Forget the thumb...fear the other hand

Auburn coach Tommy Tubberville made waves when he endorsed Auburn's "Fear the Thumb" campaign. I believe the campaign was referencing when Auburn was going for the fifth win in a row over Alabama, although it may have been their sixth. I tried to figure it out, but it depends on how you count on your fingers.

Regardless, the most hate-filled rivalry of rivalry week figures to be the end of a winning streak for the Tigers. Their offense stinks something awful and they are playing in Tuscaloosa. Although Auburn stunning Alabama is second on my wish list this weekend, there's not a snowball's chance in South Beach of that happening in my mind. The Tigers will pick up a couple late scores in garbage time.

Alabama 38-Auburn 21

Bad news Gator fans: backup QB Cam Newton was arrested for stealing a laptop and then throwing it out a window. Don't know if the Gators can overcome that one. Meanwhile, Rhodes Scholar nominee and Florida State safety Myron Rolle was named to the Academic All-American second team. What does a guy have to do to get named to the first team? Apparently, cracking 1000 on the SAT is not one of them. St. Tebow got first-team honors despite getting somewhere around a 900 on the SAT. He did ace his third-world circumcision midterm though.

The Sunshine State's biggest rivalry has more luster than it has in years. The Gators and Seminoles are both ranked. The Doak should be rocking, but that won't do much good in stopping the circus act that is the Florida offense. I don't think the Gators are going to break 50 again, but you never know. I think the Noles will keep it close for a quarter or two. Then the floodgates open.

Florida 35-Florida State 21

The Big-12 quagmire looks to get slightly clearer this weekend. If Oklahoma State can knock off the Sooners, Texas goes to the Big-12 title game. If not...things will get interesting. Oklahoma absolutely demolished Texas Tech last weekend. Mike Gundy probably saw it on TV. He also probably feels like less of a man for doing so. That Sooner offense was scary. In fact, so was the defense. Let the debate begin.

Oklahoma 45-Oklahoma State 31

Alright Peach State residents (I believe the entire readership of this blog). It's finally time for some Clean Old Fashioned Hate. Apparently, the Dawgs don't even need to bother playing this one. The AJC gave Georgia the triple kiss of death, with Barnhart, Schultz and Moore all going with the North Avenue Trade School.

I can't say I blame Schultz or Barnhart. They have picked Georgia to be dominant all year and the Dawgs have made them look like fools. However, I do believe this perpetuates the stereotype that sports pundits have dangerously short memories.

Yeah, the Jackets plowed through Miami last week. But yeah, the got crushed by UNC the week before. They also beat Gardner-Webb by 3 and lost to Virginia. They needed a miraculous fumble to beat FSU. The pundits point to Tech "wanting it more" as reason for this one. How many points do you get in the scoreboard for "wanting it more?"

I got news for you. I guarantee you that The Citadel wanted to beat Florida more than the Gators wanted to win that one. No doubt in my mind. Didn't turn out too well for the Citadel. I'm not saying the talent disparity is anywhere near that level for this game. But, the "wanting it more" argument is ridiculous.

If you want to talk about mental aspects of this game, talk about seven in a row. Talk about most of these players being in sixth grade the last time Georgia lost.

More importantly, talk about talent and ability. The Tech option attack looked nice last week. Dwyer is a heck of a running back. Their defensive line is extremely talented.

But despite Georgia's disappointing (read 9-2) season so far, the Dawgs are not exactly chopped liver. This is still the preseason No. 1 team in the land (which, along with 5 bucks gets you a latte at Starbucks) but no one seems to think Georgia has a shot.

Georgia's offense is still pretty good. Make that very good. The defense, to my surprise, is still in the top-25 in total defense nationally. And Mark Richt has still never lost to Tech, and has a handful of losses to out of conference opponents.

So, I'm going out on a limb here. Conventional wisdom says that this is a rivalry game and it's going to be close. Also, every time I pick Tech to lose, they win. Well, I don't care.

The Georgia team that graced Sports Illustrated covers and had me dreaming of Miami in January is finally going to show up. Stafford is going to put on a show that ensures he is a top-5 draft pick and Moreno is going to do what he always does. The defense is going to play smart for once.

Then, the UGA cheerleaders are going to carry me out of the stadium on one of those big chairs that sultans sit in. They will fan me with palm leaves and feed me grapes.

Shhh...don't ruin my dream.





Dawgs 42-Jackets 24

The little things in life.

Greetings and Happy Thanksgiving to all. After a day of stuffing your faces full of turkey and watching some ugly football games, I hope you've all given yourself the opportunity to give thanks. I know I had an entire post planned out, but it appears that Adam read my mind and took it all last night, so I'm going to change course a little bit. Obviously, sports fans in the greater Atlanta area have plenty to be thankful for in sports. Brian McCann, Joe Johnson, Matt Ryan, Reggie Ball...You can't crack open a sports page without seeing their latest accomplishments. Unfortunately, for every great thing that they do, it takes setting up from an assortment of other people. Plenty of people do their jobs extraordinarily well, but nobody ever stops to give them recognition, even the effort to learn their names, until they screw up. So I'm here to sing the praises of the little man.

1) Ben Jones, C, UGA. Well, maybe not little in the sense of size, but certainly in the sense of notoriety. In the complete catastrophe that has been the UGA offensive line, Jones, a manchild who is starting as a true freshman, has protected Matthew Stafford against some of the roughest D-Lines in college football. For all the criticism that was poured on the line after the Alabama game, Jones still shone in his performance, doing everything he could to stop the monster that was Mt. Cody. The future NFL draft pick was notably impressed by the true freshman's performance, going out of his way to shake his hand post game. Jones never gave up, and for a freshman to have the kind of year he is having with the expectations Georgia had preseason is phenomenal. Losing a senior in Fernando Velasco last year should have been a tremendous blow to the team's cohesion, but Jones has stepped it up on the field, and I'm thankful for that.

2) Paul Snyder, director of scouting, Atlanta Braves. Quick, name me five prospects the Braves have traded away in the past fifteen years that have gone on to be successful. If you made it past two, I would be impressed. Adam Wainwright, Jason Schmidt, Jermaine Dye, and Odalis Perez are, to my knowledge, the only prospects that had sustatines success in their post Atlanta years, and that's because the Atlanta Braves system knows their prospects. So much of John Schuerholz's success as a general manager can be attributed to knowing his prospects better than the other team did. Players such as Bruce Chen, Jung Bong, Andy Marte, and Melvin Nieves have been cornerstones in trades for crucial parts of pennant-winning teams, where Atlanta ultimately got star players for free. Even now, with the Braves at potentially the lowest point in 20 years, the farm system is still absolutely stacked, to the point where we can consider trading three prospects rated B+ or higher by John Sickels and still not even touch our top three prospects. Snyder is supposedly retiring soon, and I would just assume the Braves retire his jacket size in lieu of a jersey, because he has contributed every bit as much of the franchise's historical run as Bobby Cox or John Schuerholz. That is not a slight to either of them, but a tribute to Snyder.

3) Billy Knight, former GM, Atlanta Hawks. Yes, he was highly criticized for taking Marvin Williams over Chris Paul. Yes, he resigned rather than get fired. But you know that somewhere, he is bitterly laughing to himself, because he knew this team could do it. Three years later, Marvin Williams is blossoming into the second scoring threat we needed him to be. Josh Smith was looking to be dominant before he hurt his ankle, and Joe Johnson has become the superstar Knight envisioned, though not at the PG position he expected. Looking back on Knight's track record, his biggest mistake was passing on a great player at a position we needed to select a good player at a position we didn't. While some critics will never forgive him for that, I know that if Babcock was still running Atlanta, the Knicks would be our best case scenario.

4) The underdogs of the SEC. And that is with no pun intended. The wonderful thing about teams like Vandy, Ole Miss, Kentucky, and Mississippi State is that, with the abundance of talent flourishing in the southeastern area, inevitably one of them is going to get enough second tier prospect to turn the team into a contender. They won't all be able to do it at once, but without these teams, the SEC is a joke. Even this year, I here college football fans proclaiming the SEC as a two, maybe three team conference. (Granted, these are the same fans that proclaim that the ACC is the hardest conference as stated by the Sagarin rankings, but I digress...) This year, with Tennessee and Auburn at new lows and LSU looking to be above average at best, the SEC needs someone to pick up the slack. The last thing we need is for the nerds to match up against some bottom tier team in the SEC and win, thus proclaiming their superiority. For those of you who trudged through my last post, it's quite evident that we can't take solace in the head-to-head victory, as the fighting Paul Johnson's have the greater tally of moral victories over us. Fortunately, there is little doubt in my mind that they'll come across a Kentucky team that will play them just as hard as they played us, and make the conference look all the more stronger. Remember, a OOC win for the SEC is a stepping stone in the BCS ladder for next year.

I'm also thankful for Adam typing stuff that actually has literary merit on here. I'm well aware that my insightful posts come maybe once a month, and the lackluster ones have become overbearingly predominant as of late. Fortunately, someone who actually knows what he is doing is able to pick up for my slack.

And finally, as cliched as it is, I'm thankful for the handful of you that take the time to read my ramblings every week. Because without you guys I'm just talking to myself, and seeing OTR quoted in a facebook status last week was quite possibly the most exciting thing that could have happened on a Georgia bye week short of Tim Tebow being declared academically ineligible. (For those of you who didn't know, he didn't crack 1000 on his SAT. I don't remember the exact number, but it wasn't even close).

