Bowl Picks 12/31/2012

Post by William

Nice rally yesterday with the NFL picks. 5-1

Here are today's bowl game picks. Picks are in ALL CAPS

Vandy minus 7.5 vs NC STATE

USC minus 7.5 vs Georgia Tech                      Not sure on this one. USC would probably rather be covered in honey and thrown in a fireant bed than be in El Paso Texas on New Years Eve. However, talent ususally overcomes, even with hat idiot Lane Kiffin coaching.

IOWA STATE minus 2 vs Tulsa

LSU minus 6 vs Clemson

NFL Picks

Post by William

AWFUL day yesterday. 0-5 on bowl picks.

Here are today's picks. Picks are in ALL CAPS

Houston minus 6.5 vs INDY (Home)

CINCINNATI(Home) minus 3 vs Baltimore

ATLANTA(Home) minus 3.5 vs Tampa Bay

Green Bay minus 3.5 vs MINNESOTA

NEW ENGLAND(Home) minus 10.5 vs Miami

WASHINGTON(Home) minus 3.5 vs Dallas

Bowl Picks 12/29/2012

Post by William

10-3 for the Bowl season

Picks in ALL CAPS

AIR FORCE minus 2 vs Rice

WEST VIRGINIA minus 3.5 vs Syracuse

Arizona State minus 14 vs NAVY

OREGON STATE minus 3.5 vs Texas

TCU minus 2.5 vs Michigan State

Bowl Picks 12/28/2012

Post by William

8-2 for bowl games so far

Picks in ALL CAPS

LA MONROE minus 7 vs Ohio

VA TECH minus 2 vs Rutgers

Texas Tech minus 13 vs MINNESOTA

Bowl Picks 12/27/12

Post by William

6-1 for the bowls so far. Jump on the bandwagon

Picks in ALL CAPS

San Jose St minus 7.5 vs BOWLING GREEN

CINCINNATI minus 8.5 vs Duke     BOWL LOCK PICK OF THE YEAR

UCLA minus 3 vs BAYLOR

Little Caesar's Bowl

Post by William

Western Kentucky minus 6.5 vs CENTRAL MICHIGAN

NFL Picks

Post by William

5-1 in bowl games and won Falcons last night

Picks are in ALL CAPS

PITTSBURGH (Home) minus 3 vs Cincinnati

Dallas(Home) minus 1 vs NEW ORLEANS

New York Giants minus 1 vs BALTIMORE(Home)

Seattle(Home) minus 1 vs SAN FRAN

Friday and Saturday Picks

Post by William

3-0 in Bowl games and 4-2 NFL last Sunday.

Picks in ALL CAPS

CENTRAL FLORIDA minus 7 vs Ball State in St Pete

LA LAFAYETTE minus 4.5 vs East Carolina in NOLA

BOISE STATE minus 5.5 vs Washington

ATLANTA minus 3.5 vs Stafford to Megatron.    At least the Falcons playing against one less dirty Detroit Lion. That $^#@&bag Nick Fairley is out for the season.

Poinsettia Bowl

Post by William

Brigham Young minus 3 vs San Diego St in San Diego

BYU wins and covers

NFL Picks

Post by William

Picks in ALL CAPS

GREEN BAY minus 3 vs Chicago(Home)

Denver minus 3 vs BALTIMORE(Home)

HOUSTON(Home) minus 9.5 vs Indianapolis

Pittsburgh minus 1 vs DALLAS(Home)

NEW ENGLAND(Home) minus 5 vs San Fran

ATLANTA(Home) minus 1 vs New York Giants

Bowl Picks

Post by William

Seems kinda irrelevant after yesterday.... but I'll pick all the bowl games and some meaningful NFL games for the rest of the season. Win/Loss is at top right of blog

Picks in ALL CAPS

Arizona minus 8.5 vs NEVADA

UTAH ST minus 10.5 vs Toledo

Murph is a Hall of Famer.... Part Two

Post by William

More on Murph for Hall of Fame

Jeff Schultz gives more reasoning for Murph for Hall of Fame. This one's good.

Murph is a Hall of Famer

Post by William

Why Murph is a Hall of Famer

This is written by the Braves Beat writer for the AJC, Dave O'Brien. Best thing he's ever written. He makes the point that if you're keeping Bonds, Clemens, Rose, et al out for integrity and character, Murph should go IN because of integrity and character along with his stats.

I know it's a tad lengthy but PLEASE read the whole thing. The letter Murph's son wrote is outstanding.

Quick Pick

Post by William

Real quick pick today

Falcons minus 3 at Carolina.    Some jackleg DE for the Panthers(3-9) says Panthers are "much better" than the Falcons. You just keep thinking Butch. That's what you're good at.

Falcons cover fairly easily

Trying to wean... this may help.

Post by Mike

It is going to be balmy Saturday for most Georgia sports fans, but not all. The Valdosta State Blazers play in Mankato, MN at 3:00 PM. Expected high of the day.... 36 degrees.

Saturday Weather for Mankato, MN

If your football jones is unmanageable you can watch the game on ESPN3.com.

ESPN Schedule

Meanwhile up in Norfolk, VA Georgia Southern will be taking on Old Dominion. That game will be ESPN beginning at noon.

GSU Game Summary

UGA @ GT BBall Tonight

Dogs at Jackets in GT's fancy new arena.

7pm on ESPNU

Now for the million dollar question... what will Murray do next year?

Post by Mike

The Dawgs will lose a lot of players to NFL. Jarvis is projected to go top three, John Jenkins will go in the first round, and according to CBS Murray would go in round two.

I find it hard to believe E J Manuel would go higher than Murray, and these things often change after evaluations are done. So if Murray is projected to be high second round (55th overall), what does he do?

Can't say I would blame him for taking the dollars. After all he hasn't been treated by many with a great deal of respect, and the Dawgs will have a hard time rebuiding that defense. If he does return, his O line will be more experienced, and he'll have plenty of targets.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospectrankings/2013/QB

Life goes on... and there is still football to be played.

Post by Mike

Punched in the gut... ugh. Dawgs going to Capital One Bowl to squash Nebraska.

And in other football news:
Falcons clinch the NFC South - Prepare for Superman.
Georgia Southern advances to Quarter Finals - Faces ODU.
Valdosta State advances to Semi-Finals.

Picks

Post by William Here are the picks for the weekend. Picks are in ALL CAPS OKLAHOMA STATE minus 4.5 vs Baylor(Home) Over/under is 88. Is this basketball? OKLAHOMA minus 5 vs Tcu(Home) KANSAS STATE(Home) minus 10.5 vs Texas FSU minus 14 vs Georgia Tech in Charlotte NEBRASKA minus 3.5 vs Wisconsin in Indy(I think. Like it matters) Alabama minus 7.5 vs UGA in Georgia Dome No analysis. Been analyzed to Death. Dogs in a squeaker.

Pac 12 Championship

Post by William Stanford minus 8.5 at home vs UCLA Stanford wins in a rout. Covers easily

Reason #5 - PRESSURE

Post by Mike
Pressure is the key to this game. Click, listen and read below:
There are three prime pressure points- over come them and you're one win away.
1 – How will each offensive line hold up against a very athletic defensive front 7?
2 – How will the Bama secondary hold up against the UGA receivers and Murray? And most importantly
3- how will A. J. McCarron react to the pressure? We have seen Murray have trouble in big games. We have also seen McCarron cry after pulling it out against LSU, only to turn around and make a bad pass at the end of the Texas A&M game.

