You can’t blame Les Miles for being a little snippy this week. How many teams get a second chance when it comes to the national title? Not many get a third.  Miles is a bit upset that Georgia stands a better chance than LSU of making the national title game even if the Bayou Bengals win the SEC this weekend.

“I certainly think the champions in that position should be allowed every opportunity to play in the most prestigious bowl and certainly be the highest ranked,” Miles said. “I would like to envision an opportunity for the team from Louisiana that, if fortunate enough to win the conference championship and who played the schedule that we did with the victories that we’ve achieved and not lost a game in regulation yet, to have that opportunity.”

You’ve got to love the spin. His Tigers are certainly tops in the Regulation Championship Series standings. I understand and accept the sentiment that a conference title should be a requirement for the BCS championship participants, but it’s not – even though more and more people think it’s OK to change the rules on the fly.

If all this sounds familiar, it should. Miles has been positioning and campaigning for his team since the summer when he stood on the shoulders of the SEC to take shots at Southern Cal’s schedule. Alas, the dream matchup between USC and LSU won’t happen, but Miles is still leaning on his schedule to make the case for his team now that the results of the season aren’t on his side.

The irony is that LSU handled (barely) the “stiffer competition” at the top end of the SEC in 2007. Auburn and Florida were nice wins. LSU’s two losses came at the hands of a pair of teams at or below .500 in SEC play – teams that Miles probably would have mocked Southern Cal for playing.

Back in July when Miles was making his case, Stewart Mandel had a perceptive angle on Miles’ strategy: CYA.

Yep. That’s right. Miles’ comments were one big excuse-in-the-making. He’s seen the prognostications. He knows the experts are projecting a USC-LSU matchup. He knows his fans are foaming at the mouth for just such an outcome. And he’s trying to diffuse those expectations — and temper the possible letdown — by saying, “Hey, I’d love to play USC, too, but if they get there and we don’t, it’s because we had to play Florida while they got to play Stanford.”

Miles’ ridiculous “haven’t lost in regulation” line is just more of the same: CYA. Since October 1st, the BEST DEFENSE EVAR (werewolves, chainsaws, etc.) has given up at least 24 points in every conference game. LSU has won several big games this year, but reputation-wise the case could be made that they are still coasting on the first three games of the season. Even a one-loss LSU team would be far and above ahead of Southern Cal and Georgia right now regardless of schedules. The tough schedule and close games are a convenient crutch for Miles, but one wonders what he’d use for an excuse in Ann Arbor.

I really want to like LSU. I was fine with them as the standard-bearer for the conference and thought they’d make a proper national championship contender. They have a silly amount of talent, playmakers all over the field, and enough heart to win a lot of close SEC games – some in which they had to overcome a late deficit. But wouldn’t it be something to see them lose in overtime again this weekend and keep that all-important regulation streak alive?

pwd is on top of our bowl fortunes, and I can’t disagree that a trip to the Orange Bowl against the ACC champion is probably our most likely destination.  But he mentions that the Rose Bowl is another possibility, and that news has Georgia fans rightfully excited.  Georgia hasn’t played in the storied Rose Bowl since 1943 where they beat UCLA 9-0.  Charlie Trippi ran for 130 yards on 25 carries, and Frank Sinkwich put the game away with a touchdown run despite an injury.  Short of a national title, I could think of no greater possibility in the twilight of Larry Munson’s career than his first trip to The Granddaddy of Them All.

First, the details:  Southern Cal needs a win over UCLA this weekend to clinch the Pac 10 title.  That seems likely, but no one expected the UCLA upset last year either.  Ohio State is the Big 10 champion.  Traditionally, those two teams would meet in the Rose Bowl.  A Missouri loss in the Big 12 championship game would move Ohio State to the  BCS Championship Game, and the Rose Bowl would have to replace the Buckeyes with another BCS at-large team.  So why not Georgia?

On the surface, a SoCal – UGA Rose Bowl matchup would seem to be fantastic for all involved. Though I admit my Georgia bias, I’m not sure if another BCS bowl, even the national title game, could produce a more compelling pairing. These are two programs dripping with tradition playing good football at the end of the season. SEC vs. Pac 10. What’s not to like? Of course it can’t be that simple, and it isn’t.  How could 9-3 Illinois get the nod instead of 10-2 Georgia?

You remember Big 10 commish Jim Delany. We’ve discussed him here before. He’s been called “the most powerful figure in college athletics.” Delany helped to secure some relevant concessions for the Rose Bowl in the current BCS arrangement:

• The waiving of a $6 million BCS entry fee.
• A separate and extremely rich (eight years, $300 million) television deal with ABC. All other BCS games – Sugar Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Orange Bowl and BCS championship game – are broadcast on Fox.
• Favored status in the team selection process that encourages the Big Ten vs. Pac-10 matchup that features the kind of tradition-rich, major-market powerhouses, such as this year’s Rose Bowl participants Southern California and Michigan, that almost ensure high television ratings.
• An escape from ever having to select a non-BCS conference team such as Boise State, which despite its Fiesta Bowl heroics this year is a potential ratings and revenue risk for a bowl game.
• Exclusivity to the coveted late afternoon New Year’s Day time slot.

“It’s a matter of independence and control,” Delany said.