Good luck to any of you who are crazy enough to brave the cold weather and rabid shoppers tomorrow morning.

Gobble Gobble

Besides the Fourth of July, is there a bigger slice of Americana than Thanksgiving? What better way to show how thankful we are than to stuff ourselves full of food (and in my case Gentleman Jack) and lay around on our couches all day?

With that in mind, let me engage in the tried and true (and hopefully not played out) tradition of listing what I am thankful for. Of course, I hope to hear what you guys are thankful for as well.

-I am thankful for Bobby Cox. I hope he continues to smoke cigars and drink scotch until the sad day when he passes away while managing a game. He is irreplacable.

-I am thankful for Larry Munson and the pessimistic brand of homerism he brought to radio broadcasting. I'd like to think that Larry calls games the way I would, only much better. I'm that guy that always thinks the other team "is driving on us" and that "they are much bigger and faster." We miss you Larry.

-I am thankful for Chipper Jones and Brian McCann for being the only good offensive players the Braves had over the course of the summer. I am also thankful that it is November and I don't have to watch Jeff Francoeur swing a bat for four months.

-I am thankful for Mark Richt patrolling the Sanford Stadium sidelines. Despite my constant pessimism about my beloved Bulldogs, I wouldn't trade Richt for any coach in the country. Seeing guys like Saban and Meyer winning titles while making my stomach churn with their sleaziness makes me glad we have a guy like Richt.

-I am thankful for Paul Johnson coming to Tech and making Clean Old Fashioned Hate more exciting than leftover turkey sandwiches for once. Granted, I'm still not worried about the Dawgs losing, but Johnson has the mustard nation pumped up and out of excuses. When Richt makes it eight in a row, Georgia's JV team won't have Chan Gailey to blame anymore.

-I am thankful for Friday nights under the lights. Believe me, on almost any of the Friday's I spent in northeast Georgia press boxes there were about 203 places I would rather have been. But with my time covering high school football for the Athens Banner-Herald now behind me, I must say I have a special place in my heart for Friday night football. A special thanks to all the people who made the experience fun, although I'm sure none are reading.

-I'm thankful for Sundiata Gaines, Dave Bliss, Corey Butler and the rest of the 2007-2008 Georgia Bulldog basketball team. As absolutely horrible and nauseating they were to watch for most of the year, they were that much more awe-inspiring in March. The Hoop Dawgs overcame tornadoes, venue changes, and a lack of talent to run through the SEC Tournament and win themselves a ring. Then, they almost upset Xavier in the big dance. To make things even better, Felton and friends cut down the nets in Tech's arena. As usual, the Nerds were nowhere to be found. That run through March is what college hoops is all about.

-I'm thankful for Matt Ryan. Enough said.

-I'm thankful that I have gotten to watch a player like Knowshon Moreno put on clinics Between the Hedges, even if Saturday's extermination of the Bees is his last hurrah. Special K has never had anything resembling a coherent offensive line to run behind, yet still dominates.

-I'm thankful that the Atlanta Hawks gave the Bahston Celtics all they wanted and then some in the NBA Playoffs. It was a rare thing to sit in Phillips Arena with a packed, pro-Atlanta crowd there with me. Plus, you can't overstate the comedic value of Zaza Pachulia and Kevin Garnett going at it.

-I am thankful for that U.S. Olympic Swimming relay team that came back to beat the French after they talked all that garbage. There I was, in my living room with a few friends, screaming at the TV like I was watching the Dawgs play. But no, it was swimming.

-I am thankful that I got to cover the Atlanta Braves this year. Watching batting practice from the dugout bench with Bobby Cox isn't a bad way to get ready for a baseball game. Plus, the Braves' season didn't collapse until after I stopped covering them.

-I am thankful for Bucky F-ing Dent and his baseball school in Florida. While it was about as hot as the surface of the sun, spending my summer coaching baseball was a blast. It was also a very effective form of birth control.

-I am thankful the Dawgs had Marcus Howard. Apparently, he was the difference between our defense being dominant and it being invisible. What happened to being "D-End U?"

-I am thankful that Georgia Tech hasn't beat the Dawgs in seven years (about to be eight). I'm also thankful for the fact that this is always the refs' faults, or Chan's, or Reggie's.

-I am also thankful that those same Tech fans choose to forget about Joe Hamilton's "non fumble," Jasper Sanks' fumble, or the fact that all three of Tech's wins in the late 1998, 1999, and 2000 were accomplished using ineligible players (including Smoking Joe Hamilton).

-I am thankful that recently, Georgia has dominated Tech in "Tech sports" such as baseball and basketball.

-I am thankful that overall, Tech provides endless fodder for me to use against them.

-Finally, I'm thankful for my family and my friends. Thanks for all you do. I am thankful for you, the readers of OTR. It's been a fun few months and I hope you've enjoyed it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The view from the other side of the science museum.

Adam hates Georgia Tech.  This much is obvious.  He grew up in an area in close proximity to North Avenue, and thus had/has to deal with a lot of boisterous, not-as-intelligent-as-the-school-supposedly-is fans who never have anything to back up their own program, rather can only take pot shots at others.  Knowing this, I can't really blame him for his disdain of the nerds.

Myself, I grew up in suburbia, at a behemoth of a school that sent about 50 students to Georgia and about 15 to Tech.  And what's more, as I've mentioned before on this blog, I grew up a Tech fan before I righted myself off of that sinking ship.  Therefore, my experience with Techies is slightly different.  Instead of the unabashed rage, I feel pity.

Before I go any further, it has come to my attention that this article summarizes UGA's perspective on this supposed "rivalry" better than I ever could.  Furthermore, it should be pointed out that Georgia Tech is considered at best Georgia's third biggest rival behind Florida and Auburn, based on statistics put out by the Gwinnett Daily Post, and possibly the fourth behind Tennessee.

Things are different from the Georgia Tech perspective, though.  Since the only other teams in the ACC that remotely care about football are three tiers above the Yellow Jackets in terms of national recognition, the only school that reciprocates their taunting is the University

 of Georgia.  This makes the Georgia/GT game the most important game of the year, which is a beautiful segue-way back to my initial point - pity.  Allow me to walk you through a year-by-year case of what has gone through a Georgia Tech fan's mind since the last time they beat Georgia.

2001:  Things start off good.  The Joe Hamilton experience is over, and his luster never reached Herschel proportions, but that simply was never going to happen.  A preseason top 5 team with a 3 year winning streak over the Dawgs (controversy abound, but a score is a score) ve

ry quickly led to disappointment as George Godsey and Joe Burns proved unable to keep up with a freshman David Greene.  The end of the season gave the team some redemption, as not only did GT beat the #11 ranked Stanford, but Georgia lost to Boston College in the Music City Bowl.  A common theme develops here, as fans think "Sure, we couldn't beat Georgia, but those other guys sure did.  Sucks to be you (also us).

2002:  Well, everything good about last year is gone.  George O'Leary is a household joke, and George Godsey and Joe Burns graduated and are looking for spots in the CFL somewhere (even though Georgia Tech degrees are worth their weight in pocket protectors).  We have this new quarterback, though, A.J. Suggs, who transferred in from Tennessee, so he has to be good.  Sure, he can't win a spot from a guy whose name is "Claussen," but Tennessee is a good program, right?  Unfortunately, a 51-7 loss to Georgia says absolutely not.  Is there anything redeeming that can be said here?  "We derailed Philip Rivers's Heisman candidacy" does not match up with "51-7"

2003:  It's okay guys, that A.J. Suggs guy is gone.  Or at least buried behind this hotshot dual-threat QB we're starting as a freshman.  Dual threat, like Joe, and a freshman, like David Greene!  Sure, he was only a 3 star recruit, but he's got the moves! He'll make up for 

those 11 players who were ruled academically ineligible.  Just like Georgia!  Only better, because our academics are much harder.  But Reggie Ball...what a player!   And three games later, a win over Auburn proves it!  The only team that can beat Georgia Tech is Georgia Tech...And Duke, who had not won an ACC game in half a decade, can win 41-17.  And Georgia, again, 34-17.  But we beat Tulsa in the Humanitarian Bowl!

2004:  College Basketball semifinalists!  Preseason tournament champions!  And Georgia didn't even make the NIT!  Sure, second place is the first loser.  Yes, Georgia still won the heads-up competition.  But our title run, though unsuccesful, will bring character and prestige to our program!  And ESPN will pay attention to us!  After all, we beat Clemson in football with this stud of a receiver named Calvin.  The only reason Reggie Ball couldn't flourish last year was his lack of a go-to-receiver.  It doesn't matter that North Carolina whipped us.  Or that Georgia beat us.  Again. Or that Reggie Ball can't count and may have cost us the game. We regained our respectability by whipping up Syracuse.  At least, that's what I tell myself as I cry myself to sleep.

2005:  It's okay guys, junior year is when most quarterbacks flourish.  It's time for Reggie Ball to break out!  That early season win over Auburn proves it.  The 51-7 loss to Virginia Tech was just a fluke.  And that 14-7 loss to Georgia was crap, they were cheating and actually covering Calvin Johnson.  You can't expect Reggie to win football games by himself, can you?  Absolutely not.  And don't mind that loss to Utah in the Emerald Bowl, because their coach is going to drive you apeshit for years to come.

