Reaction around Bulldog Nation to the decision not to renew the contracts of Coaches Martinez, Fabris and Jancek seems to be pretty consistent: everybody knew it needed to happen though nobody is really happy about it. I am pretty proud of our fanbase for this. I haven't seen a single tasteless photoshop job or similar ill-considered bahavior. Maybe I'm just not trolling the right corners of the internet, but if that's the case please don't tell me. I prefer to remain blissfully ignorant.

Having said that, the task before us is just about as clear as the inevitable course of action taken by Mark Richt yesterday. Kyle and Paul sum it up in very similar terms. We need a hardworking, fire-breathing, turnover-fostering, recruit-snagging, student of the fundamentals. That's easier said than done, though. As you probably gleaned from yesterday's installment, pretty much ever guy we'd want will be tough to get, and pretty much every guy we know we could get gives us a reason not to want him. I'm hoping (and believe) that we'll go for one of the guys who'll be tougher to get. The second group of 8 potential candidates starts off with a couple of guys who fit that description:

Bud Foster: The longtime Virginia Tech defensive coordinator would have to be on any sensible wish list. His defenses in Blacksburg have consistently given up few points and created turnovers by the bushel. And for a long time he's done it with less talent than a lot of other guys. His unit's "lunch pail defense" reminds me a little of something Erk Russell would appreciate. And being like Erk is a compliment in my book in all contexts that don't involve hair-styling. However, Foster is probably a guy whose next move is to a head coaching position. Foster is currently making $402,000 per year, which in "Damon Evans-ese" is "competitive", though not exhorbitant. If Damon were really willing to blow out the bank, I don't think the Hokies could win a bidding war with us. Likelihood: 5

Kevin Steele: Dabo Swinney's DC at Clemson is well-traveled, even by assistant football coach standards. You name the school or football genius of the moment, and Steele probably worked there and/or for him. With the exception of a stint as the Head Coach at Baylor (the only thing on his resume that really makes me question his decision-making skills), Steele has spent the past two decades coaching linebackers at Nebraska for Tom Osborne, with the Carolina Panthers for Dom Capers, and at Florida State for Bobby Bowden, while also holding the unique title "Head Coach of the Defense" at Alabama for Nick Saban. You want a guy with a college football pedigree? Steele's your man.

As many jabs as Georgia fans take at Clemson, it's important to remember that we recruit a lot of the same players. Steele also has a reputation as an excellent recruiter, and unlike the NFL guys mentioned for the job he would already have connections with some of the guys we're recruiting for 2010 and 2011 from his current stint on the shores of Lake Hartwell. His 3 year term at FSU give him a potential nexus with Coach Richt, which I've said I believe will be key. Coach Richt isn't turning this job over to some guy he just met, no matter how sterling his resume. The question is whether Steele would leave Clemson after only one season.

Given his generally itinerant career, I don't know that this a problem, assuming the money's right. Steele does have a 3 year deal at Clemson which pays him $375,000 a year. I think that's low considering Steele's experience and track record. I expect that Clemson AD Terry Don Phillips is aware of this. If Clemson stifles Georgia Tech's option offense in the ACC Championship Game the way they did in the second half of the teams' regular season meeting and the Country Gentlemen end up in the BCS, I suspect Terry Don will have to pay a helluva lot more than ten a year to keep him. We'll be only one of several suitors, I'm sure. Likelihood: 6

Of course, not every name out there is one I'd be pleased with. For example:

Jon Tenuta: No. No. No. A thousand times no. Tenuta's Georgia Tech defenses never seemed to perform up to billing against Georgia. His Notre Dame defense this season was the epitome of soft. My grandmother could have picked up 4 yards on the fullback dive against those guys. Tenuta's is just about the only name that could cause me to react violently if it issued from Mark Richt's lips. Please, no.

Sly Croom: I know, many of you are on the Croom team. But hear me out. Croom has no experience as a defensive coordinator, and hasn't coached exclusively on the defensive side of the ball since 1986. While I admire him, I think he's just too risky a hire.

Ellis Johnson: Assistant Head Coach at South Carolina.You may remember Johnson as the defensive coordinator for Croom at Mississippi State, who then left for Arkansas, where he stayed for about 20 minutes before taking over as South Carolina's defensive coordinator when Brian Van Gorder left Columbia without coaching a game. Johnson is a South Carolina native and another old school SEC guy. While he's apparently esteemed by his colleagues, I'm not impressed by his results. Johnson has been a defensive coordinator in the SEC for the past 6 seasons. None of those units has finished in the top 4 in total defense in the conference. Even Willie Martinez coordinated 2 units whihc did accomplish that. Obviously Johnson would have more talent to work with in Athens than he did under Croom at Missy State. But our defensive talent isn't that much better than South Carolina's. Frankly I think we can do better.