But for me there was a more telling moment in the loss to Johnny Football. In an interview replayed during the game McCarron spoke candidly about the pressure of being quarterback at Alabama. He was referring to his crying at the end of the LSU game and how the pressure was huge. He almost cried in the interview about him crying. Weight of the World pushing down?

I’m sure it is, which leads to this argument – Nick Saban is not Mr. Warm and Fuzzy. He is all business all the time and not exactly Human centric as reported by Dave Hyde, Columnist for The Sun Sentinel:

“But logic never was Saban's strong suit. Or truth. Or humanity, as all the old Dolphins stories say. We saw that side of him. Like the time he ordered a personal lieutenant, whose internal nickname was Dr. Doom, to tell Dolphins office workers to quit greeting Saban in the morning.

“Or the one where he walked right over a convulsing Jeno James in the locker room. James, a massive guard, was passed out, vomiting, suffering from heat stroke and being attended by panicked teammates. Saban stepped right over James on the way to his office.”

Who really wants to run out and bust a gut for that guy?

So far Saban has been able to treat his Alabama teams like the machine that he is and they have responded. He reportedly requires a minimum of 70 hours a week out of his assistants, does not allow family at practices or at the offices, and is no joy to be around.

When, if ever, will this approach grow old to a bunch of kids? If they make a mistake will he lose it? If McCarron throws a pick, what does the machine say? Can his pro mentality hold up forever at the college ranks? Or do kids this age occasionally need a coach that does a flip off the high dive?

Don’t say it. I know I mocked CMR for that, but maybe there is a method in his madness. We shall see soon. If the Dawgs rise to this occasion he’ll look like a genius who managed to massage a talented, though sometimes troubled roster, into a force mighty enough to take down Bama. His team certainly believes.

The smack talk coming out of Athens is in one instant, infuriating. Then when you reflect, it sends a message of “we are loose”, and loose can be good in a game like this. Of course I made the same argument for LSU last January, and they never crossed the 50.

So while my science is week, my intuition is still pointing to a big day for one team and a fold by another. My intution is also telling me that Gurshall, Murray, Malcolm, Ogletree, Rambo, Big John, and Jarvis would run through a freaking wall for the guy below.

Damn the Yankees!!!

Post by William

This is hilarious. Every sports writer north of Lexington should have to watch this.

Falcons WON

Post by William

Anybody else notice this morning that it was a Saints loss, not a Falcons win? Pity party for NOLA. Held that O to 13 points with 5 INTs. It's a Falcons win.

Is up tempo the ticket?

Post by Mike

This is an interesting analysis of an Alabama weakness: Up tempo favors UGA

Reason #4 - Jarvis Jones

Reason #4 - Jarvis Jones

Here is your opening day lineup.

Post by Mike

With Upton in center and likely batting fourth, what will the balance of the lineup look like?

Remember that Laird was signed to fill in for Ross who moved on to Boston. One might assume Laird would get the nod to start in May and June while Brian McCann rehabs, but you have to look at the deeper signals to know the following: 

1 – Laird was signed as backup and will be used to backup Christian Bethancourt or possibly Evan Gattis on opening day.

Minor league catcher Christian Bethancourt was recently added to the 40 man roster. While he has never played above AA, he is projected to be the Braves catcher of the future and I predict the starter on opening day. The Braves aren’t scared of rookies… they love ‘em. Do the names Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman, Craig Kimbrell, and Brandon Beachy ring a bell?

This is the perfect test for Bethancourt. He can be given the starting day job with full knowledge it is a move to help in his development process. Once McCann can play, he’ll head back to Gwinnett to work on the holes which will likely be exposed by big league pitching.

2 – There is still no answer for the leadoff spot.

It appears to me that Wren and Freddi are struggling to find the answer to replace Bourn. They did resign Jordan Schafer from Houston, but his 2012 stats aren’t giving me a warm and fuzzy (.211 with 27 steals in 106 games).

Then there is Jose Constanza (.250 with 5 steals in 37 games), and Tyler Pasternicky (.243 with 2 steals in 76 games).  Both showed moments of breaking through in 2012, but unless one of them has a tremendous spring I’m not seeing either as the first man to step to the plate in 2013.

If the leadoff man is on the roster now, it will have to be Andrelton Simmons (.289  with 1 steal in 49 games). That solo steal may give you some heartburn at first glance, but consider that he hit .299 and stole 54 bases in two minor league seasons.

So if he can step up to the challenge we could be looking at a lineup that looks something like this:

SS – Simmons

3B – Prado
RF – Heyward
CF - Upton
1B – Freeman
2B - Uggla
C – Bethancourt
LF – TBD
P - Medlen

3 – Who is TBD?

And who will fill that last roster spot? It will likely be decided in Spring Training. Pastornicky has been playing some outfield and if he can get his attitude in check and bat working he could find his way back into the lineup.

One name to look for… Evan Gattis. This knuckle dragger is 6’4”, 230 and is carried on the roster as a catcher, but in 2012 the team saw his freakish power and decided to find a way to fast track him to the majors. So they moved him to left field. In just 74 minor league games he hit .305 with 18 home runs and 67 RBI. In the winter league he is currently hitting .278 with 8 homers and 26 RBI in 33 games, and an OBP of .333. Don’t be surprised to see him play some left field in the spring, or make the final 40 man roster which must be submitted prior to the December 5 winter meetings.  

Ernesto Antonio Mejia is another youngster already on the 40. Like Gattis, Mejia plays a position where the Braves are deep… first base. He has not shown any progress in transition attempts to an outfield spot. In 2012 he hit .296 with 24 dingers in Gwinnett. In winter ball he is stroking .346 with 10 long balls and 29 RBI in 33 games. Also like Gattis, Mejia is a big cat at 6’5”, 245. Both would be good to have around if the benches clear, but there ain’t room on the roster for another first baseman. Can you say trade bait?

PS - The signing of Upton is another sign that the Braves are done signing players represented by Scott Boras. His tactics have run thin with our brass. Wish the best for Bourn, but his agent will be the death of the Nationals. So in a strange circle of life kind of way, you have to pull for Boras to completely ruin our newly grown foe.

Falcons finish off the Saints

Post by William

Big game Thursday Night for the Falcons. Can clinch the NFC South AND pretty much bury the dreaded, hated, cheating Saints.

Good stuff from the AJC.....

Even Mark Bradley has had enough of the Saints

Curtis Lofton gets mouthy

Line is Falcons minus 3.5. Falcons cover EASILY!!!!

Enjoy it!!!

8:30 kickoff Thursday Night on NFL Network.

Reason #3 - UGA has tightened up against the run.

Post by Mike

Reason #3 – Georgia’s rush defense is peaking.

The Bulldogs had their obvious issues in the early part of the season, mainly on the defensive side. Tennessee put up 478 yards of total offense (197 on the ground), followed by that disaster in Columbia where Carolina had their way with us and hung 392 yards (230 via the run!) and 35 points on the board.