2006:  I hate you, Reggie Ball.  You're the only reason that we're not a national contender, even though we've never been one.  You're the only reason that Calvin Johnson won't win the Heisman, even though he's a Junior Wide Receiver and that never happens.  And you're the only reason we lost to Georgia.  Actually, we shouldn't have lost to Georgia, because that fumble was too controversial.  Much more controversial than our last three wins over Georgia.  Besides, we looked better against West Virginia than you did.

2007:  This year didn't happen.  We were not mediocre, Georgia was not awesome, Matthew Stafford did not juke our entire defense out of their shoes, we did not lose to Fresno State in the Humanitarian Bowl.  Jon Tenuta did not leave.  The football season was cancelled due to apathy, and the result was that Chan Gailey respectfully left.  After all, it's his fault that we're not a National Contender.

2008:Well, everything from last year is gone.  We have a new coach with a new fancy offense, our star running back is being replaced, and Georgia is the preseason number one.  Obviously, success this year will be judged on who is closer to their preseason goal.  So if we finish above .500 and Georgia doesn't win the championship, then we're going to have a better season.  Doesn't matter if Georgia wins the head to head matchup.  They always do.

So Dawg fans, I beseech you:  Feel pity on the nerds.  Not only can they not win, but their legend Joe Hamilton never even got a shot in the bigs.  Even Reggie Ball made practice squad.  When they hiss and complain and laugh, just remind yourself:  You'll get to beat them again next year.  And if they actually do get better?  Then beating them will be that much more fun.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far, away...

Calm down Tech fans, I'm not going to recite Star Wars dialogue. Breath. OK, has your pulse rate settled yet? As I mentioned earlier, Tech week is a very special time here on OTR. In fact, we'll have a new Tech-related goodie each day, and today is no exception.

But first, Sunday was a big TV day for me. First, I watched the Falcons stomp a mudhole in the Panthers and then walk it dry. The Dirty Birds find themselves a game out of first place and still have meetings with the Bucs and Saints on the slate.

From there, it was time for the triumphant return of everyone's favorite badass, Jack Bauer. This time, Bauer finds himself in a made-up African country fighting off rebels that are trying to steal children for their army. Of course, Bauer slaughters many rebels while saving the children. Despite Chloe and Nadia being noticably absent, the two-hour event was riveting. The new season promises to be captivating as usual.

The nightcap was the season finale of Entourage. Vince and the gang head home to Queens to lick their wounds. They party, Drama buys a bar and Vince fires E. Of course, things end up "all good" when Vince lands a role in the new Scorsese film and Turtle finally makes his love affair with Jamie Lynn Sigler public. Sadly, I don't know where else this show can go and I fear it might be over. Either way, it was a good run while it lasted.

OK. Finally we get to our mustard-yellow little buddies from North Avenue. No matter what Georgia does, Tech fans revel in our failure perhaps more than their own success. After the Bulldogs got drubbed by Alabama, I saw so many messages on Facebook about "No-sho Moreno" and the blowout from Tech fans, I actually got mad. Nevermind that Tech hasn't been in the national spotlight since gangster rap was a new phenomenon. Logic and rational thought aren't typical hallmarks of Tech fans. So, fellow Georgia fans, I have a treat for you. When a Tech fan tries to say anything to you about the current state of Georgia football, simply remind them that the last time their team beat the Dawgs was November of 2000. Yep, that's eight years ago. As the Tech fan makes their case for how bad Georgia is, simply ask them why it's been almost a decade since they win. To help you out, I've compiled a list of things that happened the last time the Jackets left this game happy.

The last time Georgia Tech beat Georgia...

-Bill Clinton was president of the United States. Since then, we've had eight years of Dubya and elected his successor.

-Gasoline cost $1.42 per gallon.

-Scary Movie, Gladiator, Mission Impossible 2 and the Perfect Storm were all new movies. Since then, there have been roughly 23 sequels to Scary Movie, Tom Cruise has gone insane and 300 has made Maximus from Gladiator look like a male cheerleader.

-The top-selling album in the country was N'Sync's No String Attached. Other notable entries to the top 20 that year are Sisqo's Unleash the Dragon, Britney Spears' Ooops...I Did It Again, and Eminem's Marshall Mathers LP. During Georgia's subsequent win streak, Lance Bass finally came out of the closet, Sisqo faded into the abyss, Britney Spears has shown off her goods to half of the free world and Eminem's career has gone the way of the Dodo bird.

-Current Tech tailback Jonathan Dwyer was 11 years old. Yep...11.

-Chris Weinke won the Heisman Trophy. Since then, Weinke has filed for social security.

-Ray Lewis stabbed a man and then led the Ravens to the Super Bowl title.

-Sony had just released Playstation 2, making it the pinnacle of video game achievment. Now, I can watch YouTube videos of Georgia beating Tech on my PS3.

I think you get the point. Basically, I was in middle school the last time Georgia left this game on the short end. Tech fans can blame Reggie or Chan, but they forget the fact that they had Calvin and Tashard. They haven't been able to beat us, so they live vicariously through teams that can.

Respond to this however you like. If you have any other examples of how the times have changed since Tech's last victory, lay em on me.

Boomer Sooner

Hopefully, Mike Leach has been able to secure enough evidence bags to transport the bloody mess that is his team back to Lubbock. As someone who has had a front row seat to a couple of big-time blowouts this season (thank you Bama and Florida), I feel the Texas Tech fans' pain. Honestly, if someone told you that Oklahoma would put up five less points against the Red Raiders than Florida would against The Citadel, would you think they were in their right mind?

Me neither. But there I was, watching the Sooners impose their will on the Texas Tech defense while keeping former Heisman hopeful Graham Harrell in check all night. The result: a 65-21 trip to poundtown. That means that there is currently a three-way tie atop the Big-12 South, with Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Texas all with one loss.

Since Texas Tech beat Texas, Oklahoma beat Texas Tech, and Texas beat Oklahoma, the team ranked highest in the BCS will represent the South in the Big-12 Title Game. I'm hard-pressed to pick between OU and UT, but you have to think the Sooners will get the bid thanks to the nation's "what have you done for me lately" attitude towards rankings.

Elsewhere, LSU turned Bill Kitson into a prophet, putting themselves at the wrong end of a 31-13 upset in Baton Rouge at the hands of Ole Miss. Jarrett Lee put on a clinic in quarterbacking futility before the football gods mercifully blessed him with some sort of leg injury.

Enter Jordan Jefferson, who got my friend and huge LSU fan Clint all fired up when he entered the game and fired a touchdown pass to Demetrius Byrd on his first possession. Unfortunately, Clint's prediction that Jordan Jefferson would lead the Tigers back from the jaws of defeat fell just 18 points short.

I have to admit, I think very highly of Rebel coach Houston Nutt. I think he's going to turn Ole Miss into quite a pesky team in the SEC West.

Hopefully, some of you Georgia fans out there caught a look at Georgia Tech's "perfect option" at its finest on one of those pulse-racing Thursday night ACC showdowns.

The Jackets looked like a good high school team playing against a less good high school team, proving that the forward pass is a silly invention for sissy teams. Tech rolled up almost 500 yards on the ground against an athletic but undisciplined Miami squad on their way to a blowout win.

Wait. Athletic but undisciplined? That sounds so familiar. Anyway...

The Dawgs have their hands full with Jonathan Dwyer. Dwyer, a former Kell Longhorn just like me, is a beast. Seriously. If Coach Martinez didn't hold a Tackling 101 clinic during the Dawgs' time off, Dwyer will turn those little chest bumps that Reshad Jones likes to call tackles into missed tackles on his way to paydirt.

Still, this now unstoppable force got spanked by UNC. In football. That UNC team just got drubbed by NC State. The Jackets also lost to Virginia and Virginia Tech. All of the above teams would have at least 4 losses in the SEC.

In related news, does anyone want to win the ACC? I know playing in front of thousands of empty seats in Tampa doesn't sound all that appealing, but hey, it's a free trip! It seems like the ACC is collectively falling all over themselves just so they don't have to play in the title game. Over the last three weeks, I have heard teams being left for dead only to be revived because three teams ahead of them lost.

The Orange Bowl figures to be quite amusing. The ACC "Champ" against an at-large team not named Utah. Violence will ensue.

Well that's all I have on this weekend. Time to sit back and watch the Dirty Birds take it to the Panthers.

Guys, as I may have mentioned this before. But I love Tech week. I love it because I hate Georgia Tech with such a passion, it's hard to describe. So stay tuned all this week. Like Florida week, we plan on having a new post every day relating to the Nerds and their cute little brother complex.

Have a good one!

It's Saturday Morning in Athens...

...And everybody is gone.  Reason number 4328 that I hate bye weeks:  Everybody leaves town.  Does nobody want to watch the Vanderbilt/Tennessee thriller with me tomorrow night?  Actually, me neither.

Regardless, fresh off of the euphoria that I sparked conversation in the comments section of my last post, it's time for us all to return to the status quo where I tell everybody who I think is going win various football games, pick incorrectly half the time, and have no viewer contribtion whatsoever.  We'll start with what is obviously the most crucial of games this weekend, the clash of titans that is being referred to by experts everwhere as "Two Girls, One Apple Cup."

