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College Football News ranks SEC head coaches: Where’s Kirby Smart?

College Football News ranked the top SEC head coaches. Where is Georgia football’s Kirby Smart?

Pete Fiutak of College Football News recently released a list ranking the SEC head coaches heading into the 2020 season.

Checking in at No. 3 on the list is Georgia’s Kirby Smart, who trails only Nick Saban (1) and Ed Orgeron (2).

At No. 4 is Dan Mullen and at No. 5 is Gus Malzahn.

As much as I’d love for Smart to be in that No. 2 spot, I do not disagree with Fiutak here.

Smart’s time will come, and within the next five years he may very well occupy that No. 1 spot.

For now, he’s sitting at No. 3 on Fiutak’s list, likely right on the verge of taking over that No. 2 ranking. As long as he keeps winning the SEC East, beating rivals and putting his team in striking distance for the College Football Playoff…he’ll be considered a top-five coach in America.

Orgeron or Smart at No. 2 was likely a somewhat difficult decision. Fiutak went with Coach O since he accomplished something Kirby hasn’t yet, a national championship.

I’ve heard it all – “Anyone could win with that roster.”

Sure, Smart probably would have won it with that roster LSU had last year. But, at the end of the day, he didn’t have that roster. No other way around it.

Also, how can you not love Coach O?

As for Saban, there’s no arguing that one.

Ranking SEC head coaches heading into 2020 CFB season

We ranked all the SEC head coaches, from Georgia football’s Kirby Smart, to Arkansas’ Sam Pittman, to Florida’s Dan Mullen.

The SEC is loaded with head coaching talent as we head into the 2020 college football season.

You have your usuals – Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, Gus Malzahn, Ed Orgeron, etc.

But then you have your familiar, or in some cases not-so-familiar, yet new faces: Lane Kiffin, Mike Leach, Sam Pittman, Eli Drinkwitz.

Ranking the SEC head coaches heading into the 2020 season is as hard as it’s ever been, and that’s because of all these new hirings. But it’s also because Jeremy Pruitt waited until October to start winning games in Tennessee last year. It’s because Ed Orgeron took a loaded roster and won a national title. Because Gus Malzahn and Auburn always have the talent but can’t seem to win the big ones. Or because, despite a 4-8 season, Will Muschamp was able to knock off Kirby Smart and Georgia.

Related: 2020 Georgia schedule with game-by-game score predictions

With all of this taken into consideration, here’s our SEC head coaching power rankings for the 2020 college football season:

14. Sam Pittman, Arkansas

I would have loved to get Pittman into a higher spot on this list, but what is there to go off of? His last head coaching job came in 1992 and 1993 when he led Hutchinson Community College to an 11–9–1 record over two seasons.

I am 100% rooting for Pittman to succeed in his first season as head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks. It won’t be easy, and this is a team that will likely finish with at least five losses for the first few years, but that’s not necessarily a terrible thing as long as they play hard.

Arkansas may not field the most talented teams in the SEC, but if there’s one thing I’m certain of it’s that the former UGA O-Line coach will make sure his guys fight harder than anybody.

13. Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri

Drinkwitz gets the No. 13 spot because of what he was able to do at App State last year. In his first season as a head coach, he led the Mountaineers to a 12-1 record and a Sun Belt championship.

But that’s not the SEC. It’s going to be a rocky road ahead for Drinkwitz, as Mizzou will definitely not be one of the more talented teams in the league for a few years.

12. Derek Mason, Vanderbilt

I often find myself rooting for Vanderbilt and Mason.

He took over at Vandy when James Franklin left for Penn State, and though it’s been tough at times, you get the feeling that Commodore fans actually look forward to their seasons.

11. Will Muschamp, South Carolina

If Muschamp had not beaten Georgia last year, he maybe would not even be on this list at all.

But he won and that probably saved his job. He coaches up a good defense, but South Carolina will need to crank up its recruiting efforts if it wants to start contending in the SEC East. Another season with no bowl game may put an end to Muschamp’s head coaching career with the Gamecocks.

10. Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss

Kiffin is a good football coach, there’s no denying that. No. 10 is pretty low for an offensive genius like him. But this conference is simply loaded.

Kiffin did a great job at Florida Atlantic, but I still need to see him win consistently at a Power 5 school.

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Georgia Bulldogs on the Lions: Matthew Stafford talks D’Andre Swift addition

Georgia football great Matthew Stafford and D’Andre Swift have teamed up on the Detroit Lions, and the former UGA QB is excited about it.

Matthew Stafford is excited to play with fellow Georgia Bulldog D’Andre Swift on the Detroit Lions this year.

Detroit used its second round pick to take Swift, and Stafford cannot wait to see what he will do in the Lions’ offense.

“As a player goes, he’s a back that can kind of do it all,” Stafford said of Swift in a Zoom call, per detroitlions.com’s Tim Twentyman. “I think he does a good job out of the backfield catching the ball and making big plays. They handed it to him a bunch and he was doing a great job running with it.”