And some names are a little off the radar, but intriguing, like:

Manny Diaz: Defensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee State. Never heard of him? You will. He played at Florida State, graduating in 1995, then served a year as a graduate assistant for the 'Noles after a brief term working for ESPN. He served a stint as safeties, inside linebackers and special teams coach for Chesty Chuck Amato at NC State from 2002-2005. He's recruited Georgia, especially Cobb County, and has worked with a lot of Georgia guys including Dublin's Erik Walden and Augustan J.K. Sabb. He's also recruited south Florida, which kind of makes sense since his dad just completed his stint as the Mayor of Miami. Seriously.

While Diaz has a biography that sounds a little like an internet hoax, he's also proven to be a pretty good young coach. MTSU led the Sun Belt Conference in team defense in 2009 after finishing 3rd in 2008 and 5th in 2007. In other words, they've improved every year under Diaz's direction. The 2009 Blue Raider defense also had 17 interceptions, a number which Willie Martinez simply wouldn't recognize, since our defense hasn't had that many picks since 2006.

Keep speculating gang. Until later . . .

Go 'Dawgs!!!

I mentioned on Monday that I had been working on a list of possible defensive coordinator candidates, but had no intention of posting it. Even we sports bloggers (well some of us) have a basic grasp of what is and isn't a tad unseemly, and seriously proposing replacements while you still have a defensive coordinator fits the bill.

Of course, that's all irrelevant now (HT: podunkdawg). I imagine that this coaching search will be like a snowflake in Tifton. You better take some pictures to remember it, because the whole thing will be over quickly. Mark Richt wants to get a guy in place to stabilize recruiting and begin building a defensive staff. I also think there's at least a 50% chance that our new defensive coordinator will not be on this list, either in this installment or the next one. Mark Richt's M.O. in the past has been to hire solid guys who either a) none of us have heard of or b) we didn't know CMR was pursuing. That's just how the guy does business. You've been warned. So, with no further ado and in no particular order, some of the names you'll surely hear bandied about in the coming hours and days:

Kirby Smart: The fans' list seems to start here. The Georgia alum and former Bulldog assistant has helped build a solid defense at Alabama. However there have been rumors that Nick Saban keeps a tight rein on things, and that Smart might be looking to go somewhere where he can build his own identity. I don't believe it. Alabama has things rolling with a generally young team that should be very good for the foreseeable future. And few schools have proven more willing to pay top dollar for coaches than Bama. That being said, Smart currently makes $360,000 in Tuscaloosa while Willie Martinez was making a shade over $325,000 in Athens. 10 percent is not an insurmountable gap. Also keep in mind that if the rumors of Rodney Garner leaving are true, we'd also need a Recruiting Coordinator. Assuming John Lilly didn't get that post, Smart would be the perfect guy for the job. He's a south Georgia guy who's recruited the state at Georgia and Alabama.

Smart might be the ideal candidate for the job. And as an alumnus he'll certainly get a phone call, and he'll get an interview if he wants one. That being said, coaching searches are not about who you want, they're about who you can get. Even if, in Bear Bryant's words "Mama calls him home", Smart would certainly be hard-pressed to leave an ideal situation in Tuscaloosa for anything but a head coaching gig. I am fairly certain however that after the Tide defense's excellent season in 2009 and another offseason of being in demand, Smart will be receiving a tidy raise (pun totally intended). Likelihood (on a scale of 1 to 10): 6

Tommy Tuberville: He's the safe hire. A veteran SEC coach whose Auburn defenses always seemed to play above their talent level. But Tommy Tuberville would be a fool to leave the broadcasting studio at this point. He's got the folksy manner and the quick wit for it, and he'll make all the money he needs without having to pull 18 hour days and answer to yahoos (as opposed to Wahoos) like me. Mark Richt would likewise be a fool to bring in a guy who would clearly be a candidate to replace him if the defense turns around but overall results lag. As if that weren't enough, it's hard to imagine Tuberville as anything but a short term solution. He'd just be crashing on our proverbial couch until a) Steve Spurrier retires, b) Bobby Petrino gets a better offer or c) Texas A&M's cadet corps court marshals Mike Sherman. Likelihood:3

Bob Sanders: Sanders is the defensive line coach of the Buffalo Bills and the former defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers. He was also the guy responsible for the University of Florida defensive lines that ate a series of Georgia QB's for lunch between 1990 and 2000. Sanders is a North Carolina native and an elder statesman who preaches a "bloody street fight mentality" that seems to get results wherever he coaches. Georgia would be a nice place for him to retire from, and Sanders would be a nice guy to replace Rodney Garner if he doesn't get the nod to replace Martinez. Plus since the Bills are already making a change at the top, he could be available for interviews before other NFL assistants. If he got the job, you'd hear no argument from me. However, I don't think he has any significant ties to Coach Richt. And coaches making program-changing hires don't usually gurn things over to strangers, even highly qualified ones. Likelihood:5