Control indeed. Illinois is hardly “tradition-rich” next to a program like Georgia, but they are a major-market team. The Big 10, like any conference, wants two teams in the BCS, and I expect Delany to do everything he can for that additional $17 million.

Right now, Illinois isn’t even eligible for the BCS. That could change this weekend, and all it might take is a Tennessee loss to LSU. Should the Fighting Zooks end up among the top 14 in the final BCS standings, the power play could be fascinating to watch. In one corner is Jim Delany. In the other is the SEC, certainly with plenty of clout of its own. In the middle is one of the most valuable and recognizable events in all of sports. Then there’s ABC with its investment in the game.

Let me clarify that I don’t blame Delany. It’s his job to represent the Big 10 and its membership. It’s not his job to worry whether the Rose or any other bowl has the best possible or most interesting pairing of teams.

I see a lot of excitement not only among the fans but also coming out of Athens for the possible Rose Bowl bid. I just hope we don’t set ourselves up for disappointment. Bowl success seems to depend so much on attitude. There’s no way to prove a correlation, but I’ve seen the Dawgs drop two bowl games (2001 and 2005) where the players and/or fans were less-than-pleased with the bowl or the opponent.

Less than two months ago we were scoping out 1-star motels off the exit ramp in Bossier City, La. in anticipation of an Independence Bowl bid. It seems unthinkable that people could be let down by getting “just” an Orange Bowl bid, but that is a vibe I get underneath the excitement of the Rose Bowl possibilities. Earning a spot in the BCS, regardless of the destination or opponent, means a big-time game in the national spotlight against a quality team. It is also a chance to position the program for the next season. I hope we – both team and fans – fully embrace whatever opportunity we get and just play ball.

UPDATE:The AJC’s Tony Barnhart weighs in today on Georgia’s Rose Bowl chances and recognizes the very real possibility of Illinois getting the bid.

Kyle described my feelings exactly. Only rarely (think 2002) has a win over Tech been more joy than relief for me. It’s a game that means so much to me that every imperfection gets magnified. Only a glaring drop on Tech’s first possession kept their weak passing game from hitting a home run – something we just couldn’t have. The special teams miscues were uncharacteristic and dreadful. What were we thinking? Stafford started 5-of-13 and threw one right at Adamm Oliver which was fortunately dropped.

But Georgia proved to be better than their mistakes. For all of the imperfections, the Dawgs put up 31 points and 432 yards of offense. Georgia had averaged 16 PPG against Tech since 2004. The defense did it again and all but shut down Tech in the second half. Stafford’s passes went from dumbfounding to astonishing. Even Georgia’s mistakes provided opportunities to shine: Knowshon Moreno’s recovery and hustle after a botched lateral cost Tech a touchdown (and a serious momentum shift).

Tech’s defense lends itself to a lot of ugly offense with just a handful of opportunities for big plays. Georgia has had the ugly offense part down for several years, and they hadn’t been much in the big play department. I noted last week that Georgia had a single play longer than 20 yards in last year’s 15-12 win. This year Georgia was better able to capitalize on those big play chances. On each of their four touchdown drives, the Bulldogs had a play of at least 30 yards. They were able to connect through the air to both Massaquoi and Bailey, and Brown also contributed a few long gains on the ground.

Credit to Bobo for sticking with the running game. Even with Moreno’s frustrating day and Tech’s constant harassment behind the line of scrimmage, Georgia was able to break a fair number of plays as the game wore on. Though Stafford’s ability to hit some passes downfield was significant, generating over 200 yards on the ground paid dividends late in the game. ABC noted how Georgia was able to keep up a steady rotation of defensive players throughout the game, and Tech had no such luxury especially with Oliver hurt.

After a few days for it to soak in, this was a much better win than I thought at the time.

Thomas Brown

Georgia hadn’t managed over 106 yards rushing as a team against Tech since 2002. Brown had the most impressive day by a Bulldog against the Yellow Jackets since Verron Haynes went for 207 in 2001. With 706 yards on the season, Brown now has 2,573 career rushing yards. He needs only eight yards to pass Kevin McLee for fifth place on Georgia’s career rushing yardage list. Moreno is definitely a key to the success this season, but Saturday was the hometown senior’s chance to shine.

Coaching

A pivotal, if not the pivotal point in the game came at the end of the first half, and it centers around a coaching decision which might ultimately cost Chan Gailey his job.

Georgia had just scored but missed the extra point and led 16-14. Tech quickly got the ball inside the Georgia 40 and, with two timeouts remaining, seemed to be in a position to at least get a field goal and go into the locker room with the lead. Tashard Choice had become increasingly effective in the second quarter, particularly when taking the direct snap. Surely with two timeouts a few runs by Choice could get the ball inside the Georgia 30 and have Tech in a spot for a reasonably certain field goal. The Tech offensive coaches outfoxed us all and called for three consecutive passing plays. The first two were incomplete, natch. The snap of the third was mishandled by Bennett, and he was sacked and injured diving on the loose ball. Instead of a likely go-ahead field goal, Tech actually lost yards on the series and came up just short on a 62-yard field goal attempt. Georgia kept the lead, and they wouldn’t surrender it in the second half.