Washington at Washington State.

Let's be honest here, I probably know more about the Atlanta Braves batboys than I do about either of these teams.  So, I'm going to base my prediction on the time-honored technique of "Which team does not have Tyrone Willingham leading it."  Seriously, what does it say about a man's coaching ability when his most notable contribution to college football in the last ten years was that he got a coaching job by way of actually having a valid resumé?  If I take the second highest offensive output of each team, it makes for a thrilling 28-27 game.  For those of you keeping score, that's seven field goals where the team failed to progress after gaining possession on a fumble, three safeties where the quarterback tried to toss sweep on the one yard line but connected with the goalpost instead, and a fumbled extra point returned for a touchdown.  Then again, that would require one of the teams to score a touchdown.

The Holy War is also being waged this weekend, and not just in the South where my faithful Baptist upbringing is convincing people that a terrorist is going into the White House.  No, instead in the culturally irrelevant state of Utah, Brigham Young and Utah clash to determine which team can claim themselves the second best mid-major.  I would love to predict Brigham Young to win this game, because it would likely keep a mid-major out of the BCS, put I would like to remind everyone what happened when Brigham Young played Washington.  You may have heard ESPN's talking heads debate over it for three months, something about a unsportsmanlike conduct?  If the Cougars can't beat the Huskies, then they don't stand a chance against the Utes.  And this is the only year where that sentence will EVER be relevant.   Utah 28, Brigham Young 17.  Caste Football 1000.

Meanwhile, in games that you might actually care about, the SEC is lacking.  Georgia is off.  The only question about the Florida game is whether the backup quarterback will have more total yardage than Florida's margin of victory.  (Now that would make a good Beat the Streak Question)

Aside - Did anybody else see the Yahoo! Sports headline Florida backup quarterback arrested?  Poor guy, this is the only time he'll ever be mentioned in a sports headline.

There are two games in the SEC that have the potential for interest, however.  Vanderbilt, bowl-eligible for the first time since I was born, looks to earn a spot in a bowl NOT in Nashville as they play their hated "rival" Tennessee.  The best line I've heard all month was in the ajc comments section, where someone astutely predicted, "Look for the sneaky 'bye-week' to put at least one into the end zone as they beat the downtrodden Volunteers 7-0."  Quite frankly, if the bye week can do it, then I have plenty of faith in the Commodores, who should do just enough not to lose.  14-6.

Also in the SEC, my upset pick of the week, look for Ole Miss to win over LSU.  Don't look at the names of the programs, the rankings, or the hype.  Rather, look at the wins and losses.  Ole Miss has not played a poor game all year, is the only program that Florida didn't embarrass, and isn't expected to win this game by the entirety of uneducated America.  That's a formula that spells upset, to a tune of 31-24, which is what Troy should have done last week were they remotely competent.

Finally, Texas Tech plays their third consecutive "biggest game ever" as they take Norman by storm.  (I passed on the obvious Brigham Young joke I couldn't pass on that).  I'm not going to predict a Texas Tech loss again this season until the MNC, because I've been wrong on every analysis that I've put forth to their detriment.  Rather, a team that has the Heisman front-runner at quarterback coupled with the best receiver in college football should have little issue with Oklahoma's (or any Big 12 team for that matter) defense. Oklahoma has a pretty good pass offense of their own, but they actually attempt to rush the ball more frequently than the Denver Broncos, which will not mesh with the game on Saturday night.  Look for Texas Tech to pull it out 41-37.

In closing, I'd just like to stress that OTRsports does not encourage the baiting of Georgia Tech fans, as they should be given much sympathy.  The last time their program was so excited about a new direction, they started off their season with a win over a top-10 Auburn team and were rewarded with four years of Reggie Ball.  I can't wait to read the Rivals posts this week after Thursday night's ravaging.

Because Adam Requested that I Post

Welcome to the Wednesday Night Doldrums, where Free Agency is about to blow up, but nothing is happening.  Anywhere.  I've had every intention of sharing with you all my wit and wisdom, but inspiration is lacking as of late.  Unfortunately, my lack of contribution was not able to sustain it until Friday, upon which I could claim that I predicted the Georgia Tech game last Friday due to foreknowledge of my blogging schedule, rather than a poorly researched glance at team schedules.

The ACC is still a matter of who can fail less, and I maintain my prediction that Miami will lose, which of course in OTR speak means that Miami will probably channel Willis McGahee.  After the strong declaration that "The only team than can beat Georgia Tech is Georgia Tech," Virginia and North Carolina have both done stellar jobs at imitating this bizarro Georgia Tech team.  Florida State also did a wonderful job of playing like Georgia Tech, but were only able to carry it to the extent of "fumble" and not "able to beat Georgia Tech."  Unfortunately for the Hurricanes, they are not like Georgia Tech.  Fortunately for them, this means that they have attractive females on campus.

For those of you who haven't read it yet, Lucid Idiocy has a great excerpt from Mark Richt's speech in Macon.  It gives more reason for any Dawg fan to adore A.J. Green more than they already (for good reason) do.

Also of somewhat amusing news, J.C. Bradbury at Baseball Prospectus hates Jeff Francoeur.  Though I'm pretty sure it's normal for any (straight) male fan that knows anything about baseball to appreciate the fact that Jeff Francoeur deserves to be back in Rome right now, the marketing wizards simply refuse to let this happen.  A tribute to Yunel Escobar for being able to manage 60 RBIs batting behind Frenchy, along with the unholy trio of Greg Norton, Corky Miller, and whichever AAA journeyman the Braves threw at the pitchers mound at the time.

For those of you who read comments on the previous post, there appears to be a little debate as to whether or not a) Frank Wren is competent, and b) if he should give up a ransom for Jake Peavy.  The answer to A) will be analyzed later, but rest assured the answer is yes.  The answer to B) is a more moderate yes, but not if the price is too steep.  No more than two people out of the "Escobar/Johnson/Gorkys/Schafer/Rohrborough" group should be traded, and both Tommy Hanson and Jason Heyward should not even be considered.  I'd love to send out Tyler Flowers, who has torn it up in the offseason leagues but has his position blocked at the big league level, and would begrudgingly part with Freddie Freeman if he was a centerpiece to the deal.  However, Jake Peavy stressed himself that he didn't really want to come to Atlanta if Yunel Escobar is going the other way, because he would be hard to replace.  He later rephrased the quote, saying that he was concerned about waiving his no-trade clause to go to a contender, but the point stands.  If you're going to trade away one of your most consistent offensive and defensive players, Frank Wren better be willing to find a suitable replacement.  Hint:  There isn't one in the organization.

Finally, for those of you who crave football so much that you watched Ball St. vs. Central Michigan earlier, you were apparently treated to a very good game. Which leads me to remind all of the pessimists:  Georgia put up 50 points on that team, whereas the current #14 team (lol mid-major) who is likely to pass Georgia had to come from behind to beat them.  Georgia is not a world-beater by any means, but they're still a damn good team, and I pray for the opportunity to redeem the season by running all over Ohio State.

I'll be back on Friday with some predictions.  Enjoy your bye week everybody!

Could you turn that down?

I don't really want to talk about the Georgia-Auburn game. It's the same story that's been written several times this year. Georgia played down to an inferior opponent. They shot themselves in the foot several times. They won, uninspiringly.

I will say this: Auburn's gameday environment in the Jordan-Hare Stadium. If you hate the mic man at Georgia games as much as I do, go to an Auburn game. The tool they parade out there on the field leading cheers is much more obnoxious than our idiot. Combine that with the fact that they absolutely blast such played-out stadium songs as "Crazy Train" and "Welcome to the Jungle," and Auburn is a truly disappointing venue to watch a game. That said, their fans were quite loud, especially given the early start time.

Truthfully, if you want to read more about the suckfest you can check out the story I wrote for the Athens Banner-Herald here.

Now, it's just time to gear up for Tech. This is by far my favorite game of the year. I know that goes against the conventional thinking of the Bulldog Nation that SEC games trump all. For long-term, championship goals this is true. But nothing gets my blood boiling like the Tech game. If the Dawgs lose to the Nerds, things are terrible for a whole year. Of course, many of us can hardly remember the last time that happened. Don't worry. Next week, we'll have plenty of Tech week goodies for you on the blog.

Something else that was brought to my attention this weekend: Florida is good. Really good. Like, almost to the point where I don't feel so bad about the Dawgs' meltdown in Jacksonville. The Gators won't lose again this year. Mark it down. Alabama is a good football team. I don't give them a chance. Unless something happens to Tebow between now and then. If they play Texas Tech in the title game, there will be fatalities.

Good news Georgia fans! We may finally get that shot at Ohio State! One year too late I'm afraid. Mark Schlabach, former UGA journalism student and current ESPN.com college football writer has the Dawgs destined for the CapitalOne Bowl against the Suckeyes.

Interesting predicament for the Bulldog Nation. If Georgia loses to Tressel's crew, all that crowing we did about how weak the Big 10 is will look quite silly. Georgia would be (more of a) laughing stock. It would be quite a compelling matchup.

On the other hand, ESPN's Bruce Feldman has the Dawgs going to Dallas for the Cotton Bowl and a date with Oklahoma. That would be a very interesting matchup. My money's on New Year's Day in Orlando though.

A couple of other weekend notes...