Dick Bumpas: TCU Defensive Coordinator. But you folks are astute observers of the college football scene and already knew that. The Horned Frogs have been among the nation's stingiest defensive teams in recent years utilizing a base 4-2-5 alignment that brings pressure from all over the place and performs well against spread offenses. Ironically, it's not very different from the alignment Willie Martinez has utilized against Florida the last couple of years. Bumpas is an older guy who might not have a lot of aspirations of becoming a head coach. Not that I'd know for sure. I haven't had a chance to ask him. But speaking of head coaches, I have a sneaking suspicion that TCU head coach Gary Patterson may have more than a little to do with TCU's defensive schemes. If that's the case, then it wouldn't be fair to view Bumpas as a silver bullet. That being said, TCU is one team we know we can win a bidding war with. That might appeal to Damon Evans, who has been hesitant to say he'd throw cash out the Butts-Mehre windows in order to sign top assistant coaches. Likelihood: 5

Will Muschamp: Ditto the stuff I said about Kirby Smart, only with "Texas" in place of Alabama. Curiously, Muschamp is viewed as a defensive genius in some quarters of the country, but not here among his alma mater's fanbase. This is largely because his head-to-head matchups with the Bulldogs have not been terribly impressive. Muschamp is of course the head coach-in-waiting at Texas, but let's face it, if you were Mack Brown would you retire right now? Of course not. Mack Brown is making boatloads of money winning tons of football games and getting his pick of recruits from the most talent-laden state in the country. At some point you'd have to think Muschamp begins to wonder if this coach-in-waiting business is all that it's cracked up to be. I just don't think it happens quite yet. Luring Muschamp would require a similar coach-in-waiting guarantee, and Mark Richt is about 10 years too young to talk about naming a successor while maintaining a straight face. But if Coach Richt were to suddenly decide that he wants to move to Paris and study art history fulltime, this might be your guy. Likelihood: 3

Charlie Strong: Again, it's not a question of who you want but who you can get. While Georgia is in the middle of the pack in assistant coach salaries in the SEC (6th), Florida is behind us. Damon Evans has admitted that Florida is pretty much the measuring stick for the University of Georgia football program. Going after the guy who is most responsible for Florida's success in 2009 would be a powerful statement that he's committed to passing the Gators. At some point Charlie Strong will either get a head coaching position (at Louisville, for example) or give up on the notion altogether. I just don't think he's given up at this point, and sadly Florida has more cache as a waiting room than we do. Likelihood: 2

Brian Van Gorder: This one would be interesting. If you could distill all the criticisms of Willie Martinez down to one, it would be this: he's not Brian Van Gorder. Van Gorder's Atlanta defense has not exactly been burning down the Georgia Dome this season, and if Mike Smith chose to make changes he might be available. That being said, like most NFL assistants he wouldn't be available until the NFL season is over, and with Atlanta in the playoff hunt that could easily be after January 10th. I don't think Coach Richt would wait that long on anyone. This one goes under the category of interesting, but highly unlikely. Likelihood: 2

Rodney Garner: Garner was significantly the only one of our defensive coaches who was retained. One might think that gives him the inside edge to be the new coordinator. I'm not so sure. If Rodney Garner is going to be our next defensive coordinator, the fact that he hasn't yet been named as such signifies to me that he'll have to interview for the job just like everybody else. I don't know how well that will sit with Coach Garner. David Hale also recently noted Garner's somewhat unusual arrangement and apparently cuddly relationship with Damon Evans. I just don't think Garner is a lifer in Athens. He just hasn't found the right job somewhere else yet.

Also, check out David Hale's excellent wrapup of Coach Richt's afternoon teleconference on today's decision. I don't want to steal Dave's thunder, I'll just say that Coach Richt mentioned some things that you'll find telling if you read closely. Finally, I'd like to extend my personal thanks to Coaches Martinez, Jancek and Fabris. I have no reason to believe that any of them ever gave less than their absolute best to the University of Georgia and its football team. I hope that all of them move on to great things, and that they continue to have a positive influence on the lives of young men. Until tomorrow . . .

Go 'Dawgs!

Kyle is right. This was one of the more deeply satisfying victories over Georgia Tech in recent memory. Which is saying something because, perhaps you've forgotten Tech fans. we've beaten you a lot. In fact, the last time Georgia Tech won back to back games against Georgia none of the Lord of The Rings movies had been released yet. Wow.

