Georgia basketball fans haven’t had much good news lately, but Wednesday could provide some of the biggest news in program history.

Superstar hoops prospect Derrick Favors will announce his college decision on Wednesday evening at 6:30. He will select from between Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Memphis, and his coach is trying to arrange to have the announcement at ESPN Zone in Buckhead. There is no understating the impact that the #1 prep player in the nation could have on a program like Georgia.

If you’re trying to read the tea leaves, Georgia is out of town at Vandy on Wednesday night while Tech hosts Duke in Atlanta at 7:00.

Regardless of his choice, you’ll get to see him in action on Thursday night on ESPN2.

If you’ve wondered why Buck was off the air (or even if you haven’t), the AJC has the details.

You probably didn’t expect news about coaching changes to come from the offense, but that’s what we have tonight. UGASports.com is reporting that, effective June 30, receivers coach Dr. John Eason will step into the Director of Football Operations position left vacant by the retiring Steve Greer. In this administrative role, Eason will no longer be an assistant coach but will still be around the program to share his experience and mentor the student-athletes.

Running backs coach Tony Ball will slide over to coach receivers, and graduate assistant Bryan McClendon will join the staff full time as an assistant coaching running backs.

You might ask why they’d move the running backs coach to receivers and put the former receiver McClendon over the running backs. There are two reasons on the surface. First, Ball had coached receivers at Louisville and Virginia Tech since 1995 before he joined the Georgia staff in 2006. He has more career experience coaching receivers than running backs. That experience will be very important in a year in which the Dawgs will go through some big changes in the passing game.

Second, running backs coach is often seen as a position for a recruiter. There’s still plenty of coaching to do, but running backs might be a better “entry-level” position for a new assistant, especially one who shows such promise as a recruiter. McClendon is a product of Atlanta, and he’ll no doubt help to strengthen Georgia’s presence in the metro area. Everything I’ve heard about him since he began as a graduate assistant indicates that he’s an up-and-comer, and I’m glad that he’s able to continue his career at Georgia. By catching the 2005 game-winner at Tech, he’s already several credits up in my book.

Mark Richt said after the season that he didn’t expect any changes on the staff during the offseason, but here we are. Of course this isn’t exactly a house-cleaning, and stability was one of the attributes that kept Garner and Searels at Georgia. But with the door open now, is this the end of the changes?

So at least there’s that. After an inexplicable 7-point jump in the coaches’ poll (that Cap One win must’ve been more impressive than I remember), Georgia finishes the season ranked at #10. (#13 in the AP.)

That’s little consolation when you’re living in #1’s subdivision.

The Bulldogs fielded a pretty good team before Stafford and Moreno and will do so again next year, but that didn’t stop this headline from appearing on the Arizona Republic site:

Path to winning season easier for ASU football

By any measure, Louisiana-Monroe (for BYU) and QB Joe Cox/TBs Caleb King-Richard Samuel (for Stafford/Moreno) will make it easier for ASU to avoid a second straight losing season.

Arizona State hasn’t had consecutive losing seasons since 1946-1947 (impressive), and Dennis Erickson has never coached a college team to consecutive losing seasons. In fairness, the author isn’t chalking the Dawgs up as a win. “Of course ASU still has to play at Georgia on Sept. 26 with a new starting QB of its own so winning that game will be a stretch no matter what the Bulldogs personnel,” he cautions. Stafford and Moreno are the least of Erickson’s concerns when the Sun Devils make their return visit. For starters, they’ll have to improve on an offense that managed just 10 points against a Georgia defense that ended up averaging more than twice that.

Oh, and this guy will still be here.

Knowshon Moreno and Matthew Stafford today announced their intention to enter the NFL Draft. Each had nothing but good things to say about their Georgia experience.

“It’s been an amazing run here,” said Stafford. “I’ve had an amazing time at Georgia. There is no better place for me to go to school. The way the coaches and fans treat you makes it feel like home. There is no better place in the country. This program has done a lot for me. I’m glad I got a chance to wear the “G” on my helmet and represent it the best I could.”

