Nevada Dawg

Dawgs have recruited some excellent receivers in the 25 class and get even richer on defense with three 5 star defensive front guys who will play some in 2025. Kirby has no problem attracting defenders given how many of his charges are drafted fairly highly by the NFL, especially on the defensive line. But help was, and still is, needed on offense. The tight end room is set for the next three years, but I am looking for the addition of a meaningful contributor at XWR from the portal and possibly another portal receiver as well. Fingers crossed.

I actually take mild offense to the statement that it is hard for UGA fans to be civil. I am trying to be right civil at this here moment and most UGA fans I know have absolutely no problem with civility at all. Just my opinion and I'll comment no further on the above statement.

Having slept on this Dawg loss, I awoke feeling exactly the same way I did after the Ducks' roasting by OSU--supremely disappointed. If there are two teams in college football that I can say I detest and whom are typically badly overrated, they are OSU and Notre Dame. So to have my two favorite teams spanked by these guys was hard to take. But it happened and these two teams are certainly not overrated THIS year. But the sky is hardly falling for either Oregon or Georgia. Georgia has a fair about of rebuilding to do, probably needing a new OC, an upgrade in wide receivers, and possibly a new offensive line coach. I'll be watching carefully from afar, but I'd be shocked if Georgia can do enough to stem the losses they will have off-season (to the NFL and the portal) to be rated among the top 5 teams next pre-season. Oregon is probably in better shape than Georgia is to kick off next year, although it is unknown at this point who is going to be taking snaps under enter--always a big deal. The Ducks have been very fortunate to have two transfers the quality of Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel over the past 3 years an that good fortune will not last forever. At this point I am crossing my fingers that things work out for both teams. I've said before on this forum that I kinda doubted that this Georgia team had what it would take to win the natty. I wasn't sure Oregon did either but I was more confident that they did than I was for the Dawgs. So in that sense, what happened in the Rose Bowl was a bigger surprise than the results of the Sugar Bowl. But there is no other way to slice it, disappointment reigns supreme this morning in the Nevada Dawghouse.

While I knew this could happen' that doesn't mean it is any easier to just shrug off. I told my local Duck friends that I wish Oregon would have lost a regular season game to have had the the opportunity of learning from the experience. Kirby Smart said he other day that while he hates to lose, this year's Dawg team improved more in the week following each of the two losses than was he case in weeks following wins. He felt that it taught the team that they could lose and that helped to focus undivided attention on what they needed to accomplish to best the next opponent, OBD never had such an opportunity this year and I'd bet CDL was at least a bit concerned about it. So far, all the bye teams have lost. The only one remaining is (gulp) my Dawgs. I, at least, hope hat the curse of he bye is overcome tomorrow afternoon.

Winner winner, chicken dinner. You just identified the biggest single offensive problem, loss of these two guys. Bowers went to the NFL and looks like he is back at Georgia, He broke Mike Ditka's rookie TE receiving record and was leading all pass catchers of any stripe in receptions and yardage through week 13, all of this while playing for the Las Vegas Raiders and their substandard QBs. McConkey is one of the best rookie wide receivers of all time in receptions and yardage in such esteemed company as Jamarr Chase, Justin Jefferson, and Devonta Smith. He,,though has the advantage of an excellent QB, none other than Justin Herbert. These two were both injured and tried to give it a go in Georgia's 3-point loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship game, Georgia's only loss in 2023. Unfortunately both guys were limping around out there and were ineffective. Thus, Georgia was omitted from the playoffs (the committee really had no choice last year) Had they got in and a month to heal for the playoffs, I truly believe they would have won the whole shebang because they matched up extremely well with Michigan. But thems the breaks.

I feel the same way all Y'all do believe me. Here's hoping the Ducks come out in the second half with the resolve ASU showed in the Fiesta. Its a giant hill to climb but with some major adjustments it is possible the Ducks get back in this game. Hopefully Lanning is making these very points in the locker room. I mean what else can he do at this point?

I had predicted on another thread that Boise could easily be in this game well into the second half if they could shorten the game by grinding out longish drives on the ground. Of course we saw that the Broncos did not do that. But Penn State could not pull away until very late in this game. Having watched the first half very carefully, there was no longer any doubt in my mind that the Lions would win this game. But they were far less dominant than a reading of he final score would seemingly indicate. I am a Ducks fan and, wearing only that cap for the moment, I'd far rather face Penn State in the final. I am not predicting that Georgia would win such a matchup (I need to see how Gunner Stockton handles the offense) but I suspect that Georgia would present some real challenges that will not be present to the same degree in a matchup against Penn State. But I am most concerned not about what could transpire down the road. We have our hands full at present with the Bucks and the Irish!