And go ahead and insert your "Florida owns you" comments. Until Paul Johnson starts coaching in Gainesville and Josh Nesbitt starts circumcisng little Filipino babies that's not even an actual argument. Georgia Tech last beat Georgia with a full compliment of eligible players in 1990, before many of the Old Gold players were even born.*

Gloating completed. Now, on to the actual analysis.

• Washaun Ealey and Caleb King have combined for 1073 total yards over the past 6 games. That's partially a tribute to their development, but largely a tribute to their offensive line. If Stacey Searels changes the current lineup of Boling, Glenn, Jones, Davis & Davis you should probably drive to Athens and kick him in the shins. Go ahead. I'll even come speak at your funeral. But that group opened holes a Georgia Tech graduate could run through. Some part of me also thinks that some credit for those guys' development has to go to Bryan McClendon. I find it hard to believe that our tailback rotation matured in spite of his influence.
  
• Speaking of the offensive line, Josh Davis has been a largely overlooked asset during the second half of this season. That line seems to have gelled when he came back from injury. But I think a lot of it has also been the fact that King and Ealey have grown tremendously as runners. Washaun in particular seems to have grown accustomed to the speed of the college game.
  
• The best part of the offensive gameplan? It didn't rely on Joe Cox to do much of anything. Frankly, this is the offense I assumed we'd see during the first game of the season, not the last. Run the ball and don't ask the Ginger Interception Dispenser to do too much. I imagine we'll see much of the same early next season as Aaron Murray gets his feet under him.
  
• Dear Vance Cuff: Tackling 6'3, 230 pound Bebe Thomas around the shoulder pads is incredibly poor form. It will never, ever work.  And you did it twice. That's how I know you learned it from Willie Martinez. He's big on repetition.
  
• Speaking of Willie, his defense played a better game than they did against Tech last season. I think any reasonable observer could see that. But make no mistake, there were still plenty of 3rd and 4th and long conversions that were killers. There was a pass interference penalty that kept Georgia Tech driving late. Josh Nesbitt was 6 of 8 for 135 yards and a touchdown throwing on a bum ankle before that last ill-fated series. Think about that for a moment. A lot of Georgia fans are still wondering why Johnson decided to throw the ball 4 straight times at the end. I think the reason was because Georgia had previously exhibited absolutely no ability to stop it. Also overlooked is the fact that if Thomas did not drop that 4th down pass, he would have easily had the 1st down and more. And we would likely be having a very different group conversation right now.
  
• Jon Dwyer had 33 yards on 14 carries, an abyssmal performance for the best tailback in the ACC, possibly the country. That says a lot about Owens, Weston, Atkins and crew clogging up the A gaps. Oh, and Caleb King would like for all those writers to revisit their comparisons of he and Dwyer right about now.
  
• Also worth noting was the effort Justin Houston put up. I lost track of the number of times he kept contain on the corner and forced Nesbitt to pitch for minimal gains. When defending the option you want to 1) stop the dive up the middle, 2) contain the QB keeper, then 3) contain the pitch man. Houston took care of #2 all night long, which requires a lot of agility and awareness. He may have been the defensive MVP, in my opinion.
• Reshad Jones's interception was just a thing of beauty. I've been as hard on Reshad as anyone since last season's Tech game. And he's had some bad moments this season, no doubt. But I'm glad for him that he got his moment of redemption. I would be surprised to see him back next season, certainly if changes are made on the defensive staff.
• Speaking of which, I've worked up a list of possible replacements for Willie Martinez, but I'm holding off on posting it since we have no confirmation that our current defensive coordinator won't be back. However, I'd like to note that when rumors began swirling last week that he was leaving, no one would from the Athletic Association came forward to deny them so far as I know of. Which is usually a dead giveaway. Also, Coach Richt did not conduct his usual Sunday teleconference, and it was announced that the team won't conduct any bowl practices this week (HT: David Hale). Taken as a whole, that all signals to me that something's up.
  
• Quintin Banks deserves a ton of credit. He was injured all of 2008, most of 2009, then came in and played great in both run support and coverage late. I for one have absolutely no qualms about seeing Banks and Rambo at safety next season. I have no doubt they will play better than Evans and Jones, especially if they have proper coaching. Wink, wink.
• Mike Bobo also deserves credit for the gameplan. Earlier this season I chided him for pursuing balance for balance's sake, rather than gaining yards. In this game he started by running 13 straight times. Talk about breaking your tendencies. I know that some of you want Bobo out along with Willie Two Thumbs. I think that's folly. This is the same guy who's offense was absolutely turbocharged last season and which improved throughout the season in 2007. The fact is that if any starting quarterback in the Mark Richt era not named Joe was running the show, this season looks a lot better.
• Wasn't it appropriate that the player who tried to prematurely drench Coach Richt in Powerade (and appeared to get a good dressing down in return) was Bryan Evans? The same Bryan Evans who was no longer in the game because of a possible head injury. I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. As you would expect, Evans took a poor angle and the bath missed its mark. Story of his life.