Moreno added: “Coming to Athens has been like a second home to me. It’s been wonderful. The coaches have been there for me with open arms. We have great fans. It was like a dream come true coming here and playing in front of 92,000. Running out of the stadium and having them cheer for us really means a lot. They are great fans and the best in the world.”

Want to hear an incredible stat? Given Georgia’s rich history of tailbacks, it took Moreno only two years to become Georgia’s #4 all-time leading rusher with 2,734 yards. Stafford also re-wrote the record book this year. His 25 touchdown passes sets the Georgia record for a season, and his 3,499 yards of total offense in 2008 is the highest ever for a season at Georgia.

David Hale reminds us today that we aren’t necessarily free from the aftermath of this season’s injuries just because the calendar has flipped. 14 players will be limited or absent from spring practice due to recovery from 2008 injuries. I’d say about half of them are players you’d consider likely or possible starters in 2009.

• TE Bruce Figgins, shoulder
• DE Rod Battle, shoulder
• LB Darius Dewberry, shoulder
• DT Jeff Owens, ACL
• OT Trinton Sturdivant, ACL
• OG Vince Vance, ACL
• OG Chris Davis, hip

Put another way: anywhere from a quarter to a third of Georgia’s 2009 starters are expected to miss spring practice due to injury. The impact on the offensive line is especially acute. With new starters at tailback and quarterback likely in 2009, the play of the offensive line will become even more important. The good news is that depth and experience are finally in place, but our ideal starting line which would include Sturdivant, Vance, and perhaps Davis won’t get much work together before August.

Though all of the injured are expected to be back in plenty of time for the season, the Southerland factor has to be given at least some consideration. By that I mean we should consider that the road to recovery might be rocky for at least one of the injured. Whether it delays their return altogether or impacts their conditioning, there is at least the possibility that we will still be paying for these injuries into next season. Injuries that linger into summer and even into August make it very difficult especially for someone who is trying to earn his way up the depth chart. I think back to Tony Wilson who had to miss spring ball last year, struggled to get back into the rotation for this year, and then went out with another injury which, according to the ABH, might keep him out of yet another spring practice.

Missing spring practice isn’t the end of the world, but they wouldn’t be practicing if it didn’t matter.

Not the best of nights for Bulldog fans.

It started as the basketball team blew a double-digit second half lead to Georgia Tech (sound familiar?). The Dawgs, up by 13 earlier in the half, couldn’t manage but 24 points in the second half and wilted under Tech pressure before losing 67-62. Tech gave Georgia every opportunity to put the game away, but Georgia wasn’t good enough to take advantage of the opening.

You can go down the box score…19-of-31 from the line. Outrebounded by 15. 12 Tech steals. 18 turnovers – most of which came in the second half. 8 Tech blocks on glacially slow moves to the basket. And it’s not like Tech was much better. 1-for-11 from outside. Around 60% from the line. Neither team shot better than 36.1%. It was Tech’s night, but this will likely be a bright spot in their own long season.

I think it’s the first time Tech can claim wins in football, women’s basketball, and men’s basketball in the same year, and that doesn’t sit well.

Now we learn that Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno are expected to announce their NFL intentions on Wednesday. UGASports.com is reporting that both are expected to declare for the NFL draft. It won’t be official until we hear it from the players, but don’t plan on either being back next season.

While Dawg fans aren’t happy to see either go, hopefully we can leave the bitterness out of it and wish both of them well. Both should be great ambassadors for the program at the next level, and it will be good publicity for Georgia to have two draft picks of that stature. Stafford is poised to become Georgia’s first first-round quarterback selection since Johnny Rauch in 1949.

Moreno is expect to become Georgia’s highest draft selection at tailback since Garrison Hearst in 2003.

It’s a good time to remember that players like Geno Atkins and Jeff Owens along with coaches Rodney Garner and Stacy Searels WILL be back next season.

I don’t know and probably don’t want to know what went on to make it happen, but Rodney Garner finally said, “no, thanks” to Tennessee and will remain on the Georgia staff. For now, anyway….

