College Football Zealots Mid-season Round-table

College Football Zealots has convened another round-table, this time in two parts.  The first questions are below.

At the mid-way point what makes you the most excited about this Georgia football team?  The upside.  While the simple answer is the defense, since it has been at least seven years since I didn't have a foreboding sense of abject dread every time we had to punt, the complete answer is the upside.  Georgia hasn't played a quality opponent with a fully put together game yet.  We've had good defensive performances.  We've had good passing performances. We've had good rushing performances.  We have had games where we didn't crap ourselves on special teams.  I realize it is a big 'if', but if we ever put it all together and keep it together, we will be a dangerous football team.

Which player has been the biggest surprise on defense (and why)?   Bacarri Rambo.  I was on him all last season and during the off season for his lapses in 2010.  He has stepped up big time and is a big part of why we are in the top 10 in total defense in the nation. Take away the two trick play TDs (Ole Miss and Vandy) and it is hard to remember anyone throwing a big pass against him.  This time last year, the mention of 'wheel route' would elicit a Pavlovian response of cursing about Bacarri from most Georgia fans.  Now, offenses have to trick play to get him off his coverage.  He plays pass coverage like a corner and running plays like a linebacker, and rarely makes mistakes on either.

What needs to happen for Georgia to run the table in the rest of their games?  1) Get better at recognizing misdirection and delays on defense; 2) Find a way to get the curse of Fabris off the special teams; 3) Have Murray finally get his timing on long pass plays down pat; 4) Get complete games from Crowell.  Special bonus answer in the event we play in the SECCG: Have all the pieces come together and hope Trent Richardson is suspended.

Part two is coming next week.  Many thanks to Kevin at CFZ for putting this together.

TD

Mid Season Questions

The folks at College Football Zealots have asked me to do another round table, this time in two parts.  I'll have my answers tomorrow, but I am curious about your thoughts.


At the mid-way point what makes you the most excited about this Georgia football team?

Which player has been the biggest surprise on defense (and why)?

What needs to happen for Georgia to run the table in the rest of their games? 


TD

Half Way Home - Mid-Season College Football Review

I'll take a look at Georgia later this week or early next week, but I wanted to look around the college football landscape and see what has surprised me.

• Expansion. Well, I'm not surprised, but it has been a story.  I've thought for a while TCU was headed some place other than football hell the Big East.  I guess Missouri's handling of trying to get out of the Big12 is a bit of a surprise.
• Southern Cal's lack of defense.  I think Arizona State's improved play has everyone not in Tempe scratching their heads.  On the other hand, Monte Kiffin has looked like Monte Hall coaching this bunch.  
• Hot seat talk about Dooley.  Hey, I'm not taking up for the guy.  I hate orange as much as the next guy.  However, any Tennessee fan that thinks fter 18 games, six of which are being played with essentially an all-star high school team, that Dooley isn't getting it done is an idiot.  He might not be the long term answer, but clamoring for a new coach now gets you a Mike Locksley type hire.  Not an improvement.
• Oklahoma State's offense. Dude. They look like UNLV basketball in the 80's.
• Texas A&M's first half play.  Wow, they are among the best teams out of the gates I have seen in a long time.
• Texas A&M's second half play.  Wow, they suck.
• Wisconsin's march through the B1G.  The Badgers called the Houston Nutt QB Transfer Clearinghouse and ended up with Russell Wilson from NCState.   Dude is 83 of 111 for 1391 yards and 13 TDs.  The Badgers have the easiest road to the BCS championship game at this point, with only road games against Michigan State and (snicker) Illinois between them and a rematch with Nebraska at Lucas Oil Stadium for the B1G championship.  Oh, and their defense is the tits.
• Decided schematic advantages.
• Georgia Tech throwing the football. Paul Johnson hates that newfangled shit, but it sure works.
• Clemson at 6-0. Wins over Auburn, Florida State, and Virginia Tech? A coach named Dabo? Nah, no worries, man. Just living the upstate dream.
• Auburn's defense.  They've made amends a bit with their strong performance against South Carolina, but they won early on mirrors and camera angles. Ted Roof has looked every bit the former head coach at Duke with the way his unit has tackled.

What about the season to this point has surprised you?