As much as I have a problem with sports columnists capriciously playing off-with-their-heads when real careers and lives are involved, this was one clear example where coaching mattered and let the Tech team down.

UPDATE: Well, Gailey is out now. On one hand, he did lose six straight to Georgia. On the other hand, I’m mostly serious when I say that six straight bowl bids, winning seasons, an ACC divisional title, and a relatively clean program is likely going to prove to be a tough act to follow. Was this move Georgia firing Donnan or Ole Miss firing Cutcliffe? Tech fans probably have these two questions, and you can debate the order of importance: 1) who’s the next head coach, and 1.0000001) what does it take to keep Tenuta if he’s not the next head coach?

Individuals

• Southerland was instrumental in so many key plays. I hope to have one of them up later.
• As much as we wanted a shot at the national title, I’m not sure I would have liked our chances with an injured Brandon Coutu.
• Rashad Jones atoned for a pass interference penalty with a nice leaping interception. After missing a couple of chances earlier in the year, he made a good play on the ball. He also got a little talking-to after a personal foul penalty for removing his helmet. There’s no question that Jones will be a solid member of the secondary going forward.
• I’m hoping that the next member of the secondary to take a step forward is Prince Miller. He’s been picked on more than anyone this year. It’s no sin for a sophomore cornerback to have his struggles, but eventually you hope for signs of progress. We got just that against Tech when Miller made a great play to get a hand in to knock away a likely long reception.
• If there’s a tackle for a loss by the Georgia defense, I first look for Curran and Atkins.
• Massaquoi has become as rock-steady a receiver as Georgia has had in years. After struggling with the drops last season, he is money when the Dawgs have to have a catch. I know everyone is already looking forward to the incoming receivers, but MoMass will be the star of the passing game next year.
• Is it just me, or did Georgia run the same 2-point conversion they used against Tech last year? In 2006, Stafford hit the man in motion (in that case, Massaquoi) at the goal line. This time, as the play went right, Stafford found Kenneth Harris back across the grain in the back of the endzone. It was good to see the senior Harris make a play; he had another meaningful catch as well.

A few thoughts on several of the storylines in this weekend’s game:

• 19, 14, 15. Georgia had more points against Georgia Tech in 2002 (51) than in the aggregate from the past three meetings. Credit Tenuta’s defense, but lesser opponents have had better success over the same span of time. Two things have been problems for Georgia in those games. First is the running game. We’re kind of used to Knowshon getting his 100 now, but Georgia failed to break the century mark as a team against Tech last year. In 2005, it was almost a big deal when Kregg Lumpkin managed a few runs of more than a couple of yards. Georgia is averaging just 62 yards of rushing over the last three meetings. Second is the deep pass. Georgia had only one completion over 20 yards in last year’s game – a 25-yarder to Kenneth Harris.
  
  It’s no coincidence that an effective running game as well as a few well-timed completions downfield played a big part in Georgia’s wins over Florida and Auburn. They’re pretty common indicators of success and should be against Tech as well. Boston College and Virginia Tech had success moving the ball against the Yellow Jackets. The Hokies had two long touchdown passes and rushed for 185 yards. Boston College threw for over 400 yards.
  
  
• Stopping the Tech running game. Easier said than done of course. Choice deserves every bit of his reputation, but the Jackets also have a quality change of pace guy in freshman Jonathan Dwyer. Dwyer was second only to Caleb King when it came to in-state tailback prospects a year ago, and he has only lived up to that billing as a true freshman. Choice shredded the Georgia defense for over 150 yards last year, and one might even argue that the imperative to get the ball to Calvin Johnson actually took Tech away from a winning strategy had they used Choice more. Choice was particularly effective in the second half.
  
  
• Matching Tech’s intensity. At some point this week, the staff will remind the players that while some might not consider Tech Georgia’s biggest rival, there isn’t a player in the other locker room who doesn’t consider Georgia the biggest game of the year. They can expect Tech to approach this game with the emotion and desperation that Georgia brought to Jacksonville. A sharp, turnover-free start is almost a must in this game.
  
  
• It’s important to make sure that an opponent’s weaknesses remain weaknesses and don’t turn into strengths. One of the most disappointing developments in the Tennessee game was the ease with which the Vols ran the ball. We knew they could pass well, but an effective passing game combined with a power running attack was too much to match. We know that Tech will at least try to establish a running game. Taylor Bennett won’t win this game by himself, but he will take a few shots downfield, and Tech will also mix in some play-action to see if they can catch Georgia paying too much attention to Choice. Tech’s passing game might hit a few plays, but Georgia cannot afford for it to turn into a big threat.
  
  
• It seems that every team now has some kind of quarterback/tailback gimmick, and Josh Nesbitt fills that role for Tech. Recruited as a safety by UGA, Tech promised him a shot at quarterback and is using him situationally. Typically he’ll get the snap and just take off running. There is one play to watch for with Nesbitt where he fakes the run, pulls back, and launches a deep pass. Only a slight overthrow kept it from working against the Hokies (and might have changed that game dramatically), and it did succeed last week against UNC.
  
