Is it really college football annual time again? I keep swearing these off, and one of these days I am going to actually mean it … maybe.
This article from the AJC’s Mark Bradley reminded me that it is college football annual time again. Apparently, the SEC is none too impressed with UGA’s chances.
I bought the Sporting News College Football yearbook over the weekend and was surprised to see the Georgia Bulldogs picked third, behind South Carolina and Florida, in the SEC East. (South Carolina I can understand. Florida I can’t.)
According to the Birmingham News’ annual poll of SEC sports information directors, none of whom could vote for his own team, I shouldn’t have been surprised. Because this survey has it the same way: Gamecocks first, Gators second, Bulldogs third. And not a close third, either.
South Carolina received five first-place votes. (Only the East SIDs were asked to predict the East outcome, FYI.) Florida drew the other. Georgia took an 0-for-6 collar.
In the overall league power rankings, Georgia finished sixth — five points behind Florida, nine ahead of both Auburn and Mississippi State. Alabama was first, LSU second, South Carolina third and Arkansas fourth.
I am not sure why anyone would be surprised that UGA is still behind Florida; it is not as if the Dawgs have had much success against the Gators over the last 20 years! Will the Fighting Chicken really be that good? It is still early days (I have not even looked at their schedule), but I say the Gamecocks have a lapse or two.
In other Georgia news, apparently the Bulldogs are putting together a dandy 2012 class.
Jenkins County High School teammates Jonathan Taylor and James DeLoach both committed to UGA.
Taylor is a 6-foot-4, 325-pound defensive tackle and a candidate to be ranked as the Georgia’s No. 1 overall college football prospect for 2012. He’s only 16 years old, with his next birthday five months away.
DeLoach is 6-3, 265 pounds and can play defensive end or linebacker. Both said all along that they were going to be a “package deal” and play on the same football team on college.
I never put a lot of stock in recruiting; at least when it comes to rating the classes. While it is important to recruit well, and it obviously means you are getting top talent if everyone rates your signing class, too much can happen. Kids get homesick, fail to make grades, get injured, fall in love, get in trouble with the law (especially true of Georgia players in recent years), and so on and so forth.
The best DE to come out of Georgia in forever is only 16? I bet things change between now and September/August 2012 when Taylor actually has an opportunity to take the field.
Go Dawgs!