Plane-gate is over. N111UT is gone from Athens with little more than an order of rings from the Varsity for its trouble.

Now hopefully Marlon Brown will make the same decision…the Memphis receiver looked pretty good last night in the Under Armour game.

As expected (and hoped), five-star cornerback Branden Smith committed to Georgia live on ESPN during the Under Armour All Star game on Sunday evening. Smith, of Washington High School in Atlanta, chose Georgia over, well, offers from just about everyone in the nation, but his decision came down to Florida, FSU, Alabama, and Georgia. He is rated the #4 cornerback in the nation and the #31 prospect overall by Rivals.com.

Greg Reid of Valdosta was one of the standouts in the Under Armour game, and he recently rescinded his commitment to Florida. Georgia is among those he will consider, but his academics are a concern.

So by now you’ve probably heard that Rodney Garner has interviewed with Tennessee.

Apparently this UT plane has been back and forth to Athens and Georgia quite a bit in the past day. (It had to divert to Atlanta last night due to heavy fog.) It returned to Athens earlier this afternoon and is now on its way back to Knoxville. Common sense would indicate that it came to pick up Garner.

Here’s where things get interesting. UGASports.com is reporting that the plane is returning to Knoxville without Garner. The plane came, sat, and returned without Garner getting on board.

What does it mean? Has Garner decided to stay at Georgia? Are negotiations underway? Is he taking another night to sleep on it? Did he just need more time to tell the Georgia players? Or did Lane Kiffin just want some takeout from The Grill? No one knows. Sure does make for fun speculation though.

Today marks the final Cotton Bowl in the old Cotton Bowl stadium. The game will be moving to the shiny new home of the Dallas Cowboys next year. What better way for a Georgia fan to bid farewell than with a look back at our most memorable trip to Dallas?

With the season now behind us, we’ve entered the recruiting home stretch. There’s little more than a month left until Signing Day on February 4th. While Georgia already has much of a solid class committed, there are still a few undecided prospects who could really put Georgia over the top in terms of the best recruiting classes in the nation.

This weekend is significant because of the national All-Star games. You have the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio on the 3rd (Noon, NBC) and the Under Armour All-America game in Orlando on the 4th (8 p.m., ESPN). Each game is sponsored in part by by rival recruiting services, so both games will showcase different top prospects.

U.S. Army A-A Bowl

• OL Chris Burnette
• OL Austin Long (injured)
• QB Aaron Murray

Under Armour A-A Game

• RB Washaun Ealey
• DL Abry Jones
• OL Dallas Lee
• LB Dexter Moody

Several other in-state commitments played in the Georgia North-South All Star Game on Tuesday.

In addition to those committed players, there are also several top uncommitted prospects in action. Receiver Marlon Brown (Under Armour), TE Orson Charles (U.S. Army), LB Jarvis Jones (U.S. Army), and DB Branden Smith (Under Armour) will be on display. Smith is expected to announce his college decision during the game, and Georgia is considered the favorite.

Confession time: I have no interest in pulling for other SEC teams in bowl games. I couldn’t care less where the SEC finishes on some contrived ESPN conference bowl scoreboard. It means nothing to me that the last two national champions are from the SEC if neither of those teams were Georgia.

I get why some fans chant "SEC! SEC!". It’s yet another identity through which we can (sometimes) claim superiority over some other group – especially Yankees or left coast liberals or some other set of people who don’t have the good sense to live in God’s country and follow a real football team. If our team can’t win the national title, at least someone from our conference can. Take that, Pac-10.

You can have it. If Alabama wins the Sugar Bowl, it won’t make them kicking our tails look any better. South Carolina’s disaster just down the road yesterday takes nothing away from my enjoyment of Georgia’s win. I smiled watching Shonn Greene run over South Carolina in between Garcia turnovers. I hope Florida has the same kind of success they enjoyed the last time they played a Big 12 team for the national title. Florida’s one hell of a team, but I still hope they flame out like the Cowboys last weekend. It won’t happen, but I’ll hold on to the dream.