The Hawks turned their moral victory against the Celtics into a couple of actual defeats against the Nets. Now a mortal 7-3, it's up to the Hawks to avoid a damaging string of losses. As if Atlanta sports had just accumulated too much goodwill in the past month, the Falcons dropped a heartbreaker thanks to what was seemingly Roddy White's only drop of the year. What a throw by Matty Ice though. I mean, that was big-time. I really enjoy watching the guy play. That huge contract is looking more and more worth it.

Finally, it appears as if the Braves are out of the running for Padres pitcher Jake Peavy. Awesome! Now we have plenty of room to pursue over valued senior citizens like Derek Lowe. Or how about one-hit wonders like Ryan Ludwick? For all the confidence that John Scheurholz instilled in me as a Braves fan, Frank Wren does the exact opposite. I feel like every decision he makes turns to manure.

That was pretty much a hodgepodge of thoughts for a Monday afternoon. It was basically whatever came to my head. Let us know what you think about anything I just rambled.

Also, if you have any ideas for something you would like to see Bill or I talk about let us know! We'd love to hear from you! Have a great week and start making room for turkey!

Why yes, faithful readers, I am still alive.

For those of you who are patient in awaiting each new post, I applaud you.  I know Adam has already given his excuses about the end of the semester, and I'm going to coincide with my frantic schedule, in what is the most miserable time of the year.

Think about it.  Not only is college football almost over, but Georgia fans are already forlorn due to the last two games.  Finals (Or Evaluations) are coming up soon, and the temperature is dropping to coincide with peoples immune systems.  For those of you who haven seen it, I intended to point you towards DawgsOnline earlier in the week for your weekly optimism boost.  I would have provided such points myself, but I was stuck in my personal corner of paradise filling prescriptions for sick people, stopping every few minutes to frantically refresh my cell phone browser hoping that we were not really going to lose to Kentucky.  Again.

Fortunately, we did not.  From what I understand, those last five minutes or so may have been the most exciting Georgia football that we've witnessed all year, sans perhaps those first few minutes of the LSU game.

But back to reality, Georgia has two more games ahead of them with a glass floor keeping their expectations absurdly high.  If we were to lose to either Auburn or Georgia Tech, fans would riot, Rivals! would explode, and nothing would really change.  Hence, why we are now entrenched in "The Most Miserable Time of the Year." for another month or so, until Christmas Traffic is enveloped into "the Holiday Season."

In the spirit of the early-November blues, this Friday's predictions post will be integrated into a personal favorite list of mine, which we will probably see again during the doldrums of early January, "Things that Suck."

1. Paul Pierce.  I already hated Paul Pierce before this week.  Between his constant crying, his gang signs, and the taunting of Al Horford that was not nearly as publicized as Horford's retaliation; Pierce is just another reason why I hate most of the city of Boston.   Which makes it that much more painful that, after Marvin Williams hit a three pointer which may have been the only clutch shot any Hawks has had to take in the past decade, Pierce hit a J over an outstretched Al Horford (who did a fine job defending) to give the Hawks their first loss.  Not to say that a 1 point loss in Boston is not encouraging given the playoffs last season, but couldn't it have been Ray Allen to hit that shot?
2. The Jets.  Actually, I lie, because the Jets are now in sole first place of their division after an impressive showing against the Patriots last night, but I couldn't imagine what it would be like to be a Jets fan this season, because you have no idea who is going to show up.  Thomas Jones has been the very definition of boom/bust this season, and Brett Favre never seems to know which jerseys he should be throwing to.  I guess it's understandable given that he's been looking for Green and Yellow for the past 72 years, and he's certainly an improvement over Chad Pennington.  Actually, I take that back, because this season must be awesome for Jets fans, because the alternative to this team is, well, the Jets.
3. The last month of school.  Just to keep you guys on your toes with a little breather.  I'm sure those of you who have already graduated can vividly recall that lack of motivation that haunts you the further you get through the semester, and let me tell you how much it's haunting me right now.   One day I'm going to learn not to sign up for an 8 AM class, and one day I'm not going to allow myself gaps in between classes where I could potentially go home and not come back.  But in the mean time, I've got lots of tests to fail.
4. On that note, Biochemistry.  Enough Said.
5. Back to sports:  This week in college football.  I guess it would have been more impressive at the beginning of the year with Georgia/Auburn and Florida State/Boston College losing most of their luster, but as of right now there aren't a lot of significant games going on.  Depending on which rankings you use, the only ranked/ranked matchups are going to be Florida/USC, where Spurrier is going to make an attempt (and fail) to not become another statistic on Florida's quest to domination, and Maryland/North Carolina.
6. That match gets it's own bullet point, because it epitomizes my feelings on the BCS right now  Maryland/North Carolina could very possibly determine who goes to the BCS from the ACC.  In a season where the leader has fluctuated based on "who wants to screw up the least," football fans are going to be rewarded with a UNC/Utah matchup, in what could very possibly be the least-anticipated BCS game of all time.  Meanwhile, one of Oklahoma/Texas/Texas Tech is going to be screwed, and will have to take retribution in demolishing LSU in the Cotton Bowl.
7. Flu Season.  Even though it's not officially here yet, flu season is going to be a critical part of your lives very soon.  Last year's epidemic was the worst one Georgia has seen in a decade, and this year looks to be just as bad if not worse.  This makes me miserable because I work in a pharmacy where I practice my masochistic tendencies.  This should make you miserable because even if you do have a bulletproof immune system, there's going to be at least one sporting event in the next month and a half that will be decided by a player being off of his game because his muscles don't want to work.  They can't all be Michael Jordan, and that's not how you want to end the college football season.
8. SEC fans.  Really, fans of major college football programs in general, but the SEC epitomizes most of this.  Auburn and Tennessee both have had awful years.  Fulmer is gone, and that was probably overdue.  Auburn fans are clamoring for Tuberville's head as well, however, which is ridiculous.  Plenty of people have noted how Tommy rebuilt Auburn like CMR rebuilt Georgia, and it would be ridiculous to fire him, with nobody better available.  However, it was ridiculous for them to fire their OC halfway through the season without giving him the opportunity to build his offense, so I wouldn't put it past them.  And before anyone gets defensive on me - Trust me, as someone who suffered through high school as a Georgia Tech fan, Georgia fans are just as, if not more annoying than Tennessee/Auburn/anyone else.  Remember two weeks ago when everyone was calling for Mike Bobo's head two weeks ago?  Is anybody still doing that?
9. Willie Martinez.  And yes, I'm a hypocrite.  But I'm a consistent hypocrite.

So, I apparently failed to incorporate my predictions into the List of Suck, so I'll break them down for you relatively quick.  For those of you paying attention, my success rate of 50% is still on the line.

Georgia will beat Auburn.  Yes, you shouldn't discount a rivalry game, and yes, the underdog traditionally wins this game.  But the difference between, for example, a 2006 Georgia team that was letting Stafford develop at his own pace, versus an Auburn team this year that still doesn't know who their playmaker is astronomical.  Not to say that the Bulldogs are going to blow the Tigers out, because they don't seem capable of doing that to anyone.  But look for a 34-24 victory.  And yes, I predicted Auburn to score more than 20 points.  Who does that reflect on?

Georgia Tech will beat Miami.  This is based entirely on the miraculous discovery by Adam that Jonathan Dwyer and gang will continue to do whatever we predict them to not do.  I'd offer analysis on this game, but it would obviously be wrong.  Call it 17-13.

Look for an upset from either Stanford (against USC) or Illinois (against Ohio State).  Reason being, both of the favored teams traditionally lose at least one game that they should not.  Illinois has the added bonus of actually being a good team that has underachieved all year.  Ohio State will probably be watching for them this year.

The Falcons will prevail over the Broncos by sheer fact that, if Drew Brees can't abuse Atlanta's secondary to overcome defensive inadequacies, Jay Cutler probably can't either.  Denver also has the added disadvantage of not really knowing who is getting most of the carries, as everyone is hurt.  This is good news for anybody who has part of the Broncos passing game on their fantasy team (Re: Me)

And I will still not get enough sleep, nor enough time to study for my next test.  Yay Physics!

Until Next Time.

Hump Day Countdown

Greetings all! Sorry it's been a while. The end of the semester is starting to catch up to the folks at OTR. I have papers and projects that are all nearing their due dates, so free time to blog is scarce. I'm always a big fan of those numbered list things people do on blogs, so I thought I would do one this week. We have lots to cover.

10.) I went to the Coldplay concert in Atlanta last night and it was a pretty good show. I have also stumbled upon a little-known fact...Coldplay fans are the most prolific wearers of Argyle sweaters on the planet. I saw more Argyle sweaters in the CNN Center before the show than I have seen in the rest of my life combined. I'm not sure what this can be attributed to. It truly was mind-boggling to see the numbers. For the record, the concert was too short, but it was a good one. The take-home lesson of the day is that I have entirely too much knowledge of the hit 90's sitcom Full House. Far too much.

9.) Phillip Fulmer is out at Tennessee. I know, this isn't exactly breaking news. Like I said, I've been busy. It's going to be strange seeing Georgia head to Knoxville next year and not see that jolly orange blob on the sideline for the Volunteers. There's no denying, a change had to be made at Tennessee. It just seemed like the Vols stopped playing for their coach. That wasn't any more clear than their first game after Fulmer announced he would be "stepping down." After defending their coach all week, the Vols got beat. At home. By Wyoming. Not good. No word yet on who will replace Fulmer. Maybe Mike Leach? Will Muschamp? Or will they bring back David Cutcliffe? Whoever it is sure has plenty of work ahead of them to rebuild that trainwreck.