After that came what was supposed to be an easy win in Lexington…. While we managed to win 29-24, the defense looked porous surrendering 329 yards to the 5^th best team in the East. 206 of those yards came on the ground right up the gut. Who imagined on Sunday October 21, 2012 that Georgia would manage to pull it together?

Then came the Shawn Williams “call out”. Grantham went back to more base defense calls and started John Jenkins at tackle and Kwame Geathers at nose.  Ogletree and Rambo got back in the groove and, even though he was slowed by a groin injury, Jarvis Jones played big time football.

It all turned in Jacksonville when UGA held The Devil to 266 total yards and surrendered only 81 rushing.

In the two SEC games post Jacksonville, the Dawgs have surrendered 46 yards rushing to Ole Miss, and 57 to Auburn. Granted UGA gave up over 300 yards to each of the “Freak Show” offenses of Georgia Southern and Georgia Tech, but against two SEC teams (one mediocre, one very bad) the defense forced the opponents into a one dimensional offense.

If they do that on Saturday, I like our chances.

Reason #2 – Depth at receiver and tightend

Post by Mike

Georgia has a distinct advantage with dependable targets for Murray. Despite suffering two season ending injuries (Marlon Brown and Michael Bennett) the Dawgs still have more weapons to stretch the field.

Player                                   Yards Receiving

Tavarres King                     704

Malcolm Mitchell             532

Arthur Lynch                      344

Chris Conley                       195

Rantavious Wooten        183

Jay Rome                             133

Bama has been banged up at the position too, but Saban doesn’t have the depth to work with that Richt does. Against Auburn he suffered another injury when Kenny Bell left the game. Now his most dependable targets are freshmen Amari Cooper and Kevin Norwood.

Amari Cooper                    767

Kevin Norwood                 393

Grantham is salivating over this and expect to see Jarvis Jones in full blitz mode. When he does bring the heat, McCarron will throw to Lacy on the screen. For the season the back has 165 yards receiving and 35 of those came against Texas A&M, when the Tide put up 309 yards passing as they tried to catch up to Johnny Football.

Reason #1 - Why Georgia can win

Post by Mike

Over the next five days we will examine five reasons Georgia can win.

Today we will examine how they did against common opponents.

Opponent      Alabama        Differential       Georgia     Differential                        

Ole Miss           W 33-14                19                W 37-10           23

Mizzou              W 42-10                32                W 41-20          21

Tennessee        W 44-13                31                W 51-44            7

Auburn              W 49-0                  49                W 38-0            38

Florida Atl         W 40-7                  33                W 56-20         36

The one game that jumps off the page at me is Tennessee. What a wild shoot out that was in Athens. That was the first game of the season with the entire defense on the field together and the Dawgs didn’t have all the bugs worked out. It was pre-Shawn Williams challenge, and we made a lot of mistakes. Gurley dropped two kickoffs out of bounds inside the five.

Of course he also scorched the Vols for 130 yards while his alter ego Marshall tacked on 165. It was also the fifth game of the year and UT still had some fight in ‘em. By the time Bama locked up with them in Knoxville, the Vols had given up.

The Auburn differential doesn’t factor in since Richt took his foot of their throat in the third quarter. If Saban wants to coach at Alabama, that isn’t an option for him. In that rivalry his fan base would expect him to score until the final whistle blows, and after if possible.

Technology!!!

Post by William

We have entered the 21st century. Please follow us on Twitter    

@GaSportsReport

Picks for the Week

Post by William

I hope everyone has had safe and happy Thanksgiving.

5-5 last week. Picks are in ALL CAPS

Before we start, Good Luck to DWS tonight vs Stratford in the State semifinals

OHIO STATE(Home) minus 4 vs Michigan

TENNESSEE(Home) minus 13.5 vs Kentucky     Finebaum said this afternoon that talks between UT and Gruden had broken off.

Oregon minus 9.5 vs OREGON ST(Home)

Florida St(Home) minus 7 vs FLORIDA      Not sure I understand this line. Seems like a gift.

BAMA(home) minus 32.5 vs Auburn    This won't end well for Auburn. Big big mess over there

STANFORD minus 2.5 vs Ucla(Home)

OLE MISS(Home) minus 1.5 vs Miss State

TEXAS A&M(Home) minus 22 vs Missouri

Clemson(Home) minus 3.5 vs SOUTH CAROLINA

Notre Dame minus 5 vs USC(Home)      The one time I want ND to win and they're going to choke like dogs

UGA(Home) minus 14 vs Georgia Tech    UGA is better at every position on the field. Don't freak out when Tech gains some yards. It's bound to happen.

ATLANTA minus 1 vs Tampa Bay(Home)

Picks for the Week and advice from Uncle Willie!!

Post by William

Please check below. Mikey has posted several things.  Also, thanks for the Falcons background. OUTSTANDING!!!!!

Picks are late again, as usual. Sorry.

3-7 last week. Brutal.

Some questions before the picks....

How can Auburn be so bad? Not being a smartass. Really. How?

Why is Steve Spurrier such a Jackass?

How was practice this week in Tuscaloosa? Yikes!!!

How does Lou Holtz still have a job?

Why is Anthony Bourdain not doing "No Reservations" anymore? Fantastic show. Best non-sports show on TV

Is it possible for me to get MSNBC off my cable package? Not sure why but sometimes I change it to MSNBC. If you hear my head has exploded, you'll know why.

To the picks.... Picks in ALL CAPS

MISS ST(Home) minus 6 vs Arkansas

GEORGIA TECH(Home) minus 13.5 vs Duke    NOTE to Paul Johnson..... Play Tony Zenon. Not sure how he can be in on the 2nd play of the game 2 weeks ago and then last week, when you score 68 points, he doesn't get a carry. Don't overthink the room.

USC minus 3.5 vs Ucla(Home)    You MUST watch this game. You know what I'm talking about.

LSU(Home) minus 19 vs Ole Miss     The Hat still thinks he can win NC

Notre Dame(Home) minus 23 vs WAKE FOREST    If not this week, then next. Notre Dame goes down and goes away

VANDY(Home) minus 3.5 vs Tennessee     Nail in the coffin for Derek Dooley. He took one for the team after that &%($@ Kiffin screwed up the program. They got more penalties yesterday from the Kiffin Regime.

Oregon(Home) minus 20.5 vs STANFORD     Go you Fighting Smart People!!!

WISCONSIN(Home) minus 2.5 vs Urban Meyer     Enough said

NEW ORLEANS minus 4.5 vs Oakland(Home)      LOCK OF THE MILLENIUM!!!

ATLANTA(Home) minus 9.5 vs Arizona      Last week was a good thing for the Falcons. Weren't going 16-0 anyway. Kinda like Bama. Got beat all day and still coulda/shoulda won the game.

Uncle Willie's advice.....not being preachy....  Put yourself with good people. It makes all the difference in the world. I've got several and I hope they know how much I appreciate them.

Post by Mike

Here is a test. Match the school with the next coach:

1 – Auburn ____                                                                             A - Petrino

2 – Tennessee _____                                                                     B - Kirby

3 – Kentucky _____                                                                        C - Tubbs

4 – Arkansas _____                                                                        D – Charlie Strong

                                                                                                          E – Chris Hatcher

And for a bonus question:

Will Texas or USC make a change first, and who will they tap?