  
• Will Gailey’s job status be a factor? Possibly. I can see some players trying to make that an issue, but among fans Gailey is more tolerated than supported. The analogue to Phil Fulmer’s situation is close but not quite complete. Fulmer has (check with us again on Sunday) at least some core of support. There are no former players with the status of Peyton Manning taking out full-page ads to support Gailey. Gailey’s status might even become a negative if Georgia can get out in front. As Tech was floundering against Virginia Tech a few weeks ago, fans booed even the anti-drunk driving PSA featuring Gailey. If Tech falls behind by a few scores, the home crowd could turn ugly (uglier).
  
  

I usually don’t dwell too much on the previous game when we get into Tech Week, but one of Georgia’s low points in the last game leads to some thoughts about the Tech game.

Kentucky was the first game in a while where the offensive line was a problem. As Coach Richt left the field for halftime, he admitted that Georgia was getting its butt kicked on both sides of the line. Before the season we expected many such games where the line would struggle, but they’ve played so well recently that we’ve forgotten how thin the margin for error is up there.

Problems showed up in both the running and passing attacks. Penetration into the backfield led to Knowshon Moreno’s fumble on the second play. While Matthew Stafford made his share of mistakes against Kentucky, pressure was a factor in several poor throws and decisions. The footwork to which coaches pay so much attention suffered, and it’s no surprise that two interceptions came of it. Certainly the injury to Sturdivant didn’t help, but fortunately he should be fine.

If you watched the Lincoln Financial broadcast, they showed Richt and Coach Searels having a little chat with the offense and the line in particular before Georgia’s final drive of the first half. Richt stated that he reminded the line that it starts up front, and they responded. Georgia’s offense finally got on the scoreboard, and they looked much better in the second half. The difference wasn’t exactly night and day. Mistakes and turnovers continued throughout the game, but the effort improved enough to hold off a good Kentucky team.

Stafford and the offensive line will be front and center in this weekend’s game in Atlanta. Georgia Tech features an aggressive defense with an athletic front seven and an attacking scheme that can bring pressure from a number of places.

Stafford can make the throws that Matt Ryan and Sean Glennon did against the Jackets, but they’ll require better accuracy and form from him as well as adequate protection up front. Last year Stafford was a barely-adequate 16-of-29 for 171 yards, much of which came later in the game. Georgia didn’t manage a point on offense until the gamewinning drive. If Stafford can open things up a bit, Georgia behind Knowshon Moreno and Thomas Brown should be able to improve on the meager 2.3 yards per carry that Georgia had against Tech last year.

When I learned that the Silver Wings U.S. Army Infantry Command Exhibition Parachute Team was appearing at the Georgia-Kentucky game, my initial reaction wasn’t pleasant. We know the history here.

But you know what? Screw it. This season has been all about saying “screw it” to trends. We always lose to Florida? Screw it. We always lose to Auburn at home? Screw it. This is just one more trend to reverse. Welcome to these dedicated soldiers – omens of victory from above.

Tony Barnhart gives voice to the idea going around that sooner or later Georgia is going to have to forget about motivational gimmicks and just play football. He writes of this weekend’s Kentucky game,

There will be no black jerseys. Mark Richt won’t send the team onto the field after the first touchdown. It will just be 60 very important minutes of football and a game Georgia must win to have any hope of getting to Atlanta.

Now I don’t disagree that these gimmicks gave Georgia a big shot in the arm. Clearly they did in each game. For all of the positive that has come from the attention given to Richt’s motivational tactics, the downside is that some pretty impressive and gutsy fundamental football against quality opponents is getting overshadowed. A lot of people seem to think that the Dawgs are riding on pure emotion right now.

Georgia has already faced the situation of having to move past the gimmick and just play football. Both Florida and Auburn pushed back and actually led the Dawgs in each of those games. Georgia’s ability to regroup and answer in those games has been as big, if not bigger, than any motivational ploy.

Against Florida, the Gators proved equal to the challenge and answered immediately. While the celebration might have given Georgia the confidence to stand toe-to-toe with the national champs, there was nothing gimmicky about the rest of the game as each team threw punch after punch until Tebow’s fumble finally sealed the game. Georgia’s infamous celebration only occurred because the Dawgs had the attitude and the ability to run the ball nine consecutive times at one of the SEC’s top rushing defenses.

The swing was even more dramatic in the Auburn game. Georgia led early thanks to Kelin Johnson’s interception and a couple of big plays in the passing game. Auburn’s control of the game from the late second quarter to the early third quarter was so complete that Georgia had backs running into linemen, Stafford throwing an interception, and defensive backs unable to stop tosses and screens near the goalline. The enthusiastic crowd had been taken out of the game by the turnaround and officiating. The answer sparked by Stafford’s long pass to Bailey and capped off by Moreno’s touchdown run was just big-time football.

Richt’s "transformation"…or not

Ching questions more conventional wisdom related to the whole "Evil Richt" thing today. The perception is that we’re seeing a new and different side of Richt. I called it a "transformation" yesterday, but that wasn’t quite the right word. Much of what we’ve seen from Coach Richt this year has always been there, but it hasn’t always been so visible. Coach Van Halanger explains, "if you really look, there really isn’t much difference (in Richt)." If there is a difference, it’s that we’re seeing in public a few things that had been mostly behind closed doors in previous seasons. "It just wasn’t as up front," says Van Halanger. If you’ve seen the locker room scenes on the Mark Richt show or on a highlight video, you’ve seen the same kind of dancing and celebrating that we enjoy now, and Richt has always been in the middle of it.

