Coincidence?

• Waiting for us in the mailbox Saturday evening was the Hartman Fund renewal envelope. Talk about perfect timing. Somehow I don’t see 10,000+ points as the cutoff for new season tickets next year.
• Aside from Massaquoi’s afternoon, the one good memory I’ll take away from the game was the block that Chapas threw to spring Moreno around the end for his touchdown run. It was Tony-Milton-2002-Kentucky good.
• Speaking of Chapas, his contribution this year was a bright spot. He answered the call and really set himself up as the next Georgia fullback. But what ever happened to Southerland? Was his conditioning just shot after the injury kept him off his feet for so long? Southerland played and contributed where he could – even at tight end in certain packages – but surely this isn’t the way most of us thought and hoped it would end for him.
• Either Lane Kiffin stole HeismanPundit’s girlfriend once, or Tennessee will be looking for another new coach in a few years. HP first warned athletic directors back in September and has continued to beat the drum since. No punches pulled there.
• Clemson’s new coach also fails to impress. It comes off like a cross between Bill Stewart and Ray Goff. He’s regarded as a recruiter, young, liked by his players, and has embraced his school’s traditions, but the win over South Carolina sure seems a lot like Stewart’s win over Oklahoma last year. I look at it this way – if Swinney were in the same assistant position at, say, his alma mater Alabama, would he even register on a Clemson coaching search?
• If Georgia has a kindred spirit this year, it’s Missouri. The Tigers started the season around the top 5, didn’t have to play Texas Tech or Oklahoma in the regular season, and still finished 9-3 giving up 40 points to a 7-5 team in their last game and loss. Yet they’re playing for a conference title this weekend.

Offense, special teams, and especially defense contributing to a spectacular meltdown…now where have I seen this before? Once – hey, it happens. Twice – hm. Three or four times in a season? Trouble.

The best minds of the Bulldog nation are already hard at work figuring out the why of the 2008 season. Was it players? Sure…we’ve been down that road. Was it coaches? Most fans sure seem to think so, and they’ll be disappointed to learn that Richt expects no changes on the staff. Was it injuries? Sure, they contributed, but injuries didn’t have much to do with the problems that showed up (again) in the Tech game.

When such problems show up time after time, there are usually deeper things going on, and Richt admitted as much on Sunday.

“I’m not sure we tackled enough [in practice this year],” Richt said. “We had so many injuries early on in fall camp … that we were more cautious than we had been in the past in terms of live tackle-to-the-ground drills. And in hindsight I think we missed that.”

I doubt that will be the last area Richt will identify to revisit during the offseason. This 2008 team was operationally shaky in many more areas. Penalties were frequent and costly. Kickoffs were train wrecks. The Dawgs had to burn two second half timeouts against Tech leaving them with only one for the stretch.

Does Richt’s lack of action when it comes to the staff indicate complacency? I don’t think so, though others will have their say on that this week. I certainly hope not – Massaquoi and those who played their hearts out on Saturday deserve much better than the conclusion that everything is OK.

The weather forecast has turned around overnight, and now it’s looking as if a slick track is likely on Saturday.

The debate about whether rain helps the offense or defense will no doubt come up over the next day or two. On one hand, the offense knows where it’s going and the defense has to adjust to make the play. On the other hand, we’re going up against an option offense that has put the ball on the ground this year.

One thing to consider – we assume that with the option the football will be flying all over the field when the pitch is made. But Dwyer and the quarterbacks have accounted for over 73% of Tech’s running plays this year. In other words, a Tech running play is much more likely to be a straight handoff or a quarterback keeper.

The last game of the season usually gives us an opportunity as fans to recognize and reflect on another outstanding senior class, but two other big tributes will also be featured during the day.

The Vince Dooley Athletic Complex will be dedicated in a ceremony on Saturday morning at 9:30 at the Butts-Mehre building. The ceremony will be followed by a ribbon cutting and unveiling of a plaza and statue along Lumpkin Street to honor Dooley’s contributions to the University.

Of course the last home game means Senior Day and a chance to recognize this year’s seniors for their accomplishments and dedication to the program. The ceremony should begin at roughly 11:45.