Will it work out in the wash?

Post by Mike

Will it all work out in the wash? I’m doubtful that the SEC will get a shot to extend the conference title streak.

The balance of the season looks like this:

Kansas State -    at Baylor                              Texas

Oregon -              Stanford                              at Oregon St.                     Pac 12 Title Game

Notre Dame -    Wake                                    at USC

Bama -                  W. Carolina                         Auburn                                 SEC Title Game

Georgia -             GSU                                       Ga. Tech                              SEC Title Game

Two of the top three would need to stumble in order to give the SEC Champion a shot, and even then KState might lose but only drop to 3^rd. There is a huge anti-SEC movement underfoot even at ESPN which holds the SEC Saturday night contract.

If the four team playoffs system was in place, we would be debating bracket placement instead of inclusion. Of course if the SEC had not expanded by two teams, Johnny Football would never have gotten a chance to run wild on a dead legged Bama squad.

Who out there believes that any of the top three could play Mississippi State, then travel to Death Valley for a brutal slugfest, only to get to come home and chase that pest Manzell without suffering at least one loss?

We have had this debate in the past. In fact we have it almost every year, and somehow it all works out and a path becomes clear for the SEC Champion to get into the title game. But I fear the Karma has run out. The Notre Dame brand and an SEC weary nation will be too much to overcome unless two of the top three lose and lose big.

Uncle Lou gets mouthy

Post by William

Now this is the pot calling the kettle black. You literally can't understand a word Lou Holtz has to say and he's talking bad about Saban? Complete idiot.

Uncle Lou gets mouthy

Picks for the week

Post by William

Sorry. Picks are late as usual.

8-3 last week. Gaining on it.

Picks in ALL CAPS


South Carolina(Home) minus 13.5 vs ARKANSAS

TENNESSEE(Home) minus 3 vs Missouri

NORTH CAROLINA(Home) minus 7.5 vs Georgia Tech

ALABAMA(Home) minus 13.5 vs Texas A&M          Welcome to the Big Time Johnny Football

OLE MISS(Home) minus 3 vs Vandy

Lsu(Home) minus 16 vs MISSISSIPPI STATE

Notre Dame minus 19 vs BOSTON COLLEGE(Home)

Uga minus 14.5 vs AUBURN(Home)       Dogs win but too close for comfort. Really bad words about 9:30 tonight

Dallas minus 1 vs PHILADELPHIA(Home)

Atlanta minus 1 vs NEW ORLEANS(Home)       I hate to pick like this but the streak ends here. Falcons lose in a rout.

Hi. I'm Nick Saban. I want your daughter.

How long before Nick Saban comes to "Meet the parents"? I'm sure Trooper Taylor is nearby too. Course, he may be unemployed Sunday morning.

Is that the best you can do Auburn??

Post by William

I know you've gotta use the saved up TP for something, you haven't used it all year...... but for God's Sakes Auburn, did you have to throw it for this???

The Plainsmen Tigers War Eagles celebrate Obama victory

Picks for the week

Post by William

Sorry these are late.

Here we go. Picks in ALL CAPS.

Big, gigantic, huge week for the Dogs. Need some help around the country.

FLORIDA(Home) minus 17 vs Missouri

VANDY minus 6.5 vs Kentucky(Home)

Mississippi St(Home) minus 7 vs TEXAS A&M

GEORGIA TECH minus 8 vs Maryland       Maryland starting a true freshman LB at QB today. If GT can't win today, there's a bigger mess going on up there than we know about.

Notre Dame(Home) minus 17 vs PITT

CLEMSON minus 12 vs Duke(Home)        LOCK of the Century

OREGON minus 8 vs Southern Cal        I have to root for Lane Kiffin. Gross. Classy of him to blame his players for losing last week.

KANSAS ST(Home) minus 9 vs Oklahoma St  

BAMA minus 8 vs Lsu(Home)       Zack Mettenburger  is not gonna feel good in the morning. Whatever goofy thing the Hat tries tonight won't work vs Kirby. (Felt like being generous this AM. We all know who runs that D.)

Uga(Home) minus 14 vs OLE MISS       Dogs win but it's gonna be closer than we want

ATLANTA(Home) minus 4 vs Dallas           Falcons win BIG

Ok. Stay with me. Not that it matters who we root for(it really does)      I've heard some people say that UGA needs Lsu to win if we're gonna get to the BIG GAME  b/c UGA can beat them and can't beat Bama. Kinda makes some sense if you're Debbie Downer. UGA needs Bama to win b/c the voters don't have confidence in UGA. We lost 35-7 to Jackass. We need to beat an undefeated #1 unbeatable BAMA team in the Dome for SEC title.

So as the kids say......    RTR!!!

Boras for manager of the year... said no one ever.

Post by Mike

It has been a month and I can just now bring myself to write anything about the Braves. The way we lost that one game playoff still turns my stomach, but into the future we march. There is always next year.... right?

Well I have some concerns. While Wren has done a great job with the pitching rotation my main concern for next season is with the offense. Chipper is gone along with his .300 batting average, so there is one huge hole to fill. Can we replace his spot in the order, and do without Michael Bourn?

I don't think so. Bourn struggled down the stretch, but he is the best lead off man in baseball right now, and Prado was very effective in the two hole. Of the free agents on the 2012 roster I would have to rank their importance like this:

1 - Bourn
2 - Bourn
3 - Bourn
4 - Ross
5 - Durbin

But according Dave O'Brien the Braves might rule him too expensive to sign, plus his agent is Scott Boras. He stuck us on that Texeria deal, and he wants Bourn to play in Washington or New York.

Monday DOB had the following:

For the Braves, the free-agent list included Jeff Baker, Miguel Batista, Michael Bourn, Matt Diaz, Chad Durbin, Eric Hinske, Reed Johnson, Lyle Overbay, David Ross and Ben Sheets, who announced he was retiring at the end of the 2012 season.

The Braves are expected to re-sign backup catcher Ross, and also are believed to have interest in bringing back reliever Durbin and outfielder Johnson. The Braves have said since the beginning of the 2012 season that they’d like to re-sign Bourn, but the center fielder and leadoff man, who is represented by powerful agent Scott Boras, could be deemed too expensive by the Braves.

I think this is a nice way of saying "Boras is an untrustworthy ass, and we will let him come to us to negotiate. We will give him our number, but we ain't gona let him use us again to drive up a player's price."

If that is the thinking, I concur. Boras wrecked the Nationals last season with the way he demanded the team handle Strasberg. You can't allow an agent to skipper your team, and that SOB has Strasberg, Werth and Zimmerman in his stable. He is the defacto manager of the Nationals.

So take heart. If we lose Bourn to the Nats it may sting a bit, but Boras will only gain even more control of our new hated rival, and he ain't a very good manager. It could be a blessing in disguise.

Still... that won't fill in the lead off spot.

There will be clarity...

Post by Mike

From hence forth there will be clarity. Entering the weekend the BCS Rankings stand as follows:

1 – Bama
2 – Kansas State (Laughing as I type)
3 – Notre Dame (Even I have to admit, their D is pretty darn good.)
4 – Oregon
5 – LSU
6 – UGA
7 – Florida (They are irrelevant now, but I had to show that the Gaytors are ranked below us.)

