2013: In the Books!

You woke up on Dec. 2, 2012 in a dark spot.  You'd just seen the most painful loss of your life, and probably that you will ever see.  Alabama was on top of the world (again).  Auburn had just gone 0-8 in league play, including a loss in Nashville.  Mizzou was banged up and not going bowling.  Dec. 2, 2013 sure tells a different story.  Auburn is on top of the world.  Mizzou is for real.  We're happy to have escaped with a wounded team against our arch-rival when we spotted them 20 and had no business winning with our back-up QB.  Bama is on suicide watch.

There's always another year, and it'll always tell a different story.  Count me on the Mizzou train Saturday night.  If Auburn wins, go Bucks in that B1G final.  I have no desire to see Auburn play for all the marbles.  And, it will needle the FU fans so much to see Corch play vs. the Noles in the BCSNC game.  Who in the world do you pull for if you're a florida fan?

It's going to be a different league next year, for sure.  Mizzou, UGA, South Carolina, Alabama, LSU, and A & M lose really good veteran QBs.  Regrettably, Florida and Tennessee have all their QBs returning, so that's a plus for the rest of the league.  And who will go pro?  Will Tre Mason?

I like our chances with Hutson over Dylan Thompson and Maty Mauk.  It Hutson shines in the bowl game, will he be the pre-season all-SEC selection?  I mean, is it gonna be Bo Wallace or Nick Marshall?  As for the Gator, I'm excited about playing Michigan or even Iowa.  Just didn't want to play Minnesota.  It actually has a bigger payout than CFB, about $3.5 to $2.9.  I'd rather go there an play Mich or Iowa or play Duke in the CFA.  Best case would be vs. CoCanes in ATL.  Speaking of bowls, once again we've got some incredible flaws in the system.  Bama's gonna go not by choice but by necessity, much like UF last year.  At least the new system will allow for bowls to take who they want and get rid of teams like Central Florida in a big time bowl.  I'm still thinking long term the CFB is gonna regret being a part of it unless they create another bowl for the SEC and ACC.  10 years down the road they're going to have Oregon playing Michigan St. in a semifinal game and there will be 10,000 empty seats and they'll wonder why.  Worse, when they're not part of the semis, they're gonna end up with Arizona St. vs. Texas A & M and wonder why they can't sell tickets.  

As for Grantham, my concern is that Richt is tying his boat to a sinking rock.  I'm hopeful that CTG will find greener pastures as an NFL assistant and it will all transition smoothly.  My fear is that no change happens, and I'm just not sure they guy knows what he's doing.  I mean that in a sincere way.  I know he knows defense.  I'm not sure he knows how to get 20 year olds to do what they're supposed to do on a given play, and that's kind of the whole point.  He seems caustic and, basically, a jerk, and I'm not sure that flies with young ones unless you have A LOT of rings to flash around.  I also don't know that he knows how to get us to play fast all the time.  It seems complicated.  And I don't understand our lack of substituting at all.  Getting Reggie Carter in at LB in a close game when the opponent has it 1st and 10 at their own 20 seems like it would only help to me.  Spell Wilson for 3 plays and get him back in there.  

My fear is that next year is more of the same.  We go 8-4 again and lose shootouts to teams with competent offenses.  We  beat UT, Florida and Tech, but can't hang with USCjr, Mizzou, Auburn and maybe Clemson or another of the others (maybe 1 of the first 3).  We make the changes we have to make then, but 2015 is a different story.  We have a redshirt Sophomore at QB, a brand new center, a lot of weapons at WR gone and no Todd Gurley.  A new defensive scheme and we go 7-5 or 6-6 and Richt gets canned.  I've seen this before.  It's called 2010.  

Now, the other side of me says that Richt HAS to know that.  I know he also knows that we are absolutely loaded on defense next year, and my guess is he's banking on these guys getting it and us looking more like the last 1/2 of the 2011 defense (though that team did get gashed in the 2nd halves vs. LSU and Mich St…substitutions, anyone?).  And, as much as I'm a fan, no one wants to win more that Mark Richt.  It's ridiculous to think that Richt cares about Grantham's feelings or making changes.  He's no dummy.  He knows everyone of those coaches will land on their feet within 2 weeks.  If we don't change, I think it's because Richt is seeing the lens of 2014 through Hutson/Gurley glasses.  He knows we don't have to be great at defense, just adequate.  My concern is that we rolled that dice this year and got burned because of injuries and the D was worse than we thought.  But I know he sees a window.  The question is can that defense get you to 11-1.  11-1 and win the SEC at 12-1 and you're in the dance.  But, I'm fearful that we'll win the SEC at 11-2 and miss out because we couldn't stop 2 teams.

Just some Monday grist for my football mill.