Tag: UGA Football

UGA Wire CFP live rankings reaction blog: 11/26/19 edition

Live-blog reaction to the latest College Football Playoff rankings

Welcome aboard! Please, join us for the next couple of minutes as we react to the latest College Football Playoff Rankings!

 

7:05 PM: The back five are revealed (25 App State, 24 Virginia Tech, 23 Iowa State, 22 Southern Cal, 21 Oklahoma State)

7:07 PM: No. 16-20 are revealed (20 Boise State, 19 Cincinnati, 18 Memphis, 17 Iowa, 16 Notre Dame)

7:09 PM: No. 15-11 are revealed (15 Auburn, 14 Oregon, 13 Michigan, 12 Wisconsin, 11 Florida)

7:11 PM: No. 10-7 are revealed (10 Penn State, 9 Baylor, 8 Minnesota, 7 Oklahoma)

7:13 PM: The Top 4 are revealed (4 Georgia, 3 Clemson, 2 LSU, 1 Ohio State)

7:14 PM: No. 5 and 6 are revealed (6 Utah, 5 Alabama)

 

Well, that’s all of them… let’s break it down for everyone real quick.

 

From the top:

  • Ohio State moving to No. 1 over LSU, which is due in large part to PSU remaining in the Top 10. The Buckeyes are the best football team in America in my opinion so I don’t have a problem with it. LSU might be more deserving of the top spot, but Ohio State is the more complete team and now has a top win on its resume.
  • Clemson remained at No. 3 on its bye-week, which is perfectly fine.
  • Georgia is still at No. 4 over Alabama, despite a close win over Texas A&M. Committee backing itself up from previous statements on conference calls that it does not watch margin of victory too closely.
  • Alabama in at No. 5 before a crucial matchup with No. 15 Auburn. That’s still a quality win in the eyes of the committee if the Tide get it done on Saturday. Will it be enough to fend off a 1-loss Utah or Oklahoma conference champion?
  • Personally, I think Utah hops Alabama with a conference championship IF it wins by a touchdown or more. The Utes must also thrash Colorado this weekend, however.
  • Outside of the Top 6, I like Oklahoma at 7 and Minnesota at 8, that’s fair. I even get Baylor at 9 for only having 1-loss, but why move them now? Why were they so low last week? Can they now get in over Alabama with a conference championship too?
  • I think it’s fair to have Penn State at 10 after a respectable loss to Ohio State, but you could also argue that Wisconsin or Florida should be above the Nittany Lions, who are trending in the wrong direction.
  • I like the general consensus on teams 7 through 16, but I would move a couple of them around myself.
  • Committee still showing it’s not too high on Memphis or Cincinnati, despite only having 1 loss each. They are valuing 3-loss teams with tougher strength of schedules, which makes sense.
  • Not much movement behind them, but I am glad Virginia Tech is now ranked and I’m sure the Orange Bowl Committee is too.
  • I would even be ok if the committee snuck Texas A&M in at No. 25, but I understand it’s hard with 4 losses and the committee wasn’t high on them before the loss to Georgia. They are a team on the rise, folks.
  • That just about covers it, so let’s dive into some quick picks for this weekend. I won’t reveal my game picks, but I’ll hand out some potential upsets to keep an eye on.

Teams that could be on upset alert Saturday:

  • Alabama- The Tide will face their first true test without quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in Auburn and I really don’t think they’ll be in the playoff conversation once this game concludes. I am heavily leaning towards picking Auburn and I like the Tigers to pull off the upset in this one, ending an ugly debate on college football talk shows across the nation.
  • Oklahoma- The Sooners have been able to escape defeat three weeks in a row by 4 points or less against Iowa State, Baylor and TCU. I really am not convinced this is a playoff team in 2019 and I’m just waiting for someone to deal the final blow to the Sooners. Oklahoma State might just be that team in a primetime rivalry game on Saturday night in Stillwater. If the Sooners are lucky enough to survive, I also think Baylor could get its revenge a week later in Dallas.
  • Minnesota- The Golden Gophers have been a Cinderella story for the past month and a half or so, but unfortunately, dropped a game to Iowa just one week ago. Though its playoff hopes are still alive, I really don’t think Minnesota is a Top 4 team and there’s not much out there that convinces me it can beat Wisconsin and Ohio State in back-to-back weeks. The Badgers will have revenge on their minds in Minneapolis this weekend and I expect them to get a win over arch-rival Minnesota. This game determines who goes to Indy for the Big Ten West and is severely underrated on a national scale. I like Wisconsin to spoil Minnesota’s unforgettable run and advance to Indy for the third time in four years.
  • LSU- Before we draw some criticism here, let’s get the record set straight. I don’t think Texas A&M beats LSU. But… that doesn’t mean the Aggies can’t give the Tigers fits in Baton Rouge and cause problems ahead of the SEC Championship. I really liked what I saw from Texas A&M in Athens and believe this team is on the rise. At the same time, LSU’s atrocious defense has given up a plethora of points to sub-par opponents this season and could find itself in some trouble Saturday if it’s not careful. This one being a rivalry game before a massive matchup with Georgia makes it that much more interesting. Keep an eye on this one folks.
  • Ohio State- Ok, I may have my Buckeye bias, but Ohio State is not losing this game. That being said, I’ll throw THE GAME on here because objectively speaking, I like how Michigan is finishing this season. The Wolverines are peaking at the right time to play spoiler and this one can always be unexpectedly close. Ohio State puts too much focus into Michigan to get tripped up, but this one could always get interesting, so keep an eye on it while watching Georgia demolish the Joke by Coke Saturday.

Thanks for tuning in everybody! We hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving!

UGA Wire’s Jackson Fryburger predicts the College Football Playoff Rankings for 11/26/19

Jackson Fryburger of the UGA Wire breaks down how he thinks the selection committee will rank the Top 25 on Tuesday night

Guess who’s back, back again. Jax is back, tell a friend.

It’s rivalry-week folks and boy, do we have a treat for you. Due to the Georgia basketball game going on in Maui earlier today, we weren’t able to put together a full playoff rankings preview like last week, but we’ll go ahead and give you our expected Top 25 list before the committee reveals theirs.

Remember, just like last week, this method of ranking is based on how we think the committee will evaluate teams and not just our own personal opinion on the nation’s best.

For record’s sake, we’ll try to be as objective as possible, but this is how we see the committee ranking the Top 25 in just under an hour.

You ready? Here we go.

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PETA: ‘Georgia Athletics must retire Uga immediately’

PETA called for Georgia football to retire its live mascot Uga.

Controversial ‘animal rights’ organization PETA recently caused a stir within the UGA community when it called on the school to retire its long-tenured live mascot: Uga the dog.

The current instillment of the beloved canine, Uga X, was featured prominently throughout CBS’ broadcast of the Dawgs’ win over Texas A&M, evading the rain from the comfort of his quite luxurious doghouse.

However, this didn’t stop the activist group from calling out the team on Twitter.

Needless to say, PETA’s claims did not sit well with Dawg Nation.

Hopefully, PETA learns its lesson and understands that Uga is actually treated quite well.

Georgia football injury report ahead of UGA vs Tech game

Take a look at Georgia footballs injury status prior to UGA’s final game of their regular season before LSU at Georgia Tech.

Georgia defeated the Texas A&M Aggies this Saturday in a cold and rainy matchup by a final score of 19-13.  A win is a win, but man wouldn’t it be nice to close some teams out strong?

The Dawgs didn’t look bad in the first half, nearly covering the 13-point spread they were given prior to the game. It was the 2nd half that made Bulldog fans scratch their heads.

The Aggies outscored Georgia 10-6 in the 2nd half.  That is a pretty bad look for a No. 4 team, but give credit to a hard-fought, Jimbo Fisher coached team.