After Saturday’s show down in the Bayou, either the Tigers or Tide will drop. If Bama loses the Dawgs may not be in the top five, but if LSU falls, and UGA beats Ole’ Miss….then up we go.

We could also use some help from Oklahoma State Saturday night (8 PM on ABC) when they square off with KSTATE. If the Wildcats win then, they still have to play at TCU and Baylor before they get Texas at home to finish the regular season. Lots of opportunity for a mis-step for them.

Also on Saturday night we all need to pull hard for USC against Oregon (7 PM on FOX). If the Ducks don’t lose there, they still have challenges with Stanford and Oregon State on the schedule.

Then there is Notre Dame. The Irish have Pitt, then Boston College and Wake Forrest before they finish their season November 24^th at USC. Once again we’ll all have to hold our noses and pull for Lane Kiffin.

Of course the biggest thing UGA has to do is win. A lot of these other obstacles will take care of themselves. So beat Ole’ Miss, beat Auburn, beat GSU, beat Tech… then we’ll either get a one loss LSU or an undefeated Bama in the title game.

Win that one, and anything can happen.

What scenario would you rather see?  UGA vs. LSU or Bama in the title game?

This makes me laugh

Post by William

This makes me laugh

Who's Soft???

Post by William

http://blogs.ajc.com/uga-sports-blog/2012/10/27/jarvis-jones-takes-soft-out-of-georgias-defense-leads-way-for-17-9-win-over-no-2-florida/

17-9

Post by William

http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/2012/10/27/georgia-will-take-an-ugly-win-like-this-any-time/

Picks for the Week

Post by William

Here are the picks

Dogs lose in a blowout

Falcons lose to Michael Vick

Then comes Monday

Gross

Who has the bigger mess?

Post by Mike

Auburn – The Tigers are 1-5 and 0-4 in the SEC. Chiz has had three top 10 recruiting classes but a lot of those players are in the poky. If they don’t beat Vandy on Saturday the volume will get turned up from the fire Chiz crowd. Auburn is so bad this year they belong in the ACC. Who does Pat Dye hire next? My predictions: Kirby Smart, Al Golden, or maybe Charlie Strong.

Tennessee – The Vols are 3-3 and 0-3 in conference. If Dooley doesn’t get a big win soon he’ll get shown the door. Bama goes to Knoxville Saturday, then the Vols go to Columbia next weekend. Derek better start polishing the resume. Things are improving on Rocky Top, but not fast enough for the Orange Army. Who’s the next fool to take this spot? My Predictions: Fulmer  or David Cutcliff.

Kentucky – The Wildcats are 1-6 without a conference win. Joker is gone. Of course no one in that state really cares because basketball tips shortly and their favorite slime hit the recruiting trail again last season.  Who will get the call here? My predictions: Petrino, Charlie Strong (stealing a coach from Louisville would please many Cats) or Chris Hatcher.

Texas – The Longhorns are 4-2 overall, but only 1-2 in the Big 12. Giving up 63 to Oklahoma didn’t go over well, and Mac Brown is old. They’ve tried changing every job on the staff but one. Texas has money, lots of it. So who do they go after? My predictions: Saban or Chip Kelley – Only a top tier candidate will satisfy them.

Georgia Tech – Yuck. They stink very much. The Jackets are 2-4 but there wins are against Virginia and Presbyterian and they are 1-3 in that thing they call a conference. They fired their defensive coordinator mid-season and if this has to be blown up it will be very ugly. Johnson has been recruiting for that option offense for several years. They have option QBs and lineman  trained to chop and run block. If they decided to make a change, you can expect them to spend a few years in the wilderness. Who do they go after? My prediction: They won’t make a change because of what I just described. Now if they go winless for the balance of the season, maybe… and they would go after Chris Hatcher.

Picks for the week

Post by William

No trivia this week. Mike and I didn't feel like doing it. Still pissed about Carolina game.

Before we get to the picks, click on the link below for 2013 SEC Fball Schedule. UGA gets LSU in Athens. Also, Carolina moves back to the 2nd game of the year. Think that makes that Jackass in Columbia happy? Maybe we won't have anybody suspended next year.

Sorry.... lost my mind for just a minute.

2013 SEC Fball Schedule

On to the picks. 5-4-1 last week

Picks are in ALL CAPS

Lsu minus 3.5 vs TEXAS A&M(Home)       Don't have a feel for this. If The Hat was a good coach, LSU would kill them and Johnny Football would cry for his Mommy. That's why I'm taking A&M.      

VANDY(Home) minus 7 vs Auburn      That's right. Not a typo. Vandy minus 7 vs Auburn. Ouch.

GA TECH(Home) minus 14 vs Boston College        BC must be awful

Notre Dame(Home) minus 13 vs BYU     BYU can play and Domers are looking ahead to the butt whiiping they get next week at Oklahoma

Florida(Home) minus 3.5 vs CAROLINA      I know. Makes me wanna puke making this pick but Jackass is worth 10 points in this game vs Muschamp. Really need UF to win but....

Uga minus 27.5 vs KENTUCKY(HOME)     Not a chance in Hell Dogs cover. I've seen this game 1000 times under Coach Richt. Play down to the competition. That huge hissing sound you'll hear about 7:15 Saturday night is the air coming out of the Dogs balloon when the score from Gainesville is announced on PA system. We'll be lucky to get of Lexington with a W

BAMA minus 20 vs Tennessee(Home)     Wouldn't you hate to know your job depends on beating Saban? Good luck with that Coach Dooley. Phil Fulmer going into UT Hall of Fame that night. Should've never been fired.

FSU minus 21 vs Miami(Home)     Pretty sure that's the most points FSU has ever given Miami in Miami.

Clemson(Home) minus 7.5 vs VA TECH     This is just the kind of game that Clemson loses.

Tampa Bay(Home) minus 1 vs NEW ORLEANS

 Put all your energy into the Gators Saturday at 3:30. Gross.
.

    

Who is it??

 Post by William

Mack Brown will "retire" at the end of the year. HINT    forced out

Who's the next coach at Texas?

#2   Who coaches Auburn's first Fball game Labor Day weekend 2013?

Hot Route, Hot Route

Post by William

I'm changing my Alabama pick. Bama covers the 21.

My blog, my rules.

Yeah, I'm still pissed

Post by William

Last weekend was awful. Braves got screwed, Dogs were awful, Tech couldn't stop Deerfield. Falcons went down 17-10 I was about to jump off the roof. Went 7-3 for the week, Lose to CDB at 8-2.

No trivia this week. Didn't feel like doing it.

Some of you that know me know this... I'm a BAD loser. REALLY makes me mad. Learned that when I started playing competitive tennis at 10 years old. Mom couldn't stand it. Anyway... here are my picks for the weekend.

Picks will be in ALL CAPS

OKLAHOMA minus 3 vs Texas in Dallas

OLE MISS(Home) minus 5 vs Auburn         You folks to the West.... Ya'll happy with Chizik?

ALABAMA minus 21 vs Missouri(Home)  

Notre Dame(Home) minus 7 vs STANFORD    Here's your upset    Stanford wins outright. PUNISHES ND with the run.. First LOCK of the Year

WEST VIRGINIA minus 3.5 vs Texas Tech(Home)     2nd LOCK of the Year    Tuberville wants Arkansas job so bad he can't stand it.