8.) The Braves are finalists in the Jake Peavy sweepstakes, and I couldn't be happier. I would absolutely love to see the hard-throwing Alabama native in a Braves uniform. However, it could be costly. The package that seems to be in the works includes Yunel Escobar, Gorkys Hernandez and Jo Jo Reyes/Charlie Morton. While it would be worth it to me to give up those players for a healthy Peavy (who has several years left on his contract), it does make me nervous. Just because all the good luck that followed the Braves during their 14 years of dominance has turned into horrible luck, I could see Peavy suddenly lobbing grapefruits or developing tendonitis as soon as he puts a tomahawk across his chest. Things should start to be resolved later this week.

7.) A little nugget for you Georgia hoops fans out there. South Atlanta's Derrick Favors, who is considered the top hoops prospect in the country, is set to choose between the Dawgs, Georgia Tech and NC State in the near future. It would be a major score for Dennis Felton, but nothing more than a one-year rental. I think he ends up a Yellow Jacket. He's apparently quite close to his mother and grandmother in Atlanta. Plus the Jackets already have a dynamite recruiting class set up for next year. I'm not getting my hopes up, but like I said, it will likely be a one-and-done deal for Favors as he'll likely bolt to the League.

6.) This. Nuff Said.

5.) So much for the Hawks being the second-worst team in the Eastern Conference. All of the experts wrote last season's playoff run as an aberration. Now, they are 6-0 heading into tonight's game with those same Celtics in Boston. A win here would be monumental for one of the most troubled franchises in all of sports. That's right. Monumental. They beat the Bulls in Chicago without Josh Smith and with Joe Johnson having a rare off night. If they can beat the Celtics without Smith, Atlanta will be a force to be reckoned with. They just have to avoid the trademark letdowns that plagued the Hawks last year. I personally can't wait to head to the Highlight Factory and listen to Ryan Cameron get nutty.

4.) The Falcons are grabbing headlines and it has nothing to do with rotweilers or coaches without souls. The Dirty Birds are 6-3 and they show no signs of slowing down. Matt Ryan is truly a joy to watch. As Mike Wilbon said, all he does is make the right play and right decision almost every single time. Michael Turner is a load to tackle and even the defense has played above their pay grade. They have trailed for 11 seconds at home...all season. Most recently, the beat division rival New Orleans convincingly in the Dome. If they can beat either Carolina or Tampa Bay, they could be a serious fly in the NFC playoff ointment. Like the Hawks, the Falcons' bandwagon is filling up. Make sure to grab that Matt Ryan jersey before he gets caught in a pirated DVD scandal and ends up in Leavenworth with Mr. Vick.

3.) I am stealing this schtick from Clay Travis (author of a great book called "Dixieland Delight" and formerly of sportsline.com), but the message is an important one. Raycom Sports football telecasts are a disgrace. Give me a camera and four moderately-trained chimps and I'm confident I could churn out something better. I lost track of which Dave it was (all three commentators are named Dave), but one of them doesn't realize he has a microphone and doesn't have to scream loud enough to be heard from Lexington. The graphics look like something from Madden 96' and the analysis is mind-numbing. Of course, Georgia is on Raycom again this week. Luckily, I'll actually be in Jordan-Hare and won't have to hear the abomination that is sure to be that telecast.

2.) Apparently, Georgia rubbed more people the wrong way last season than Marv Albert and Harold Reynolds at a Christmas party. First they, "stomp" on Vanderbilt's logo. Then, the infamous Gator Stomp that resulted in a Georgia beatdown this year. Now, it's the time of year to rehash Georgia's wonderful Sanford Stadium Blackout/Soulja Boy extravaganza. Apparently, the Auburn team that was at the other end of that blowout/festival has filed the image of Verne Lundquist "cranking dat" away in the motivation category. Take this quote from Auburn wideout Rod Smith (an Atlanta native).

"That's been on my mind for the whole year.....They even had whoever was
calling the game - those guys were up in press box doing that. That got to me.
It's just another opportunity to try to get them back for what they did to us
last year. I've definitely been looking forward to this game. This is the game
that's been marked on my calendar since last year....I'm sure it didn't sit well
with any of the players on the team. It was a hurtful feeling in my heart to be
on the sideline and to see those guys dancing....We have an opportunity to get
those guys back. Maybe we can talk to coach Tubs and play some music."

Apparently, the fact that the War Pigeons are 5-5 and have been blown out by the Dawgs the past two years isn't motivation enough. But wait, here's a wonderful nugget from kick returner Tristan Davis.

"I've got something for them.....Don't let me get in the end zone. If I score on a kickoff return against Georgia, I'm with Yox (Auburn strength coach Kevin Yoxall) the rest of my life. I'm going to let it be known."





To clarify, any Auburn players that commits a personal foul has to do some extra "conditioning" with Yoxall at practice. Apparently, Tristan plans on doing just that. Never mind that this guy's name is Tristan. Never mind that he's on a 5-5 team that struggled with UT-Martin last week. I'm actually concerned he may get a chance to do something considering the state of Georgia's kick coverage. Regardless, it should be an interesting early afternoon showdown on Raycom!

1.) This just in from the head-scratcher department: Georgia's defensive players are sticking up for hot-seat resident and defensive coordinator Willie Martinez. The fact that the defense is defending Martinez is misguided, but not surprising. What is surprising is the fact that this is probably the best defending Georgia has done all year.

We all know that it takes players to execute a defensive scheme in order for it to work. I don't claim to know enough about the x's and o's of football in order to diagnose the problem. But I know there is one. And in the end, the coach is to blame. This is the same defense as last year, minus Marcus Howard and Jeff Owens. I know, those are two big parts of the defense, but that doesn't explain the defense's monumental faceplant this year. Incidentally, I believe people aren't paying enough attention to the departure of Kelin Johnson from the secondary. He wasn't the most talented safety Georgia's had, but he was definitley the unit's leader. But that's neither here nor there.

It comes down to accountability. Either Martinez needs to change his schemes, his personnel or his motivation. If it's personnel, the problem is in recruiting. Maybe he's being too stubborn in his schemes. I don't know. A coordinator (or head coach for that matter) has the responsibility of getting the most out of his players. If the players aren't executing, it's the coach and coordinator's job to make them execute. Ironically, Martinez is a defensive backs coach and and the secondary has been a disaster zone.

The players held a closed-door team meeting led by Corvey Irvin and Rennie Curran. They stressed having fun and regaining their swagger. That's a good idea. Because if they don't, they are going to be remembered as one of the most inept Georgia defenses of the decade. No matter who's to blame.

The Lost Weekend

I picked up the paper this morning to read a riveting preview of the high school football game I have to cover tonight, when I stumbled across an interesting nugget. Georgia has a football game this weekend!

What, you didn't know either? Don't feel bad. This is only the most unhyped Georgia game since I've been in school here. G-Day has consistently gotten more hype than the game against Kentucky. I mean, I know things have gotten bad, but at least get fired up by remembering the nice party the Wildcat faithful had on the field following their upset of the Dawgs in 2006.

Georgia brings its wounded pride to the Bluegrass State for a chance to take out some frustration on the Wildcats. No amount of spin or "what-ifs" could mask the fact that Georgia has lost its two biggest games to date by approximately 34 touchdowns. All that's left is to win out and get ready for New Years Day in Orlando (on a related note, Disney World is still actually fun despite the fact that I'm somewhat of an adult now).

Kentucky's defense will be solid, much like Vandy's. Their offense...is terrible (much like Vandy's). You would think the Dawgs would come out with wounded pride and hate in their hearts. What's more likely is that they will bumble their way to another lackluster win. Hopefully, I wake up early enough to catch all the festivites on Raycom (before the season, if any Georgia fan thought they would be saying that sentence in November, they would have drank bleach and jumped off a bridge).

Take the Dawgs 28-21

On the other hand, the team I must enjoy playing with on NCAA 2009 is destined for BCS glory. Texas Tech is the second-ranked team in the land, fresh off one of the most entertaining football games in recent memory. They welcome another overachiever in Oklahoma State on Saturday. The schedule has been rough for the Red Raiders and this one shouldn't be any different. Something about these guys makes me think they'll pull it out.

Texas Tech 38-OSU 28

Paul Johnson, or CPJ as the kids are saying these days, leads the schizophrenic Jackets to Chapel Hill for a an important game. And let's face it...every game in Chapel Hill is huge. The football gods smiled upon the Bees last week, as FSU fumbled away a sure win as time ticked away. At least it was a legitimate fumble this time. Josh Nesbitt is banged up. Andrew Gardiner is hurt. Jonathan Dwyer is a beast. This is the extent of my Georgia Tech knowledge. Oh, and they fumble a lot. The extent of my UNC knowledge is that TJ Yates played at my rival high school and he seemed like a tool. Maybe he's a nice guy. I'll never know. Tech does whatever I pick them not to do, so I think they'll win!

