Commings Suspension

There has been some speculation that Sanders would be facing far worse than suspensions, since you know, you DON'T HIT GIRLS. The reports out last week were that he might be facing more from the University for violation of the school's conduct code.  Now with word out that he has been suspended for two games, it is safe to assume there is less to the story than has been made.

Before you go all YOU DON'T HIT GIRLS on me, I am very aware of the delicate situation Coach Richt is in here. However, every story has two sides, especially stories that involve 'he said, she said' that take place downtown after midnight. I am sure a few Pimm's Cup and Zima were ingested by the relevant parties, including the witnesses. That certainly doesn't give anyone the right to go hitting on someone, but it does call into question the validity of the stories of all parties, witnesses included. Likely, the truth lies between a mere push and a roundhouse MMA punch. Coach Richt would not have issued any suspension now unless he was pretty confident that Sanders is facing, at worse, misdemeanor domestic violence charges.

You can also bet part of his stipulation is that Sanders not have contact with that particular lady, or, at the minimum, engage in some sort of counseling to help avoid this happening again.  Hopefully, he'll abide by these terms.

TD

And I'm Back...

Sorry for the radio silence. Been a month full of 16 hour days (seriously).

Just to catch up...

• Welcome to the SEC. Not Mizzu or aTm. South Carolina. The closest I've come to breaking my self-imposed moratorium on writing was the eruption of outrage from Gamecock fans over the new schedules and moving Georgia/SC to October. Seriously, 'tradition' is something that is older than Britney Spears. Delicious.
• Urbanbowl! Ok, the Urban vs. UF thing is fun, but over played. Is this what it has come to in Gatornation? Seriously, focus on not becoming the first SEC team in forever to lose to tOSU while they are playing with eligible players (Gene Smith assures us). Or you can crappants yourself in the bowl game named for your mascot. Either is fine with me.
• Dooley. Hey, I get it. Loyalty is rewarded. Lack thereof is not. Have fun recruiting kids from more than a three hour drive from Knoxville when you can't even look them in the face and tell them they can go home if their father is dying.
• Illinois' assistants. Some Illini assistant coaches threatened to not coach in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl (I had to look it up to make sure it was real) over a contract dispute. I'm not debating the merits of the argument, one way or another, but it sure doesn't make getting assistants to coach in Champaign any easier when you look at both sides' points.
• Iowa State. Any argument about Oklahoma State deserving a shot at LSU went out the window at Yankee Stadium yesterday. There should be a specific rule in the BCS selection procedures that states if you lose to a team that gets dominated by the fourth place team in the Big East, you are ineligible for the BCS. That is all.
• B1G/Pac-1X collaboration. I like it. I've long thought there should be more AQC teams playing each other and fewer Coastal Carolina's on schedules. Scott and Delaney looked at the landscape and figured they need to have more big games of national relevance to make a dent in the SEC monopoly on football. They also get more recognition for their other sports by putting them in the big venues in their footprints (ie, Ford Field, Dodger Stadium). Well played.
• Richt to coach at (fill in the blank). Seriously?

Finally, I've had nearly three weeks to think about the running back situation and am glad I have been unplugged for this time. 

Go Dawgs!

TD

Final South Carolina Thoughts

Crowell on the move. (Image: Jim Hipple; click to enlarge)

After watching the replay, I don't think I have too much profound to add about the game.  As someone who watched the replay told me, it is like finding out your ex-girlfriend wasn't cheating on you after all.  Yes, there is solace, but little consolation for the loss.

Figgins with the catch (Image: Hipple; Click to enlarge)

What I took away from the replay?  Any game plan that doesn't involve getting Crowell 25+ touches a game is not well thought out criminal.  Same goes for any game plan that doesn't involve the FBs in the passing game more.  The defense is better than I give them credit for, especially on the blitz packages.  We have...issues...with Washington not getting off his blocks.  Same goes for Anderson's handling of the speed rush.  Murray's footwork fell off late, which is a product of him getting hit so many times. The missed FG was the worse kick of Walsh's career.  We should have gotten a celebration penalty after the Wooten TD.  Rambo's play is significantly better, especially on pass coverage.  Commings is better at CB than Safety, if for no other reason than Rambo is a better option at safety overall.

Commings sacks Garcia (Image: Hipple; Click to enlarge)

When you get in a gun fight, you can't win when you shoot at yourself every third shot.  That is what happened Saturday.  You can blame coaching, players, jerseys, the crowd, Mike Adams, the economy, Sandinistas, Quincy Carter, Jimmy Carter, Damon Evans, Jan Kemp, or Congress, but the fact remains that Georgia lost a game they shouldn't have.  Again. 

TD

South Carolina Game Review

A loss is a loss is a loss.