There is an acknowledgment that there has been at least some change. One thing that Van Halanger and Kathryn Richt both touched on was that Mark Richt did have to step on the gas after the Tennessee game. "After Tennessee, we needed something," admitted Van Halanger. Kathryn added, "I just think he maybe has more time to do things and think about them and maybe do a little bit extra. And we’ve needed it."

Ching got a really good line from Kathryn Richt. "Now we’re having parity, parity is here, and you have to find the edge and what it is that’s gonna make you different than the other team." That’s a great point. There’s not a lot separating Florida and Georgia or Georgia and Auburn. Those teams all have talented players and capable coaches. All of them work year-round and have extreme off-season conditioning programs. Mat drills don’t separate Georgia; they simply keep the Dawgs competitive with other teams working just as hard. Games that close can turn on the smallest edge or matchup or momentum change, and Richt has found that edge over the past month.

This weekend’s final home game of the season (is it that time already?) is our annual opportunity to recognize and honor the senior class. Since 2004, Georgia is 37-11 with an SEC title. They have beaten every other SEC team. While the 2002-2005 group still sets the standard these days, it’s still been a very good and successful run for this senior class.

Coach Richt has requested that fans be in their seats 20 minutes before the game on Saturday. It’s kind of sad to have to remind people to be on time and in red, but this week’s Senior Day deserves the extra attention. It’s our last time to enter the shrine until next year, and who doesn’t want to stretch that experience out until the last postgame note from the Redcoats echos around the stadium?

This has been a particularly interesting group of seniors. It’s relatively small, numbers-wise. There aren’t many NFL draft picks among the class. Many of the team’s stars are younger players. Some of the better seniors like Fernando Velasco and Brandon Coutu play positions that are usually out of the spotlight.

On the other hand, you can’t tell the story of this season without acknowledging some very big senior contributions. For some, like Thomas Brown and Sean Bailey, it’s the story of potential and promise realized. For others like Marcus Howard, Kelin Johnson, and Mikey Henderson, this season is about the payoff at the end of a long career of hard work. Velasco’s stabilizing presence anchoring the young offensive line hasn’t received nearly enough billing.

This season also provides some stark reminders that the journey isn’t always smooth or linear with a Hollywood ending. Kregg Lumpkin played well since his freshman season but has battled injuries right up to the end. Brandon Miller was one of the nation’s top defensive prospects but has spent much of his career fighting for playing time.

The senior class has stepped back into the public eye for their role in last week’s black-out. They handled the tough job of keeping the secret with which Richt trusted them back during the summer. Their request early last week got the black-out rolling. But in a way, it might be something that the seniors didn’t do that became one of the biggest developments during this season.

Fans can point to several factors in Georgia’s turnaround during the course of this season, but most will agree with (in no particular order) 1) an improved offensive line, 2) the emergence of Moreno, 3) Stafford becoming more consistent down the field, and 4) Richt’s unprecedented dip into the motivational bag of tricks.

Richt’s breaking point came in Knoxville,

On Oct. 6, in the closing seconds of a 35-14 loss at Tennessee, Richt stood on the sideline at Neyland Stadium and said to himself, "Never again." He never wanted to experience that lack of emotion and energy in a game. So he made a conscious effort to emote those qualities himself from that point forward.

Sensing a vacuum, Richt stepped into a role that had previously been the domain of players. Jon Stinchcomb’s tirade at halftime of the 2002 Auburn game is perhaps the clearest example. D.J. Shockley was another player who exuded presence and was a natural leader as a senior. This time, Richt took it upon himself to be the catalyst for change, and now the team looks to him. As a player said at halftime during the Florida game, "Coach, you are the key. You have got to keep it going."

It’s no condemnation of the seniors to talk about a void of leadership. Many of them were (and still are) individually fighting for places on the depth chart, and that has to come before someone can worry about lifting up teammates. The personality traits and presence it takes to push a team of highly-skilled peers has nothing to do with football skills or quality of character. The point here is that a coach has to play to his team’s strengths and adapt to its weaknesses. As Richt’s role in the past month has shown, evaluating those strengths and weaknesses goes far beyond athletic ability.

It would have been easy for Richt to stay the course, and many of us (myself included) would have pulled out his resume to defend him and trust that somehow things would work out. He could have also placed the burden on the players and challenged one of them to be responsible for rallying the team. Instead he took responsibility for becoming the motivational focus for the team.

It’s still a work in progress and a learning process for Richt. After a month of "cutting loose," to use his term, the pendulum might be swinging back in certain areas. For instance, Richt has evaluated his approach to the officials:

Since I’ve kinda cut loose a little bit in some areas, I cut loose a little bit in that area. I probably went a little overboard on that, so I’ve just been convicted (?) that I don’t need to do that anymore, so I will be strictly polite and gentlemanly from here on out….If I do talk to (the officials), it’ll be in the proper tone and I’m just gonna calm down on the official thing.