Now the Dawgs have just one more opponent left before facing LSU in the SEC Championship game, and that is Georgia Tech.

With LSU looming, the Dawgs will look to be as healthy as possible for that game.

Here is a look at the injured Bulldogs heading into week 14 at Tech.

Full injury report:

Probable: DB Eric Stokes

Stokes left the Texas A&M game just before halftime after he got a little dinged up on a hit.  Kirby Smart did not seem concerned about the matter.  Expect Stokes to be ready to go.

Probable: DB Tyson Campbell

Campbell has been playing through a toe injury for the past couple of weeks but is cleared to play against Tech.

Probable: OL Cade Mays

Mays has been nursing an ankle injury since the Missouri game.  He dressed against A&M but was very limited, as is expected next week in order to save him for LSU.

Questionable: WR Trey Blount

Blount is listed as questionable with an undisclosed injury.

Questionable: WR Lawrence Cager

Cager has been battling a left shoulder injury nearly the entire season.  Even missing a number of games, Cager is still the Dawgs leader in receptions and receiving yards.  Expect Cager to get minimal time if any to rest him up for the SEC Championship game vs LSU.

OUT: WR Tommy Bush

Bush has been recovering from a sports hernia and will likely be out for the year.

OUT: DT Tramel Walthour

Walthour is battling a lower-body injury and has no timetable for his return.

OUT: OL Owen Condon

Condon has been battling a lower-body injury all year and Saturday was seen in a sling.  Should likely be out for season.

OUT: OL Justin Shaffer

Shaffer was in a neck brace for the A&M game and has no timetable for his return.

OUT: QB D’Wan Mathis

Freshman quarterback D’wan Mathis is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery to remove a cyst from his brain this offseason.  There is no current timetable for Mathis’ return.

Georgia football falls in CBS Sports’ CFB rankings

Georgia football dropped in CBS Sports’ CFB rankings.

It’s a good thing the only poll that matters is the College Football Playoff rankings. Well, at least for now. We’ll find out if I will still be saying that on Tuesday night when those are released.

But after a week in which Georgia did not look particularly great in a 19-13 win over Texas A&M in Athens, CBS Sports dropped the Bulldogs one spot in its rankings, swapping them with Alabama. The Dawgs remained No. 4 in both the Amway Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25.

Related: Kirk Herbstreit predicts CFP teams if Georgia beats LSU

CBS Sports’ new-top is as follows:

1. LSU

2. Ohio State

3. Clemson

4. Alabama

5. Georgia

6. Utah

7. Oklahoma

8. Florida

9. Minnesota

10. Baylor

Alabama looked good, sure. But it was against Western Carolina. The Tide may very well still be able to win a national championship over any of the playoff committee’s top-four teams, but if you don’t win your conference, let alone your division, you should not be given the opportunity to prove that.

Here is my prediction for what the College Football Playoff rankings will look like on Tuesday night.

Kirby Smart addresses Georgia football’s offensive woes

Georgia faithful still wonder how the much longer the Dawgs’ D can bail out the struggling offense.

Georgia’s 2019 defense is a statistical anomaly. The Junkyard Dawgs will enter their final regular season game ranked fifth in total defense, second in rushing defense, seventh in passing efficiency defense, and have only allowed one rushing touchdown.

The Bulldog Nation thoroughly enjoys watching a defense that can guarantee a win requiring only 21 points. Georgia is one of two teams (Clemson being the other) that hasn’t given up more than 20 points thus far this season.

That said, Georgia faithful still wonder how the much longer the Dawgs’ D can bail out the struggling offense.

Head coach Kirby Smart acknowledged the fans’ echoed concerns after the Silver Britches’ lackluster offense.

“There were things [against Texas A&M] that we missed that were there. That’s the frustrating thing.”

He continued: “You get an opportunity on first and ten to make the plays that we had, and you’ve got to make those.”

