Breaking down the 2008 SEC teams for two weeks; Two-A-Days
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The fourth in a six part series.
Continuing where we left off... With the Western Division now in the bag, we're headin’ out East, starting with ‘The Swamp’ in Gainesville, followed by the swamp known as Sanford Stadium. Speaking of Bulldogs, our condolences on UGA VI, and a quick congrats to the boys in Red for taking the conference to the final out of the College World Series. True, baseball plays an important role keeping us distracted when the DTs of the long, soul-less, football-less Summer kick in. But don't kid yourselves - it’s only one step up from softball. Don’t believe me?
Hey Bulldog fan, bet you’d go without baseball for a decade to gaze on Richt hold that crystal ball over his head just once. Well... good thing your baseball team’s coming back next year (more on that in a later column). But now, The Good, The Bad and The DuBose for Florida and Georgia.
As always, come here with thick skin and a sense of humor, plus an interest in digging deep into the SEC, our nation’s greatest college football conference.
FLORIDA
The Good: The schedule works in Florida's favor, with only one tough road game (Tennessee), UGA in Baton Rouge a week before the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party (let’s call it what it is), and FSU & Miami are both at least a year away from competing at the Gator's level (See: Virginia 48, Miami 0). But The Good is this Offense is even better than it appears at first glance. It might be M. Pouncey’s (So.) first year at RG, but he should know the center pretty well… since it’s his twin brother. The other four linemen are all returning starters. Plus there’s depth with sick talent at RB, at WR, at QB, at TE… That’s about it. Sick.
The Bad: We worry about a freshman kicker and the health of the O-line – which is a bit banged up. Tebow's (Jr.) health is a concern; while there might be two talented QBs waiting in the wings in Newton (So.) & Brantley (Fr.), at Florida it’s all about winning championships – as Tebow (Jr.) goes, so go those hopes. However, The Bad is the D. With six straight top seven recruiting classes (by avg.), it’s disappointing this defense is so raw. LB is the bright spot, returning the top five. After that, it gets raw fast. Take the D-line… Outside of Cunningham (Jr.) on the end, you’re hoping Dunlap (So.) develops into a star in 2008. Then who? And at tackle, Florida could be starting TWO true freshmen in Hunter and Patchan (as long as they got all of the bullet out of Patchan). Trattou (So.) is hardly a mainstay, Estopinan (Sr.) is just bidding time until his fourth knee surgery, and Davis and Brown can hit everything but the books. So Meyer is counting on a JC transfer (Epps; Jr.) and possibly moving Fr. DE Larry Marsh… Who? And in the Secondary, QUICK – name anyone on the two-deep? Or their collective FICO score?
The DuBose: Tuscaloosa East. Does Florida still have a full roster of eligible players not in jail? Do Gator fans cringe ever time they hear a siren? Did you see that story about St. Tebow preachin’ to prison inmates… Admirable. Though truthfully, how many of ya’ll thought he was just holding an ‘unsupervised’ practice.
The Jim Bob Cooter Award: Wondy Pierre-Louis; CB (Jr.) (With a name like this, how’d this kid not end up playing in Baton Rouge?)
GEORGIA
The Good: Could be Stafford (Jr.) – but before we crown him King, UGA was 83rd in the nation in passing last season. Bet you didn’t know that. Speaking of Know, it could be Moreno (So.) – but before we give another soph the Heismen, the Dawgs were barely in the top 40 in rushing last season. And Moreno’s seven starts came against the following rushing defenses: #32, #10, #95, #30, #94, #20 and #41, with his only true road game being Vandy (sorry GT fans, been to historic Grant Field - hard to call that a road game for UGA). Hm… Just saying. Instead, The Good is the overall returning talent, especially on Offense. On paper, UGA returns 17 starters (nine D & eight O), but it’s more like 10 on D (FS Jones (So.) is an upgrade over the departed Johnson) and nine on O (LG Vance (Jr.) started enough times last season). That's 19 of 22. From the team that finished 2007 #2 in the nation. :)
The Bad: Could be the youth, and shuffling, of the O-line – but they’ll be fine. Or perhaps the very real concern regarding WR production. Or what we nearly gave The Bad – a schedule that’s just brutal, facing six national champion coaches and a bad break for the Cocktail Party (more on that in a later column). But The Bad is a true freshman kicker: Walsh. He’ll cost UGA the LSU game in Baton Rouge (remember that), and with all the pressure facing the Dawgs, and that crushing schedule, he’ll cost them one more.
The DuBose: This one’s eeeeeasy. Note to UGA President Michael Adams: until you win at least your own division of the conference, just shut it. And if you lack even that modicum of class, at least give your brother university two or three days to celebrate bringing home a second consecutive National Championship to the conference before trying to steal the limelight. Fool. (That being written, and written correctly, you’re spot-on about needing a playoff.)
The Jim Bob Cooter Award: Mike Bobo; Asst. Coach. (Asst. Coaches count towards the JBC, and it’s hard to get much better than Bobo.)