As Richt refines his personal intensity and motivational approach, there will also be the opportunity for players to take some of the responsibility back on themselves. There is no shortage of young players who will be returning in meaningful roles next year. Stafford will be an upperclassmen, and it will be the third year in the program for players like Moreno and Rashad Jones.

But even if the load shifts back onto team leaders in the coming seasons, hopefully the transformation of Richt will have some lasting effects. "It is just a lot more enjoyable being around here," said Sean Bailey. That’s true not only on the practice field but also in the stands. The Munson-driven worry and negativity is loosening up, and Georgia games are fun. Recruits see Athens as the place to be. I totally see Richt’s reasons for pulling back in certain areas like officiating, but there have been a lot of things worth keeping from this experience.

How has gameday traffic been for you this season?

There was a letter in the ABH earlier this week complaining about conditions after the Auburn game, and it’s the first I had heard of really bad post-game traffic this year.

I’ll admit straight up that I’m rarely affected by traffic. We’re usually in Athens before 9 a.m. and often leave several hours after the game or even later in the evening. We’re also on the downtown side of things, so we’re never dealing with the crowds on East Campus.

I usually gauge the traffic by the time it takes my wife to navigate from her family over at the Georgia Center to our tailgate downtown. To be honest, it hasn’t seemed that bad this year. Even last weekend after the Auburn game we had clear sailing through and out of town just a couple of hours after the game ended.

For those of you with a little more urgency getting in and out of town, how has it been? I’m especially interested in feedback about East Campus and the impact of the new direct on-ramp to the bypass.

There are a handful of games in Sanford Stadium history that are remembered as much for the scene as they are for the outcome. Alabama 1976. Clemson 1991. Someone with a stronger Bulldog pedigree than mine can probably add a few others. We can add Auburn 2007 to that distinguished list. In 25 years, you’ll be able to mention "Auburn" and "blackout" and instantly connect with any Bulldog fan from this era.

So many of us spent last week fretting about the blackout. "Great idea, but…" But it makes us look Gamecock-ish. But there’s no way that you can get word out. But our fans think we’re above gimmicks. But blackouts always fail.

I’ll admit to being skeptical that we’d be able to pull it off. There was great effort to get the word out, fans loosened up and cooperated, and it was an incredible scene to walk into the stadium and see not 40% or 60% but nearly every Georgia fan participating. The black was so extensive that a friend remarked that one could go back through the tape and easily pinpoint which Dawg fans had sold out their tickets to orange-clad Plainsmen.

The scene when the team came out was pandemonium. Dannell Ellerbe remarked that receiving the uniforms was like a Christmas present, and several players raced as far as the west stands to show off their new toys. Meanwhile, Brandon Coutu and the other captains gave new meaning to the term "taking off the red shirt" as they shed the red decoys just before kickoff.

But the black and the emotion only carried the team so far. It was, after all, a gimmick. Auburn is a quality team, they had turned their season around, and we knew that they wouldn’t take a punch without hitting back. Down 20-17 the crowd was growing nervous and impatient, and precious little was happening against the Auburn defense. Matthew Stafford was limping. Auburn had just taken the lead. It was looking much less like the Auburn game of a year ago and much more like the 2006 Tennessee game where the Vols withstood a first half punch to come back and dominate the second half.

Georgia needed to answer before the momentum swing became out of hand, and Mark Richt took a page out of the playbook that beat LSU in 2004. In that game, Georgia’s senior receiver tandem of Reggie Brown and Fred Gibson caught several big pass plays along the sideline to lead the Dawgs to a win. Against Auburn, Richt again called for a senior receiver to make a play down the field at a key moment in the game, and Sean Bailey’s 45-yard catch was the spark that turned the game around for good. Knowshon Moreno finished off the drive, and Georgia had answered Auburn’s challenge and wouldn’t look back.

Everyone now is asking the logical question, "after the masterful job of motivating the team for Florida and Auburn, how in the world do we approach the Kentucky game?" Nearly a month ago as we were leaving Vanderbilt Stadium by the skin of our teeth, Kentucky was back on top after beating LSU. Kentucky looked like the end of a three-game Murderer’s Row to end the SEC slate. Now after losses to Florida and Mississippi State, we’re talking about the Cats as a "trap game." With some key players healthy after a bye week and a win over Vanderbilt, Kentucky is just as dangerous as they were a month ago.

I’m not going to put on my Lou Holtz hat here, but I imagine that motivation this week takes two very basic forms. One…it’s a simple revenge game. The Cats beat us in Lexington last year, tore down the goalposts, and brought us to the low point of the 2006 season. From the turnovers on offense to Kentucky’s game-winning march against the defense, every returning player should be in a foul mood about that game. The second theme is all about possibilities. The Dawgs didn’t turn come this far and beat Auburn and Florida for it to stop now. With an SEC title and BCS bid still very much in the picture, now is no time to relent. All that plus a healthy dose of respect for Kentucky should have the team more than prepared.

A touchdown on Georgia’s opening drive at Auburn last year was, to be honest, surprising. The Dawgs had lost three of four and were up against a strong defense that had had its way with teams like Florida. The Dawgs came out sharp, converted third downs, completed long passes for once, and jumped on the home team. They kept it up, bolstered by some big plays from the defense, and the Georgia offense stayed on the field almost all day.