When the first quarter wraps up, keep your seats. Larry Munson announced his retirement earlier this season, but there was never a formal ceremony to honor Georgia’s legendary play-by-play man. There will be a short ceremony between the first and second quarters featuring a video tribute and Larry’s first visit to the Sanford Stadium field during a game. The ceremony will be brief at Larry’s request, but it will surely be emotional and raucous.

Much, if not all, of the talk leading up to this weekend’s game will center around Georgia’s challenge in stopping Georgia Tech’s option offense. There’s plenty of reason for that: it’s a look we’re not used to, it’s effective, and it did a lot of damage in the game most of us used to scout the upcoming opponent. Defending the option will require exceptional preparation and execution. But don’t take for granted the size of the job on the other side of the ball. Keep this fact in mind:

Tech hasn’t scored more than 17 points on Georgia since 2000.

That might or might not change this year. Tech’s offense is different and improved this year, and past performance does not guarantee future results, etc., etc., etc. We’ve seen what the Tech offense can do against teams like Miami and Mississippi State, but they’ve also scored 21 or fewer points in over half of their games to this point thanks largely to turnovers.

Yet from 2004-2006, the games were way too close for comfort. In 2004, David Greene had to come off the bench and play injured just to get a field goal. Georgia scored 30+ in four of its last five games in 2005 but could only manage 14 against Tech. In 2006, Georgia couldn’t even break double-digits without help from the defense. In games where the Georgia offense has performed well, the result has been wins by double-digits.

Georgia in 2008, statistically speaking, has one of their best offenses in recent history. The quarterback, running back, and receivers are among the SEC leaders, and it’s all being done behind a young and depleted line. But those of us who have seen the offense in operation should know that statistics over the course of a season have a way of smoothing over what’s actually happened. Yes, this is the same Georgia offense that had its way with Arizona State, LSU, and Kentucky. It’s also the same offense that struggled for 14 points at South Carolina, skipped the first half against Alabama, shot itself in the foot against Florida, and couldn’t put Auburn away. If the Georgia offense had been performing consistently at a high level on the way to those nice averages, I wouldn’t be as concerned. But they haven’t.

Georgia Tech is currently #12 in scoring defense at 16.7 PPG – that’s the best unit on either team in this game in terms of scoring offense or defense. #12 puts them more or less between Auburn and Tennessee in that stat. They are strongest up front with Darryl Richard and Michael Johnson leading the way, but they have also been opportunistic with 17 interceptions (10th best in the nation).

The performance of Georgia’s offense will have a bigger impact on the game than just putting points on the board. With everyone fretting about stopping the option, what better way to affect an offense’s gameplan than to put it in a come-from-behind situation? Even in its losses Tech has done a good job this year of keeping the games close and within reach, and they’ve been able to stick to the offense. It wasn’t until North Carolina built a lead on them that Tech QB Josh Nesbitt attempted a season-high 22 passes.

It’s the last home game for Massaquoi, and it could be the swan song at Sanford for Stafford and Moreno as well. That trio, along with the rest of the offense, just might be Georgia’s best weapon to slow down Tech’s option attack. I go back to what I wrote back over the summer: if Tech is going to end the streak any time soon, (defensive coordinator) Dave Wommack will have as much or more to do with it than Paul Johnson. If Georgia’s stars on offense go out with a signature performance, it won’t matter what kind of offense Tech is running.

If you have the time, head over to join the fun at 2:00. David’s been doing a great job of coverage this fall, and if you’re not reading his site…oh, who am I kidding? Of course you are.

Georgia Southern (6-5): –

Central Michigan (8-3): CMU’s hopes for another MAC title came down to a single game on Wednesday, and they came up short. They led undefeated Ball State in the 4th quarter, but a pair of late touchdowns flipped the game, and a final drive ended on an interception. It was a thoroughly entertaining game, and it did well to illustrate that the best MAC teams have no business anywhere near the BCS. With the conference title out of the picture, the Chippewas can aim for 9-3 and hope for a bowl bid. THIS WEEK: Lost to Ball state (Wed.)

