If there’s a "thanks, Captain Obvious" topic when talking about football, it’s the importance of turnovers. Turnovers matter? I had no idea. Still, there are some games in which turnovers factor more than others, and this weekend’s game in Columbia could be one of them. Whether it’s Quincy Carter’s five interceptions or David Pollack’s unbelievable play, turnovers in the South Carolina game at Columbia tend to stick out.

The Georgia Sports Blog correctly points out how turnovers in this series have either put Georgia in a bind or kept games closer than they might have been otherwise. They’ve also bounced Georgia’s way, and there is no better example than the second half of the 2002 game.

With that in mind, David Hale painted this picture yesterday:

So far the Bulldogs have played two clearly overmatched opponents, one without a true starting QB. Both of those opponents were clearly out of their element in front of the energetic Sanford Stadium crowd. Both games were lopsided, forcing those opponents to throw the ball in a desperate attempt to play catch up. And yet, with all that favoring Georgia’s secondary, the DBs have yet to record a single interception.

Good and timely observation. To be fair, the defense does have two interceptions, and both of those were at somewhat important times in the first half when the opponent was driving in Georgia’s half of the field. We like saying that Georgia started out 38-0 on Georgia Southern, but it took an interception in our own end zone (not to mention a missed field goal) to get there. He’s right, though. Georgia’s somewhat experienced secondary is still 0-for-the season. They’ve come close – Rashad Jones had an interception for the taking against Georgia Southern – but the plays haven’t been made.

You can credit what you like for Georgia’s turnaround and strong finish last season, but turnovers should be near the top of the list. We know that Matthew Stafford cut down the errors that led to some back-breaking turnovers in 2006, but the end of 2007 was also about what Georgia was doing on defense to score takeaways.

Through the first seven games of the 2007 season, Georgia managed a total of six takeaways. There were three games (South Carolina, Western Carolina, and Tennessee) in which the Dawgs struck out in the takeaway department. They had two multiple takeaway games (Ole Miss and Vanderbilt).

Beginning with the late and game-turning fumble recovery at Vandy, something changed. The only game down the stretch in which Georgia didn’t record multiple takeaways was the Kentucky game. The results were impressive: against Florida (2), Troy (4), Auburn (4), Kentucky (1), Tech (3), and Hawaii (6) Georgia tallied 20 takeaways.

So far this season Georgia’s offense has been outstanding taking care of the ball. The only turnovers have come on fumbles by a reserve tailback and quarterback. Stafford is – knock wood – still without an interception this year, and that’s much more important to the team than chasing the 300-yard barrier. Keeping that mark intact against a much better pass defense than we’ve seen so far will be a key to avoiding another nailbiter.

On the other sideline, South Carolina has already turned the ball over seven times through two games. Six of those turnovers were interceptions. The Gamecock quarterback position is unsettled, and it’s possible that their best receiver will be out or at least limited by a hamstring injury. Worse, their running game hasn’t done much to pick up the slack. It’s a scenario any secondary should salivate over.

So which gives? South Carolina’s propensity for throwing the ball up for grabs, or Georgia’s interception shutout in the secondary?

Georgia Southern (1-1) —

Central Michigan (1-1): Central Michigan will try to rebound from the Georgia loss with an interesting game at Ohio. Ohio is 0-2, but they’ve lost to Wyoming by a single point and took Ohio State to the wire last week. Will the Bobcats be in a funk over the missed opportunity, or will they be fired up by playing one of the big boys so close? THIS WEEK: @ Ohio Univ.

South Carolina (1-1): It’s the classic paranoia of Georgia fans to interpret the moping from Columbia since the Vanderbilt loss as anything other than a serious kick to the jimmy of the Gamecock psyche. "Sure they’re depressed…depressed like a FOX!" For the first time in a while, another team has done the job usually reserved for Georgia: bringing South Carolina back to earth. Vanderbilt (and even N.C. State to some extent) revealed some pretty big flaws with South Carolina. We’ve been in this position too often to take them lightly. It’s CBS, the SEC opener, and it’s too important a game through which to sleepwalk. THIS WEEK: vs. Georgia

Arizona State (2-0): If the ASU offensive line is a problem, it hasn’t slowed Rudy Carpenter very much. Carpenter hasn’t been sacked yet, is completing 76% of his passes, and has thrown for at least 345 yards in each of ASU’s first two games. The Sun Devils get another tuneup at home this week before Georgia comes to town. THIS WEEK: UNLV