Stafford, who played for Georgia from 2006-08 before becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft, knows what Swift is capable of. The two have already trained together as members of the same franchise along with another Dawg on the Lions, tight end Isaac Nauta.

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Swift joins a running back room that includes former Auburn ball carrier Kerryon Johnson and Alabama’s Bo Scarbrough. That’s some pretty legit SEC talent in the Lions’ backfield.

“I think it’s huge,” Stafford said of the Lions adding Swift to their backfield. “In the NFL everybody, but especially running backs, get dinged up and beat up here and there throughout a season, and really throughout games. The more guys you can have back there that can carry the rock and do a good job for you the better off you’re going to be.”

Lions: Kerryon Johnson replies to D’Andre Swift hype on Twitter

Georgia football vs Auburn Tigers has found its way to the Detroit Lions. AU’s Kerryon Johnson tired of hearing about UGA’s D’Andre Swift.

The Detroit Lions selected Georgia running back D’Andre Swift with the 35th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Swift will likely get the bulk of the touches at the running back position going forward, even with former Auburn ball carrier Kerryon Johnson, who’s had a solid start to his NFL career, on the roster.

Johnson is a good player, but there’s a reason Swift was taken by Detroit in the second round.

Fans have begun suggesting that Swift is coming for that starting position, but it appears Johnson harbors no animosity toward Swift. He may be growing tired of hearing about it, but at the end of the day they are teammates and it seems he genuinely wants Swift to succeed.

@LionsFanReport, a Lions Twitter fan account, tweeted a photo of Johnson enjoying the beach, coupled with a photo of Swift working with fellow Bulldog and quarterback Matthew Stafford.

The fan account was suggesting that Swift is coming for Johnson’s starting job.

“I assure you it’s scientifically possible to workout and NOT post about it…I’m with the ignorance tho if you wanna get started,” Johnson wrote on Twitter on Saturday.

Johnson made it clear that he looks forward to working with Swift, rather than against him.

“Like imma want him to fail so i can succeed? Lmao that’s not how it works…they just don’t understand,” Johnson followed up on Twitter.

Johnson was looking like one of the NFL’s best young running backs during his first two seasons. However, injuries cut both of his seasons short.

At Auburn, Johnson was a problem for Georgia in the Tigers’ home win over the Bulldogs in 2017. In that Auburn blowout, Johnson took 32 carries for 167 yards and had two catches for 66 yards and a touchdown.

But the second time around, in the SEC Championship Game, Johnson was playing through a shoulder injury that he suffered against Alabama the week prior. In Georgia’s 28-7 win, Johnson only had 44 yards. It was Swift, though, who led all rushers with 88 yards that game. A freshman, Swift took a 64 yard sprint to the house in one of the most iconic plays of the Kirby Smart era.

Sad Alabama football fans tweet after dropping out of top-10 in CFP rankings

Sad Alabama football fans tweet after the Crimson Tide drop out of the top-10 in the CFP rankings.

After Alabama lost to Auburn on Saturday in the Iron Bowl, the Crimson Tide have fallen outside of the top-ten in the College Football Playoff rankings for the first time I can remember.

All November, my favorite part of the Tuesday night rankings reveal centered around angry Alabama fans voicing this displeasure of being ranked behind Georgia, which has sat at No. 4 since the initial reveal.

Now, the Tide are at No. 12, and their fans don’t really have an argument for being inside the top-ten, but that did not stop the fans from spazzing out on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/nathaneurton/status/1202042355546820608

 

 

Three overlooked Georgia at Auburn plays; what they mean moving forward

Georgia Bulldogs football won 21-14 over the Auburn Tigers in Jordan-Hare Stadium last night. D.J. Daniel made an awesome first half play.

The Georgia Bulldogs got a massive 21-14 road win over the Auburn Tigers in Jordan-Hare Stadium last night. The Bulldogs played excellent, but let Auburn creep back into the game, much like LSU did when they defeated Auburn 23-20 in Baton Rouge.

Auburn’s defense has had similar stifling effects on Oregon, LSU, Florida, and Georgia. Auburn may have the best defensive line in the country.

In order for Georgia to win, it took numerous clutch plays down the stretch. Lots of these plays standout, but I’ve picked three that have significance moving forward.

At first glance, the D.J. Daniel pass break up isn’t too special, but you must factor in several things. Daniel is lines up against Auburn’s fastest player in Anthony Schwartz, who gains separation with his speed. Daniel keeps sound technique and a never-out-of-position mindset. He doesn’t panic and get interference. Instead, he makes an excellent well-timed play on the football:

That’s not all. What’s impressive is Daniel’s pre-snap focus. Daniel is not fooled by the look to the sideline and quick-snap that Tua Tagovailoa and Alabama used to trick LSU’s touted freshman Derek Stingley for a touchdown last week:

It’s a copy-cat sport, so don’t be surprised if this isn’t the last Georgia sees of this play. UGA defensive backs must be prepared for this, so they don’t give up a cheap touchdown moving forward.