Jackets 24-Tar Heels 17

Lil Wayne leads the Saints into Atlanta for a battle with Young Jeezy and the Dirty Birds. Bill Simmons tabbed Matt Ryan as his midpoint MVP, and said Matty Ice has been the best rookie QB since some guy named Marino. There actually figures to be some sort of electricity in the air conditioned air of the Georgia Dome for this one.

Unfortunately, the Falcons' secondary isn't fear inspiring. The Saints' passing offense, on the other hand, is. Brees picks torches the Falcons but the Dirty Birds will keep up. In the end, we'll say the Saints pull out a squeaker.

Saints 35-Falcons 31

I journey tonight to see future Dawg Zach Mettenberger lead Oconee County against one-win Morgan County. Mettenberger has a cannon, but his perhaps the biggest diva I've ever seen. He's already got an ego and he's on a terrible high school team. Imagine what happens when he sports the red and black.

Enjoy the weekend folks. Don't forget, Georgia plays tomorrow!

Don't Hate The Playa, Hate McCain

Regardless of what my title to this post is, it's not going to be political.  Rather, I'm in the middle of punching myself for not thinking of this wonderful pun as I searched for a Trivia Team name for the past three weeks.  Bemused by my own brilliance, I've instead decided to share it here for you all to marvel at.  Where have you gone, Booker T, with your spinaroonies and your suckas

And please don't turn this post into a political platform.  There is nothing that I would prefer to talk about less, after being bombarded with election coverage over the past few days.

Rather, it's Friday afternoon, and since I have already met my "lack of sleep" and "tests failed" quotas for the week, I'm here to share with you what's new in the wonderful world that is metro-Atlanta area sports.

1. Kevin Towers has informed Jake Peavy that a trade is now going to be imminent.  If you'll recall, Peavy was the key to my offseason for Atlanta, and the only person who would make it worth opening the checkbook this year.  Frank Wren has kept himself tight-lipped for now, but the Cubs offer bouncing around is Felix Pie, Ronny Cedeño, Sean Marshall, and Jeff Samardija.  Apparently to best this offer, Towers has requested Hanson, Schafer, and Escobar from Atlanta.  In related news, Kevin Towers is delusional.  Interestingly enough, Jake Peavy has stated that if the trade includes Yunel Escobar going to San Diego, then he will exercise his veto power.  This baffles me, as Peavy is traditionally a fly ball pitcher anyways, but I fully support anything that keeps Yunel Escobar in Atlanta.  That said, I've shied away from my initial willingness to trade away Tommy Hanson, and hope that Atlanta can not shatter my dreams.
2. Exceeding even my own homeristic projections, the Atlanta Hawks have started the season 3-0.  Stunningly, they did not have a 3 game set with the Knicks, but actually played three playoff teams from last year.  Even more stunningly, they've won by playing defense, not by outscoring the other team.  I don't know if Josh Smith has finally matured enough to where he actually plays man defense now rather than attempting to block every shot taken, or if Joe Johnson is no longer getting called for ticky-tack fouls that plague him every time he plays a "brand" player, but I for one am impressed.  Also, skeptical.  If you'll recall, the Hawks started out last season with wins over Phoenix and Dallas, and the season before with 4 wins in 5 games.  I'll believe in this team when they bring back the retro jerseys, so I can bust out my jacket that may or may not be two sizes too small, but three sizes too awesome.
3. Brady Quinn looked impressive in his first start last night, completing 65% of his passes against the Broncos, including two touchdown passes to Kellen "Swollen Testicles" Winslow.  Unfortunately, this performance, about three standard deviations about what Derek Anderson provided, was not enough to overcome the power of diabetes, as Jay Cutler threw for 447 yards in the Bronco victory.  At 3-6, Cleveland is probably not going to catch up with the Ravens in their division, but it's nice for Browns fans to have any sort of optimism, as they continue to be one of the most beleaguered football teams in history.
4. The Saints come marching into Atlanta this weekend to take on an Atlanta offense that has not lost at home yet.  Matt Ryan continues to make me look foolish for publicly desiring Glenn Dorsey, who has thus far proven himself a bust.  Unfortunately for Atlanta, while the Raiders can mark themselves improved by the loss of DeAngelo Hall, the Falcons secondary may just be bad enough that Hall would be an improvement.  Drew Brees is going to pick them apart to overtake Jay Cutler as the passing leader for the week, and another impressive week by Michael Turner against a weak New Orleans line is going to be for naught, as the Saints will pull out the win 34-21.  In related news, I may be the 1,000,000th person to use the "Saints go marching" line.
5. The NFL doesn't offer much more this week.  Look for the Lions to continue to pine for the return of John Kitna, as Maurice Jones-Drew finally finds a defensive line to match the ineptitude of Jacksonville's offensive line, allowing him to move past the line of scrimmage for the first time since the Denver game.  Alternately, Giants fans should continue to punch themselves for losing to the aforementioned Browns.  With Eli Manning finally maturing, New York is looking like a viable Super Bowl Favorite.  Actually, both New York teams look good this year, which I'm going to attribute to the karmic retribution for the Yankees this year.  Look for both New York teams to win this week.
6. I've avoided the college front thus far, as I'm still trying to wake myself up from my dream.  If I don't hurry, I'm going to miss the Florida/Georgia game this Saturday.  But in this bleak, ugly world that I'm dreaming up, Georgia is not going to look impressive against Kentucky.  Any thought of a "retribution blowout" should be curtailed right now, as that's not the way this team plays.  Georgia is going to win, but I wouldn't consider it to be much more than a touchdown margin.  Call it 21-10.
7. Texas Tech made people take notice last week with an astonishingly gutsy play call to win over Texas as time expired.  Between the Joker end zone, the bell ringer, and the fans rushing the field three times before the game ended, there was plenty of entertainment in Lubbock.  Unfortunately, nobody is getting out of the Big 12 unscathed.  Look for Oklahoma State to pull the quasi-upset this week, by a score of 42-31.  This will lead to this bleak dreamworld BCS championship of Florida versus Penn State, in which I want to shoot myself.
8. I'm starting to depress myself, so I'm going to wrap this one up quick.  The Yellow Jackets should pull out a win over North Carolina via the tried and true logic of "North Carolina is ranked higher, and thus will choke" that has held true for the ACC all year.    Bama will have little issue with the LSU Tigers, who have been exposed worse than the Bulldogs in recent weeks.  Meanwhile, fans will continue to blame Nick Saban for no apparent reason.  Clemson will also pull the upset over Florida St, continuing their havoc on the Bowden family.

Based on recent weeks, you should assume probably 45% of these predictions will actually occur.  Because if nothing else, I'm statistically accurate when it comes to blind guesses.  In the meantime, enjoy your weekend.  And Comment!  Please?  Also, mock Chris Fowler for being screencapped doing exactly what I was doing.

Do Your Job

Hey OTR fans! Hate to break up the wonderful world of sports with real life, but make sure you vote tomorrow! I don't care who it's for. As long as you vote for the right reasons. Don't vote for someone because your mom and dad do, because you watched some youtube propoganda or because all your friends told you to. Vote for the person that you feel represents you.

As the video below featuring celebs like Doogie Howser, the Fresh Prince, and Maverick (not John McCain but Goose's partner)points out, the 2000 election was decided by 537 votes. You could actually make a difference, so go! If not, I'll send Phil Fulmer to your house and tell him you just bought donuts.

Really?

I had a post typed up on Sunday morning.  Driving back from Jacksonville, there was a lot of stuff that I could say about the game.  About the absolute futility that Georgia played with, the play-calling, the bad decisions.  I thought better of it.

You see, I don't like to make rash decisions.  Logically, things can be 

thought out very well, even in bleak situations.  It just takes about 36 hours to process.  And I'm glad that I didn't post the incredibly negative blog that I churned out on the drive home.  One, because it appears that Adam pretty much had that standpoint covered.  Two, Pesci likely would have to be put on suicide watch.  And three, because in the end, the Bulldogs are going to be just fine.

Some of you know this, but I grew up a Georgia Tech fan.  And that has weathered a lot of my natural expectations of football games.  Starting out a preseason top five team and finishing the season unranked?  Losing to Duke by 40 points?  Not being able to remember the last time we beat our rival?  That is the kind of stuff that should have fans talking the way I hear Georgia fans talking right now.

"But they're Georgia Tech," I hear you saying to yourself.  "They don't have the national prestige that we do."  And I understand that, I really do.  Which is why I point to you

 the two nationally prominent SEC teams who started out in the top 15 this year and are now probably not going to be bowl-eligible.  Compare that to this year, which is undoubtedly the Bulldogs most disappointing season in ten years, and you realize that it's not the end of the world.

Adam's post hit the nail on the head when he said that Georgia fans are awesome at anointing themselves the preseason number one.  I'm guilty of it as well, even having experienced it from the other side.  We're not the number one team right now.  It's possible that we could have been at the beginning of the year, but injuries made it impossible to live up to the expectations.  So the Bulldogs will likely finish 11-2, with a finish in the top 10 in the BCS and a likely Capital One Bowl victory over the Golden Gophers.  Re-read that last sentence, and let me reiterate that this is probably the most disappointing season the Bulldogs have had in so long.