Smart, obviously aware of the situation, added that “some of that had nothing to to with the calls…it had to do with execution.”

“[The defense] got tired toward the end of the game. We’re going to have to overcome that, because two weeks in a row now, we’ve kind of lost momentum late and struggled on a couple drives.”

Quarterback Jake Fromm has thrown under 50% for three consecutive games. Compared to his career percentage of 65.5%, the current trend is surprising.

“Offensively, we’ve got to improve. There’s no bones about it.” Smart The message this week is that the next step is the most important step.”

Kirk Herbstreit predicts playoff teams if Georgia beats LSU

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit released his top-six earlier today and also predicted who’s in the 2019 College Football Playoff if Georgia defeats LSU in the SEC Championship. He assumes all the favorites win out in this situation: …

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit released his top-six earlier today and also predicted who’s in the 2019 College Football Playoff if Georgia defeats LSU in the SEC Championship. He assumes all the favorites win out in this situation:

I would have to agree with Herbstreit here. Even if UGA wins big over LSU, then the Tigers should make the playoff over Alabama. LSU’s head to head victory should all-but eliminate the Crimson Tide in this situation.

There are still several chaos scenarios possible including: Minnesota, Michigan, or Wisconsin defeating Ohio State. The Buckeyes may be banged up after facing a stretch of Penn State-Michigan-Minnesota/Wisconsin.

Georgia fans would love the scenario mentioned above. As long as the Dawgs win versus LSU, then Georgia fans will be happy. With rivalry week coming, there’s a considerable chance of another upset this week. Auburn will have a decent chance to beat Alabama, Texas A&M should put up a fight against LSU, and South Carolina has already pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season.

Who do you think would make the playoff in this scenario? What about a one-loss PAC-12 Champion in Utah? The Utes played a soft non-conference schedule, but have played nine conference games.

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College Football Playoff projections following Week 13

Predicting the College Football Playoff rankings after Week 13.

Week 13 saw Georgia football beat a talented Texas A&M team to advance to 10-1 on the season.

Georgia looked like it has all season – unable to finish a drive on offense but smothering on defense.

That’s been Georgia’s recipe this season, but how much longer will it work? We will find out in two weeks when the Dawgs take on LSU in Atlanta.

Right now, Georgia is sitting at No. 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings behind LSU (1), Ohio State (2) and Clemson (3).

Right behind the Bulldogs is Alabama, hoping that it can not only win next week vs Auburn but also that LSU will take care of business in the SEC Championship, thus eliminating Georgia from playoff contention.

Behind Alabama currently is Oregon, but that won’t last long after the Ducks lost to Arizona State. The best part about Oregon losing is that now we don’t have to hear about how Rob Mullens, the Oregon AD and the chair of the CFP selection committee, is “recused from the room” when the committee discusses the Ducks. Is it just me, or has that been mentioned way too many times this season?

Ohio State definitely had the most impressive win of the weekend among the teams near the top of the rankings (Arizona State probably had the best win, though, in beating Oregon). I would not expect the committee to swap LSU and OSU, however. LSU’s beaten plenty of top-ten teams itself.

Then there’s Utah, which is 10-1 and needs some help to make it into the final four. The Utes have not really beaten anyone, but if Georgia and Alabama both fall and Utah wins its conference, then it has a much better argument.

Oklahoma, however, assuming it wins out, will be right there with Utah vying for that last Playoff spot if both Alabama and Georgia lose before the final rankings reveal after the conference championship games wrap up.

Here’s our College Football Playoff projections:

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Kirby Smart: “What Rodrigo has overcome is a story for the ages”

Georgia football HC Kirby Smart discusses how amazing UGA K Rodrigo Blankenship’s Bulldog career has been.

In Kirby Smart’s post-game presser tailing Saturday’s home win over Texas A&M, the coach used his opening remarks to congratulate Georgia’s newest career leader in points, Rodrigo Blankenship.