South Carolina (7-4): Even the strong South Carolina defense didn’t come to play in Gainesville. The ugly loss does take a bit off of what had been a nice turnaround, and they’ll have to win the in-state rivalry to avoid settling for just a winning season. THIS WEEK: BYE

Arizona State (4-6): It wasn’t quite the 60-point beating other teams put on Washington State, but the Sun Devils had few problems routing the Pac-10’s worst team. Even though their current two-game winning streak came against horrible teams, it’s still good to get back in the saddle. Now they have consecutive wins and a bye week to get their heads straight for season-ending games against UCLA and rival Arizona. They’ll need to win both to have a shot at the postseason. THIS WEEK: BYE

Alabama (11-0): After consecutive losses to Mississippi State, it had to spook some Alabama fans to be down again in the second quarter last week. Defense and special teams took care of that, but you expect a bit more from an offense that seems to have all of the pieces. No chance they overlook the Iron Bowl. THIS WEEK: BYE

Tennessee (3-7): There’s not much left to play for. The fans have moved on to the ongoing coaching search. All that’s left is avoiding the program’s worst season in history. Tennesse scraped by Vanderbilt and Kentucky last season, but the close games have been going against them this year. THIS WEEK: @ Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt (6-4): Congratulations to the bowl-eligible Commodores. They brushed off the Florida loss and won a road SEC game to get over the six-win hump. In fact, half their wins this year have come on the road, and the ability to win away from home is often the hallmark of a quality team. Even more impressive, the win at Kentucky assured Vandy of finishing in the top half of the SEC East. Vandy is certainly legitimate and interesting to watch, if only to see D.J. Moore. With the sixth win out of the way, the story becomes how far the team can go. Will Vandy fans for once outnumber Tennessee fans in Nashville? THIS WEEK: Tennessee

LSU (7-3): In 1994, the Kentucky basketball team pulled off "the greatest comeback in college basketball history" when they rallied from 31 points down in the second half to beat LSU. LSU was on the other side of an incredible comeback last week when they stormed back from a 31-3 second half deficit to beat Troy. Over / under on the number of LSU fans who will claim they stayed and supported the team through the end of the Troy game is 125,000 – roughly the same number who claim to have sat in the rain to watch the thrilling finish of Georgia’s 1996 win over Texas Tech. The question now is whether LSU was simply caught sleepwalking or if they are in trouble against teams like Ole Miss and Arkansas. THIS WEEK: Ole Miss

Florida (9-1): Georgia fans can find small comfort in the fact that the Dawgs at least hung with Florida until halftime. The Gators have just had to take the field to get Vandy and South Carolina to lay down. It’s going to be very, very ugly this week for the Citadel. Will Tebow play at all in the second half? THIS WEEK: Citadel

Kentucky (6-5): It’s been a rough couple of weeks for the Wildcats. They found new life in quarterback Randall Cobb, but they’ve come up just short when given a chance to win games against Georgia and Vanderbilt. They have that critical sixth win already, but a loss against Tennessee in the season finale would leave them at 6-6 and a pretty unattractive bowl team. THIS WEEK: BYE

Auburn (5-6): The big question: where the heck was Mario Fannin at the end of the game? He didn’t just score Auburn’s two touchdowns earlier in the game; he also scored in Athens last year. Instead Tommy Tuberville chose to "split carries" and had the ineffective Ben Tate in the game. Tate was the target on the game’s final pass, but he couldn’t come up with it. There’s more going on with the Auburn offense than just the coordinator. THIS WEEK: BYE

Georgia Tech (7-3): The divisional and conference titles are still in play, but it’s amazing that a team can be one game away from either an outside shot at the title or finishing .500 in the conference. That’s where Tech is, and it will be decided tonight when they host Miami. Tech has had the Canes’ number lately, but this year’s Miami squad is rounding into form towards the end of the season. Expect to see some good defense on display. THIS WEEK: Miami (Thurs.)

I suppose I should add my congratulations to Bulldog alum Will Muschamp on the occasion of his impressive promotion and raise. Some will be disappointed that he won’t be coming back to Athens in some sort of coaching capacity, but we’ve been just fine when he’s on the other sideline lately. I understand that they are making the move with Muschamp’s career trend line in mind, but is he who they would hire if there were a vacancy today? I doubt it.