I'll be back later this week as Willie-Watch 2009 continues. Until then . . .

Go 'Dawgs!!!

* Yes, there was that 1998-2000 3 game streak. But I would propose that Georgia Tech fans can either a) agree that those victories, won with multiple academically ineligible players, do not count, or b) forfeit the right to make jokes about our school's academic standards. I like to think Jan Kemp would approve of this tradeoff. Joe Hamilton would too, if someone explained to him what "forfeit" and "academic" mean, and he wasn't too high to understand it all.

It's Thursday. It's Thanksgiving. It's Cocktail Thursday Thanksgiving-style.

I know, we have plenty of reasons to feel sorry for ourselves as a fanbase. But there'll be no pity party. Instead, I'd like for us all to count our blessings. I for one have a plethora of things to be thankful for, including the following:

• I'm thankful that my allegiances are to a college football team for whom 6-5 is an utter catastrophe of a season, rather than one for whom it is a resounding success.
• I'm thankful that somewhere in Afghanistan there's a guy (or gal) shivering in the cold thousands of miles away from their loved ones to protect my right to write pithy college football commentary which some regimes would consider so frivolous and irreverent as to be literally criminal. For these people I am truly, truly grateful. 
• I'm thankful for Ed Orgeron and Houston Nutt and Lane Kiffin and Mike Leach. I would follow college football without its assortment of clown princes, but they do make it far more interesting to blog about.
  
• I'm thankful for PETA, because they just make it so darned easy some times.
• I'm thankful that Oklahoma fans are just as miserable as I am right now.
• I'm thankful that next season Branden Smith will be just as fast, a little stronger, and a whole lot more experienced.
• I'm thankful for TCU's swarming 4-2-5 defense, which is a lot of fun to watch even though it makes me despise Willie Martinez's scheme just a little more.
• I'm thankful that I don't characterize our fanbase's relationship with our head coach as akin to what you would share with your prized assassin. Because I want to believe that nice guys can finish first, if for no other reason than that they've done it before.
• I'm thankful that thousands of people a day come to this site to see what I have to say about college sports. The very idea of that still baffles me, but bless you, every last one.
• I'm thankful for the Lone Bugler. That's a goosebump inducing moment for me, no matter what the weather, who we're playing or what the stakes are.
• I'm thankful that Tim Tebow will be playing fullback for the Kansas City Chiefs this time next year.
• I'm thankful that Washaun Ealey reminds me a little bit of Knowshon Moreno.
• I'm thankful that we return 10 out of 11 starters from an offense that looks like it's made from high grade jet fuel. With the right leadership and a little seasoning these guys could be very, very good in 2010.
• I'm thankful for Derek Trucks's slide solo on the Allman Brothers' classic Dreams:                                                                                                                                                     
  Hearing 14 year old Derek Trucks play made 14 year old me realize that I would probably never be a professional musician, and definitely not a guitar virtuoso. I am thankful for his music nonetheless.
  
• I'm thankful for Rennie Curran. Whether he comes back next year to play in Athens really matters naught in the grand scheme of things. That young man is going to do great things, both on and off the football field. If you know anything about Liberia and all of the things that its sons and daughters have gone through, you know the nation needs all the Rennie Currans it can get.
  
• I'm thankful for basketball coach Mark Fox. The guy's got a long way to go, but the early results are promising. When abject failure becomes the norm, mere respectability is something to strive for.
• I'm thankful for old guard media-types like David Hale (inside joke there) who realize that the digital age is upon us and cover college sports accordingly.
• On the flipside, I'm thankful for bloggers like Kyle, Doug, Orson, Peter, Holly, The Senator, Chris Brown and The Doc (among dozens of others too numerous to list individually) whose unique styles coalesce into a symphony of college football coverage. 10 years ago this stuff simply didn't see the light of day, and people really believed that Furman Bisher and Terrance Moore knew more about college sports and/or were more entertaining than folks like those listed above. The very idea of it just blows my mind.
• Speaking of Kyle, I'm thankful to him for allowing me a forum to write about college sports. Amazingly I still never have a day on which I feel that I have to write a blogpost. I still feel that I get to, and I owe a lot of that to Kyle. He is a believer in the marketplace of ideas, an advocate of free speech, and a great American. No matter what they tell you.
• I'm thankful for my loving wife, who puts up with me spending my evenings staring at a laptop screen and pecking away furisouly at the keyboard when I could be doing the dishes or cleaning the gutters. The woman is a saint.
• And I'm thankful for pregame cocktails, because even when hope is faint and you'd just as soon next year get here ASAP, there's still at least a couple of more chances to enjoy food, family and spirits. Football season is all too short, nd you have to imbibe it while you can. Along with the season, I'd suggest you drink in a spiked cranberry punch: Mix 4 oz. cranberry juice, 2 oz. pineapple juice, 2 oz. of orange juice, 2 oz. of bourbon, 1 and 1/2 oz of rum, a dash of lemon juice, and 4 oz. of Sprite over ice. You can easily multiply the recipe for a crowd. In fact, I encourage you to. This Saturday you may all need it. Until later, Happy Thanksgiving everybody, and . . . Go 'Dawgs!!!
  

