Do "Greatness and Immortality Await" for Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs?
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The No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs are coming out of a bye week with much to play for, and coach Kirby Smart has the program positioned and pointed in the right direction. The bye week is a good momenet to take stock of we things are for the Dawgs, and what’s left to go.
For those of you current or former military guys, the phrase “take a knee and drink some water” may ring familiar. For others, this is simply a time during a foot patrol or road march that gives your charges a time to take a little break.
Now, its meaning may be a little different for each service, but the meaning of it, to me, is take the opportunity to rest, reflect on where you’ve been, and to get your mind right about where you are going. It’s a recalibration of sorts, giving you the opportunity to get totally locked in on your final objective. It can also mean something else, like “you need to fix yourself” or “bro, chill out”. I may or may not have heard this used in each connotation, but that’s for another time.
While we, as fans, suffered with no UGA football during this bye week, quite the opposite happened for the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs. This was a time to rest and get healthy. It was a time to clean up some details in both scheme and technique. And it was a time to get ready for the final five regular season games and the postseason push.
So, from this fan’s perspective, what follows is a bit of reflection on the first seven games. First, thank God for Stetson Bennett. Regardless what you may think of the team’s ability to win a championship with him under center, you cannot argue with just how settling it’s been to have an experienced quarterback start four of the biggest games so far this season. Advanced metrics, according to Brent Rollins on Twitter, show that Bennett is the most accurate quarterback in college football off play action. UGA is also No. 2 in the Power 5 in explosive pass play percentage. Most of that has occurred with Bennett at the helm. I’m glad I don’t have to be the one to make the decision on who starts when JT Daniels is healthy.
Second, I’m truly thankful to have been raised a Dawg fan. We don’t have to worry about the dumpster fires at LSU and Florida. We don’t have to worry about losing a game at home to a 2-5 team in nine overtimes (looking at you James Franklin). Kirby, and Mark Richt before him, brought great stability so that anytime we see “breaking news” in the world of sports we don’t really have to worry about this UGA program. The situation at LSU is embarrassing and truly weird. Why keep a guy that needs adult leadership around him as head coach? Florida? Couldn’t happen to a more deserving fanbase. Really hope they enjoy the extension and raise Dan Mullen received after a four-loss season.
We’ve got it really good with Kirby.
Third, I am truly grateful for killing the ‘Kirby can’t develop’ narrative. Who among us saw Ladd McConkey as the leading receiver this year? AD Mitchell wasn’t a highly rated (albeit 4-star) recruit, but yet he’s as dependable as any skill player out there. And who thought Dan Jackson would become a household name this year? Jordan Davis – need I say more? The fact that Kirby has multiple lower rated recruits playing well is a testament to the work he and his staff put into player evaluation and development over time. Some pick it up quickly, while others like Quay Walker may take a little longer. But when they get it, woo boy, the results are indicative of a sound program. Oh, and when was the last time Stetson Bennett had a pass batted down at the line this year? Once against Kentucky?
Finally, and I’m sure Kirby appreciates this more than I, but the bye week has enabled the team to heal. We’ve had several physical games in a row, and the depth of this team has been tested. The myriad of injuries, specifically on offense, has been truly brutal. Having time to heal and recalibrate both physically and mentally should pay great dividends in the final stretch of regular season games that start this weekend. Nagging injuries have been rested and hopefully recuperated, meaning they won’t turn into larger injuries that cause missed playing time. And with Florida up next, healing, resting and recalibrating couldn’t have come at a better time. Yes, Florida got the same opportunity. But they come into the bye week with more questions than answers after losing to the Fighting Dumpster Fires of LSU. And to know that you face the No. 1 team in the nation coming off that bye can’t inspire confidence in what looks to be another four-loss season. We all know Dan Mullen can scheme up plays (cover the wheel route!) but can he galvanize a me-first team to pull off the upset? No amount of bye weeks can make that happen.
Looking ahead, the Dawgs should see opportunities, even in somewhat uncharted waters. The opportunity to stomp on your most hated rival awaits this Saturday. The following week you face a Missouri team that can’t stop a nose bleed. Should be fun times at Sanford Stadium. What looms after that is a showdown with a Vols team that has been interesting to watch this season. I have zero doubt that UGA wins that game, but it could be interesting. Depth will certainly be challenged. And if you’re going to the game, you might want to wear a helmet and body armor. The final two games are glorified scrimmages against Charleston Southern and the 404 wannabes from Tech.
While each game is indeed its own game, and you can’t (or shouldn’t) look ahead too much, it’s really not a stretch to think that the SEC Championship game could see the Dawgs as healthy and focused as any team in the nation. So, in this final week of rest, reflection, and recalibration, we all know what’s ahead. We all know what’s at stake. And if we know it, you have to believe Kirby and the team are completely locked in on it. For a team that’s been so much fun to watch this season, the best is yet to come. So, it’s time to put away the canteen, tighten your bootlaces, check your gear, and mount up. As a former boss used to say, greatness and immortality await… even if it’s only in your own mind.
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