Alabama (2-0): Last week I wondered whether the Clemson win proved that Alabama was a contender or if it was their one "where the hell did that come from" win of the season a la Florida 2005. It’s no surprise that they had a letdown against Tulane, but posting a single touchdown on offense after such an impressive display the week before is a head-scratcher. They’ll have another chance to beat up on someone before getting into SEC play next week. THIS WEEK: W. Kentucky

Tennessee (0-1): The Vols have had over a week to stew about the loss to UCLA, and UAB should provide no serious resistance as the Vols try to get things back on track for Florida. THIS WEEK: UAB

Vanderbilt (2-0): Wow. With an eye always on bowl eligibility, the Commodores are 1/3 of the way there through two games. They’ve played defense well enough to win, and the offense has just enough misdirection to make headaches out of defensive assignments. Let’s not forget though that they did only put up 225 yards on South Carolina, and punts don’t always bounce your way. Rice can score some points, so this is no breather for anyone, let alone Vandy. THIS WEEK: Rice

LSU (1-0): Damage to LSU’s stadium forced the postponment of the Troy game to later in the season. Now Hurricane Ike is forcing LSU AD Joe Alleva to consider alternate plans for Saturday night’s scheduled game against North Texas. You have to wonder how all of the disruption and uncertainty of the past two weeks will affect this team as they prepare for a real test at Auburn next week. THIS WEEK: North Texas…maybe.

Florida (2-0): They didn’t light Miami up, but so far the folks who assumed that the Florida defense has to be better this year are looking good. Now it’s another week to rest and heal before the big trip to Knoxville. THIS WEEK: BYE

Kentucky (2-0): The Wildcats easily handled Norfolk State, and they’ve only allowed five points through their first two games. Not bad. This week’s challenge is interesting: Middle Tennessee is coming off a win over Maryland. The Blue Raiders put a scare into Louisville last year, and last Saturday’s win over a reeling Terrapin team should have the visitors from Murfreesboro full of confidence for their visit to Lexington. Keep an eye on this game. THIS WEEK: MTSU

Auburn (2-0): Everything’s building for next week’s showdown with LSU. Auburn had few problems controlling a Southern Miss offense that was supposed to put up a better fight, and they should have an even easier time of it this week against a lesser Mississippi State offense. Though the new Auburn offense isn’t setting anyone on fire at this point, a few scores should be more than enough in their SEC opener. Could Croom’s men catch Auburn looking ahead? Doubtful, especially with last year’s embarrassing loss in mind. THIS WEEK: @ Miss. St.

Georgia Tech (2-0): Give them credit – they went on the road and won their conference opener. Paul Johnson isn’t just the architect of the offense; he’s the head coach, and he deserves as much praise for games in which the defense outshines the offense. Boston College had their chances but were forced to settle for field goals instead of touchdowns, and it put Tech in a position where one big play from the option could turn the game, and it did. Has Virginia Tech righted the ship now that Tyrod Taylor is back? Maybe, but I don’t expect the same lopsided Hokie win we saw in Atlanta last season. If Tech wins in Blacksburg, a Georgia Tech team everyone expected to struggle could be 6-0 going into the Clemson game. THIS WEEK: @ Virginia Tech

I should note first that things are going to be a little spotty here for the next couple of weeks (good timing, huh?). If the worst consequence from the demands of real life is less activity here, things can’t be all that bad. Just note that updates might be brief and sporadic for a while, and I appreciate those who check in often enough for that to matter.

If you went into Saturday’s game expecting statements that would resonate around the college football world by the nation’s #1 team or from its Heisman candidate tailback, you probably found the result wanting. The Dawgs didn’t win 70-0, Moreno only carried the ball eight times, and overall it was a typical Mark Richt opener against obviously overmatched competition. It was G-Day in August, and it was enough to send Uga VII to naptime.

The question from the weekend isn’t whether or not Georgia looked like a #1 team in the opener. They won’t be judged down the road on the result of the Georgia Southern game. Most nationwide recaps I saw noted the score, noted Georgia’s 38-0 start, and then moved on to more interesting things. I’m more concerned with whether or not the pieces are in place for the kind of season we’re hoping to see. For the most part, those pieces do seem to be in place.

