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Can Dogs double up? Stacked Auburn stands in way of UGA's repeat runPosted: Monday July 28, 2003 11:31 AM
Hmm ... let's see here. Continuing with our look ahead to the 2003 season, which team deserves the prized Mailbag lead item this week? Let's ask Melissa Rabb of Atlanta: Does Georgia have any chance of repeating as SEC champion this year? With their offensive line having to be replaced, how badly will it hurt the Bulldogs? What do you think will be our hardest game? And finally, will this be the year we can beat Florida? Thanks! Normally, I allow only one question per reader, but being in Atlanta myself, I try to make it a practice to keep the local ladies happy.Does Georgia have any chance of repeating? Absolutely. Any team with David Greene and David Pollack is going to win football games, and though the Dogs suffered some significant personnel losses, so has most everyone else in their division. However, the offensive line issue is a key point. For whatever reason, we tend to overlook the importance of the guys in the trenches. You can have the greatest quarterback and running back in the world, but they're not going to do much without proper protection and blocking. In Georgia's case, I think Musa Smith -- a rather ordinary running back, in my opinion -- had five very valuable senior linemen to thank for many of his 1,324 yards last season, and having to break in five new starters probably won't bode well early on for Smith's replacement, Tony Milton. On the positive side, Greene should have another stellar season, D.J. Shockley will contribute in his part-time role and the defense, which allowed only 15.1 points per game last season, should be a strength once again. Pollack is an absolute beast, the entire secondary returns and young linebackers Odell Thurman and Tony Taylor were the talk of spring. Looking at the schedule, four games will make or break the season -- at LSU, at Tennessee, Florida and Auburn. The Gators continue to be the Dogs' stumbling block and, even in a rebuilding year for Florida, I wouldn't count my chickens before that Jacksonville game. I see Georgia winning at least nine or 10 games again, but I'll stick with Auburn as my pick in the SEC.
Where do you think Miami and Virginia Tech would have been slotted in the preseason ACC rankings had they entered this year? Also, isn't it a little odd that FSU was picked first when two or three ACC teams are ranked ahead of them in most preseason polls?
I definitely found it odd that the ACC media once again tabbed FSU because it shows, if nothing else, a lack of respect for N.C. State, which has beaten the 'Noles the past two seasons and returns as much if not more of its team from last year. Maryland and Virginia make good arguments as well, but at least FSU beat both of them. So to answer your question, Leon, I can only tell you where Miami and Virginia Tech would fall in my own personal ACC preseason poll, which would be ... first and second. N.C. State third, FSU fourth, Virginia fifth, Maryland sixth. Geez, that is going to be a tough conference next year.
I live and breathe for college football, and you are my lifeline during the spring and summer months until life begins again. Thanks, Stewart. Which will happen first: Frank Solich gets fired or Nebraska returns to the top 10?
I don't know if I can handle the pressure of being anyone's lifeline. I always wondered what it would be like on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Can't you just see it? The phone rings, I answer and the voice on the other line says Stewart, Regis Philbin here. One of your readers is about to win $1 million and he needs your help. The question is, Who won the Heisman Trophy in 1983?. And for 30 seconds, a national TV audience watches as I, purported college football expert, go umm, ah, hmm, huh? This question seems less pressure-packed. The answer is b) Nebraska returns to the top 10, because I don't think the school feels as desperate to fire Solich as some may think. For one, this is hardly a program in the toilet -- it just played for the national championship 18 months ago. And besides, Solich has a certain influential congressman on his side. Another season like last year would certainly be cause for alarm, but I have a feeling the Huskers will show marked improvement this fall. Not yet top 10 but at least moving in the right direction.
When will Texas Tech get respect from the rest of the nation? Yes, the Red Raiders had a bad loss to Oklahoma last year, but for the past couple of years they have been beating teams like Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State. And look what they did to Clemson in the bowl game this past year (a 55-15 win).
I'd say when they either a) stop running that gimmick offense or b) get a defense worth taking seriously. Sure, it's a formula that gets them a third-rung bowl berth every year and an occasional 48-47 upset of someone decent, but it also gets them beat 60-15 just as easily. If B.J. Symons can pick up where Kliff Kingsbury left off, I have no doubt the Red Raiders will keep putting up their 40- and 50-point games. But if you were you, Kevin, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the rest of the country to start glorifying a team with the 85th-ranked defense in the country
I'm hearing about these new NCAA rules about two-a-days and reporting dates, and I was wondering if you could go over what changes where made and if you think they will have a positive or negative effect.
The major changes are these: Freshmen can no longer report earlier than the rest of the team, there can be no two-a-days the first five days of practice and any two-a-days after that cannot be held on consecutive days. To be perfectly blunt, I think it's a case of the NCAA overreacting to what were basically a couple freakish tragedies (Rashidi Wheeler, Korey Stringer). The fact is, most college practices have never had more medical supervision, and they're probably a lot safer than the "voluntary," unsupervised summer workouts in which most players engage. As for an effect, since everyone has to abide by the same rules, it won't exactly give anyone a competitive disadvantage. Mainly, you'll probably see a lot of sloppy play the first few weeks and probably some guys cramping up, maybe wearing down during games.
As a loyal Tennessee fan since birth, I always try to be optimistic about the upcoming season, but the Vols' talent level just does not seem to be there now, nor is there any indication of that changing soon. What seems to be the problem that Coach Fulmer can no longer recruit top talent?
Easy there, Travis. Don't you think you're overreacting a bit to one disappointing season? Is this not the same team that came within one game of the national championship the year before and spanked Michigan in the Citrus Bowl? Many strange things happened last season en route to 8-5 -- Kelley Washington's sideshow, eight fumbles against Florida, an obscene amount of injuries. If you really think the talent level has dropped off perhaps you should look back at coverage of the past few recruiting classes and remind yourself how many highly sought after guys like Cedric Houston and Jabari Davis were. I will say it seems like there's been one mysterious dropoff, at receiver, where previously there was always at least one stud like Joey Kent, Peerless Price or Donte Stallworth. But overall, I'm guessing there's as much pure talent on today's team as any of Fulmer's previous squads, including the 1998 title team. They just need to be coached up, and they need to catch some breaks.
What students have had the best four-year run watching their school in major college football games? I believe that my undergrad years at Florida, during the 1994-97 seasons, were the best an undergrad student has ever seen. Three SEC title games, two national title games, three top-five battles against Peyton Manning and four games with FSU that had national-title implications.
That's pretty impressive, but I can think of a couple off the top of my head who might disagree with you. For one, a student at Nebraska during those same four years would have seen three national title teams. And I bet it would have been fun to be a student at Oklahoma from 1954-57 -- the Sooners lost one game in four seasons. I'll open this one up to the floor, though. If anyone out there in reader land can claim a better four-year football-watching career than Paul or the two I mentioned, let me know. Stewart Mandel covers college sports for SI.com. To send a question or comment for Stewart's Mailbag, click here. |
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