See the results here.

For all of the “SEC loyalty” people, note where Tommy Tuberville did – or didn’t – place Georgia in his poll. Yay SEC!!!

My favorite is Schiano putting Rutgers tenth. They finished 17th. Hey, why not?

Hit this link to see Falcon linebacker Keith Brooking wearing a Georgia hat after losing a bet with D.J. Shockley. Go to atlantafalcons.com if the clip doesn’t work. Give it a second to come up and watch for a few minutes.

The first letter here.

What’s really shameful is that the R&B decided to publish this letter. They allowed their editorial space to be used for a hit piece. Free speech my ass…the kiddies playing journalists at the R&B need a lesson in discretion.

Tasha Humphrey was serving the sixth game of her six-game suspension during Wednesday’s laugher with Memphis, so it caused quite a stir when she ran to the scorer’s table with 17 minutes remaining in the game. She played the rest of the game, scoring 11 points.

It’s not that she was playing out of necessity. Georgia had the game well in hand. Coach Landers explained why she was played, "Tasha made a mistake – not good. But the way she handled the consequences has been great, and that’s why I put her in tonight. I’d been thinking about it since last week, but I hadn’t told anybody."

She was definitely a bit rusty, but her offense is still there, and she spent some valuable minutes fitting in with several different rotations.

It was also a nice surprise to see Maria Taylor make her Lady Dog debut. Taylor is a volleyball player and has just begun practicing with the Lady Dogs, and she had a surprisingly nice first outing with five points, seven rebounds, and two blocks in just 16 minutes. She might be raw and lost as far as the structure of the playbook goes, but she is extremely athletic and can jump to get almost any rebound. It was very impressive watching her get after the ball.

For such a mundane game, there was a bit of historical significance.

• Ashley Houts tied the team record with ten steals in a single game
• The win was the 700th in program history
• Andy Landers’ 663rd win ties him with Roger Kaiser (who coached at West Georgia and Life College) for the most wins by a college coach in the state of Georgia. Kaiser was an all-American at Georgia Tech, so it’s fitting that Landers gets a chance to set the record on Sunday against Tech.

Center Ian Smith has apparently been arrested for the second time on alcohol-related charges.

Smith was suspended for two games in 2006 for his first arrest. Who knows what this will mean for his bowl game and/or 2007 availability. He is one of only four offensive linemen expected to return next year with any significant playing experience.

The first time was kind of funny and “boys will be boys”. Now it’s just stupid. Forget the excuses and rationalizations about what we all did in college…Georgia’s student-athletes are very well-versed in the consequences of drinking especially given the current emphasis of the University administration, and two arrests in a year isn’t an accident.

Defensive coordinator Willie Martinez has apparently withdrawn his name for consideration for the head coaching job at Florida International (FIU). He had interview for the position. A month ago, many might have considered this bad news, but hopefully most folks have come around by now.

When news came down a few months ago that Tasha Humphrey would be suspended for the Lady Dogs’ first six games, "4-2" immediately popped into my head. I’m sure I wasn’t alone. Georgia would start the season without its leading scorer, its best rebounder, and its swagger. It also meant that Georgia would start the season with seven players – including two who are still coming back from season-ending ACL injuries last year, one who had offseason wrist surgery, and two true freshmen. The first six games would include two opponents ranked among the preseason top 11 nationally.

No one would have come down too hard on Georgia for losing to Stanford and/or Rutgers with a seven player rotation and minus Humphrey. They would have been patted on the head for a nice effort and told that it would be OK once Tasha returned. But this is the team that put together a Sweet 16 run after losing four post players a season ago. Playing without Tasha was just another problem to solve, and its a good thing that they had much higher expectations for themselves than we did. A 5-0, and likely 6-0, start to this season didn’t seem likely, but here we are. It hasn’t been easy of course. Four of the six games, including Davidson and Georgia Southern, were anyone’s games. Georgia had dropped games like those in recent years.