The Good:

• Welcome back running game.  My, how I have missed you.
• Play calling.  Huge nuggets call by Coach Richt on the on-sides kick early. Very strong offensive game plan.
• Boykin's kickoff returns.
• Murray working with 8 different receivers.  He moved the ball around well and outside of three bad throws, was very strong.
• Drew Butler's leg.  
• Bacarri Rambo's play. He might have played tentative before last night.  He brought it yesterday.
• 4 for 14 on third down defense.

The Bad:

• Allowing someone who looked like Rerun lumbering down the sideline pull off a perfectly executed 70 yard run on a fake punt.  They timed that dude with a sundial.
• Not getting points when we create turnovers.  
• Murray looking at, then pointing at his receiver on the interception.  

The Ugly:

• Offensive line: Whatchya you doin' in here kittycat?
• Allowing Lattimore 170+ yards, with so much of that coming on the edge.
• A bad play turning into a catastrophe.
• 21 points off of Georgia turnovers.

TD

Following the Money

Do the guys online know more than us?  Check out Bodog's odds on who will win the SEC (h/t @CFTalk):

Bama: 9/5
UF: 9/2
UGA: 5/1
LSU: 5/1
SC: 6/1
Arky: 13/1

Everyone else is at least 18/1.  Bama is a prohibitive favorite to win the West at 10/11.  LSU checks in at 5/2 and Arky at 6/1.  In the East, Florida is a slight favorite over South Carolina at 9/5 to SCs 19/10.  Georgia is right behind them at 2/1.  No other East team is better than 15/2.

More interesting are the player props.  The bettors have Murray and John Brantley both pegged at 60/1 to win the Heisman, but Brantley is fairly far ahead of Aaron when you lay money on most passing yards in the conference.

Fairly fascinating stuff.  I don't regularly bet on football, so understand that this information may seem normal or not fascinating to you if you do.  

Why the AJC is such a joke

A UGA player not getting arrested for receiving a relatively minor citation makes the paper. While a two year long NCAA investigation into Georgia Tech resulting in sanctions goes unreported until the final day of the process.

That's not a shot at Chip Towers. It's a huge shot at the gross incompetence and/or negligence of the former Tech beat writer and the AJC's Sports Editor. Every time I think I'm done commenting on the GT thing...I get dragged back into it.

PWD

Benedict on S&C Program

Check out Brent Benedict's Q&A with Chip Towers.  Good to see the kid is taking the high road.

One thing stood out: 

Q: I understand this mainly had to do with not seeing eye-to-eye with new strength and conditioning coach Joe Tereshinki about training techniques with respect to your injury. I know he’s employing some old-school philosophies with a lot of lower-body work. Is that what this was about?
A: “Coach Tereshinski came in and he has his own philosophy and he and the coaching staff believe that it’s going to work and there’s no reason not to believe that. So,  there were a few things going on and I wasn’t able to resolve that. Of course I hope Georgia does well, extremely well. I’ve told all my buddies back there I wish them the best of luck and I really believe it will be successful.”

Not trying to read too much into this, but it makes me wonder how tough the other regimen was if doing squats is too much for a guy that got hurt nearly two years ago.  I get everyone needs to rehab on their own schedule and all that, and no one should be asked to re-injure themselves, but it is hard to imagine Joe T and his crew asking a kid to do that.  Either he is ready to go or he isn't. 

What am I missing?

TD

Recruiting Thoughts

Nice work by the football coaches in landing commitments from Malcolm Mitchell and Jay Rome. Typically, I don't put a lot of stock into player rankings as much as I do who else offers a kid. And fending off Bama, Florida and the rest of the planet for these two is a big deal.

That said the rankings on these two are really impressive.

Malcolm Mitchell:
• ESPN.com - National Rank 45th / Position Rank 7th (as WR)
  
• Scout.com - National Rank 90th / Position Rank 7th (as a CB)
  
• Rivals.com - National Rank 30th / Position Rank 1st (as a CB)
Jay Rome:
• ESPN.com - National Rank 18th / Position Rank 1st (TE)
  
• Scout.com - National Rank 68th / Position Rank 4th (TE)
  
• Rivals.com - National Rank 56th / Position Rank 4th (TE)

Things were looking bleak about 45 days ago on the recruiting trail. It was beginning to look like Bama would be signing our Dream Team. But Coach Richt and crew made up enormous ground with several top prospects, and we continue to hear positive rumblings from the direction of Isaiah Crowell (RB), Ray Drew (DE/OLB) and John Jenkins (Juco DT).

When you look at the most glaring holes in Georgia's talent base guys this class looks like it's heading towards addressing many of them.

When signing day rolls around, I'm hoping to do a slow developing series of articles called "Profiles in Hope" that sort of outline the foundation for my optimism for next season.

Don't get me wrong. I'm still fairly pessimistic, but this recruiting class is giving me hope. To that end, I like Blutarsky's take on things.

PWD