Florida minus 8.5 vs VANDY(Home)     Not sure why but I've got a feeling.

Arkansas minus 18.5 vs KENTUCKY   Yawn

LSU(Home) minus 2.5 vs Jackass          No comment

MISS STATE(Home) minus 3 vs Tennessee    Derek Dooley had hip surgery this week. Coaching from box. Like that matters. Kickoff at 8PM Central     Could get ugly

ATLANTA(Home) minus 9.5 vs Oakland      Started at 5. Big number.   My team is good.

We would REALLY like you to come to Albany this weekend for this. Great time to be had by all.

http://georgiathrowdown.com/

Have a great safe weekend

Good Ole' Lewis...

For those too young, here is an account of the story from the 60's:

Happy Dicks was a linebacker at Georgia in the mid 60's, which will make this article about the journalist from Georgia, the late, Lewis Grizzard, AA? '68, that much funnier.
On the eve of the Georgia - South Carolina game 41 years ago, I was hanging out with three Sigma Pi brothers (the Hound, Tex , and Bake), drinking a few cold PBRs at the old Callaway Gardens Apartment on the Atlanta Highway . We were discussing the upcoming game against the Gamecocks and lamenting the fact that we were going in with several key players out with injuries, including our starting DE, Billy Payne (who ran the Atlanta Olympics and is now Ch of the Board at Augusta National) and his roommate, MLB, Happy Dicks.
About 10:00 that night, another fraternity brother, Lewis Grizzard, came in after he got off work. Our buddy was inactive at the time because he had gotten married over the summer to his high school sweetheart, Nancy ( the first of many--all with the same name--Plaintiff). In addition to taking a full load at the University, he was working two jobs to help pay for (as he called it) "this expensive habit." A talented young man, he was writing two columns daily - one in the morning for the Athens Banner Herald and one in the afternoon for the Athens Daily News.
Lewis walked in, went straight to the refrigerator, got a beer, plopped down in a chair, pushed his glasses back up his nose and announced, "Gentlemen, with any luck at all, tomorrow morning you'll witness journalistic history. I have submitted my column and if it gets by my editor - and there's a good chance of that happening, since he looked drunk earlier this evening - you'll enjoy the greatest headline in the history of sports journalism."
He refused to tell us what it was, and to be honest with you, we all forgot about it. As Lewis went home to his lovely, young bride, the four of us went back over to the Fraternity house to get a head start on the weekend.
The next morning, as usual, I went straight for the Sports Section. As I pulled it out, I could do nothing but smile, because our buddy had pulled it off. To this day, Vince Dooley calls it his most memorable column ever - all because of the headline, which read:
DOGS TO PLAY COCKS WITH DICKS OUT.

Picks for Week 6

OK Danny got it right. #16

Here are the picks for the week....

Auburn(Home) minus 8 vs Arkansas
GSR      Auburn         CDB     Ark

Miss St minus 10 vs Kentucky(Home)
GSR     Miss St        CDB       Miss St

Clemson(Home) minus 10.5 vs Ga Tech
GSR        Clemson       CDB     Clemson

LSU minus 2.5 vs Florida(Home)
GSR     UF              CDB     UF

Texas(Home) minus 7 vs West Virginia
GSR      WVU      CDB       WVU

Missouri(Home) minus 7 vs Vandy
GSR     Missouri      CDB       Vandy

Texas A&M minus 12 vs Ole Miss(Home)
GSR     A&M                       CDB    Ole Miss

South Carolina(Home) minus 1 vs UGA
GSR     UGA                       CDB      UGA
Need a HUGE GIGANTIC game from the O-tackles

Atlanta minus 3 vs Washington(Home)
GSR       Coons                      CDB         Coons

New England(Home) minus 6 vs Denver
GSR        Brady              CDB    Peyton

Tiebreaker      More Passing Yards    Peyton or Brady 
GSR       Brady       CDB       Peyton       

Tiebreaker 2     How many times will I call Spurrier a bad word on Saturday?
GSR   Unlimited

Trivia

Question about Chipper.... see if you can get it w/o Googling.

What was Chipper's original uniform number with the Atlanta Braves?

Post answers in comments below

We've got a time

Post by William

We've got a time for Braves on Friday.  5:07 vs Cards at The Ted. Medlen vs Lohse.

If/when Braves play Game 1 of NLDS vs TBD, it will be on Sunday. Time and Network TBD.

Bennett out for the balance of the season.

Post by Mike

The bad news is Bennett was the Dawgs leading receiver. The good news is that the injury hit a very deep roster spot.

AJC - Bennett out for the season with torn ACL.

This is better than Christmas, the Fourth of July and Honey Boo Boo’s birthday all rolled into one!

Post by Mike

Where to start? Okay let’s go chronologically.

Though I hate this new Wild Card coin toss game, it is better to be there than where we were just twelve months ago.

Tonight may provide some clarity on when we will face the Cardinals. We know it will be Friday in Atlanta, but we don’t have a start time because the AL is a disaster.  Baltimore, Oakland and Texas are in a three-way tie for two spots.

The A’s play at the Rangers today at 3:35. The winner will be in, but here is the kicker, if Baltimore wins or loses, there will be a two way tie for the last spot in the one game play off. Meaning there will be a one game play off to determine the participants in the one game play off. We may, however, get some relief on game times if the O’s win. In that there is a 50/50 chance the AL Wildcard play in game will be an East coast start on Friday. An O's loss will mean that Friday AL game will be in either Texas or California, and therefore a later starting time.  Of course all this is assuming that the Yankees win tonight against the Red Sox. If they lose then the mess flows down hill again, and I'm certain the Red Sox would take a lot of pleasure in sticking New York.

You could see a Thursday game to determine the AL East winner, then the AL Wild Card game.

With Chipper Jones retiring I would bet TBS wants the Braves in the prime time spot if at all possible.

Atlanta will send Medlen to the mound to square off against 18 game winner Kyle Lohse. The Braves faced Lohse once in 2012 and roughed him up pretty good back in May winning the contest 10-7. The Card starter only lasted 5 innings and gave up 5 runs on 9 hits.

Both teams will have the advantage of being able to use a 25 man roster for Friday’s game, then being able to reset their card if they advance. Expect the Braves to carry Medlen, Martinez, Durben, O’Flaherty, Venters, The Flame Thrower, and the balance will be bats.

We’ll break the game down further in our next post, and we’ll also get to that little game looming in Columbia between #5 Georgia and #6 Carolina.

It’s a good time to be a sports fan!

A Question for the Masses

Post by William

OK. We've got Musberger and Herbstreit announcing the game Saturday night. A thought occurred today at lunch......

Anybody know the last UGA game that Musberger announced?

PS.... this isn't Trivia Question. We think we know the answer but we're not sure.

Fire away.

I won, but YIKES!!!

Post by William

I went 4-5-1(awful) yet I managed to win. "Saban" went 2-7-1. Bad all around.

At least Dogs won, Falcons won-beating Cam-, and the Saints are now 0-4.

Ryder Cup was just terrible. Tiger went 0-3-1.

Early line on UGA at South Carolina..... Carolina minus 2.