It's been a tough season for University of Georgia football fans. And believe me, I'll make another deposit into to your general misery account this evening. But in the meantime, try to remember that it could be worse. You could be a Notre Dame backer, and your own compatriots could be teeing off on your starting quarterback after his postgame meal with his parents.

Let's take a moment to marvel at the absurdity of this. Now granted, Jimmy Clausen does have one of those faces that just looks like it needs to be punched. Mostly it's the hair. I used to think it was the smug, scrunched up grin, but then I realized it's definitely the hair. In spite of that, however, he has been one of roughly six players on the entire Irish squad who has had a decent year on the field. I suppose sucker punching offensive tackle Sam Young seemed like a bad alternative even to a drunken Irish fan. Let's face it, smashed South Bend football fan: Jimmy Clausen is not the one with one of the worst rushing defenses in recent program history. It's not his fault that UConn and Navy and Pittsburgh blew through you like the Republican Guard on the way to a group outing in Kuwait City. That's all Tenuta, baby. We Georgia fans have been there and have the t-shirt. Because missed tackles don't count when you're blitzing. Thus spake Zarathustra Tenuta.

Thank goodness our fans have a slightly better sense of decorum most of the time. Otherwise poor Joe Cox would look like Bruce Willis at the end of Die Hard by now. Cordy Glenn would be hauling him around in a sling and the poor kid would have more ticks than Barney Stinson at Slapsgiving.

The truly sad part of course is that Jimmy Clausen's career has now come full circle. Like so many of us, he's at least temporarily ended up back where he started. As a Clausen playing quarterback. No Heismans. No BCS Championships. Just Tom Lemming and Beano Cook sniffling mournfully in the background and Casey Clausen boasting in the police station that he could have beaten Connecticut with one hand tied behind his back. Sad, really.

Before you throw yourselves into the gameday open comment thread, ponder this question: exactly how important is a seventh win to this Georgia team? Clearly they will go into next week's matchup against Georgia Tech as a clear underdog for the first time since before Paul Johnson stood around looking like his turkey sandwich didn't agree with him*. 8-4 would not be out of line with preseason expectations. 6-6 would be a marked disappointment though not necessarily an outright disaster. So in my mind, this may be a season defining contest. Win and the Outback Bowl (or more likely the Peach-Fil-A Bowl) are still on the table. Lose and a lot of the bad vibes that had died down following the Auburn win bubble right back up to the surface.

I don't know exactly what's going to happen, that's why I'm asking you guys, over or under?

1) Kentucky's Randall Cobb plays 4.9 snaps in the backfield for the Fighting Red Foremans.

2) Tavarres King hauls in 2.9 catches in the absence of A.J. Green.

3) Rantavious Wooten snags 2.9 catches in the absence of A.J. Green.

4) Kentucky freshman quarterback Morgan Newton throws 1.9 interceptions.

5) Uga VII's empty dawghouse shows up 4.9 times during the ESPN television broadcast.

6) Rennie Curran plays 0.9 more snaps in Sanford Stadium after today.

7) Reshad Jones plays 0.9 more snaps in Sanford Stadium after today.

8) Washaun Ealey rushes for 99.9 yards.

Bonus question: Who leads the University of Georgia in rushing yardage tonight?

I'll be back tomorrow, hopefully to celebrate the latest edition of the Mark Richt Victory Watch. Until then . . .

Go Dawgs!!!

* Not exactly true. Paul Johnson last smiled on a sideline in 1982. It was a mistake he will never repeat.

(photo courtesy of Donn Rodenroth***)

I think the most important thing to remember at this juncture is that Uga VII wasn't just a mascot who we see on Saturdays. He was a family pet who lived in the home of Sonny and Cecelia Seiler 365 days a year. Losing a pet is always difficult, and I would imagine losing another pet after losing Uga VI so recently is doubly tough. Our thoughts go out to the Seilers. Anyone who's ever been owned by a really good dog knows the heartache of their loss.