Blankenship, who also has the highest career field goal percentage of any Bulldog past or present, was flawless against the Aggies and scored 13 of the Dawgs’ 19 points on senior night.

It’s strange to think that the most automatic placekicker in school history didn’t start out on scholarship.

“What Rodrigo has done and overcome is a story for the ages,” Smart said.

Blankenship arrived in Athens as a preferred walk-on, meaning he had a semi-promised scholarship that would be awarded by the end of one season should he progress as the coaches hope.

He did his job, a scholarship still wasn’t awarded, and his dad wrote an open letter addressing the coaching staff that Georgia fans still remember.

The kicker responded by keeping his head down, persisting, and consequently earning his scholarship.

Smart continued:

 “To be a walk-on, to not getting a scholarship, to continue to work, to get a scholarship, and to continue to grind and be as consistent as he has been in some of the toughest conditions you can ask a kicker to kick…he’s just been tremendous.”

The senior out of Sprayberry High School has long been a fan favorite for the obvious football-related rationale. He is, as Smart later remarked, a “weapon.”

His habits of donning rec specs and lacing up the same Nike Mercurial cleats he’s worn since his high school soccer days have earned him fans nationwide for more frivolous reasons.

Blankenship’s tenacity, positive attitude, and grit should earn him even more.

Nothing to see here: Jake Fromm, D’Andre Swift fine after brief in-game argument

Georgia football QB Jake Fromm, RB D’Andre Swift HC Kirby Smart comment on brief argument in the game vs the Aggies.

I loved what I saw on Saturday late in the game between Georgia and Texas A&M.

There were 2:47 left in Georgia’s win over the Aggies when D’Andre Swift took a draw play from Jake Fromm and was dropped for a loss of two yards. After the play, Swift jumped up and got in his quarterback’s face, expressing his frustration with Fromm for not snapping the ball earlier.

Kirby Smart explained the situation in his postgame press conference and what led to their quick confrontation.

“I wouldn’t call it a dustup,” Smart said. “He was just frustrated. It was a situation where we don’t run that play into a pressure from that side. They did a good job disguising it.

We told Jake to milk the clock and when you milk the clock you can’t change the play. You milk the clock, you’ve got to run the play. It wasn’t a great play, but that’s called passion, it’s not a dustup.”

Sure, seeing your two star players argue is a bit awkward, but at the same time, if you know anything about the passion that goes into playing a team sport, it’s what you love to see.

Passion, that’s what was pouring out of Swift late in the ball game. That very well could have been both of their final games between the hedges and even though the Dawgs struggled to execute and find the end zone, those two left it all on the field.

Anyone who has ever played sports understands this. No, they are not going to go into awkward-mode, not talk to each other, not like each other’s Instagram posts or generate weird eye-contact when passing each other in the football facility.

They are fine. It was an emotional game. It’s an emotional sport.

“I think that was the play, the shot clock was on like one,” Swift said. “We hiked the ball. It wasn’t really a good play. I was telling him that we’ve got to snap the ball earlier but it wasn’t on him. I was just frustrated.”

“If you played football, you know teammates argue sometimes; we’ve got nothing but respect and love for each other. It’s football, it’s a game. Nothing is between us.”

Fromm did not push back. He let Swift express his frustration and carried on, eventually guiding the team to a win.

Fromm’s reaction to Swift’s complaints was exactly what you want to see from your quarterback. That’s the kind of stuff that NFL scouts will love when looking at his college tape. The guy is a leader and understands how to handle the emotions of 10 different players on the field at any given time.

“I think it’s just two competitors that want to compete and do the right thing for the offense,” Fromm said.

“The clock is ticking, they showed a blitz there at the last second and I didn’t have enough time to change it. That’s part of the four-minute scenario, trying to milk out the clock and two guys want to be really competitive and win a football game.”

Smart described it best following the game.

“It’s love,” Smart said. “When you have family, your family doesn’t always get along, right? But they love each other. These two young men love each other as much as anybody.”