I do find it interesting that among the universal “no-brainer” reaction to this announcement that there hasn’t been much discussion raised over one issue.

It was only a week or two ago a report from the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport was all over the sports news. The biggest item getting play from that report was the number FOUR – the number of black Division I head football coaches.

Of course the coach-in-waiting thing isn’t necessarily a barrier to improvement in this area – Joker Phillips at Kentucky is Prince Charles to Rich Brooks’ Queen Elizabeth. But as long as the number of black head coaches remains an issue, will the practice of naming a successor beforehand come to have the appearance of a way to get around a more thorough interview process without appropriate attention given to minority candidates? Will groups like the BCA begin to speak up about the practice?

Anyway, it’s not even a given that Muschamp will end up with the head coaching job. Sure, he has a nice raise and the promise of the top job when it becomes available, but I don’t see this move as much more than a way for Texas to lock up a promising coordinator. Muschamp could still leave whenever he likes, but now it’s likely not to be for another coordinator position, and it would have to be one heck of a head coaching opportunity to renounce the throne in Austin. For now, it means that Tennessee and Clemson can go pound sand. Down the road, we’ll see.

I made the call back at the beginning of the year that one of these things is going to happen sooner or later to one of these coach-in-waiting deals.

• The program fires the current staff before the old coach has a chance to step down, leaving the successor without a job he assumed was his.
• The fan base grows weary of the outgoing coach and everything about the old program. The successor is seen as a slipcover on worn-out furniture.
• The successor loses luster as an assistant before the transition can take place, leaving a program stuck with a guy they didn’t even want as an assistant.

None of them seem very likely right now when applied to Texas, but Mack Brown is still a relatively young guy to be making this move. We’ll see how the fans feel about Brown and Muschamp in five to ten years.

"It’s been a tough grind."

Mark Richt had a succinct and accurate reply when asked to sum up the 2008 season on Sunday. But for the different colors, it could have been tough to tell Auburn and Georgia fans apart leaving Jordan Hare Stadium. Both fan bases had become resigned to the type of game they had just watched. Auburn’s offense squandered three scoring opportunities on Georgia’s side of the field. Georgia mixed moments of individual excellence with spectacular breakdowns, blunders, and penalties. Par for the course all around.

Whether it was the cumulative toll of four games away from home or sensing the malaise of the fans, Georgia’s players and coaches left the game drained, searching for explanations, short of emotion, and – after all of that – winners. The Dawgs are 9-2, just as they were at this point last season, but instead of popping the champagne after another win over Auburn, we all could just use a good nap.

It’s time again for the words of Norman Dale…this is your team. On one hand, it’s an injury-riddled mess of unfocused aggression. On the other hand, there is enough talent and playmakers to beat – if not get by – all but a handful of teams out there. None of that is likely to change in the next two weeks. Is there time to tighten things up and focus on specifics for Tech? Of course. What I mean is that it seems silly to expect traits and tendencies that have been there for the better part of 11 games to suddenly turn around. I’m about as accustomed now to the personal foul or the botched kickoff as I am a Rennie Curran tackle or an A.J. Green highlight-quality catch.

I really want to keep the meta program-type stuff until after the season. Believe me, there is one very big game remaining. But there’s a lot of good thinking out there lately under the general "what’s wrong" topic, and it’s worth talking about.

I’ll just say this: the record has the potential to be very nice (one of the top 10 seasons in program history in terms of wins). The injuries have been significant and have affected the team on and off the field. I hope neither the record nor the injuries keeps us from looking critically at the things that could make the program the national title contender it was supposed to be. If this were a 6-6 season, it would be a lot easier to call for wholesale changes. At 11-2, it can be easy to say that things are good enough and have faith that the little things will take care of themselves over the long offseason.

We’re quick to note that Florida and Alabama had 10 losses between them a year ago, so surely there’s hope for Georgia to have the same kind of improvement next year. But both programs didn’t make this season happen by sitting still. Whether through attrition or their own action, new coaches were brought on board. Florida, faced with a woeful pass defense, brought in a new cornerbacks coach. Who gets the credit for a defense that is much closer to the top of the SEC in passing defense and leads the league in interceptions? Whether it’s coaching or the players, steps were taken to address one of the biggest obstacles to success for that program.