The makeshift offensive line held its own. You definitely saw some signs of inexperience – Glenn looking around for someone to block eraly in the game or Anderson’s unneccessary holding penalty – but overall the line was solid, and you’d expect that given the competition. Now add Boling back in, and we just might have something. Tripp is going to be outstanding, and I was not surprised to see him just a few steps behind Moreno on a long gain…that kind of mobility at left tackle is just what the position requires.

The receiver picture is also encouraging. If Durham and Green are going to be consistent complements to Massaquoi, the Dawgs will be just fine. I should note that one of the more impressive receivers of the day was Mike Moore. While Durham, MoMass, and Green all made nice, tough catches, Moore showed that he can take hard throws and hard hits across the middle. That’s valuable to any team and will earn him playing time.

As much as we tout depth on defense, the loss of Jeff Owens had an immediate impact. Georgia lost some of its push along the defensive front, and Georgia Southern’s zone read plays were more effective at finding some running room in the middle of the line. The difference wasn’t enough to matter against Southern, but a much more potent running quarterback comes to town this weekend. Fortunately Corvey Irvin showed some promise, but will the Dawgs still be able to rotate defensive linemen as much as they’d like?

Blair Walsh can stay. Kevin Butler on the 5th Quarter Show had a good point about our expectations for Walsh. We’re waiting to judge him by his ability to kick in the clutch, but even Brandon Coutu – Georgia’s most accurate kicker – missed his share of big kicks (think back to the end of last year’s Alabama game). Walsh has the tools though and looks more than capable of doing the job.

So, yeah, most of the pieces are there, and several areas of concern might not be all that bad. It’s tough to evaluate a glorified scrimmage alongside the openers of the rest of the top 10 or the SEC peers because the approaches and goals for the games are so much different. I don’t think we saw anything that isn’t correctable, and that’s what matters at this point. Where a team like Alabama might be focused on making a statement on national TV, Georgia was evaluating depth and experimenting with the playbook. Georgia’s test and time for a statement will come soon enough.

This and That

• Tennessee’s loss last night reminded me a lot of last year’s Georgia – South Carolina game. The running game is working just fine, but let’s throw it 40+ times. A new offense might be a shiny toy to play with, but if your team is built for the power running game, by God, run the ball (right, Alabama?). Still, if that wasn’t a safety, what is?
• Most of the Bulldog fans I’ve heard from are concerned about Alabama, and they should be. They were impressive against Clemson and are no worse than the team that took Georgia to overtime and nearly beat LSU last season. But before we annoint them contenders, lately they have this tendency to really put it to someone once a year. In 2005 it was Florida. Last year it was Tennessee. Was the Clemson game getting the blowout win out of the way early, or are they capable of sustaining that level of play?
• Apologies for doubting Fresno. Are they going to be an interesting team this year, or is Rutgers slipping back to being, well, Rutgers?
• You just know that Tennessee and South Carolina will have figured out their offenses by the time they meet Georgia. Still, UCLA showed that blitzing Tennessee can be effective, and I hope that’s something we’ll see in a month in Athens.
• Tennessee’s loss at UCLA was enjoyable on many levels, but it was also the most recent struggle by an SEC team out west. I’ll feel much better about things if Georgia can survive its turn in Pac-10 land in three weeks.
• I’ll have to go back to verify this, but did it seem as if Georgia ran a lot less I-formation than usual? We know that two of the top three fullbacks were out, but my hazy memory is that much (though not all) of Georgia’s success on the ground came out of formations that didn’t have a fullback.
• For all the heat the ACC took for a rough opening weekend, is the shine coming off the Big East? Auburn slipped against South Florida last year, but they’ll have a chance against West Virginia to drive a big stake into the heart of that conference.

I’m sure someone will do a better or more detailed analysis, but here are the number of plays from a sample of games from last night.

69 (SC) – 57 (NCSU) (126 total)
64 (Baylor) – 80 (Wake) (144 total)
61 (GT) – 68 (Jax St) (129 total)
67 (Miami-OH) – 66 (Vandy) (133 total)
75 (Cent Mich) – 59 (East Ill) (134 total)

As a baseline for comparison, the Wiz tells us,

The 3-2-5e rule was abolished for the 2007 season and the average number of plays returned to 143.42, on par with the 2005 average of 140.71 (a difference of plus-2.71 plays).

Is it discouraging that only one of those games was at or above the 2005 and 2007 averages? Somewhat. Keep in mind that there were several blowouts, and many of those teams probably went into clock-killing mode later in the game – a strategy that would suppress the number of plays. This sample size is way too small to draw any conclusions, but it’s something to keep an eye on.

