Georgia’s “national championship” schedule - ouch!

[crawfish]

Good luck dawgs....you're going to need it!

Georgia’s “national championship” schedule The Atlanta Journal-Constitution By Tony Barnhart (http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/cfb/entries/2008/03/03/georgias_nation.html)

It’s funny how you stumble onto things when you’re actually looking for something else. I was doing my spring football research the other day when I came across this. If you are a Georgia fan and you believe that coaching is very important in college football, here is evidence that backs up your claim that Georgia will have the toughest schedule in the nation in 2008. With national championship talk in the air as Georgia starts spring practice today, here are a few things to consider.

The SEC has five head coaches who have won national championships:

Alabama’s Nick Saban (at LSU in 2003)

Florida’s Urban Meyer (at Florida in 2006)

LSU’s Les Miles (at LSU in 2007)

South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier (at Florida in 1996)

Tennessee’s Phillip Fulmer (at Tennessee in 1998)

Only one team in America has to face all five of those coaches this season and that’s Georgia: at South Carolina (Sept. 13), Alabama (Sept. 27), Tennessee (Oct. 11), at LSU (Oct. 25), Florida in Jacksonville (Nov. 1). If you look at the non-conference schedule it gets even better for Georgia. The Bulldogs play at Arizona State on Sept. 20. The Sun Devils, who were 10-3 last season, are coached by Dennis Erickson, who won two national championships at Miami (1989, 1991). If you go to the lower divisions, there are two more coaches who have won national titles. The Bulldogs host Georgia Southern in the opener (Aug. 30) and Eagles coach Chris Hatcher won a Division II national championship in 2004 at Valdosta State. Paul Johnson, the new head coach at Georgia Tech (Nov. 29), won two Division I-AA national championships at Georgia Southern in 1999 and 2000.

So that’s eight games against teams whose coach has won some kind of national championship. And just for fun, you can throw in Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville who had a 13-0 team in 2004 that didn’t get a sniff at the national championship. The point is this: I don’t know what Georgia is going to be paying Mark Richt this season (and he’s due for a raise), but he is going to earn every penny of it. And if Georgia goes 13-0 against that schedule, their ain’t no doubt they’ll be in Miami for the BCS championship.

[D^3]

Nobody said it was going to be easy. But seriously, aside from LSU, we play these teams every single year. This is not new to us.

[crawfish]

Should be fun to watch the Dawgs and see how things unfold. LSU plays 3 of the 4 in that listing...plus you guys. And USCw, Ohio State and Oklahoma continue to thank God that they are not in the SEC.

[D^3]

Should be fun to watch the Dawgs and see how things unfold. LSU plays 3 of the 4 in that listing...plus you guys. And USCw, Ohio State and Oklahoma continue to thank God that they are not in the SEC.


Also why the SEC championship is still the most prestigious conference title in the land :thumpsup:


..... and the ACC just wishes their teams cared as much as about their little game in Jacksonville.

[D^3]

I might add that the toughness of the Dawgs schedule could also play in our favor should we drop a game or two.

[GatorHunter]

I might add that the toughness of the Dawgs schedule could also play in our favor should we drop a game or two.

Very true. That's what helped the Gators in '06. We lost one early...but had the #1 schedule in the country.

[ColonelKurtz]

If you were to think about all of those Coaches as Generals it would be like the War of Northern Aggression with the South possessing all of the most celebrated leadership but still being a tad short in other critical areas (like media BIAS).

Nice job of tying all that together crawfish. :thumpsup:

Since a team has to play 12 games annually, I see little need of fretting over this Fall's slate. If the team does not fall prey to the sin of hubris, I like our chances just fine.

[timNem]

If Georgia can get through that schedule with just one loss, they should play for the MNC. That is of course assuming that loss isn't the SEC Chamionship game.

[gatorhater]

A tough road, for sure...that's why I don't think this is our year. We should be as good as any team in the country, but a key player will get hurt, a few guys will lose their edge, etc. It's brutal going through that gauntlet.

It's not impossible and I'm excited to have the opportunity to prove ourselves...let's do it, Dawg Nation!

[bulldawg]

A tough road, for sure...that's why I don't think this is our year. We should be as good as any team in the country, but a key player will get hurt, a few guys will lose their edge, etc. It's brutal going through that gauntlet.

It's not impossible and I'm excited to have the opportunity to prove ourselves...let's do it, Dawg Nation!


Actually we have the depth this year to make a run at it. I was listening to Rivals radio this morning talk about UGA football and spring practice. We are deep at RB, OL, LB and so on and we have a very good back up QB. This is defiantly in our advantage in case someone gets hurt and for rotating in fresh offensive linemen and RB's.

[Bulldog Bry]

I said it about Florida in '06, so I'll say it about the Dawgs in '08. IF (and that's a big if) they get through that schedule unscathed, then there should be no question.

Having said that, what if some of those teams don't turn out to be all that and a bag of po-tay-toe chips? What if Dennis Erickson blew his wad last year? What if Miles brilliant decisions turn out the other way (or they lose to Appy State)? What if Tebow gets injured again? What if Auburn is really pissed and they blow us out again like they did in '04 (don't kid yourself, it was a blow out)
None of those things are likely, I'm just sayin'.

I have an idea. Every year, one SEC team gets to play in the Big Ten or the Big 12. Free shot at the title. Who's with me?

[D^3]

I said it about Florida in '06, so I'll say it about the Dawgs in '08. IF (and that's a big if) they get through that schedule unscathed, then there should be no question.




I'll do ya one better, Bry:

IF the Dawgs make it through that schedule unscathed... then there's not a college football team anywhere in the country that will even WANT to play them, much less belong on the same field.

[bulldawg]

1 practice
1 drill
1 play
Do not look ahead, we must improve 1 step @ a time. No grandoise forecasts, please. Preparation + Execution = Success.

Click Clack bitches. 1 play at a time, don't look ahead.

I haven't been this excited about a season in a long time.

Is it football season yet?

[D^3]

1 practice
1 drill
1 play
Do not look ahead, we must improve 1 step @ a time. No grandoise forecasts, please. Preparation + Execution = Success.



Which is why Coach Richt has made the motto for this year: "Focus on the moment."

[gatorhater]

I said it about Florida in '06, so I'll say it about the Dawgs in '08. IF (and that's a big if) they get through that schedule unscathed, then there should be no question.

Having said that, what if some of those teams don't turn out to be all that and a bag of po-tay-toe chips? What if Dennis Erickson blew his wad last year? What if Miles brilliant decisions turn out the other way (or they lose to Appy State)? What if Tebow gets injured again? What if Auburn is really pissed and they blow us out again like they did in '04 (don't kid yourself, it was a blow out)
None of those things are likely, I'm just sayin'.

I have an idea. Every year, one SEC team gets to play in the Big Ten or the Big 12. Free shot at the title. Who's with me?

Hypothetical: if we do make it unscathed through that schedule...and the Buckeyes are at #2...I'll bet my mortgage payment that they don't even show up for the game.

[zartan]

Hypothetical: if we do make it unscathed through that schedule...and the Buckeyes are at #2...I'll bet my mortgage payment that they don't even show up for the game.
nonsense...there's nothing that Marv Levy can do that Tressel can't do better.