So about the Under Armour Game. Two takeaways: First, before you ask "where did _____ commit to last night, I was just too busy watching The Secret Circle", he committed to Alabama. No matter who he was. Even if his mother didn't want him to:
That's not entirely true of course, as Banneker safety Chaz Elder committed to South Carolina as expected and tailback Wes Brown committed to Maryland (I assume because Randy Edsel is a wizard of some sort). But Alabama did pick up Collins and bluechipper Cyrus Jones and now looks like a lock for the consensus top recruiting class in the country according to those who rank such things. By the way, here's a look back at Rivals' rankings of the top recruiting classes in 2008, the players who would currently be seniors and redshirt juniors. Comparing it to the current BCS rankings is, well, instructive.
Second takeaway? Herm Edwards and Steve Mariucci tried desperately to get a new generation maimed last night, such that QBs were actually switching sides during the game so they could keep playing. Herm Edwards did so in the most Herm Edwards way possible, by running a variety of Rube Goldberg plays designed for split second execution. When run by high school kids with 3 days of practice, they repeatedly went off like malfunctioning Sidewinder missiles. Also in classic Herm-inator style, enough of those missiles hit targets he wasn't aiming for to claim a decisive victory.
I'm glad to hear that this is being taken care of. I'm also fine with the focus on longevity over amount of compensation. Truthfully, I'm probably more concerned about Grantham being cherry-picked by an NFL team than another college. If that's the case we won't be able to compete dollar for dollar anyway. Grantham's old boss Wade Phillips is making $2.1 million per year as the defensive coordinator for the Texans, and if Grantham went back to the NFL as a "Defensive Line Coach/Assistant Head Coach" or some other such he'd probably be looking in the $1-1.4 million range.
Speaking of NFL Assistants, Patriots Bill O'Brien may or may not be the new coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions. But if he is, it'll only be on a part time basis until the Patriots are done with their season. The Nittany Lions have had a part time head coach for the last decade. What can another month hurt? You know, besides their recruiting class. Black Shoe Diaries is understandably cautious. After the past couple of months I don't blame them one bit.
Rumors also continue to swirl that Auburn tailback Michael Dyer is headed with Gus Malzahn to Arkansas State, further fueling my belief that Jonesboro, Arkansas must be a helluva lot more fun that I thought it was.
Finally, it's not the most awesome website ever, but if the free market suddenly became corporeal and started drunk surfing the internet at 2 a.m.,this is where it would spend those last 30 minutes before passing out in a blind stupor.
0 recs | 36 comments
Although I am happy about the contract extension, I think we should pay CTG 1.1M.
He could still be out bid a little, but that would show serious intent.
tankertoad - January 6, 2012
Extensions? Yep.
More money? Meh.
I think making him the 2d highest paid assistant in all of CFB show we’re serious.
Gen. Stoopnagle - January 6, 2012
Re: the spelling of the Maryland coach's name:
I saw what you did there.
vineyarddawg - January 6, 2012
January 15th
Is a day that I am anxiously awaiting… hopefully Charles and everyone else will decide to come back after that close loss. Go Dawgs!
TexasDawg86 - January 6, 2012
Jonesboro, Arkansas
is not fun at all. Dyer must be suffering from temporary insanity.
natemira - January 6, 2012
Ron Paul Swanson is just good internet.
Here’s the link in case anyone else was having trouble with it: http://ronpaulswanson.tumblr.com/
Spears - January 6, 2012
Yeah, the linky, she was broken.
But I fixed her. With government money. I just kept shoveling it in there and all of a sudden . . .boom! Running like Randy Edsall’s trusty edsel, Edna.
MaconDawg - January 6, 2012
The 2008 recruiting ranks were interesting...
especially that part where Michigan State is #47. (yeah…I’m still holding on to a little bit of anger and rage)
Pascagoula St. - January 6, 2012
Certainly shows that some can coach 'em up
And some can coach ’em down.
hbtd - January 7, 2012
It should be interesting to see how next season plays out
UGA has tended to stay in the top then the past four seasons (including this year) and while they will get better there are some teams of note to keep an on or off depending on who you are. Ohio St will not be a factor due to NCAA sanctions but Southern California will be returning to the big time so expect a Duck-Trojan Pac-12 matchup in December. Even though Notre Dame had the the #2 recruiting class from 2008, I think they will be overrated until they can prove to everyone they are capable of defeating the likes of Stanford and USC as well as lower ranked schools cough USF cough. We all know Alabama and LSU will be in the championship mix and I expect Oklahoma to play with a chip on their collective shoulders. There won’t be a rematch of this year’s National Title game except for the regular season. I expect Florida and South Carolina to both be competitive and the SEC East to be a tight race. Yes, its premature, but I will rank (in my humble opinion) next year’s preseason top ten.