I thought about doing yet another preview for the opener or, worse, the season, but what’s the point? If you’ve kept up with things over the summer, any Georgia preview is like a bad movie version of a good book. I think that’s why we’re all so dissatisfied and nit-picky with most any preview that’s out there. We’ve read the book.

Even Mark Richt is over all of this preseason crap. So instead we’ll keep things a bit more casual and random until we play ball.

Simoniz your watches

The Dawg Walk will take place at 10:45. The location hasn’t changed, but construction on the Tate Center expansion continues, so keep that in mind when heading down there.

Even though it’s an early game against a 1-AA team, I hope the pregame turnout will be better than usual. There will be a video tribute to Uga VI around 12:15, and his successor will be introduced soon after. Besides, being there to hear “your #1-ranked Georgia Bulldogs” is alone worth packing up tailgate a little earlier.

Tickets

Lots of stories about ticket scarcity. I’m not really sympathetic with those who decided that this would be a good time to start getting tickets. It’s not like this is the first promising year under Mark Richt. If two SEC titles weren’t enough to get your motor going before now (when there was much less demand for tickets), I can’t feel your pain.

I’m a little more understanding when it comes to the plight of current students. It seems as if there are always complaints, but the situation is justifiably tighter this year. Due to demand, ticket packages are even being split into three-game sets. Ouch. It’s a good time to be a UGA student, but that’s the price of success. Trust us, you’d much rather have it this way instead of how we had it in 1993 and 1994.

OK, I can’t help it.

Two quick things about the team. First, as impressive as Moreno and Stafford might be, this is still a Georgia offense that was outside the top 3 in the SEC in scoring offense, rushing offense, and passing offense. I’d feel a lot better about the season if the offense can get into the top 3 in those stats. Whether it’s the addition of a playmaker like A.J. Green or another year of experience under Mike Bobo, the offense should have the firepower it needs to become one of the best units in the conference. I hope to see some of that on Saturday.

But if you believe Mark Schlabach, the defense should still be the strength of the team (h/t Blutarsky). Georgia’s schedule has been the focus of many centimeter-deep Georgia previews, but it’s not much more different than the 2003 schedule (trading Clemson for Arizona State). In 2003 the Georgia defense was simply scary, leading to big wins over Clemson, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Auburn, and Tech. The defense even looked good in Georgia’s losses (with the lone exception of the SEC Championship). That 2003 defense helped Georgia overcome a young and, let’s face it, porous offensive line and weak running game to win the SEC East.

We have a higher regard for members of that 2003 defense (Pollack, Davis, Thurman, Jones, et. al.), but is this 2008 defense cut from the same cloth?

It’s here, and in five days we’ll hear Brook Whitmire introduce for the first time our #1-ranked Georgia Bulldogs. Pretty much all of the positions are settled now. Preparations for the opener are well underway. There’s not much left to do but line it up. With a few days remaining, here’s what we do and don’t know at this point.

What we know

• Moreno is the star, but this is Matthew Stafford’s team. We’ve read about his lofty personal goals for the season, and he’s put in the work to get himself ready for a pivotal season. If Stafford does raise his level of play, Georgia should be just fine this year.
• The offensive line is set. From left-to-right it will be Tripp (LT), Vance (LG), Chris Davis (C), Cordy Glenn (RG), and Josh Davis (RT). I’m not alone in expecting Clint Boling to assume one of the starting positions – most likely right tackle – upon his return from suspension next week. That’s a solid line, and the lone surprise is probably Glenn who has really come on as a true freshman. For the first time in a while, Georgia also has a respectable second team line with players like Ben Jones, "Bean" Anderson, Tanner Strickland, and either Boling or Josh Davis all pushing the starters.
• Youth will be served. From the receivers to the offensive line to placekicking, true freshmen will see the field early and often in significant roles. Not many tools will be left in the shed this year.
• Georgia will be wearing the bulls-eye. Everyone wants to knock off the king of the mountain. The Dawgs can expect nothing less than the opponent’s best shot each week.