I've heard a lot of ludicrous statements this season.  Starting from Penn State fans asserting that "Georgia has been exposed as 'not a good football team'" to justify why they should be ranked over Alabama.  That's fine, Big Ten fans aren't known for their logic.  But it's continued on to hearing Georgia fans grow increasingly desperate.  In the past 24 hours, I've heard how "I don't feel good about Kentucky next weekend," how "we're going to lose to Georgia Tech," that "South Carolina is going to kick our ass next year" and "we don't stand a chance against Florida next year either."  And quite frankly, I'm disgusted.

You see, Saturday's game was embarrassing.  I spent $200 for my ticket, psyched myself up for the game, and then walked five 

miles back to my hotel through a Gator motorcade, enduring plenty of taunting.  And every step I took, every chomp that I witnessed, I grew more infuriated.  However, I realize in retrospect that there was absolutely no way that Georgia was going to win that game.

I'm not going to come out and say that the referees were the reason the Georgia lost the game.  As much of a difference as momentum can make, Georgia was punched in the teeth to the tune of near 40 points, and I can't attribute that to bad calls.  That being said, the referees were AWFUL.  I saw Penn Wagers before the game started, and I felt bad from that point on.  I'm sure that he felt that Georgia made a spectacle of his crew last year, and he wasn't going to allow that to happen this year.  I don't know if he was consciously giving calls to Florida, subconsciously making sure that the Bulldogs didn't get a benefit of a doubt, or if it was sheer incomptence, but Penn Wagers missed a lot of calls.  Enough that Mark Richt would have a case if he submitted a formal complaint to the SEC.  Which he won't.

In addition to the referees, I'm sure you all saw Stafford limping after the first series.  He was getting pounded every play, and was able to get little-to-no pressure off of his back leg.  When Florida stacked the box to take Knowshon out of the game, the game depended on Stafford's ability to make the big throw.  Without the support his back leg would normally give him, this obviously was not happening, as was painfully evident on the interception to the 1 yard line.

The Georgia defense is getting a lot of criticism.  This is good and bad.  The good news is because Willie Martinez is squirming on the hot seat right now.  I think everyone who reads this blog knows how I feel about that.  The bad part, however, is that Georgia's defense really did not play that bad.  It's pretty easy to allow 50 points when half of your opponent's drives start in their red zone.  Especially when you're playing a team like Florida.

Mike Bobo is also suddenly on the hot seat right now.  I don't know how I feel about that.  Yes, play calling inside the 20 has been extraordinarily suspect this season.  But I'm more concerned with Georgia completely abandoning the run against Florida the same way they did against Alabama.  You can't blame Bobo for Stafford throwing the ball behind Tripp Chandler or for him missing a wide open Massaquoi a number of times.  And for those of you who that find other things to blame for him, I implore that you recall the play-calling that was present when Mark Richt was calling the plays.  I recall a number of games where the only offense was Andy Bailey missing field goals.

Saturday afternoon was embarrassing.  Georgia is no longer going to win the SEC, and Florida fans mocked us.  I'm as disappointed as all of you, because I want

ed a national title for my senior year of college.  But guess what?  Knowshon and Stafford are probably not leaving school early after this debacle.  A.J. Green will still be here.  Jeff Owens a

nd Trinton Sturdivant will be back.  We lose more this year than we did last year, with MoMass and Ellerbe likely being drafted, but we're still keeping most of our core.  We're not going to turn into a Miami or a Florida State, falling into irrelevance.  So please, Georgia fans, keep your heads high.  There are at least four more games this season, and if they're not as loud and exciting as the previous nine, then we're going to appear every bit the fair-weather fans that we've been labeled.  And that will mark the end of the season more than any embarrassing loss.

Everything In Its Right Place

What a weekend. While for the most part, I had a great time with my friends in Jacksonville (we turned that Ramada into a pretty decent party), I would classify the last few days as a debacle. Those who were with me know why. I have been more than slightly...pissed off.

Despite non-football-related events that soured my mood, I was in good spirits entering Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. Our seats were great (you can see how close we were in the picture of Moreno) and the atomosphere was pumped. Then the game started. The Gators obliterated Georgia and their championship hopes (SEC or BCS). It's a tough loss, but it's a common sympton of a much more troubling issue that has plagued Georgia and its fan base for years.

The title of this post is a Radiohead song. It plays at the beginning of the Tom Cruise movie, Vanilla Sky, when Cruise's character wakes up from a crazy, surreal dream. Throughout the movie, Cruise goes through a series of strange events that don't add up. At the end, he realizes his recent life has been a constant dream, brought on when he was frozen following a horrific car accident. He realizes that his life hasn't been real, but an artifically created story put together by some futuristic corporation that creates dreams for people after they die. Sorry for ruining the ending.

I'm sure you're all asking, what does this have to do with anything? How dare you use Tom Cruise as any kind of analogy for Georgia football?

Well, that movie is sort of a microcosm for the state of Georgia football. The Goff and Donnan years were the initial bad dream at the beginning of the movie. Bulldog fans woke up in a state of panic, wondering what went wrong. Then, Mark Richt comes to town and restores "order." Or so we thought.

Don't get me wrong, Richt has improved the Georgia program dramatically since his arrival. The Bulldogs have two SEC titles during his time in Athens, and have finished second one year and third another.

However, to me, the debacle that occured in Jacksonville on Saturday was the part of the movie where Cruise realizes the last few years of his life weren't real. Before everyone gets mad at the following portion of this blog, I'm pointing out things that I am also guilty of.

It seems like for the past few years, Georgia fans have gotten into the habit of annointing their team the preseason national champs. It seems that every year is going to be the year that Richt finally returns the Dawgs to national prominence and deliver the crystal football.

Last year's dance party at the Cocktail Party seemed to signify that Georgia had in fact arrived. They went on to run through the rest of their schedule and pound Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl.

Enter the offseason, where expectations mounted to an astounding high. Sports Illustrated claimed the Dawgs had no weaknesses. Most major publications had the Dawgs ranked in the top spot.

But as the season progressed, it became evident that even those sports writers didn't believe their rankings. Every time Georgia showed any weakness, they were bumped down in the rankings. The Bulldog nation was left in a state of angry disbelief, further propogating the myth of an "anti-Bulldog conspiracy" in the media.

Then came the Alabama game. We all know how that went. After the original shock of that beat down wore off, the Bulldog nation gradually began to build up its confidence. And rightfully so. Georgia began to show genuine improvement and the offense was shaping up to be downright scary.

All was set up for an epic showdown in Jacksonville with the Gators, a team Georgia embarrassed last year not only by throwing a dance-a-thon in the end zone, but by dominating Florida on the field.

Instead, we witnessed an epic face plant. But we shouldn't be surprised. While Georgia fans usually lead the preseason in expectations, we usually close the season as national leaders of "ifs" and "buts." Last year, it was the thought of a near loss to South Carolina. In 2005, we thought of what would happen is Tre Battle wasn't playing with a concussion in the fourth quarter, and why we didn't stop West Virginia's fake punt.

This year, there's no excuses to be made. None. Sure, there have been injuries. But do Jeff Owens and Trinton Sturdivant keep the Dawgs from going down 31 to Alabama at halftime? Do they make up the 39-point difference against the Gators? Negative.

Believe me, I don't know why this team lays eggs in big games. They prosper when no one gives them a chance (Auburn two years ago, Florida last year), but fall flat when they're supposed to compete. How does a championship-caliber team get abused in their own house like the Dawgs did to Alabama?

Quite simply, the Dawgs are not a championship-caliber team. Haven't been in years. Of course, successful teams have to rely on a little luck to win the ultimate prize. But championship teams make their own luck. And no amount of luck would rectify what happened on the banks of the St. John's River this weekend.

Recruiting could be to blame. Georgia always nabs highly-touted prospects, but maybe they don't fill tactical or emotional/leadership needs that Georgia has.

It could be the coaching. Everyone loves Mark Richt, and again, he has definitely elevated this program. He is a very respectable man and the players seem to love him. But somewhere along the line, this humiliating losses have to stop. It's his job to prevent that. If the Dawgs came out and played their hardest and executed, but just got outplayed, that's acceptable. If these humiliating total failures like the Dawgs had against Bama and Florida happened once every three or four years, that would be OK. But we get one a year. Or in this year's case, two.

Urban Meyer is a scumbag that I wouldn't want near my school's program, but he already has a national title and the Gators are on the verge of playing for another. The talent gap between the two schools isn't overwhelming.

I'm not calling for Mark Richt to be fired. Everyone re-read that sentence. I'm a Richt supporter. But he has to change something up. Losses like this are flat-out embarrassing.

So maybe it's time to wake up from the state of suspended reality we have been living in as Georgia fans. We want to be elite. We want to be the best. But we aren't there yet. Haven't been since Hershel ruled the Peach State. Any perception we have built of being a championship-ready team has been fantasy.

That's not to say Georgia won't reach the top soon. Could be next year. In fact, I'm sure my fellow Bulldog fans will begin the preseason BCS title coronation as soon as this season ends. But it doesn't make a difference. Until this team proves that they belong with Florida and USC and LSU on a yearly basis, they are an illusion. A perennial New Year's Day bowl team that will sneak into the Sugar Bowl every few years.

For now, the Gators emphatically removed any doubt as to where the Bulldogs will and have belonged. The state of the Georgia-Florida rivalry is back to normal, with the Gators holding serve over a scared Georgia team. Last year, we thought Georgia had returned balance to the Cocktail Party. Not yet. Not after this.

Everything is indeed in its right place.