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AJC > Sports > UGA > Blog > Archives > 2007 > August > 16
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Which road will the Dawgs take?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The pre-season polls and pundits have mostly placed Georgia in the lower half of the Top 20 and (gag) in third place in the SEC East, which on paper at least probably looks to the folks who cover college football like a reasonable estimation of the Dawgs’ potential, given a green, thin offensive line and eight new starters on defense.
Fans? Well, we’re not quite so logical in how we approach these things. We tend to go with a mix of gut instinct and wishful thinking when predicting how our team is going to do before they’ve taken the field for the first game.
So … am I ready to go out on that limb again? Reluctantly, yeah. As I said last year, I don’t really like making season-record predictions in the pre-season because I never want to pick against the Dawgs (even when they’re the overwhelming underdog) and yet I’m not one of those supporters who blindly expect an undefeated season every year.
Last year, I picked Georgia to go 9-3 in the regular season. They ended up matching that number of wins, but only with an exciting come-from-behind bowl victory over this year’s media darling, Virginia Tech. Like everyone else, I didn’t foresee a midseason collapse that would find our defense incapable of stopping Vandy and Kentucky from marching down the field when the game was on the line. I still shudder at that mental image burned into my brain.
This year? I think it’s highly unlikely we’ll see another midseason dive, but like the majority of the fans I’ve talked to this summer, I don’t think we’re quite there yet. Most UGA supporters I know are expecting the Dawgs to be SLIGHTLY better than last year, like maybe one more win in the regular season. In other words, 9-3 before the bowl.
The reasoning generally is that with as much inexperience as we have, we’ll be extremely lucky to win both of our first two games. The ol’ ball coach (aka the Prince of Darkness) is gunning for us, as usual. Of course, last year folks looked at the South Carolina game with trepidation, and they ended up not even scoring!
Alabama worries a lot of fans, simply because they think that Bama has always had the talent but just didn’t have the right coach. The Tide faithful, at least, fervently believe Nick Saban is the right coach.
The Tennessee game worries some fans, too, despite Mark Richt’s success to date in Knoxville. Then there’s the annual frustration in Jacksonville (though some of us think this might be the year that the Gators are most vulnerable). And there’s the tendency for the visiting team to win in the series with Auburn, which returns to Athens this year.
However, even with our best player, Reggie Ball, gone, I don’t hear too many folks worrying about the Trade School.
The general sentiment appears to be that this will still be a rebuilding year, and NEXT year is when the Dawgs should be a national championship contender.
As for me, I’m of two minds about how things will go this season. On the one hand, I think 9-3 sounds reasonable.
On the other hand …
If the Dawgs somehow can manage to come out of those first five games undefeated, taking care of the Cowboys, Gamecocks and Red Elephants, then all bets are off. A Georgia team that takes an unblemished record to Knoxville just might make the kind of statement we’d all love to see. And if UGA is 6-0 this season, I have a sneaking suspicion that the Dawgs will wind up taking the SEC East.
Call it my alternate prediction.
Two roads. Can’t wait to find out which one the Dawgs take.