What we don’t know

• Who’s going to be this year’s Marcus Howard? Charles Johnson went out with a bang in the 2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl, and Georgia turned to an undersized end who had struggled to find playing time. The situation is similar a year later. Marcus Howard left Georgia fans raving about his Sugar Bowl performance, but his time at Georgia ended just as he was rounding into form. Now somewhat unfamiliar names like Wynn and Houston are among those competing for playing time. The ability of Jon Fabris to crank out NFL-quality defensive ends isn’t in question, but his job has been made tougher this year with a rash of minor injuries at the position.
• Can Blair Walsh perform under pressure? A field goal make or miss can be season-changing in the SEC, and the Bulldogs enter 2008 with a freshman kicking the ball. Walsh has said all the right things and has the cockiness you’d want from someone willing to accept the pressure, but it might take consecutive road trips in September to learn just what kind of kicker we have.
• Who’s splitting carries with Moreno? A year ago many fans expected Caleb King to compete with Knowshon Moreno. Now King is in danger of becoming the second choice for backing up Moreno. History is full of promising players who end up with the "injury-prone" label and can’t shake it. Now true freshman Richard Samuel is getting glowing press and is dead-even with King. Though Caleb is only a redshirt freshman, his window for proving himself is now.
• How tough will the schedule really be? We know it’s loaded with big name teams, and even the mid-major opponent brings a dangerous quarterback to town. The ins and outs of a season though reveal some teams to be better than expected and others to be worse. Some games we expect to be struggles could likely turn into cakewalks and vice versa.
• What factor will serendipity play in the 2008 season? Will one of the season’s biggest games be played in a driving rainstorm? Will a key injury turn the fortunes of the Bulldogs or one of their opponents? Will an epidemic of jock itch derail any more contenders? These completely random unknowns are what makes the game what it is and can make the difference between 14-0 and 10-2. Will enough of the bounces go Georgia’s way?

Repechage: You couldn’t watch much Olympics coverage without coming across the term repechage. If you missed it, it’s more or less French for "loser’s bracket". Though the application of the term varies by sport, it generally allows individuals who aren’t automatic qualifiers in preliminary rounds to remain alive and earn their way back either by being the "fastest loser" or by winning additional heats against others who failed to qualify.

College football has its own repechage. There will be teams that lose early and are outright eliminated from the national title picture. Sorry, Michigan, several Pacific islands finished ahead of you in your first heat of 2007. There will be other teams who lose and remain viable title contenders. They’ll have a tougher road back with each loss, and they might need some help. But if your qualifications are strong enough, you still have a fighting chance. The United States might drop the baton, and Pitt might beat West Virginia.

It should be noted that the last two national champions got to the national title game via the repechage.

Superdelegates: We’ll see them in action this week in Denver. They probably won’t have as much of a controversial role at the DNC as it seemed during the spring, but the concept is interesting.

Imagine if after the BCS did its thing a group of college football’s elite figures got a chance to vote and affect the outcome. Some might accept the results of the BCS and vote accordingly. Others might vote in the interests of their conference or school. Still others might feel an obligation to do what’s best for the game and override the BCS.

In many years the football superdelegates wouldn’t have much to say. Southern Cal and Texas? Fine. In other years their role might become much more controversial. Nebraska 2001? Really?

If there were BCS superdelegates, to whom would you give that job?

Mark Richt announced on Monday that Georgia’s starting tailback would continue to wear a green no-contact jersey in this Saturday’s season opener against Georgia Southern. Knowshon Moreno has spent most of preseason camp in the no-contact jersey typically reserved for injured players, but coaches insist that Moreno is fine and that the jersey is just a precaution.

Richt noted on Sunday that Moreno was already getting some contact in Georgia practices despite the green jersey. "That green jersey is supposed to keep you from having to strike anybody or have someone strike you, but when you get the ball in your hand, you tend to get shots. I think he’s getting plenty right now," Richt said.

Georgia Southern still must agree to the arrangement, but the Bulldogs have offered to have plays involving Moreno end on "thud", a technique common during preseason scrimmages. Georgia coaches maintain that their proposal is win-win – Moreno is protected, and the Eagles don’t have to worry about completing tackles against the elusive Bulldog tailback.

Richt left open the possibility of Moreno shedding the green jersey for the Central Michigan game, and he expressed relief that Georgia was playing Central Michigan instead of Michigan State in the second game of the season. "Michigan State’s green uniforms sure would have caused us to think about some things," he admitted.

Coaches would not comment on rumors of a special road no-contact jersey ordered for the South Carolina game. Regardless of the jersey, Richt plans to use Moreno on exactly 23 plays this season to avoid the possibility of injury.

