Posts tagged Chris Low
When You Put it That Way
May 16th
Despite Paul Finebaum’s best efforts Mark Richt is not, nor ever has been, on any sort of hot seat. Chris Low can pile on all he wants. The AJC’s dynamic duo can reach for it, but the thermostat to Mark Richt’s chair is under the firm control of the Georgia faithful.
We have spoke often regarding the muckrakers’ motivation. Mark Richt is a year long threat to their interests. On the football field and the recruiting trail, Mark Richt must be neutralized for the sake of Alabama and Tennessee. Seriously. How else do you explain the pass given to Carolina’s ball coach?
Despite all of the ink and bandwidth invested in bringing about Richt’s demise he still enjoys broad and strong support.
David Paschall is on the Bulldog beat for the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Chattanooga has the Mocs, Tennessee the Vols, thus the Free Press doesn’t spare Paschall much space for his Bulldog coverage. Today was different.
From just across our northern border comes a solid, reasoned piece that explains why Richt has been unharmed by the muckrakers.
In a league that boasts Nick Saban and Urban Meyer, coaches who have won two national championships apiece, Richt often is viewed as an upper-echelon SEC coach but no better than third.
There also is the stout perception that Saban and Meyer manage to find a 25th hour each day and that the 50-year-old Richt prefers a more balanced approach. A devout Christian since 1986, Richt speaks at churches and FCA functions, aided in the 2006 faith-based film "Facing the Giants" and went on summer mission trips to Honduras in 2007 and ’08, taking several Bulldogs players the second time.
He visited U.S. troops in Kuwait in the spring of 2008 and tries to make time during the season to watch Division II Mars Hill (N.C.) College, where his oldest son, Jon, is the quarterback.
"I’ve got to be who I am," Richt said. "I think everybody has certain personalities, and one thing might work for one guy and one thing might work another way for another guy. I’m real comfortable that I work extremely hard and that I work hard enough to get the job done.
"We’re always looking for ways to do things better and win more games and all that, and we’re not going to shy away from that, but I don’t think there is anything wrong with staying in contact with your wife and kids, so I’m not going to apologize for being a good husband and a good father."
For Finebaum, the ill-fated blackout against Bama in 2008 defines Mark Richt. Low carries the hob-nailed sting of a crush face.
We, those that bleed Red and Black, define Richt by all that he is and all he has done for us. Finebaum and, to a lesser extent, Low would have the world believe we are nervous and on a downward trend the likes of which killed the SEC careers of Fulmer and Tubberville. The truth is, few if any teams’ fan bases would be this excited coming off their coaches worst season ever.
till next time
Schlabach puts 2010 Dawgs at #19 Nationally
Feb 10th
Mark Schalbach updates his “way too early” Top-25 poll for the upcoming 2010 season. He has made adjustments based on early departures and incoming recruits. He may have even taken into consideration a coaching change or two.
19. Georgia Bulldogs The Bulldogs were one of last season’s more disappointing teams with an 8-5 finish. But Georgia upset rival Georgia Tech 30-24 in the regular-season finale and blasted Texas A&M 44-20 in the Independence Bowl, giving it some momentum heading into the offseason.
The Bulldogs will have 10 starters back on offense, including all five offensive linemen and junior receiver A.J. Green. Tailbacks Washaun Ealey and Caleb King didn’t hit their stride until late in the season and might form a potent one-two punch this coming season. The only offensive starter leaving is quarterback Joe Cox, who wasn’t very good last season. Redshirt freshmen Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger will battle junior Logan Gray for the starting quarterback job.
Georgia’s defense was awful at times last season, and coach Mark Richt fired coordinator Willie Martinez and two other assistants. Richt hired former Dallas Cowboys defensive-line coach Todd Grantham as his new coordinator. Grantham coaches a 3-4 scheme and will try to put more pressure on the quarterback and create more turnovers. The Bulldogs will have to replace linebacker Rennie Curran and safety Reshad Jones, who entered the NFL draft, and they’ll have to find some tackles with Geno Atkins and Jeff Owens leaving.
Schlabach has the Dawgs higher than his ESPN “associate” Chris Low. Low was quick to explain the disparity.
Where Mark and I differ is on Georgia. I had both Auburn and South Carolina ahead of Georgia in my SEC power rankings.
I agree that the Bulldogs should be very good on offense if one of those quarterbacks emerges. But offense hasn’t been the Bulldogs’ problem the last two years. It’s been stopping people.
The reality is that it gets pretty hazy when you start trying to sort out the third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh best teams in the SEC for 2010. They all have their weaknesses, but you could also make a case for any team in that group rising up and establishing itself as a solid No. 3 behind Alabama and Florida.
The East race, in particular, should be interesting. Georgia has to play at South Carolina. But the Gamecocks have to play at Florida. Speaking of the Gators, Alabama comes on their schedule in 2010. Florida travels to Tuscaloosa on Oct. 2 and then returns home that next weekend to face LSU.
South Carolina has to play Auburn and Alabama in back-to-back games, but gets a bye week between those contests. The Gamecocks play at Auburn on Sept. 25 and then take on the Crimson Tide at home two weeks later on Oct. 9.
Georgia avoids both Alabama and LSU next season. Mississippi State comes onto the Bulldogs’ schedule, a Sept. 25 game in Starkville.
Chris Low Ranks 2010 SEC Football
Feb 10th
Regular readers will not be shocked to find Chris Low has the Dawgs ranked 7th in the 12 team SEC. No surprise he has Florida and Spurrier South Carolina ranked ahead of us in the East.
7. Georgia: The Bulldogs will sport several new looks in 2010. They have a new defensive coordinator in Todd Grantham, who’s implementing a new 3-4 defense. They will also have a new quarterback. Redshirt freshmen Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger are expected to battle it out for the starting job this spring. The Bulldogs are talented enough to make some noise in the East. The Washaun Ealey-A.J. Green combo on offense should be something to see. It remains to be seen, though, if they can improve enough on defense to be a factor.
It should not be needed, but it is nice to get a little motivation from the WWL heading into spring ball.
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