It’s no shock that Georgia’s two losses this season have come in games in which Georgia has stumbled out of the gate on offense. Georgia remained dull and ineffective on offense for the rest of those games. They’ve won twice when the opponent has scored first, but those opponents were more forgiving Ole Miss and Troy. Georgia’s most impressive wins of the year – Oklahoma State, Alabama, and Florida – have all had touchdowns on Georgia’s opening drive. It wasn’t that the early scores gave the Dawgs the lead for good; in fact, all three of those teams came back to tie Georgia. Instead those early touchdowns demonstrated, much like the Auburn game last season, a focus and ability to execute on offense that remained with them during the rest of those games.

There’s another reason why an early score against Auburn could have a bigger impact than just a lead on the scoreboard. It would cut at the heart of a season-long trend. Auburn has been a first half team and has led at halftime in every game this season. They score less and give up more points in the second half:

Georgia is the opposite, scoring more points in the second half and giving up fewer even after 24 second half points by Troy.

There will surely be a lot of emotion at the beginning of this game. The stats say that falling behind early doesn’t necessarily mean the end for Georgia, but if an offense led by a sophomore and a redshirt freshman can somehow direct all of that pregame energy and make things happen early against a stingy first half defense, you’ve got to like Georgia’s chances.

Uga’s all set.

I’ve made no secret of my feelings about (insert color)-outs here. I am convinced that some of Kansas’ thrashing of Nebraska last weekend was residual from Nebraska’s disastrous "red-out" for a basketball game against the Jayhawks last season.

Still, when the coaches and players request that Georgia fans wear black this weekend, it’s a bit different than some grass-roots Facebook group. I think the request is important for two reasons:

• By making a public request, the team is sending a message to the fans that the 12th man is really needed in a game like this. Whatever your choice of attire, the team is looking to feed off the crowd in this game.
• Imagine the letdown among the players if this request is ignored. Nothing like heading into a pivotal game knowing that the fans are too uptight or too attached to their lucky red shirt to let loose for one game.

If the Florida celebration and the whole Soulja Boy thing has done anything this year, it’s to remind us and the team that this is all supposed to be fun. So South Carolina got the crap kicked out of them at their black-out. So it’s gimmicky. Who the hell cares? The win in Jacksonville in my eyes gave the team the right to ask something like this.

I’ve decided to go with the team on this one. Just one request of my own to the players:

Do your part. Don’t make us look like South Carolina fans.

UPDATE: "stevenmichael22" on the DawgVent did a great job conceptualizing what a black jersey might look like with the rest of the uniform. Not bad, not bad.

If you haven’t noticed by now, I tend to emphasize matching an opponent’s strength. Florida can score points in bunches, so I thought that the pressure would be on Georgia’s offense to produce. They did, and we’re all happy.

Auburn’s strength is a top 10 defense. They have been stingy against the run, and they can do some ugly things when the pass rush gets going. Teams aren’t scoring many points on them. With that in mind, my key is for the Georgia defense to match that production and give the Bulldogs a chance to compete in a lower-scoring game.

Before I get to the Georgia defense, we shouldn’t abandon all hope of scoring against Auburn. The Dawgs have put up 30+ against the Tigers in the past two meetings. Stafford played one of his better (and smarter) games of the 2006 season at Auburn. Though much of the scoring was set up by defense, the Dawgs were equally adept at running (227 yards) and passing (219 yards) when they had the ball.

The performance of Georgia’s defense at Auburn last year was astonishing after limping home from Kentucky and a wretched midseason. It started on Auburn’s first snap when Ray Gant sacked and injured Brandon Cox, turning the Auburn quarterback into even more of a potted plant than usual. Tra Battle went to work in the second quarter, and by the end of the day Cox had completed as many passes to Georgia defenders (4) as he had to his own team (4-of-12).

Pressure on Cox, containment of the Auburn running game, and the turnovers were all important. But the biggest defensive stat of all in last year’s win was limiting Auburn to a scant 37 plays of offense. Georgia, by contrast, ran 66 plays and had the ball for over 38 minutes. As another point of reference, Troy ran 84 plays against Georgia last weekend. While plays and time of possession don’t mean much if you’re a quick-strike offense, Auburn is not, and few offenses are going to do much with 37 plays in a game. While holding Auburn to fewer than 40 plays again is too much to ask, they’ve run 70 or fewer plays in their three losses this season.

The offense also has plenty to do with limiting the opponent’s possession, and we saw the offense own the ball starting with the first drive last year much the same way they did against Alabama and Florida this season. While Georgia is 2-2 this year after the opponent scored first, those two wins were over Troy and Ole Miss. With the crowd likely to be as good as it gets at Sanford Stadium, a good start can keep them in the game.

Distractions

There will be no shortage of motivation or emotion for this game. The crowd will be stoked as usual, there will be the national TV presence, and even a visit from Cowherd on Friday will add to the circus. The challenge in the Florida game was finding the confidence to shed history and stand up to the Gators. Against Auburn the challenge will be to look past the distractions, hype, black shirts, and everything else to focus and maintain a high level of concentration and intensity against a talented and driven opponent. It would be very easy for such a young team to get caught up in the buildup to the game. Can they learn to channel the energy of the big game crowd into their performance? While I recognize the value of a visit from ESPN’s Gameday, I’m kind of glad that they’re headed elsewhere this weekend.