The AP poll isn’t directly part of the national title picture anymore unless you consider that it might be a crib sheet for lazy voters in the coaches and Harris polls. We are able to see how individual members of the media voted, and it’s useful that some AP voters take the time to walk us through their ballot.

This isn’t about anyone’s placement of Georgia. I agree with Doug when he basically says look – there are several really good teams all with a reasonable claim to the top spot at this moment. Putting Georgia first, third, sixth, whatever is the voter’s prerogative at this point, and I won’t argue. You might think that I’m going to rake Jon Wilner over the coals for naming Florida #1 and dropping Georgia to #6. I’m not. I credit him for being open and even going back after the fact to look at his preseason rankings.

Wilner’s just a convenient example of a common approach to handicapping the Dawgs in 2008. "The Dawgs are the most talented team in the country," he begins, but oh, the schedule. So instead of ranking "the most talented team" at the top, he anticipates a few losses and starts Georgia out at #6.

The problem is that this approach to the poll changes during the season. Instead of remaining predictive, it becomes reactive. Ranked teams that lose fall in the polls. That’s the way it works. If, and it’s an if, Georgia loses, they’ll fall in the polls. Fine. But those using Wilner’s approach will ding Georgia twice – first in the initial poll and then again when the loss comes.

Georgia has a tough schedule, yes. Just how tough might be overstated a bit (seriously – by now it sounds as if in addition to eight SEC games Georgia’s playing the NFC East, the Redeem Team, and Michael Phelps). If that’s the case, it’ll play itself out during the season. Georgia will either win, or they’ll drop a few of these tough games and fall in the polls. If, as I do, you look at preseason polls as pole position for a race, dropping Georgia in the first poll because of a tough schedule makes about as much sense as moving a race’s top qualifier a few rows back because the race features an especially strong field.

Wilner’s reasoning should be of concern to those who want to see better and more interesting interconference games. The signal being sent is that it’s more important to navigate a manageable schedule than it is to be a good team that schedules ambitiously. Fortunately, as the first poll indicates, not too many voters feel that way.

We’ve seen the Sports Illustrated cover and brushed off any jinx talk. Now we also have an ESPN the Magazine cover to deal with. But as Warrick Dunn points out, the potential jinxes don’t stop there. Fortunately we don’t have to worry about the Madden curse, and Herschel Walker was superhuman enough to avoid the Heisman curse.

But, as the New York Times Olympics blog discovers, there’s a new curse in town: the Curse of the Gillette Ad. Think about it:

• Thierry Henry: Getting ready to face a messy divorce after spending much of last season dealing with injuries.
• Tiger Woods: Everyone knows about the knee injury knocking him out of competition until 2009.
• And now Roger Federer gets upset by American James Blake at the Olympics. His 4+ year reign as the world’s #1 player ended with a loss in the Wimbledon finals.

There you have it – pretty compelling stuff. Think about it, sports stars. Is a close, comfortable shave really worth the risk?

News is breaking all over that starting Georgia left tackle Trinton Sturdivant tore three knee ligaments and will require reconstructive surgery. With that kind of catastrophic injury, you’re hoping it’s just season ending and not career ending. We send our best for a complete recovery.

I posted last night that I expected Clint Boling to end up as Sturdivant’s replacement, but the question is more complicated than that. Boling of course is suspended for the opener, so there’s a more immediate question of who starts in the Ga. Southern game. Here’s a run down of all of the names mentioned as possible replacements:

Josh Davis: RSo. 6’6″, 293. Currently working behind Sturdivant at the left tackle position, but that’s no guarantee. Davis saw reserve action in eight games last year as a RFr.

Vince Vance: Jr. 6’8″, 320. Vance is currently the starting left guard, and he does have the size to move outside. Tanner Strickland seems to be coming on behind Vance at guard, so the interior line would still be OK if Vance moved outside. Speed is a concern with Vance though, and speed is important given the left tackle’s key role in pass protection.

Cordy Glenn: Fr. 6’5″, 313. Glenn has been very impressive so far in fall camp and actually started Monday’s scrimmage at right guard ahead of Justin Anderson. Rivals.com had him as one of their top 20 tackles in the 2008 recruiting class. The biggest question is experience. Georgia dodged a bullet with a true freshman at left tackle a year ago; are they willing to take that risk again?

Clint Boling: So. 6’5″, 290. Boling proved to be a athletic and versatile lineman who played at both right tackle and guard as a freshman before settling into the right guard spot. His consistency and experience might tip the decision in his favor.