Sunday’s game against Stanford went a lot like the opener with Rutgers and several games last season. Much has been made of Georgia’s second-half collapses last year, but so far this season they’ve been able to hold off runs by some quality opponents and finish strong. Stanford got star Candace Wiggins heated up and stormed back and even had a couple of chances at the foul line to take the lead. Big plays down the stretch came from Ashley Houts – Houts had missed several free throws earlier in the game but twice hit a pair of free throws with the Lady Dogs hanging on to a one-point lead. Despite Stanford getting effective inside-outside production from Wiggins and Brooke Smith, not many other Cardinal players were able to be factors. Georgia’s contributions came from all seven players – everything from Chambers’ scoring to Rowsey’s career-high rebound total – and that was the difference. The penetration by Hardrick and Darrah opened up the inside and provided a nice complement to the outside game of Chambers. I’m telling you – if Cori Chambers drives to the baseline and squares up, just put two points on the board.

With these games behind us, the next big challenge on the schedule is this weekend at Georgia Tech. The Lady Dogs lost to Tech two years ago in Atlanta, and it was a close win for Georgia last year at home. Tech isn’t ranked, but it’s obvious that they place a lot of importance on this intrastate rivalry as they are trying to compete with Georgia for recruits and attention. Georgia needs to build on their early success this year and firmly reestablish control of this series.

The good news now is that after a likely win over Memphis this Wednesday, Tasha Humphrey will return for the Tech game. Georgia could also add anywhere from one to three players to the court before the end of the season. Georgia volleyball player Maria Taylor has already begun practicing with the team. She’s naturally lost right now but could give key minutes at the forward spot. Sophomore wing Danielle Taylor is still sorting out some offseason legal issues. Freshman guard Jaleesa Rhoden injured her knee last spring playing with the Canadian national team and might be in the position in a month to assess whether she wants to play this year or redshirt.

The changes will bring a different set of challenges for Coach Landers and the players. Georgia’s offense has been primarily focused on the wings and particularly Cori Chambers. Posts Rebecca Rowsey and Angel Robinson have made a big difference just by their presence on defense and in rebounding, but their roles on offense have been more opportunistic than strategic, at least in terms of point production. That will change when Humphrey is in the game. Her abilities will present lots of options. The team can show a bigger look with Humphrey at the 4 and Darrah sliding over to the wing. Darrah’s year playing down low will give her a nice physical advantage over most wings, and her size and speed are already advantages. A dynamic player like Humphrey also means Georgia can run high-low plays with other posts or play inside-out games with the wings. Humphrey’s versatility and ability to draw defenders might even mean that she is on the outside feeding the ball inside.

Options and versatility are almost always good things, but there are pitfalls. Chemistry between the five on the court has gone a long way in the first five games, and some combinations going forward will be more effective than others. It will be interesting to see in the Georgia Tech game – a very close game in the past couple of years – how the team chemistry adjusts to the significant addition of Humphrey. Tech doesn’t have a lot of size, but they have a fleet of quick guards who can take advantage of sloppy play. You also have a special weapon in Chambers, and it’s important that she not disappear once Humphrey gets going.

A concern that has emerged is at point guard. Ashley Houts will be fine, but she will certainly be the focus of defensive pressure. After a spectacular opening game, Houts has been up and down. It’s not that she’s a liability or unskilled; she’s just a true freshman and is still learning the college game. The team’s assist-to-turnover ratio is under the benchmark of 1.0 (74/83). Teams will try to disrupt Houts before the team can get into its offense and get the ball to Humphrey or Chambers. Hardrick is more experienced and can also bring the ball up but has been notoriously wild at times. Humphrey’s return will help there as well – she (along with Darrah) is more than capable of getting the ball up the court.

I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself – they could easily have a losing record at this point and could definitely get caught on a night where they sleepwalk into a game. If they can get past Tech this weekend, they should be considered even money to head into the SEC schedule undefeated.

Today’s Banner-Herald reports that fullback Des Williams will be among those honored in Saturday’s Senior Day festivities. Though technically a junior in terms of eligibility, Williams is in his fourth season and expects to graduate in May. Injuries have sidetracked and ultimately ended his Georgia career. Most who come to play for a major program like Georgia’s bring dreams of getting their shot in the NFL. Some get to live the dream. Some screw it up through their actions. Many more just have ordinary careers and move on. Some work hard, get good grades, stay out of trouble, do everything else right, and have the rigors of college football tell their bodies that it’s time to stop.

Des arrived at Georgia as a highly-rated middle linebacker (four stars if that’s your thing). I had been really impressed by his ability to cover the field laterally in high school. He was moved to fullback in his freshman season (2003) but was mostly a special teams player. The Dawgs had an established fullback starter in Jeremy Thomas, but depth was an issue. With a seemingly solid depth chart at linebacker, Des’s prospects for contributing were much brighter, at least as an underclassman, at fullback. He saw much more time as a sophomore in 2004 – even starting a few games – and left spring practice in 2005 as the starter who would replace Thomas.