I applaud almost all of this post with one exception: I am not sure PSU ransacks Boise State. In fact, if Boise can play ball control with their run game, they could be in this one until the very end. However, I have not watched Boise very much this year and could be very wrong, but I am certainly not cowed by Penn State.

We'll see I guess. I am a bit skeptical but will own up to it if I am wrong.

Watched Herbert carefully today to see his progression through reads in the passing game. Interestingly, his first read was most often to rookie Ladd McConkey who caught 3 touchdowns if I am not mistaken. I knew this Duck-Bulldawg combo was going to be a magic one when the Chargers drafted McConkey with the second pick of the second round. And true to form Ladd made an all-time NFL short list of 7-8 NFL rookie receivers to have 70+ catches, 1000+ yards, and 6+ touchdowns in debut seasons. It is a true pleasure for me to watch this duo work together.

I wondered how this thread would go down over here. I figured Mario would be a big subject for sure and I have to say that I was actually glad when he bolted for Miami. His game management left me cold. My comment was going to be about Ward however. How a guy can leave his teammates twisting in the wind in a winnable football game is beyond me. This is the ultimate in self-centeredness. If I am an NFL GM looking to draft a QB, Ward's actions tonight reflect, and not positively, on his character. Next QB up!

I am actually much greedier than most at this point. While I could salute 13-1 (or whatever), if my Dawgs do not win this thing, I want so bad for the Ducks to have that 0 in the loss column when all is said and done. Lanning may have the Ducks relevant most years from here on out, but the prize is there for the taking NOW!! It may not be next year or in any given year thereafter, As for the question that opened this thread: Hell no I don't want to know the outcomes in advance. When I DVR a game that I, for some reason, cannot watch live, I insulate myself from spoilers even if that involves not watching TV or listening to the radio until I can watch the game. Should I accidentally learn the result, I often erase the recording unless there are really compelling reports about how tense the ending was. But that is far less satisfying than watching live IMHO.

I hate to say this, but I think what round 1 of the playoffs illustrated in spades is that there are only about 6-8 at most schools that can realistically compete for a national title in football. And I want to reiterate that my point about the B1Gt. it? focused on strength of the conference and competitive balance from top to bottom, not the quality of teams selected for inclusion in the 12-team format. Of course, we know the 12 team format will survive and maybe even expand to 16 teams soon due to the evil allure of he almighty dollar. But should it. What happens between the lines is always the ultimate decider. But I have almost never made sweeping pronouncements about a team based on the results of a given game. Were I to do that, I would have argued that OSU might not deserve to be excluded on the basis of losing at home to a very mediocre Michigan team. And if Oregon should lose by 17 points to OSU in the Rose Bowl, an unlikely but not impossible outcome, how many would think that maybe the Ducks did not belong in the playoffs. And let's say the Bucks go on to win the Natty, also a far from impossible outcome given the way they played last night, how many football fans will remember five years from now just how great a season OBD have had? Duck fans will, but the average college football fan will not retain this memory over he long run.

I almost get the impression that some here think I was specifically calling out Indiana. I wasn't. I expected though to see what happened against ND. I was calling out the overall strength of the B1G and have acknowledged many times that the top 2 and sometimes 3 in the league were indeed legit. Indiana played its schedule, played it very well, and it would indeed have been irresponsible not to include them in the playoff. As for the fixation on Alabama, I have said more than once here after they lost to Oklahoma that Bama had no legitimate claim to a playoff spot this year. True, there are teams left out that would likely beat half the field. But that's true any year just about. Jon is right to call out the Texas schedule. For an SEC slate, it was extremely soft, and even the toughest game it would face, Georgia, was slated to be played at home. I called it the "Welcome to the SEC" slate showing them more darn southern hospitability than they deserved. Their two losses came to the only playoff participant they faced (twice to Georgia). I do not think they will lose at home to Clemson however. We'll see later this afternoon. So I was calling out the strength of the B1G top to bottom and still will. Quite frankly, I would much rather play a typical 9-game B1G schedule than a typical 8-game SEC slate. Disagree? Fine. Have your team play an SEC schedule and let's see what happens. I proposed this a while back and not one person over here rose to the challenge. I made the same proposal on the Talk'n Dawgs site last night late and people down their were enthusiastic. Quite frankly, I think Oregon, OSU, and Penn State would be regular challengers in the SEC. They have built their teams from inside out and have dominated the league this year at the lines of scrimmage. Indiana was not as dominant there and that's why I expected them t get clobbered in South Bend. When we talk about great teams, most fans gush over a team's skill players, but most games are actually won in the trenches.

I will say that I think that, top to bottom, the PAC-12 was a stronger and more competitive league than the current B1G, in football at least. The addition of the West Coast teams strengthened the league IMHO, but it was possible for the three or four really solid teams to go a month at times without facing an opponent that appreciably raised the solid teams' pulse levels. Sorry, that's my opinion and I'm sticking with it.