Are there times I’ll pull for the conference? You bet. The Chick-fil-A Bowl was one of them. Loved it. Brilliant job, Les. I’m indifferent about Ole Miss in the Cotton Bowl, though I don’t give them much of a chance. It’s the opposite in the Sugar Bowl – I wouldn’t mind seeing Bama lose, but it’s not likely enough to worry about. Kentucky? Meh. Sure, why not?

I’m even a bit tired of Vanderbilt. Hooray, they won. In perfect Vandy fashion too. They pulled out the "bounce a punt off the other team" play from their South Carolina game and advanced the ball farther on penalty yardage than from actual football on their game-winning "drive". Opportunistic? Right. And the guy gets Coach of the Year for using a dartboard to pick his quarterback.

Of course all of this animosity doesn’t ignore the benefits of belonging to a good conference. As much as I want our rivals to lose and lose big, many of them will still win, and everyone will meet in a few months and divide up a pile of money that would qualify the SEC for G8 status.

I imagine that most Georgia fans had some version of this internal (or, depending on company, external) discussion going on today.

“Now THAT is Georgia defense.”
“Where the heck was that in the other 12 games?”
“How many times are they going to have to bail us out?”
“Is this the result of a few people getting healthy, or did someone light a fire under this defense over the past month? “
“…or is it the result of playing a one-dimensional Big 10 offense?”
“If we join the Big 10 and give them a total of 12 teams, would the Big 12 mind?”

(Radi Nabulsi / UGASports.com)

It was a throwback to earlier in the decade or at least to September 13th and the game at South Carolina. Sloppy Bulldog offense leaned on the defense time after time until the offense could make a play. I’m sure the enjoyment of the win for some was tempered with the thought, “some of this in the second half on November 29th would have been nice.” The performance of the defense didn’t make up for whatever happened in the regular season and likely won’t make those losses any less painful, but most Georgia fans can let it go long enough to recognize a job well done.

Whatever you have to say about the game, it came down to this one series for me:

1st and Goal at GA 6: Javon Ringer rush for 3 yards to the Geo 3.
2nd and Goal at GA 3: Javon Ringer rush for no gain to the Geo 3.
3rd and Goal at GA 3: Brian Hoyer pass incomplete to Blair White.

How many times this year did we see the Georgia defense deflate after a turnover and/or a costly penalty? We had both here. A Stafford interception was returned to the 12, and a personal foul moved the ball to the Georgia 6. It was the third time that Michigan State had the ball on Georgia’s half of the field. The Dawgs kept Ringer out of the end zone, sniffed out the pass on 3rd down, and made MSU settle for the tying field goal.

You can say what you like about the quality of the opponent. As with Hawaii last year, watch how quickly a respectable ranked foe in a major bowl gets spun (even by our own fans) as a team barely worthy of a September cupcake game. But this hunkerdown-ness was something that was absent from even the Kentucky game. To see it show up time after time on Thursday against a decent team shouldn’t be discredited. Late or not, it was welcome.

We welcome Javon Ringer to the Ron Dayne Club. The standout tailback was held to 47 yards on 20 carries – a little short of a perfect afternoon. It’s not that Knowshon Moreno was that much more productive on the ground, but Georgia at least had a passing game on which to fall back. Ringer was the heart and soul of the MSU offense, and they got away from him. The Bulldog defense held Ringer to his second-lowest output of the season, and the result for the Spartans was much the same as it was the other two times this season in which Ringer ran for fewer than 21 carries.

MSU was one-dimensional, but when the defense was coming off a horrible effort against the ultimate in one-dimensional football, you can’t take it for granted that the strength of an offense would be shut down or that the weakness won’t burn you. MSU had their chances in the passing game, but the Bulldog defense made enough plays and got enough pressure to make it a non-issue.

One final note on the defense: Georgia had 18 sacks in 12 regular season games in 2008. They’ve had a combined 14 sacks in the past two bowl games. If someone could smuggle a calendar that reads “January 1” out to Stillwater in nine months, it would be most appreciated.