At the same time, Tennessee and Auburn also made changes, but they were bigger changes that actually went to the very identity of those programs. The results, as you might have noticed, weren’t as good, and more change is on the way at those programs.

Travis asks us to quantify our satisfaction with the season, but I have to punt right now. Ask me again in a month, or, better, after the bowl. We get the luxury of looking at the big picture when we like. For Richt and the team, they have two weeks in which to prepare for a game that could redefine what we consider “disappointment”. Whatever the flaws and strengths of this team, Richt has 100 guys to fire up for a motivated opponent. I’d rather he not spend so much time doing postmortems on a season that is still ongoing, but I guess it’s unavoidable.

(PS…any Georgia fan who uses the phrase "accepting mediocrity" when discussing this season will be rounded up and used to fill in the lower level at the 2008 ACC Championship game.)

After an opening win over SC-Upstate on Friday, the men’s basketball team laid its first egg of the season on Monday night. The Dawgs lost 74-53 to Loyola-Chicago in the opening round of the preseason NIT. The game was tied at 29 at halftime, but Georgia was outscored 45-24 in the second period. For reference, Loyola lost to Division II Rockhurst in their season opener.

The SEC Tournament aside, this is the kind of rubbish performance that had people more than ready to make a change last March. If there is a saving grace, it’s that Howard Thompkins didn’t play as he continues to work back from injury. It should be a different and better team in there, but even he is not going to help much on nights where the Dawgs shoot 1-for-12 from outside and get a combined 13 points from the 9 players who weren’t Terrance Woodbury or Travis Leslie.

Tim Tucker writes on AJC.com that CBS has confirmed the noon kickoff for the November 29th Georgia Tech game.

Green caught 5 passes for 81 yards and had the game-winning reception to lead Georgia over Auburn. Green’s emergence as a playmaker has been one of the biggest positives to come out of the 2008 season.

Also a tip of the hat to Vandy’s D.J. Moore who was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week. He could have easily received consideration for Offensive Player of the Week as he hauled down two touchdown receptions in the Commodores’ landmark win at Kentucky. On defense he now has six interceptions which ties him for the national and SEC lead.

Link: SEC Honors

Maybe it’s the play of the defense and special teams lately. Maybe it’s the nature of the rivalry. For whatever reason, Georgia fans seem really gun-shy about this weekend’s game. The Dawgs are nearly a ten-point favorite, but good luck finding someone willing to take Georgia and give the points.

No one really knows what to expect. It’s true that Georgia’s offense seems to be the biggest advantage that sticks out, and the Dawgs have put up some points on Auburn for, well, for the last three seasons. If there’s something we can put our finger on, it’s concern over the defense. Georgia should be able to keep the sputtering Tiger offense in check. The only two times Auburn has scored over 20 in SEC play this season they’ve needed a score from the defense or special teams to get there.

Corvey Irvin in particular has been saying all the right things this week about the play of the defense, but it’s Missouri time now. Show me. Nothing Auburn will do is going to be a surprise. Mario Fannin will likely get the start, but we’ll see plenty of Lester and Tate too. Kodi Burns is primarily a running threat, but when he throws it’ll probably be in the direction of Smith or Trott. Auburn’s not a hard scout – it’s all up to execution.

LSU’s Charles Scott had success running against Georgia, and Fannin is the same type of back – 5’11", 220+. Irvin and the others can rant and hold meetings, but their success will come down to their ability to do the basics. Get penetration, contain Burns, play assignments, play with intensity and aggression, and watch how much better the defense looks.

I admit I don’t have a good read on the game either, so I’ll just look at what worked in 2006 and 2007.

The story of 2006 was possession. I had forgotten how lopsided it was. You had Battle’s three interceptions of course, but the memorable thing about Brandon Cox’s line that day was that he threw as many interceptions as completions and incompletions (4 of each). Clock rules or no, Auburn ran an astonishing 37 plays on offense. 12 passes, 25 runs. Georgia ran nearly twice as many plays – 46 runs and 20 passes. Georgia held the ball for over 38 minutes.