And anyone who's lived with or raised bulldogs, English Bulldogs in particular, knows they are prone to a variety of ailments. They have eye problems, hearing problems, kidney problems, joint problems, and (as was apparently the case with Uga VII) heart problems. That doesn't make them any less lovable though, does it? While Mike the Tiger and Bevo are certainly fine mascots, and the passing of those emblematic quadrupeds may cause great sadness in Louisiana and Texas, there's just something about a good dog.

Granted, the Georgia fanbase did not have as long to bond with Uga VII as we have had with other mascots. Uga VII was the shortest tenured bulldog in the line so far, and one would hope the shortest tenured ever. Because doing this more than once every 5-7 years is no fun.

He had a reputation for being a little reserved, maybe even a bit lazy. But as the photo above shows, the kid was not without personality. I prefer to think that he was like any redshirt freshman working through his second year on campus. He would have made All-SEC eventually if time had not expired on him.

There's been some call for a blackout in honor of Uga VII. No offense to anyone championing that idea, but I think the proper tribute would be to sweep Kentucky and Georgia Tech, wearing the silver britches and red helmets that God intended.

The word from the Seilers is that the UGA dawghouse will remain empty this weekend. Perhaps that's appropriate. One could make a case for sticking Bryan Evans in the dawghouse, but he'd probably just get all turned around in it and have to be extracted with the jaws of life. ****

No cocktails tonight, gang. Just doesn't seem right under the circumstances. Until tomorrow . . .

Go 'Dawgs!!!

** Kyle beat me in posting his own exceptionally appropriate thoughts on the death of UGA VII. Be sure to scroll down and read his take on the subject, and leave your own thoughts in the comment sections of his post, this post, or Mr. Sanchez's initial announcement.

***The above photo of UGA VII was taken by Macon photographer Donn Rodenroth and is used with his kind permission. Please respect his intellectual property. Don't steal it. Donn has a great eye and does exceptional work, including some of the best action photos of UGA football you'll see anywhere. Visit his website here and contact him if you find yourself in need of photography services. 

**** While this is clearly a sad evening, a little humor to lighten the mood is not necessarily a bad thing in these situations. That's why, for example, I told Darius Dawgberry this afternoon that, "The important thing for us to ask right now is 'how can we blame Willie Martinez for this?'"

hot off the dedication line from "Alshon" in Columbia, who would like you to know that, no, he won't be pumping any gas at the Pilot, and he danged sure won't be guarding his blind side in a state prison for 10-20 years after robbing somebody at one:

Glorified version of a pellet gun indeed . . .

OK, I'm going to get my licks in in bullet point form, because that just seems kind of appropriate.

• This could only be more schadenfreudey if they had whirred off in the Prius chanting "Wild Boyz! Wild Boyz! Wild Boyz!"
• Perhaps Marlon Brown's grandmother is a decent judge of character after all.
• All three seem to have valid driver's licenses, which means they might actually have gotten away with it in Athens. Unless they tried to escape on a scooter in which case, you know.
  
• This is far from the worst thing that's ever resulted from Ed Orgeron hazing the freshmen by sending them on a pork rind run.
• At least they didn't bring along Eric Berry or shirtless Bruce Pearl. If so they would have gotten pinched for assault with a deadly weapon and indecent exposure.
• Tried to escape in a Prius and showed up for the lineup repping the Tennessee gear. Just needed to throw that in one more time for good measure.

OK. I think I'm done. Because like Jackson, Richardson and Edwards, I gotta get out of here.

Go 'Dawgs!!!

If Willie Martinez is still your favorite team's defensive coordinator and a meteor hasn't taken out Gene Chizik's School for People Who Totally Don't Believe In Smooth Career Trajectories (like their fearless leader) you probably need a drink. Allow me to help.

I am obviously pessimistic about this game, for a few fairly logical reasons. That being said, it is the Georgia/Auburn game. A logical outcome is the least likely result. I often dedicate our pregame cocktail to an individual player who I believe will have a significant impact on the outcome of Saturday's contest. Against Auburn however that would be an exercise in futility. Because this game is marked by the play of guys like Tra Battle and Michael Johnson. If the Georgia Bulldogs are to beat the Auburn Tigers at Sanford Stadium on Saturday it will be because of the efforts of an unexpected hero who has the game of his life.

It might be Tavarres King catching a pass to set up Blair Walsh's gamewinning field goal. It might be Marcus Dowtin recovering a fumble to halt a last minute Tiger charge. Perhaps Drew Butler will flip the field on a crucial punt or Fred Munzenmaier will charge through the line of scrimmage, across the goalline and into series history. I don't know who the next unsung hero of The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry will be, but I can't wait to find out. My sincere wish is that in Athens this morning the young man who will slay the WarPlainsTigerChupacabraPlatypi is walking to class or having breakfast or watching SportsCenter with no idea that after the game we will be toasting his status as our latest tiger killer with . . .