1) LSU
2) Alabama
3) Oklahoma
4) Oregon
5) Oklahoma State
6) Southern California
7) Wisconsin
8) Kansas State
9) Michigan
10) Michigan State
I think Georgia will get a preseason ranking of 13 behind Stanford and South Carolina respectively. Also, I would have ranked Stanford higher, however I don’t know what kind of team they will be without Andrew Luck under center. I’m not an expert in rankings, I am basing this purely off of who I know is returning and how they fared in their bowl game. So, yes, I expect Kansas St to defeat Arkansas.
Disciple of Carolina - January 6, 2012
That looks about right.
Though I’m not sure we’ll be as high as 13. We’ll definitely be in the top 25. Someone will stick West Virginia in their top 10. Wait for it.
Spears - January 6, 2012
Ditto for Stanford.
I think some voters are going underestimate exactly how important Andrew Luck was to them. Ditto for Cousins at Michigan State. As Darius Dawgberry put it after the Outback, “the guy’s like their David Greene. He just refuses to lose.” Those guys don’t grow on trees. Nor do Jerrel Worthys.
MaconDawg - January 6, 2012
West Virginia is going to get some love sure
But I see them rounding out the top 15 at best. However, I wouldn’t be shocked to see them in the top ten either.
Disciple of Carolina - January 6, 2012
Maybe they'll be 15... and jump to the top 10 after they blowout the perennially overrated Seminoles.
DocSkraynj - January 6, 2012 via iPhone app
We'll be the preseason No. 17 team in the AP or coaches' poll, if not both.
Bank on it.
T Kyle King - January 6, 2012
That is a possibility
Especially given the fact we came up short in the Outback Bowl
Disciple of Carolina - January 7, 2012
We'll be higher if Rambo, Smith, Williams...
among others return. We return too much not to be a top 10 team preseason.
Mr. Sanchez - January 7, 2012
But we lost the bowl game.
I’m not saying we don’t deserve to be a top ten team, but we won’t be. We may creep as high as 15th, but I wouldn’t count on it.
T Kyle King - January 7, 2012
I don't think that matters ...
at least nowhere near as much as name recognition and returning talent/stats.
Mr. Sanchez - January 8, 2012
I agree it shouldn't matter as much.
I disagree that it doesn’t.
T Kyle King - January 8, 2012
UGA looking to lock up Grantham for a three year extension
Thank goodness!
http://blogs.ajc.com/uga-sports-blog/2012/01/06/3-year-deal-in-works-for-georgia-d-coordinator-todd-grantham/?cxntfid=blogs_uga_sports_blog
BravesDawg16 - January 6, 2012
I like this
(a) It’s something that had to be done, for we couldn’t afford to lose CTG, at least not right now; and
(b) Maybe Bobo will get offended and leave…BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA…Yeah, I’m not buying it either.
Jman781 - January 6, 2012
I like that idea!
Give Grantham 1.2 mil for 3 years and knock $150k off Bobo’s salary and see if he’ll just go away angrily.
But then again… Richt would probably just pay the difference out of his own salary.
I liked the idea that we tell Bobo that he’ll be fired unless he scores a certain amount of points per quarter but not tell him exactly how many points.
DocSkraynj - January 6, 2012 via iPhone app
Or maybe you could give him a "ridiculous playcall quota" or something
but not tell him how many ridiculous plays he gets to call.
Cherokee's Grip - January 6, 2012
3rd and Long Up the Middle
is about as ridiculous as it gets
Dawg2011 - January 6, 2012
Maybe, however, 3rd and long play action pass, without ever a) establishing a run or b) establishing the play action is worse.
I got more. Like the fact Bobo said at some point he runs the 3rd and long up the middle “to trix them”.
tankertoad - January 6, 2012
Silly rabbit; . . .
. . . trix are for kids.
T Kyle King - January 6, 2012
He only has to trix them when we play Alabama.
And only, you understand, because the nasty little hobbitses are tricksy. You has to trix them.
vineyarddawg - January 6, 2012
I love this comment!
Rec’d.
T Kyle King - January 6, 2012
No! I hate this comment!
Flagged!
T Kyle King - January 6, 2012
But vineyarddawg has a wonderful sense of humor!
T Kyle King - January 6, 2012
No! He is trying to take over our blog!
We must ban him!
T Kyle King - January 6, 2012
Thank you, thank you very much.
/Elvis(h)
T Kyle King - January 6, 2012
Good one.
tankertoad - January 6, 2012
We could let HER do it...
(Glances at Aunt Stabby’s EDSBS-brand spider closet)
vineyarddawg - January 6, 2012
He'd use them up in the first game.
DocSkraynj - January 6, 2012 via mobile
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