You gotta remember that this is the first time the Vols have been at all relevant for national honors since late last century. Their fans are stoked for this game, and all the ugly orange apparel may make the Shoe look like the Vols have taken it over even if the majority of fans are OSU partisans. Prepare for the Vols fans to be loud, delusional, and obnoxious.

Let me just say this: If Georgia didn't get in with a 10-2 record after playing the toughest darn schedule in the country, there is no justice. Moreover, they did it playing 4 of their five toughest games away from Sanford Stadium (Tennessee was the exception). No one in any other conference played anywhere near as challenging a schedule. Now I love OBD and will be happy if they are lifting the trophy when all is said and done, but (and meaning no disrespect) their schedule paled in comparison to Georgia's. I do feel that the Ducks are positioned to win it all, their tough playoff draw not withstanding. My only remaining question is how will they handle repeated challenges on the road. It could b argued (as I have before) that the first time they faced aversity with a really good team away from the friendly confines of Autzen was the B1G Championship game, and that one was a bit tense at times. It was a great sign that they won a game like that--now they may have to do it again, three more times. Go Ducks!!

I wouldn't necessarily say Georgia is better with Gunner playing, but they are far from appreciably worse. A bit of background on Gunner. as a 5-star recruit in his junior year, Gunner was penalized by the rating agencies for focusing on his team in the off season rather than attending all those ratings camps out there that have so much with 'seeding' high school QBs. He didn't care about that nonsense--he knew he would be playing at a high caliber program. Then he proceeded to break all the passing records of in-state National Championship QBS DeShawn Watson and Trevor Lawrence, both of Clemson University. Gunner had the reputation of a cool customer who seemed to play with ice water in his veins. And he certainly played that way when thrust into the limelight during the second half of the SEC Championship game. I'd never seen Gunner in a game at Georgia that really mattered. Why? Because he hadn't been in one. Yet, he gave a darn good account of himself, and his teammates certainly had confidence in him. It is impossible to know exactly how Gunner will perform in these playoffs, but it certainly doesn't seem that the stage is likely to be too big for him. And having this month to practice and to be the guy taking first-team reps. I'd expect that he is likely to be even more in command of the situation than he had been at the SEC game. Unless Gunner were to be injured, I am not worried about the QB position going forward. Now if only the WRs will hold on to the damn ball when it is thrown to them! (Insider note: this group led the nation in drops this season).

Until you reminded me of the pathetic performance against Michigan, I would have said OSU would win this game. I still lean that way. But Tennessee could surprise in this one. I also don't believe that OSU has the best defense in America necessarily. Defensive performance is largely a function of whom you play and the B1G , save OBD, has an abundance of low-octane offenses. When Tennessee is "on" they are anything but a low-octane offense. So this one is definitely a game in which I wouldn't have much confidence either way were I to lay a bet on it.

Anyone know how many of the Bobcat starters are eligible to return next season? Could be an interesting opener for OBD.

Yep! That means a 9 A.M.for me!

Me too. FUMMBBLLLLE!

Slight addendum to Charles's post: Georgia Bulldawgs have won four games against CFP PARTICIPANTS: Clemson, Tennessee, Texas (twice). You bet I am counting that second win against highly rated Texas!! And they may have to do it three times to get to the Natty.

I'll just add (without knowing the full extent of Beck's elbow injury) that this damage is hard to recover from, even if not severe enough to require surgery. I know because I suffered the same injury while playing youth baseball and was immediately done as a pitcher. They didn't have Tommy John surgery in those days. And the injury also prevented me from making the throws as a shortstop as well. As I was semi-ambidextrous, I became a right-fielder (not much action out there in PONY League) and worked hard to hit the cut-off man throwing left-handed. I also became a switch hitter and ended up hitting for more power and a higher average from the left side of the plate--totally unexpected. Beck's injury will eventually heal without surgery, but he is not going to feel good throwing the ball anytime soon even if the injury does not require surgery. I know his draft projections are bottom of the first round at present but it may drop if he cannot throw painlessly for the pro scouts at the combine. This is potentially a tough setback which makes me wonder if he may not pull a Bo Nix and use his last remaining year of eligibility next season.

At this point, I'll say that Stockton is reliable and better than serviceable, He will get a ton of Reps over the next three week and the Georgia offense will change noticeably to accommodate his strengths. Of course, I'd rather have a healthy Beck and said the same thing when J.T. Daniels was Georgia's injured starter and Stetson Bennet was our backup. And we all saw what happened and how much I knew as a prognosticator, lol. Despite his lack of game experience, the Georgia players say Gunner is a cool customer and seem perfectly willing to go to war with him. And he will get better over the next three and a half weeks. I obviously can't say for sure what will transpire and the playoffs are a h--l of a baptism of fire for any QB. But I am far from panicked about having Gunner under center for the Dawgs.