The day was also a bit of redemption for Matthew Stafford. He not only took a beating at Kentucky the week earlier, but fans were beginning to question just what we had after another game full of turnovers and a second half meltdown. Stafford hit deep passes to A.J. Bryant (yes, actually A.J. Bryant in case Dave Neal is reading) and Kenneth Harris to set the tone, and Stafford’s lone miscue of the day was a fumble after a decent run. Even with the fumble, Stafford showed off his ability to run the ball and finished the day with 83 yards and a rushing touchdown that put the game away early in the fourth quarter.

The 2007 game followed several of the same themes. Kelin Johnson took over for Tra Battle and picked off Brandon Cox’s first pass, and Georgia was off and running. Stafford again found success on the deep pass with a long touchdown strike to Massaquoi. The Bulldog defense again picked off four of Cox’s passes.

Unlike the 2006 game, Auburn responded and even took the lead in the third quarter. Georgia answered with another long pass from Stafford to Bailey, and then Knowshon and Thomas Brown took over.

Those two Auburn wins showcased every tedious key to victory you’ve ever heard:

• Get out early
• Capitalize on turnovers
• Win the turnover battle
• Have a 100+ yard rusher
• Keep the other guy from running (Auburn didn’t have a player go over 60 yards in either game)
• Hit some deep passes to keep the defense honest

If Georgia can find a way to do all of that again, the result will be just as enjoyable.

Your defending SEC Tournament champions open the 2008-2009 season this Friday night. Sounds good to say, doesn’t it?

But like the tornado which triggered the unforgettable championship weekend back in March, the whirlwind finish of last season is a distant memory. It’s back to work for Dennis Felton’s squad, and they’ll try to make progress against an incrementally tougher schedule and looking to replace their starting backcourt and two leading scorers from a year ago.

Departures

It was a treat getting to watch Sundiata Gaines for four years, and he’ll be missed. He did many things well, but of course the most important was his ability to create offense when the halfcourt set broke down. That was usually a blessing, but it was also sometimes a curse as the offense stagnated and waited for Gaines to take on four defenders by himself. Center Dave Bliss was the other senior, and, to borrow a phrase from Dennis Felton, it was gratifying to see a healthy Bliss emerge as a quality player and leader towards the end of the season. The bad news is that his eligibility ended just as he came into form.

Two players are no longer with the program for other reasons. Guard Billy Humphrey was dismissed in June, and forward Jeremy Jacob left the program over dissatisfaction with his role.

The departures leave the Bulldogs without their leading scorers from a year ago (Gaines and Humphrey). They also leave the Dawgs very thin and young in the backcourt without much proven scoring ability.

Arrivals

As the Dennis Felton era continues, you hope each subsequent recruiting class is better than the last, and that seems to be the case this year. Georgia has added quality freshmen up front, on the wing, and in the backcourt.

The highlight of the incoming class is dynamic forward Howard Thompkins. He’ll be counted on to contribute immediately at a spot that’s already a strength of the Georgia team. Thompkins brings a developed offensive game to Athens with the ability to shoot the jumper or get position and score in the post.

Drazen Zlovaric will be an interesting addition on the wing. The Serbian native will bring a little European style to the team and can play away from the basket. His size and athleticism will be a unique matchup for opponents.

Dustin Ware is the heir apparent at the point guard position. Travis Leslie, at 6’4", is a little small to play the 3, but his athleticism is his calling card. Leslie probably won’t be the answer when it comes to outside shooting, but he is a leaper that can attack the rim and throw down some impressive dunks.

Guard Ebuka Anyaorah was expected to be a sharpshooter from outside, but he’s already been scratched for the season with an injury.

Returning Players

The strength of Georgia’s returning players lies up front. Forwards Jeremy Price (8.1 PPG, 4.4 RPG), Albert Jackson (7.4 PPG and 6.4 RPG over the last 20 games), and Terrance Woodbury (11.0 PPG, 33% 3PT, 4.1 RPG) will be the core of this season’s team and can match up with most frontcourts in the SEC. Chris Barnes (2.6 PPG, 2.2 RPG) also returns from an injury-plagued freshman year to provide depth down low.

