The unofficial kickoff to football season kicked off today in Alabama, where Nick Saban is still going off on the dirty agents that are trying to corrupt NCAA football players' eligibility everywhere. As much as I dislike Saban, I can't disagree with anything he said today...
A lot has happened since our last post here at UGA VIII, so we have a lot to catch up on. Here are 5 quick hits as we get cranked back up over here.
1. I am glad Aaron Murray is our QB1. He was the guy I had pegged since he signed with us out of Tampa 2 years ago. I never thought AM would win the job by default, but I also never thought Mettenberger was going to be the long-term answer.
2. Aaron Murray is the key to the 2010 season. I don't mean that he has to be exceptional or lead us to the promised land. I mean he just needs to be smart enough to get the ball to the playmakers and not lose the game for us. Hand off to Ealey, hand off to Caleb, throw to AJ, Orson, Tavarres King (after he returns from suspension), Durham, Wooten da Ball Carrier, a hopefully much improved Marlon Brown, etc. Actually, a whole lot of Murray's success will depend on Bobo's playcalling...
3. Richt is NOT on the hot seat. Not even close. If we win 7 games this year, then he will be on the hot seat next year. But, that is not going to happen. I expect a minimum of 10 wins this year. Our offense returns 10 starters and Murray replaces a turnover machine (no offense meant to Joe Cox - great kid, big heart). So, the offense should be pretty damn good with a healthy AJ and a much more experienced backfield in King and Ealey, all supported by a very deep, talented offensive line.
4. The off-season arrests are getting old, but they could be a lot worse. We don't have any armed robbery or beating of police officers, BUT these guys have got to get smart. Are they not paying attention to what CMR is doing to guys getting caught? It seems like the message is not getting through even though players are being booted from the team. I am not sure what else Richt and staff are doing for punishment, but I did read some good ideas after the latest DUI involving Dontavious Jackson. I like the idea of punishing the entire team for 1 player's mistake. Peer pressure is a powerful tool that can be used for good at times like this.
5. Our defense is going to be exciting this year. In a good way (turnovers, sacks, TD's) and in a bad way (missed assignments = big play quick TD's). I love everything coming from the defensive side of the ball - Grantham's intensity to Lakatos' new techniques. Unfortunately, I think it is going to take more than a spring practice and a fall camp to install the new defense.
Several more posts to come. Please follow us on Twitter here or become a fan on Facebook here.
