the season, same as us with all three being away from home. They lost at Notre Dame 31-13, at Nebraska 21-3 and then @ Big10 title game 42-39. All their losses came against quality opponents, same as us, but unlike UGA they did beat two schools going to BCS games, Michigan and Wisconsin. This is a dangerous opponent and actually the two teams really do mirror each other in a lot of ways. Streaky offenses and stout defenses. Let's take a look at the Spartan starters on O and D.
Offense-Power I
OT-Dan France 6-6 304 Soph
OG Joel Foreman 6-4 310 Sr
C Travis Jackson 6-3 265 Fr
OG Chris McDonald 6-5 290 Jr
OT-Fou Fonoti 6-5 295 Jr
TE-Dion Sims 6-5 277 Soph
WR Keshawn Martin 5-11 185 Sr
WR BJ Cunningham 6-2 223 Sr
FB Todd Anderson 6-2 260 Sr
RB Edwin Baker 5-9 208 Jr listed but could be Le'Veon Bell 6-2 237 Soph
QB Kirk Cousins 6-3 202 Sr
A few things jump out to me about this side of the ball-first the center, that looks to be a big advantage for us-course last time we went against an undersized center (Boise) that kid got the better of our NT's but that was game 1 of the season. I have a feeling Jenkins or Geathers will demand double teams in this game. Another thing, WOW, the size of their TE and FB-big boys there and that will be interesting to watch. Course it appears both the big boys are blockers more than WR targets since Sims has 12 catches in 13 games while Anderson has 6 catches all year. Cunningham is the big threat, with 72 catches for 1240 and 12 TD's, while Martin also is a big weapon, with 62 catches for 642 and 4 TD's. Rushing wise they list Baker the starter but Bell is the leading rusher with 900 yards rushing and 11 TD's. The QB is a steady and polish SR in Cousins who has thrown for 3016 yards, 24 TD's and 7 Int's. This is an offense that has some balance and will be a good tough matchup for our defense.
Defense 4-3
DE Marcus Rush 6-2 250 Fr
DT Jerel Worthy 6-3 305 Jr
NT Anthony White 6-2 320 Jr
DE William Gholston 6-7 265 Soph
LB Chris Norman 6-1 225 Jr
LB Denicos Allen 5-10 218 Soph
LB Max Bulloch 6-3 240 Soph
CB Darqueze Dennard 5-11 185 Soph
S Isaiah Lewis 5-10 199 Soph
S Trenton Robinson 5-10 195 Sr
CB Johnny Adams 5-11 170 Jr
Ok, everyone knows that UGA has a great D but Michigan State is just behind us in most stats-and in pts allowed per game, they are ahead of us. Course we all know that a few of our games have had pts allowed inflated due to our poor special teams play all year and or turnovers by the offense. But, in looking at the Spartan D, I notice they are pretty young-much like we are, they will return all but one listed starter-we will lose only two, unless we lose someone to the draft of course. Their secondary, pretty small-and not very heavy either-a 170lb safety-I see Orson Charles having a big homecoming. I really can see us attacking the middle of the field as their LB's and safeties look to be possible passing game targets. We also have the height advantage outside with our tall lanky WR's. They have some big boys on the LOS so I wouldn't imagine we will produce a great run game against this defense, unless the passing game spreads them out enough to allow some running lanes. I really look for us to pass the ball around on this team quite a bit. I think both teams are going to have to pass to win this game honestly.
My keys to a UGA win will be to stop the MSU run and then come after Cousins-he is not a very mobile QB but he can move around a little bit. Also we can't turn the ball over and expect to beat a quality team like Michigan State. Of course I am also worried about our special teams play, that could become a factor. You also have to believe Michigan State is VERY motivated to win their bowl game, they have not had a good recent history in bowl games. Course our guys should be motivated to play as well-coming off the LSU game, this should give them a chance to get back on the winning track again and also, after our dismal bowl game last year, we should want to perform well. I think this is a going to be a VERY tight and close game. I think ultimately we have more talent than does MSU do I will pick us to win. I see the final score being in the 21-17 or 24-21 range.
Finally, looking at our hoops team, they have won 4 straight games now, with wins against Southern Cal, Mercer, Furman and Winthrop-wow, that was some game there, Winthrop had us beat but we made some clutch shots down the stretch to force OT and then win going away in OT. Next up is our last non conference game of the year, against Delaware State a team at 4-6 that we should handle. That would put us at 9-5 heading to SEC play. Now, that is about one game below what I had expected-I thought we would handle GT, instead they easily handled us-to me that is the ONLY bad loss we have thus far. We have lost to a good Cal team, games at Xavier, Colorado, and Cincinnati. Colorado we could have beat and probably should have but still they are decent and tough at home. Xavier is really good, as is Cal. Cincinnati is always a pretty good team. Again, that GT loss is the really BAD loss. This team is very much a work in progress. The FR Caldwell-Pope is playing pretty well, our leading scorer and you can tell very talented. Robinson, Ware and Williams, all playing good basketball. What is really killing us is no real inside game-Donte' Williams is doing ok, much improved over last year but not nearly the offensive threat we need. Marcus Thornton was doing a good job defensively and rebounding, not a threat offensively in the least but now he is hurt and out probably 3-5 weeks. The EURO kid Djurisic is doing a pretty good job but he is more a perimeter type player than inside force. The three bigs Fox brought in, Dixon, Florveus and Cannon are really nothing more than projects at this time-they can't score, don't really contribute much of anything on the floor. Bottom line, this is likely to a real struggle to win more than 5 conference games this year. First up in conference is a good Bama team at the Steg January 7th. After that back to back road game at UF and Vandy before returning home against Tenn and Ole Miss. I believe if this team can somehow, someway win the first three home games, we might inch toward 6-7 conference wins but if Fox can get this team above 5, I will consider him to have done a great job. This team just flat out scares me with lack of scoring punch but they do have some depth, they are capable of playing good D so maybe, just maybe with some luck they can win 6-7 conference games. That would put them at 15-12 or so, and with a TOUGH non conference schedule might qualify them for an NIT bid, that is the most optmistic I can be at this time.
Well, all for now, hope you all have a HAPPY NEW YEAR. If you are a regular reader, thanks for checking out my opinions, tolerating what I am sure are numerious spelling and gramatical errors-hey, back when I DID do some writing back in college, I had an editor!! I don't even do a spell check here because I am not getting paid and I figure even if I mispell something it is not butchered too bad. As for my grammar, again if you are that nitpicky you need not read!! I hope you all have a wonderful end to 2011 and hope 2012 is a great year.
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