The returning players in the backcourt were supporting cast members last year. Corey Butler (3.0 PPG) made a name for himself with high-energy defense and some timely shots. Zac Swansey (3.9 PPG) was one of the heros of the SEC Tournament, and he’ll take on a much greater role this year at point guard. Troy Brewer (2.7 PPG, 30% 3PT) is another option on the perimeter, but he saw very limited action as a freshman.

Schedule

The schedule has never really been a point of pride under Felton, but it’s more ambitious this year. The Dawgs are participating in the Preseason NIT, and the quality of competition will depend on how far Georgia advances. Purdue, Oklahoma, Boston College, and Davidson are all potential opponents. There will be the usual early season cupcakes, but there will also be games with Illinois, Virginia Tech, Missouri, and Georgia Tech. We should know plenty about this team before SEC play begins.

Speaking of SEC play, the Dawgs will measure up early on against its SEC East peers. The first three conference games include Tennessee and Kentucky with a road game at Vanderbilt squeezed between them. One late road trip could prove problematic: two of Georgia’s last three conference games are at Arkansas and Kentucky. If the season comes down to needing some wins late in the year, it’s usually tough to get them in Fayetteville and Lexington.

The SEC

It projects to be on the whole another weak group of SEC teams, and what strength the SEC has is heavily tilted towards the East. Tennessee and Florida are the only SEC teams in the preseason top 25. Kentucky and Vanderbilt also get mention. LSU and Alabama are unranked but receiving votes, and that’s about as good as it gets for the West.

What’s noticable this year is a real lack of star power. There are some great players in the league, but there is no Chris Lofton or Shan Foster. The top five players in the SEC might be Nick Calathes, Devan Downey, A.J. Ogilvy, Patrick Patterson, and Tyler Smith – again, all really solid players but none comes with the superstar package.

Injuries

As we mentioned above, freshman Ebuka Anyaorah is out for the year. Several other players are dealing with minor, though nagging, injuries entering the season. Thompkins has battled a stress fracture, a knee sprain, and now a sprained ankle, and it has impacted his conditioning. He is not expected to play in the season opener. Jeremy Price and Chris Barnes each had offseason surgery, and Barnes still isn’t 100%. Albert Jackson went down with a scary injury in last week’s exhibition, but it proved to be only a sprained ankle, and Jackson should be fine. Woodbury has had ankle issues of his own.

Outlook

Can Georgia get quality point guard play, and can anyone hit the three with any consistency? Those backcourt questions are keeping dampers on expectations and hopes for the team until answers can be found. Fans expecting a significant leap forward building on the end of last season might be disappointed. Losing the top two scorers leaves a big vacuum, and it’s questionable whether or not the Dawgs can find the firepower to compensate. The preseason consensus again has Georgia fighting to remain out of the basement in the SEC’s tougher division.

A lot will be expected of Woodbury in particular. He came on strong in the postseason last year, and he’s one of the few players on this team who can generate offense inside and outside. If the perimeter game struggles, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Dawgs ask Woodbury to take on the role of the shooting guard at times. Whether that would mean a bigger look with three post players or sliding someone like Zlovaric or Leslie in at the 3 is a situational decision up to the coaches, but options like that have to be considered if, as expected, offense is slow to come from the smaller guards. Still another option is to play Ware and Swansey at the same time and let Zac try his hand at the shooting guard position.

Unless the backcourt surprises, success will require big nights from the frontcourt as well as transition opportunities created by defense and rebounding. The frontcourt can expect to face some compact zones until someone proves they can bust the zone from a deeper three-point arc.

I’ll be thrilled…with an 8-8 or better finish in the SEC and an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

I’ll be disappointed…with anything like last season’s 4-12 SEC regular season. It’s way past time to move forward.

I expect…between 6-8 SEC wins and an overall win total somewhere around 16-18. I’d like to at least split the four games with Illinois, Mizzou, and the two Techs. They should at least win the first game of the NIT, and it will be a good test to see if this Felton team can do better away from home than some of his others.

I realize that my expectations don’t call for an encore in the NCAA Tournament. The result is that we can likely expect the return of the same discussions about the future direction of the program which the tournament run helped to silence (temporarily) last year. It’s generally accepted that the SEC Tournament title saved Felton’s job, but did it buy him anything more than one more year?