Turnovers

Turnovers are important. Duh. But they’ve played an unusually large role in the past two meetings. In 2005, two second half Georgia turnovers in their own end led immediately to Auburn touchdowns. One of those turnovers came right after Kenny Irons fumbled on the Georgia 11. Of course last season’s second quarter just about determined the outcome of the game thanks to a few interceptions.

If the game does play out to be relatively low-scoring, the importance of a turnover is magnified. Auburn’s struggles earlier this season can, in part, be attributed to carelessness with the ball. The Tigers gave it away nine times in their first three games. They haven’t had more than one turnover since and are 6-1 in those games with a last-second loss at LSU the sole blemish. Georgia has done well in the giveaway department all season, but they increased their season total by 50% with three turnovers against Troy.

With wins over Florida and Troy, Georgia has scored 40+ points in consecutive games for the first time since 2002. The Dawgs accomplished that feat twice in 2002. Otherwise, you have to go back to 1993 for the last time that Georgia scored at least 40 in consecutive games.

With that yang comes the yin – the Dawgs have also surrendered 30+ points in consecutive games. Unless someone beats me to it, I’ll also find out the last time that happened.

Homecoming 2007 was about as brilliant a day as you could want for college football. The highlight of Homecoming every year for me is the opportunity to venture back down Between the Hedges. The radio broadcast team noted a strong attendance at the Dawg Walk, and I have to add that the pregame crowd was as loud as I’ve ever heard from the field for a Homecoming. I believe that the crowd noise really helped the Georgia defense hold off Troy’s early scoring chances.

I disagree that the Dawgs came out flat in this game. If someone can pinpoint that two early fumbles were the result of a casual attitude, they’re far more astute than I am. It’s fortunate that the defense wasn’t flat to open the game; they limited Troy to just three points from those Georgia turnovers. Troy generally played well, and there was a reason why they received votes in last week’s poll. If there was an area of the game that was sluggish, I’d say it was Stafford’s accuracy in the first half. He picked it up at the end of the half with very accurate passes to Chandler and Bailey. As Ching notes, Stafford is 28-for-47 for 434 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions in the past two games.

Stafford’s third quarter interception was pivotal. A better throw from Stafford on the preceding play would have sent a wide-open Mikey Henderson into the end zone, but the long pass play still set the Dawgs up with a good chance to score. Another touchdown and a score of 31-13 early in the third quarter probably would have made the rest of the game much less dramatic. As it was, Troy quickly turned the interception into a touchdown of their own, and we were set for a back-and-forth finish.

Defense

You know, I’m not going to get on the defense that bad for giving up 34 points to Troy. It was a big play day for the defense, and I mean that in both a good and bad way.

The good was the takeaways highlighted by Marcus Howard’s sack and fumble recovery. The Dawgs just missed on a couple of other interceptions – one was taken away after review, and another bounced off of Rashad Jones. Remembering Georgia’s ability to feast on Auburn turnovers last year, the Bulldog defense picked a good time to start creating some takeaways.

The bad was the big plays that burned the defense. pwd correctly points out that Troy frequently used pesky screens to get the ball on the perimeter, but as annoying as those plays were to Georgia fans, they were relatively benign. The real damage came on big plays right down the middle. Troy’s first touchdown was a 32-yard pass down the middle of the field (not long after a 29 yard pass). Troy’s second touchdown was a 44-yard pass into double coverage. For the second straight game, Rashad Jones missed on an opportunity to break up a long touchdown pass. Troy’s third touchdown was set up by a 38-yard run again down the middle of the field.

Though it seemed as if Troy was converting 75% of their third downs, reality is that they were just 6-of-16. Two of those conversions came on their final throwaway drive at the end. They were able to convert a 3rd-and-13 and a 3rd-and-10, and memories of some big third down conversions by Florida probably distorted how effective Troy was. The Trojans converted 50% (2 of 4) third downs with 10+ yards to go and just 33% (4 of 12) with 9 yards or less to go. Strange, huh?

For all of the inconsistency on defense, the difference between a less-than-comfortable win and an upset loss were some big defensive stands. The two at the beginning of the game were impressive enough, but I think one defensive stand that really helped the outcome of the game was the goalline stand on Troy’s first drive of the third quarter. Troy had a first down on the Georgia 5 yard line, but the Dawgs held and forced a field goal. Since Troy was able to get a touchdown on their next drive, holding them to a field goal meant that Georgia maintained a four-point advantage. A tie game in the second half could have really changed the approach by both teams.

Asides

• Can someone please put the mike man/woman back in the box when grownup football returns to Sanford Stadium this weekend? God forbid a CBS camera captures that.
• Geno Atkins continues to be more and more disruptive from the defensive tackle position. If he can continue to get into the backfield, he could be a big factor against a less-mobile Brandon Cox.
• There was some question whether Sean Bailey would play, but it’s a good thing he did – he was Georgia’s leading receiver. He continues to be a very steady performer as a senior.
• Georgia didn’t give up a sack on Saturday and has only allowed two in the past three games. There’s definitely something good going on up front, and the best news is that the progress has been steady and consistent.