Another play I’d like to highlight was perhaps Auburn’s last true chance to remain in the game:

Gus Malzahn called an excellent play, but Auburn quarterback Bo Nix couldn’t connect with his open receiver. This is a play that LSU’s Joe Burrow hits with ease. Georgia’s pass defense must tighten up moving forward. One way UGA can limit an elite passer like Joe Burrow is with pressure. The Dawgs must be more disruptive in a potential SEC Championship against LSU. The now healthier Tyson Campbell will continue to battle with D.J. Daniel for the second corner spot.

Punter Jake Camarda played his best game of the season yesterday. Camarda launched eleven punts(!!!) for 558 yards at Auburn. He consistently pinned Auburn’s offense against their goal-line in the first half with punts like this one:

If Camarda can continue to play at a high-level, then it will put UGA’s defense in much more favorable positions and give Georgia elite specials teams play, if the Dawgs can get down the field and cover kicks. Georgia has to limit special teams penalties moving forward to dominate the field-position battle. Georgia’s defense will need all the help it can get against LSU’s high-flying offense.

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Rodrigo Blankenship shows love to Georgia football punter Jake Camarda

Georgia football kicker Rodrigo Blankenship showed some love to UGA punter Jake Camarda after his massive night vs Auburn.

Georgia kicker Rodrigo Blankenship is probably the most well-known special teams player in college football.

But tonight vs Auburn, it was a different Georgia special teamer who stole the show in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.

Georgia punter Jake Camarda’s number was called on over 10 times against Auburn. And each time, he answered the call.

Following a performance where Camarda punted the ball 11 times, racked up 558 total yards of punts, averaged 50.7 yards per, downed four inside the 20 and hit a long of 67 down to the two yard line, Blankenship showed his teammate some love on Twitter.

Camarda really was a huge factor in Georgia winning that ball game. He was absolutely bombing them all night long, completely flipping field position and putting Auburn in tough situations.

After the game, Kirby Smart commented on his punter’s performance.

“Jake Camarda was hitting bombs. I hope he never has to punt 11 times in a game again.”

 

Stats from Georgia football’s win over Auburn

Here are some stats from Georgia football’s big win over Auburn.

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On Saturday night, Georgia booked its ticket to the SEC Championship for the third year in a row after the Bulldogs took down Auburn 21-14 on the road.

It was not always pretty, but the Georgia football team did just enough to hold off the Tigers and hang on for a win.

The first three quarters of this game it was pure domination on Georgia’s end. On offense, Georgia was doing ok. Nothing special, but it did put up 21 points against one of the nation’s best defenses. But when Auburn had the ball the Georgia defense was fantastic, allowing nothing for the first three quarters.

But then came the fourth quarter. Georgia was gassed on defense and it allowed Auburn to move the ball with ease. But it was when Auburn needed yards the most where Georgia finally got it together and stopped the Tigers on 4th down to win the game.

Here are some stats from the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry;

Georgia:

QB Jake Fromm: 13/28, 110 yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions

RB D’Andre Swift: 17 carries, 106 yards

WR Dominick Blaylock: 2 catches, 50 yards, 1 touchdown

P Jake Camarda: 11 punts for 558 yards (50.7 yards per), 4 inside the 20, long of 67

Auburn:

QB Bo Nix: 30/50, 245 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 fumble

RB D.J. Williams: 8 carries, 26 yards

WR Seth Williams: 13 catches, 121 yards

WR Anthony Schwartz: 7 catches, 48 yards

Team stats:

Third down:

Georgia: 3-15

Auburn: 5-18

Fourth down:

Georgia: 0-0

Auburn: 1-4

Total yards:

Georgia: 251

Auburn: 329

Penalties:

Georgia: 7 for 56 yards

Auburn: 4 for 35 yards

Takeaways:

Georgia: 1

Auburn: 0

Watch: D’Andre Swift hits dirty spin move, runs for first down

Georgia football RB D’Andre Swift hit an insanely dirty spin move and picked up the first down vs Auburn.

Georgia football running back D’Andre Swift is best known for his killer cuts that have broken the ankles of numerous helpless lineman and linebackers.

But today vs Auburn and the Tigers’ incredible defensive line, Swift broke out a new move.

Check out this spin move that Swift put on the Auburn defensive lineman. He then turned on the jets and picked up a first down.

 

Watch: Jake Fromm puts Georgia on top with 49 yard bomb to Dom Blaylock

Georgia football strikes first with a Jake Fromm to Dom Blaylock touchdown.

Georgia football strikes first!

On its second drive of the day, starting at its own 39, Georgia went 61 yards in three plays. Jake Fromm would end the drive with a beautiful 49 yard touchdown pass to true freshman Dominick Blaylock.

Here’s how it happened.