Picks for week 5

Post by William

OK. We tracked down "Saban". Pretty sure we all know who that is.
HINT      Family


Texas A&M(Home) minus 13.5 vs Arkansas
GSR    TAM     "Saban"   Ark 

 Georgia Tech(Home) minus 27.5 vs Mid Tenn State 
GSR    GT      "Saban"   GT

UGA(Home) minus 13.5 vs Tennessee
GSR   Tenn      "Saban"   UGA    We win but the points scare me

South Carolina minus 21 at Kentucky(Home)
GSR    SC     "Saban"    UK

Alabama(Home) minus 30 vs Ole Miss
GSR    Bama        "Saban"   Ole Miss
Does he know something i don't know from Tiderinsider? Is Saban injured?

 FSU minus 17 vs South Florida(Home)
GSR     FSU      "Saban"   FSU  

Clemsom minus 9 vs Boston College(Home)
GSR    Clemson      "Saban"   BC

Texas minus 1.5 vs Okie State(Home)
GSR    UT      "Saban"   UT

Atlanta(Home) minus 7 vs Cam Newton
GSR    ATL        "Saban"    ATL

Green Bay(Home) minus 9 vs Cheaters(Saints)
GSR    GB      "Saban"    GB

TIEBTREAKER       CLOSEST to TOTAL Numbers of points Tiger Woods pulls in Ryder Cup
GSR     3         "Saban"   2.5

Hey Saban, where are you???

Hey "Saban", you won. Need you to send an email to georgiasportsreport@yahoo.com by 8am Friday am so we can send you the picks or we'll go to Wayne Veal.

Hurry up.

Trivia Question

Sorry this is so late. We've had some issues with the blog this week. Here goes....

Craig Kimbrell did something last night in the Braves game that a Brave had not done since 1995. For the win, name what Kimbrell did.

As a bonus, name the Brave who did it in 1995.

Please answer in comments below.

Congrats to me!!!

Post by William

Congrats to me. I FINALLY won. Joe and I both finished 6-4 for the week and I won the tiebreaker.

Watch out. I'm on a roll.

Week 4 Picks

Joe Dent won the Trivia contest AGAIN this week. The answer was Stewart Maiden from Scotland.

I think Joe has too much time on his hands.

Here are the picks.....

Florida(Home) minus 24 vs Kentucky
GSR    FLA        JD     FLA
Could Petrino resurface at UK? Just remember who their bball coach is. Not exactly squeaky clean.

Georgia Tech(Home) minus 14 vs Miami
GSR      GT             JD    GT
Not sure on this one but The U has trouble with Tech's offense.

South Carolina(Home) minus 10 vs Missouri
GSR     SC         JD   Missouri
Welcome to your first SEC road game

LSU minus 20.5 vs Auburn(Home)
GSR     LSU        JD   LSU
The Hat will turn up the heat on Chizik's Hot Seat.
BTW, Cam, when you're down 23-0 at home last night and you score a TD, give the Ref the ball and go put your hat on backwards instead of doing your Superman show. Panthers lost 36-7. Makes you look stupid.

Notre Dame(Home) minus 5 vs Michigan
GSR     ND                JD    ND
This is the one I'm having the most trouble with. Don't think ND is all that great but I saw UM against Bama.

UGA(Home) minus 15 vs Vandy
GSR    UGA                 JD     UGA
This is a lot of points. I've got a good feeling about the D tomorrow night. Jarvis has another HUGE night. Gives Tyler Bray something to sleep on all week.

Oklahoma(Home) minus 14.5 vs Kansas State
GSR     K State                JD    K State
OU wins, but too many points. If OU loses, they're out of BCS Champ game.

FSU(Home) minus 14.5 vs Clemson
GSR      FSU               JD     Clemson
A lot of points. This game will show if the Noles are back. If they lose, they're out of BCS Champ game.

San Diego(Home) minus 3 vs Atlanta
GSR      Atlanta          JD     Atlanta
Julio Jones is getting points? Take that all day long.

Baltimore(Home) minus 3 vs New England
GSR     Baltimore                 JD  Baltimore

Tiebreaker
Closest to TOTAL points in Rutgers at Arkansas
GSR        56                   JD    55
My blog, I get to go last.

Trivia

Post by William

Here's the Trivia question for the week.

In honor of the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta, Bobby Jones' home course, who was the Club Pro at East Lake when Bobby Jones started playing golf and where was he from?

Get both correct and you get get the chance to pick against a slumping GSR.

Good Luck.

It is starting...

Post by Mike

This week is starting with the Vandy coach getting a bit chippy. Remember how those silly Dores thought they belonged on the same field with us last season. First shots fired.

I think if my only win on the season was against a I-AA Presbyterian team, I'ld keep my pie hole zipped.

Cornelius Washington is getting in on the action too, because he missed the chance last year: CW had to watch the action from Athens.

Then there is that little title race going on over in the NL East. This shows the Nats are starting to look over their shoulder. Will they fold under the pressure?

The writer, James Wagner, is a numbers whizz, and says the Nats have a 95.5% chance of winning the East.

He also breaks down the remaining schedule:

The toughest hurdle that remains for the Nationals is one that, a few weeks ago, didn’t appear like one: their end-of-season schedule. The Nationals face much stiffer tests than the Braves over the remaining two weeks of the season. All four of the Nationals’ remaining opponents have records at .500 or above. In fact, the combined winning percentage of the remaining teams on the Nationals schedule is .509, while the Braves’ remaining opponents sit at .469.

Am I smarter than a 9 year old??

Post by William

Evidently not.

Congrats to Smith Flynn. He went 7-3 for the week vs my 6-4 . We'll make arrangements for you to get your prize.

PS..... Auburn is AWFUL.

Lane Kiffin

How to watch UGA game

Post by William

If Mediacom is your Internet provider, you can watch the UGA/Florida Atlantic game on espn3.com.
If Mediacom isn't yours, you might want to try it and see.

Week 3 Picks

Post by William

Sorry I'm late getting these posted.

Here we go.....Remember to respect your elders, Smith.

FSU(Home) minus 28 vs Wake Forest
GSR   FSU      SF    FSU

Auburn(Home) minus 16.5 vs LA-Monroe
GSR    Auburn         SF    LA-Monroe

GT(Home) minus 9.5 vs Virginia
GSR   GT        SF   GT

Tennessee(Home) minus 3 vs Florida
GSR     Tennessee        SF   Florida

Alabama minus 20 vs Arkansas(Home)
GSR   Alabama          SF   Alabama

UGA(Home) minus 42 vs Florida Atlantic
GSR    FA       SF     FA         Dogs win easy but don't cover

USC minus 9 vs Stanford(Home)
GSR       USC         SF      USC

Michigan State(Home) minus 5.5 vs Notre Dame
GSR   Mich St              SF    Mich St

San Francisco(Home) minus 7 vs Detroit
GSR   San Fran            SF    San Fran

Atlanta(Home) minus 3 vs Denver
GSR      Atlanta        SF     Denver


Tie Breaker      TOTAL Points in Navy/Penn State Game
GSR    35      SF   27

We have a winner

Post by William

Congrats to Smith Flynn. Jonathon Sullivan was the correct answer.

I will send the picks to your Father later today.

Good Luck.

