No More Excuses

Do you smell that? Usually, around this time of year, a particular smell starts to greet you in the early morning hours when you awaken. Maybe it's the early morning dew mixed with freshly mowed grass or just the anticipation for the turning of the seasons. But this smells like football to me. We've reached the point where the emergence of fan gear has started to be noticed while you're out running errands. Fans of all walks of life asserting their allegiance to their team with hopes of a great year. That's the norm for teams with high expectations year in and year out. This year seems to be no different for the Georgia Bulldogs. Some would even say the pressure and expectations are even higher this year than in previous years. Why? After a somewhat tumultuous season of covid interruptions, implications, and instability at the quarterback position, the dawgs finally settled on J.T. Daniels after he cemented his status as the starting quarterback.

              JT began the season as a transfer rehabilitating a repaired ACL. With a covid opt-out right before the season started, Georgia was left scrambling for an answer at the most critical position. Up and downplay from Dwan Mathis, and Stetson Bennett resulted in multiple losses to Alabama and Florida. But Georgia's quarterback woes go back even farther. The lack of offensive explosion could easily be blamed for Georgia's slow number of appearances in the CFB playoff in recent years. But, like every year, this year is the year for the Dawgs? Or, at least it should be. Talking season is over, and it's time to put the 1980 references to bed. The Dawgs have everything needed to win a national championship. The team consists of 2-3 deep athletic monsters all over this roster. What I consider to be the more significant hindrance for this team is coaching. And this season will be no different. This team should easily win a national championship. We can make all the excuses in the world. We can blame Bama and Nick Saban, and most of that would hold water. But Georgia has dominated Alabama for the most part when they’ve played on the field, only to come up short by the end of the game. This season will fall on coaching and execution. Can coach Kirby Smart get this team over the 1980 hump and maximize the true talent that's overwhelmingly deep on this roster. That's the actual test of greatness for me. Can he join the ranks of Saban and Dabo? Right now, those two teams are the standard and the upper tier for college football. Georgia is currently muddled in the mix of a few other teams trying to burst out of that second tier.

Georgia doesn't have to beat Clemson to reach all their season goals, but they need to! Georgia needs to come out and make a statement against Clemson in the season opener. On the big stage. The world will be watching again, and this time, Georgia needs to seize the moment and put everyone on notice that they are here for a monster season. No excuses. No more blaming the quarterback and no more blaming player availability. No more blaming covid. Go out and get it done. The talent is there, but is the coaching there as well? Time will tell, but I believe the Dawgs assert dominance and win this game easily.