Kiante Tripp: RSo. 6’6″, 270. It made news when Tripp moved from defensive end to the offensive line a year ago. He had the prototypical offensive tackle frame and the recruiting pedigree to go along with it. After getting some playing experience in his RFr. season, he’s been the unquestioned starter at right tackle since spring. Now with the higher-profile left tackle position open, will the staff move their remaining starting tackle to the other side of the line and focus on developing a new right tackle?

A comment by Mike Bobo in a Chris Low piece today caught my eye.

The next step for Stafford, according to Bobo, is to become a more efficient quarterback on first and second down.

"That’s his next progression in going from a very good quarterback to a great quarterback," Bobo said. "He’s always been good on third down. But sometimes it gets down to making the average play or the easy play on first and second down."

How good has Stafford been on third down? Again, 63% of Georgia’s completions in 2007 came on third down. It would be interesting to see Stafford’s percentages on the various downs. I don’t necessarily expect that his third down percentage was that much higher because often defenses know that it’s a passing down. We do know that Georgia increased their third down conversion rate from 39% in 2006 to 45% last year.

Preseason camp is all about position battles. Even with most of the starters set, there are a couple of key starting spots still up for grabs, and some of the more interesting position decisions will come further down the depth chart. Here’s a look at some of the more interesting positional storylines we’ll see this year.

Center: It’s a bit scary when a sophomore is considered the candidate with the most experience. I’m not sure we appreciate how important the emergence of Fernando Velasco was to this team and to last year’s green offensive line. Chris Davis, a converted guard, is the current starter, but all eyes are on true freshman Ben Jones. Jones enrolled for spring semester last year, so he’s not a completely raw freshman, but his experience level is still the biggest knock on an otherwise promising player. Davis, a redshirt sophomore, is entering his third year in the program.

Massaquoi counsels Green (Radi Nabulsi / UGASports.com)

Receiver: Most are focused on the shiny new receivers Green and King, and they’re already making a splash. But the questions at receiver go deeper and involve many more people than Massaquoi and the freshmen. You have last-chance seniors Harris and Goodman. You have Wilson, Durham, and Moore also trying to emerge into larger roles. Then there are redshirts Hill and Troupe. The big question is sorting out the starter after Massaquoi, but there will also be plenty of opportunities in other formations. With the running game in good hands and Stafford poised for a big year, the guys on the other end of the pass seem to be the biggest question in Georgia’s improvement on offense.

Placekicker: It’s Blair Walsh’s job to lose. Much like 2004, a former walk-on will be replaced by a freshman on scholarship. That didn’t work out particularly well last time, but Walsh seems like less of a gamble. His quotes so far have been full of confidence, and now he’s determined to make #57 a kicker’s number. Let’s hope he’s kicking mostly extra points for now.

Running back: It seems strange (and welcome) to write about the Georgia tailbacks without hearing indecisive things like "co-starter". Knowshon Moreno is the returning starter of course, but the rest of the depth chart is up for grabs. Most assumed that Caleb King would challenge for playing time as a redshirt freshman, but true freshman Richard Samuel has been getting a noteworthy amount of mention over the summer. Coach Richt has taken a curious liking to freshman Carlton Thomas who, for lack of a better comparison, could be considered the next Tyson Browning.

Quarterback: Even if Stafford and Cox are set at 1 and 2, the presence of Logan Gray makes things a little more interesting. The comparisons to D.J. Shockley can’t be helped, but Gray’s play at G-Day stood on its own. Whether or not he’ll have his own package within the offense (doubtful), it is within reason that that he’ll see more playing time than the typical third-stringer. It’s unlikely that Richt will shake up the depth chart, but it will become a much bigger point of scrutiny if the backup has to see any kind of significant time this year.

Defensive line: You can’t really argue with the expected starters (Battle, Owens, Atkins, Lomax), but what a problem it is when you’re deciding what to do with players like Weston, Crawford, Irvin, and Wynn. Even those we haven’t seen yet (Dobbs, Ball, Houston) are getting some mention. We know there will be a heavy rotation along the line; the challenge during preseason camp is sorting out that rotation.

Cornerback: Asher Allen seems set, but does Prince Miller or Bryan Evans get the other spot? This competition has been going on for a few years, and neither has settled it yet. Ramarcus Brown wants to be a part of this conversation too, but he’s running out of time.