Week 3 Trivia

Post by William

OK. We're changing the rules a little bit. You CAN win more than once.

Here's the question....(Try not to Google)

Name the last UGA defensive player drafted in the Top 10 of the NFL Draft. I was surprised.

First winning answer posted in the Comments below gets to pick this week"s games vs yours truly.

Have fun.

UGH!!!

Post by William

Congrats to Joe Dent. He won the contest this week, 6-4 vs my 5-5. Who knew Auburn was so bad?

We'll get Joe his prize this week. I'm sure he'll love it.

Now THAT was impressive!!!

Post by William

Wow. The Falcons looked like a real contender today in their 40-24 win in Kansas City. They held the Chiefs scoreless in the 2nd half until the last play of the game. Big road win with the Saints losing to the Redskins in NOLA. Bad loss for them. They may be a mess this year.

Superman!

Post by Mike

Click here to check out Jarvis Jones' crazy good stats: Defensive game stats

He did all that with a strained groin while his unit was short four starters. Just think about how good this defense could be at full strength!

Week 2 Picks

Post by William

Here are the picks for Week 2. Let's hope they go better than Week 1. Joe Dent is this week's winner of the Trivia Contest.

Please see below. Mike posted several times earlier this morning.

Mississippi State(Home) minus 3.5 vs Auburn
GSR- Auburn      JD-   Miss St

South Carolina(Home) minus 21 vs East Carolina
GSR- East Carolina     JD-    South Carolina

Texas A&M(Home) minus 1 vs Florida
GSR-  Florida     JD-  A&M

Wisconsin minus 6.5 vs Oregon St
GSR-  Wisconsin   JD-  Wisconsin

LSU(Home) minus 24 vs Washington
GSR-   LSU     JD-  LSU

Nebraska minus 5.5 vs UCLA(Home)
GSR-  Nebraska    JD-   Nebraska

UGA minus 2.5 vs Missouri(Home)
GSR-   UGA     JD-  UGA

Vandy minus 3.5 vs Northwestern(Home)
GSR-  Northwestern      JD-   Vandy

Atlanta minus 3 vs Kansas City(Home)
GSR-   Atlanta     JD- Atlanta

Denver(Home) minus 1 vs Pittsburgh
GSR-   Pittsburgh     JD-   Denver

Another reason to be confident.

Post by Mike

I've always heard they grow their women big in the "Show me" state, and this blog confirms that.

Scroll down this link to read a good cat fight: Those Missouri gals need to lay off the ribs.

Okay... now I'm feeling better.

Post by Mike

There is no way in hell we will lose to a team from the same state that provides quality entertainment likes this: Mizzou intelligence on display.

What could possibly go wrong?

Post by Mike

Murphy's law is in effect. While UGA is more talented than Mizzou and our DC is a bad ass, I feel the responsibility to remind everyone about our last two road trips to play a Big-12 team, or in this case a former Big-12 team. We had suspension issues then too. Remember the horror of that four game stretch without AJ.

Then there was that 2009 opening game in Stillwater: Another bad memory.

Let's hope this game turns out more like that trip to Tempe. Ah... there's a good looking season, only how the hell did we manage to lose to Tech?

Mizzou fans get educated about UGA.

Post by Mike

10 things Mizzou fans didn't know about UGA. Me thinks I sense sarcasm in that comment about Newman vs. Brad Pitt.

Picks in the AM

Post by William

I'll send out the GSR vs Joe Dent picks in the AM. Don't want to disrupt your viewing of the DNC tonight.

HINT...Note the sarcasm.

Trivia Winner

Post by William

This week's winner is Joe Dent. We;ll have the picks for you tomorrow.

NFL Predictions

Post by William

Here are my predictions for the NFL

AFC

EAST- New England
SOUTH- Houston
NORTH- Baltimore
WEST- Denver

WILDCARDS- Pittsburgh & Kansas City

AFC CHAMPION- HOUSTON TEXANS

NFC

EAST- NY Giants
SOUTH- Atlanta
NORTH- Green Bay
WEST- San Fran

WILDCARDS- Detroit and New Orleans

NFC CHAMPION- GREEN BAY PACKERS

SUPER BOWL CHAMPION- HOUSTON TEXANS

LEAGUE MVP- MATT SCHAUB

NOT LEAGUE MVP- TIM TEBOW

Week 2 Trivia Question

Post by William

Here is this week's Trivia Question. I got it on the 2nd try. See if you can get the answer right without Googling.

Saturday’s meeting between Mizzou and UGA will be only the second time these two teams have squared off on the football field. The first meeting was in the 1960 Orange Bowl when Fran Tarkenton led the Dawgs to a 14-0 win in Wally Butts’ last game as head coach. The Tigers actually outgained Georgia 264 yards to 223, but turned the ball over with 3 interceptions. That season the Mizzou head coach developed “the sucker shift” which drew opposing defenses off sides and helped the Tigers win the Big Eight conference and place fourth in the final Coaches Poll. Name this Missouri head coach.

Please click on Comments below and leave your answers there. First correct answer gets to pick against me this week. 

PS.... You can only win the Trivia Question once

Week 1 Results

Post by William

OK. I took it on the chin last week. I went 6-5 with Rick going 7-4. I took Navy vs ND.

My running total will be top right of the blog.

Be on the lookout for this week's Trivia Question. It's coming at some point Wednesday. We're going to try something different this week.

Thank you all for playing along last week.

This is worth watching!

Post by Mike

Chipper appears determined to avoid another late season collapse.

Click here to check out the old man!

The HUGEST game of the year! So far.

Post by Mike

 This is the biggest week of the season!

With a prime time matchup against Mizzou just a few days away, the Dawg Nation has as many questions about this season’s team as they did prior to the game with legendary power house Buffalo.

First let’s deal with the positives: Isaiah who? UGA has great depth at tailback. Gurley is the real deal.  Marshall and Malcome give Bobo more dependable weapons to use than at any time in recent memory.

The receiving crew is also thick with good hands.

The special teams are definitely improved and short punter Adam Erickson is super skilled at chip shots.

Now to the problem areas: The O line was porous and Theus may be out.  Mitchell is in a walking cast so the secondary is not likely to improve in four short days. The defensive front looked okay, but John Jenkins cannot play more than three plays without having to rest and looked very soft.  That is also not a problem that can be cured in four days, and something that should have been addressed in July by  conditioning coaches. Granted… it was hot in Sanford Stadium, but the next time you watch Alabama take notice of the build of their players. They are, across the board, carrying more muscle mass and less body fat. Whatever they are doing can and should be replicated.

I suspect some of the suspended players will find their way back on the roster soon. If Rambo and Ogletree are on the field in Columbia this Saturday, we will win the game. If not, it is gonna be tough.

The opponent: First consider Buffalo had a preseason power ranking of 106.4 by Phil Steele. UGA was 142.58. And Mizzou…136.25.

Another point of concern could be the Tigers opening performance, a 62-10 drubbing of SE Louisiana. However, if the Dawgs looked bad against a very bad FBS team, the Tigers looked good against a very bad FCS school.

Now you're acting like an SEC team!!!

Post by William

Missouri is now showing they want to play Big-boy football. I wonder if the Notre Dame radio announcer would like to have this kid on his team.

Missouri QB arrested on scooter with 2 girls