A Tiger Killer: Step 1- Mix 2 and 1/2 oz. Jack Daniels, 2 and 1/2 oz. orange juice, 1 oz. of triple sec,and 1 oz. grenadine over crushed ice. Step 2-Enjoy. Step 3-Think of Brandon Cox, and smile a warm little smile that will always dwell somewhere in the recesses of your soul. God Bless that limp-armed interception dispenser.

As always, feel free to leave your weekend libation suggestions and conjecture on who might make a name for himself against Auburn this weekend in the comments. Until later . . .

Go 'Dawgs!!!

In 2007, I  set the Georgia/Auburn game up as a referendum on Willie Martinez's coordination of the University of Georgia defense. Then the question was whether Martinez would outscheme UGA alum and Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. That game turned out fairly well, though things have been mostly downhill defensively from there. Which leads us to the 2009 UGA/Auburn showdown.

This year Coach Martinez is again facing questions going into the matchup with the Plainsmen, more questions than in the previous two seasons. And his latest adversary, new Auburn offensive guru Gus Malzahn is perhaps his most formidable to date.

Chris Brown over at Smart Football can tell you everything you could want to know about Malzahn's warp speed offense. For my money Chris is the best X's and O's blogger out there, and he's done a good job of explaining Malzahn's exceptionally unique approach. It's interesting to consider that Malzahn was coaching at Arkansas's Springdale High School as recently as 2005. Now he's being hailed as one of the most innovative offensive minds in all of football. Like former Texas high school coach Bum Phillips (one of the early innovators of zone blocking schemes, and reputed to be one of the first to number the gaps along the line of scrimmage), Malzahn is the type of original you can spot from a mile away.

I've hinted for some time that Malzahn's offense worries me silly. However I haven't talked about why that's the case until now. Bottomline, this offense exhibits several features uniquely suited to beating the pants off our defense, including:

• Play action. Yes, our old hobgoblin. Malzahn's offense employs the same bootleg action that Tennessee absolutely eviscerated us with and the read-option look that Florida shredded us with under Dan Mullen. One wrinkle is that they will sometimes bootleg the QB one way then throw a screen back the other way. The result is a game of gridiron three card monte that I have no confidence in our ability to stop.
• Tempo. As Chris notes, Malzahn's offensive playbook isn't that revolutionary. Auburn runs counters, bubble screens and other plays that everybody has been running everywhere for years. The main difference is that Malzahn's Tulsa offenses ran over a thousand plays a year. Auburn may not quite be on track to do that, but they do fly up to the ball on every snap. There's no standing around checking and motioning and otherwise burning time. This has two marked effects. One is that defenses do not have time to make adjustments to the set that Auburn lines up in. The ball will generally be snapped within 5 seconds of being whistled into play, so there's no time to communicate. You have to play using the calls you come out of the huddle with. Defenders, even smart defenders, wind up out of position. Things just fall apart. Second, the offense just wears defenses down. 80+ snaps a game is a lot of plays. Auburn has been practicing that grind all season. We haven't, and have looked a little out of shape against less demanding offenses. I envision lots of winded Georgia defenders. And of course fatigue generally contributes to our other old friend, missed tackles.
• Chris Todd. I know, Todd is not a unique aspect of Malzahn's offense. But Malzahn's offense has done something unique for Todd. He's thrown 17 touchdowns this season versus only 3 interceptions. While Todd is only completing 58.6% of his passes, Malzahn's offense doesn't ask him to take a lot of downfield shots, and it doesn't ask him to make a lot of post-snap reads. In other words, Auburn's offense helps protect the kind of quarterbacks who've had career games against us this season. Coach Richt has talked about how this defense's biggest problem has probably been its inability to create turnovers. I doubt this Auburn offense will do them any favors in that department.
  
• The Wildcat. We haven't seen a lot of the ubiquitous Wild____ formation this season. Malzahn of course is credited with bringing the concept to the front of the national football consciousness at Arkansas with Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. He has a less heralded but solid group of tailbacks and receivers at Auburn who are capable of running the wildcat, which is designed to get playmakers out in space against defenders. Can anyone think of any area in which Georgia's defense has struggled more of late than tackling shifty skill players in the open field? Yeah, me neither.

Of course, Auburn has also given up a ton of points this season as well, including 31 to LSU and 44 to Arkansas. Perhaps we'll have similar luck and win in a shootout. And perhaps I'm treating a chihuahua like a pit bull just because this season has turned me into a rampant pessimist. But I simply can't shake the impression that whatever else happens Saturday won't be a good day for Willie Martinez. Until Thursday . . .

Go 'Dawgs!!!