One thing we should know from this staff is that they’re never in any huge hurry to make these decisions. Some could linger on into the month and even into the season. Besides performance during practices and scrimmages, outside factors like injuries and suspensions will have a role. For example, Darius Dewberry’s suspension has opened up a spot (however temporary) on the two-deep for true freshman Christian Robinson.

As far as injuries go, they’re inevitable – the only questions are "who?" and "how bad?". Georgia has been relatively fortunate in this area during the past few preseason camps, and that trend needs to continue this year to remain a contender. If some amount of injuries are a given, all you can do is hope that the severity of those injuries is measured in days instead of weeks or months and that the word "tear" is only used to describe what A.J. Green is doing to the field on pass plays. For now the most serious injury facing the team is Brannon Southerland’s foot, and he’s expected to return a few weeks into the season.

I’m not sure which Georgia fans Mark Bradley is talking about. What in recent history has given Georgia fans a reason to take the Tech game lightly?

Don’t worry guys…we’ll be ready.

• 2004: An injured David Greene has to come off the bench to get the win. Still, it took the infamous 4th down blunder to seal it.
• 2005: A tie game was broken in the final minutes when Shockley found McClendon on a bee-yoo-tiful play action pass. Again, it took a play by the Georgia defense (INT by Jennings) to escape.
• 2006: Touchdown! Touchdown! Touchdown! Touchdown! Massakwa. The pull-a-fumble-from-the-pile touchdown will ranks as one of the all-time WTF?!? plays in the rivalry.
• 2007: The widest margin of victory since 2003, but it was a 2-point game at halftime and took Thomas Brown’s 4th quarter score to open it up.

If it comes down to Tech standing in the way of a BCS bid, Georgia and Georgia fans will be plenty ready and into the game. Even if that scenario comes to pass, will the attention on Paul Johnson and his offense overshadow a more important key to the game?

In these rivalries, we tend to focus on personalities, and that sometimes leads us to look at the wrong things. Sometimes not – Cutcliffe really was a factor in some frustrating losses to Tennessee. But take Florida. We obsess over Spurrier, Meyer, and Tebow, but Georgia’s biggest problem against the Gators lately has been on the other side of the ball. While everyone frets over stopping the offensive geniuses, breaking 20 points has been the real challenge in Jacksonville. Though Georgia is 3-15 against Florida since 1990, the series is 3-3 (with Georgia winning three of the last four) over the same period when Georgia scores at least 20.

The same applies and I think will continue to apply to Tech. For a while, it was all about Calvin Johnson, but Georgia was barely able to scratch out 14 and 15 points. The four times Georgia has managed 30+ in the current seven-game winning streak, they’ve beaten Tech by at least 14 points.

Now we’re on to Paul Johnson and dwelling on the impact he’ll have on the Tech offense. Bradley reaches back to 2005 to note Georgia’s difficulty with the spread option against West Virginia, but Georgia did adjust and allowed only ten points over the final 44 minutes of the game. Additionally, Georgia will have seen at least three teams (LSU, Florida, and Auburn) who will run elements of an option offense. The flexbone isn’t the same as the spread option of course, but they test defenses similarly.

So while Paul Johnson is a quality and accomplished coach with an effective contrary offense, yada, yada, yada, recent history tells us that if Tech is going to end the streak any time soon, Dave Wommack will have as much or more to do with it than Johnson.

Every year there are a few teams that end up on those "teams to watch" lists that I just don’t get. What’s worse is that I usually don’t have much reasoning for doubt; it’s just more of an "O RLY?" reaction when I see these teams popping up over and over again. It’s not that I expect these teams to bomb. I just don’t see as much upside in them as others.

• North Carolina. I have to say this every so often, but before my conversion I grew up a North Carolina fan. I watched Lawrence Taylor and Amos Lawrence and considered Kelvin Bryant a worthy contemporary of Herschel Walker. I still follow the program. That said, I’m not yet sold on the Butch Davis + time = lots o’ wins formula just yet. It’s not that the team won’t improve on their win total – the schedule is favorable, and I know how close they were to more wins last year. It’s just that I don’t see them jumping suddenly to an ACC contender and a Top 25 team. It might be a year too soon for that. Steady progress is fine.
• Pitt. The win vs. West Virginia was an upset, not a sign of things to come.
• Mississippi State. Great job to get to where they finished last year, but eventually you need offense. 2007 might be a peak instead of base camp.

I’m tempted to add: Texas Tech, Clemson, and Fresno.