But then the injuries changed things. A torn pectoral caused him to miss the entire 2005 season. Earlier this season, a shoulder injury ended his 2006 season. With his NFL dreams cut short and Brannan Southerland now in firm control of the fullback position, Williams has decided to graduate and hang it up. "Everybody, when they come to play college ball, they have aspirations to go the league. After being hurt my first time, and tearing my pectoral muscle, I counted myself out in that aspect. I fought to come back and got hurt again. I didn’t want to go through the rigors of going through the rehab again."

You can’t blame him. Football is incredibly demanding, and Williams has paid the price with his body. You hate it because you feel his chance never really came, but this isn’t necessarily a sad ending. Williams has been a part of some memorable Georgia teams, and he will start life after college with a degree from the University.

The men got an expected easy win over Valdosta State on Saturday. The story of the game was the debut of Takais Brown, and he shook off some early rust to really make an impression. A consistent player who looks to score inside is a big hole filled for this team. UGASports.com has a nice interview ($) up with Brown.

If there’s a red flag this early in the season, it’s wing defense. Courtney Lee lit up Georgia from the wing earlier this week, and on Saturday Valdosta State had two 20+ nights from the 2/3 spots. I understand that most teams have big scorers at those positions, but that makes it even more of a point of defensive emphasis. The Dawgs will have to get better at guarding the swingmen.

The women had a scare on Sunday and had to overcome a six-point second half deficit to beat Davidson. Davidson is picked to win their conference and has a senior-heavy lineup comfortable in a sound system, so Georgia expected a challenge. I doubt they expected this result though. Davidson played a good defensive game, choked off Georgia’s inside game, and made it back-and-forth for much of the afternoon. Cori Chambers kept the Lady Dogs alive time after time, and freshman Christy Marshall showed up in the second half with some devastating mid-range shots. Defense and rebounding finally made a difference down the stretch, but this was anyone’s game with two minutes left. Kudos to Megan Darrah – she had her first career double-double on Wednesday night and followed that up with another against Davidson. Her rebounding was a difference-maker in Sunday’s game, and she’s come such a long way in just a year.

I’m a guest on this week’s UGASportsLIVE (Episode 39), talking about the Lady Dogs and their outlook for the season. My segment comes right before a nice interview with coach Andy Landers with his take on the early season.

I know I’ve said this before, and it’s not just because I’m on there from time to time, but this weekly podcast seems right up the alley for most every die-hard Dawg fan. Give it a listen – it’s free.

Think of it as the 60 Minutes of Bulldog sports. It’s professionally produced, and they get the news makers – coaches, players, media experts, and prospects. For everyone outside of Athens who has wished for a Bulldog-focused talk show, give this a try.

JUCO forward Takais Brown has been cleared to play by coach Dennis Felton after serving a suspension to get his academics in order. “Obviously he has been doing better academically,” Felton said. Brown will hopefully add some firepower to a frontcourt that will have to pick up the slack at times this year from a talented but inconsistent backcourt.

I’m looking forward to seeing him in action. This Saturday’s game with Valdosta State will be his first.

I know it’s still early in the basketball season – off the radar even for most Georgia fans – but last night’s loss to Western Kentucky was pretty disheartening. It’s not that the Hilltoppers are a bad team; they are the favorites in their conference. The disappointing part is that one of Georgia’s biggest issues last season seems to still be a problem.

Last year after a loss to Nevada, I wrote that Georgia’s biggest problem was the lack of a go-to guy. They certainly had some talent, but there was no one on the team they could trust with the ball when the game was on the line. Unfortunately, that same problem persists this year – at least for now. Billy Humphrey disappeared in the second half. Mike Mercer was likewise streaky. Terrance Woodbury, touted as a hidden gem, was nowhere. Veterans Stukes and Gaines were on the bench for much of the stretch run. Post play was better but still in no position to take over the game.

Western Kentucky did have such a player. Courtney Lee was the best guy on the court last night, and, as Fazekas for Nevada last year, provided a very good contrast and example of what it means to have a player who can be depended upon to make significant plays at the end of a game. A play in the final minute illustrated that perfectly. With the shot clock running down and Georgia still ahead by a point, Billy Humphrey tried to set up an isolation play and held the ball almost at halfcourt until the final seconds of the shot clock. Lee defended him perfectly, forced Humphrey to attempt a shot from at least 22 feet, and even blocked the shot enabling Western Kentucky to take their first lead. Forget the 20+ points – that’s a clutch playmaker.

Until Albert Jackson or even Takais Brown can show otherwise, this is still a guard-driven team, and they will continue to rise and fall with the inconsistencies of those guards. You can add depth, and you can turn the calendar and add another year of experience, but none of that matters if you don’t know who should have the ball with a minute left.

While Western Kentucky got big plays from their go-to guy, Georgia choked up, committed consecutive turnovers, took poor shots, and finished the game on the wrong side of a 15-2 run. How unfortunate on a night when the team paid tribute to the spirit of Kevin Brophy. This isn’t a year or two ago where we could hang our hat on the occasional nice play and pat the team on the head for a nice effort when we knew they were outmanned. This team led the entire game, held a double-digit lead with around five minutes left, and showed no urgency or response to the challenge that Western Kentucky gave them at the end.

Georgia expects, or at least hopes, to contend for an NCAA Tournament berth this year. With the challenges of the SEC schedule, there is so little room for error in the nonconference schedule. If the season comes down to the Bulldogs trying to make the case for the postseason with 17 or 18 wins, this one is going to really hurt.

CBS will televise the November 25th game against Georgia Tech. Kickoff will be at 3:30.

If the Dawg fans you’ve talked to about Saturday’s win are anything like my friends, their first reaction to the win was probably, "FINALLY!". Georgia finally put a complete game together, didn’t blow a lead, didn’t make crushing mistakes, etc, etc. Finally. The next reaction was probably a question: "Where has that been all season?"

I have to ask though if Georgia was capable of that kind of game all season. I’m not sure they were. Were the pains of this year necessary in order to get to this point? Certainly some of it was. You actually saw Stafford learn and develop in this game. I disagree with Ching that Stafford didn’t make any "god awful throws" – there was a pass right before the touchdown screen to Lumpkin that was thrown behind and could have been intercepted. But that’s a minor quibble – Stafford was generally golden in this game, and two plays on the same drive show the payoffs of that experience.

• After two forced fumbles while scrambling, Stafford slid safely once he had picked up another key first down late in the third quarter. He might have had more yards ahead of him, but he learned the lessons of the other two turnovers and didn’t get greedy.
• Soon after that play, Georgia faced second down on the Auburn 9. The Dawgs lined up in the power "wham" formation with only Massaquoi lined up wide. The play was going to be a pass to MoMass isolated on the Auburn cornerback, but Auburn dropped the safety into coverage where the pass was heading. Instead of forcing the ball as he has so many times this year, Stafford saw that Auburn had perfectly defended the play, and he threw the ball out of the end zone. He strolled into the end zone on the next play to put the game away.

Stafford’s two fumbles hurt in that they cost the Dawgs two good scoring chances, but they weren’t fatal as many of Georgia’s turnovers this season have been. They were at least in the Auburn end of the field. More importantly, they weren’t interceptions. For the first time this season, Stafford didn’t throw an interception.

It also helped that Auburn’s offense (under Sooper Genius Al Borges) hasn’t been as productive this year. They managed a single touchdown against LSU. LSU has a good defense, but even Alabama’s hapless offense managed two scores. They didn’t score an offensive touchdown against Florida. They were just as impotent against Arkansas. They were pedestrian against South Carolina. Right now, Auburn fans are tearing themselves apart trying to play the blame game (trust us, guys, we’re very familiar with that). Should they have run more? They only called 16 passing plays. But you can’t run or pass when you don’t have the ball. Auburn had no drives – zero – longer than six plays. They could not convert third downs, and Georgia’s defense ended other drives. Even their scoring drives happened quickly. Because Georgia was able to hold onto the ball themselves and create some drives as long as 14 plays, 16 passing plays probably seemed like 40.

This kind of win is a big deal if the Dawgs can handle the success. The mistakes were reduced for one glorious afternoon – will the same smart decisions be there in the next game? Without the benefit of foresight, some are calling this win the official start of the Stafford Era. If he (and his team) can keep it up and also beat Tech, I’ll agree.

But above all else, beat Tech!!!

The Orange Sea parts for Stafford…again. (AP – Todd Bennett)