Final Feelings: Dawg Post Glances Towards the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party
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ATHENS - Kirby Smart and the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs have hit the by week undefeated, and gearing up for a fight with the Florida Gators.
Matt’s Final Feelings: It’s an off week for the Bulldogs, but there’s no time to relax for the Dawg Post crew. Georgia doesn’t play this weekend, but there are plenty of solid games out there that I’m excited to watch.
Of course, since I’m not covering a game on Saturday, my wife wants me to go on a dinner date with one of her coworkers.
“It’s one of your only Saturdays off this year”, she said. “Let’s go to dinner with (insert friend’s name here).”
As much as I’d like to sit on my ass and throw down beers all day, downtown Alpharetta is a pretty cool spot, so I don’t mind. I did tell her I’m watching the 12:00 PM games, and we need to be back for the 7:00 PM games. I’m laying down the law. Her friend’s husband is an LSU guy, so I’m sure he’ll be looking for a TV wherever we end up.
For Georgia, this is the time to get healthy. They’ll need Jalen Carter back sooner than later. They’ll need AD Mitchell back, too. Maybe not for Florida, but Georgia needs to be as healthy as possible by the time Tennessee comes to town.
Overall, the Bulldogs are exactly where they need to be. They’re 7-0 and ranked No. 1 in the country. If they go undefeated in the regular season they’ll be in the playoffs. Once again, a loss in the SEC title game won’t matter. Of course, there’s a long way to go before we start talking about playoff scenarios. Georgia needs to take care of business in Jacksonville, put Tennessee back where they belong, and fight off State and Kentucky. It won’t be an easy road, but Georgia has the talent and depth to get the job done.
The Braves are toast. An incredibly frustrating end to another fun season. But hey, they’re NL East champs, again. In a few years only Philadelphia fans will remember that it was the Phillies who took down the mighty Braves in 2022. Now, as long as the Phillies don’t win the World Series, I don’t care who wins it all. A brutal Yankees meltdown would be fun to watch, though.
The Atlanta Hawks are back. I’m on board for a big playoff run this summer. High expectations.
My New York Rangers are winning the Stanley Cup. This is the year. Get your bets in now.
As a big Game of Thrones guy, I’ve been very pleased with the House of Dragon series. This has been a great season one, and the season finale Sunday night should be a wild one. Pumped for Sunday night.
Now back to college football.
Here’s how I see things going down…
First off, Ohio State -30? Even against an Iowa team that can’t score, that’s a lot of points. I’ll take Iowa +30.
I think Clemson is somewhat legitimate. Are they a real playoff contender? I don’t think so. Should they beat Syracuse by 14? Absolutely.
I’ll take Ole Miss +2. That seems like an easy one.
I like UCLA. I’ve said that all year. I’ll take the Bruins +6 against the Ducks.
Texas is solid, and the ‘Pokes are coming off a tough OT loss to the Frogs. Give me Texas -6.5.
Alabama is getting too many points on Mississippi State. They’re still down in the dumps after folding to Tennessee. Give me State +21.
I’ll take Penn State -4 over Minnesota. Just not feeling the Gophers.
I’ve been rolling with TCU all season long, but here’s where they slip up. Give me Kansas State +3.5 and the upset victory on the road. Sounds dumb but I’m taking it.
There you go. Ya’ll have a fun weekend.
The Georgia Bulldogs WIN the 2021 NATIONAL TITLE!
Check out DAWGSTRUCTION NOW!
Ryan’s Final Feelings: I am living for this weather. I am happiest from October to March for several reasons. Two of the main reasons are football and the cool weather. My fashion is definitely better when it is colder. I know you all care about that.
No, you probably don’t at all, but you do care about the Dawgs. I think this is great timing for the team to be off. The first half of the regular season had its challenges, but what is coming will not be an easy road to navigate, even if Georgia is better than all of the teams that remain in their way.
Being healthy is difficult midway through the season. Georgia has a few key players who they need to get back on the field. If I had to guess, Adonai Mitchell and Smael Mondon will return against the Gators. Mitchell’s thumb is what has been holding him back. I think Mondon is the closest to returning out of all of the key guys.
I don’t think Jalen Carter is going to play in Jacksonville, and I don’t think that he should. Kirby Smart did not sound confident about him playing very soon, and he is not even practicing with the team. Getting him back for Tennessee will be the key.
The team will claim to only look at the week ahead, and maybe they do, but I am going to look at what this next stretch is for Georgia.
Florida: This is a game Georgia should dominate. The Dawgs should control it from start to finish. Georgia is better in seemingly every aspect of the sport right now, and that funnels down the coaching staff and recruiting. It is too early for me to peg Billy Napier the guy or not, and I think you guys know how I feel about Anthony Richardson at this point. I don’t see it at all. I don’t see him as a pro prospect. I don’t see him as a quarterback that can win you a game with his arm. I don’t see it. What I have seen is a quarterback who I think will struggle big time against Georgia.
Tennessee: There are still a couple weeks before this takes place, but it seems that it will be a top-3 matchup in Athens. Electric. I am gonna save a lot of what I have to say for when the time comes, and we need to see how they fare against Kentucky.
Mississippi State: I think Mississippi State is better than Kentucky. I at least thought that before they played. Watching them struggle against each other made me feel more confident about the Dawgs taking care of both of them. Will Rodgers presents a unique problem to deal with, and I think this game might be the weirdest one for Georgia, but they should win.
Kentucky: At this moment, I don’t think Georgia will struggle with the Wildcats. I thought they would before the season, but I just don’t think they are great.
Georgia Tech: Not much to say here. I’ll save it for later.
There is a rodeo on Friday in Athens. I know a ton of people going, but it is not for me. I went to the Auburn rodeo in April solely because that’s what one of my best friends wanted to do for his 21st. There was a period of time that day where I thought I was in a nightmare. Not a cloud in the sky. Almost 90 degrees. Horse crap everywhere. Not a tree in sight. Country music just isn't for me. I am sure the one in Athens will be a better time but two rodeos in one year? No.
Around the country…
Syracuse +13.5 at Clemson. I think the Tigers get out alive, but not without some late game drama.
Iowa +30 at Ohio State. Ohio State still wins by a healthy amount, but there is going to be a game where the Buckeyes don’t look too hot. I think that might be against Iowa.
Texas -6.5 at Oklahoma State. I really like Quinn Ewers. That is all.
UCLA at Oregon -6. In Autzen, give me Bo Nix over Dorian Thompson-Robinson. I am not super confident about that, however. DTR is a sneaky Heisman contender. The Ducks have a good atmosphere, and I think that is the difference.
Ole Miss at LSU -2. Ole Miss’ lead in the SEC west lasts one week.
Mississippi State at Alabama -21. I think Alabama bounces back, but they aren’t gonna blow the other Bulldogs out of the water.
I know you don’t want to hear about the Falcons, but the Falcons matter to me. I can’t tell how good we are. Whipping up on San Francisco was very impressive. The playoffs are definitely in the realm of possibility.
It is WAY too early to tell about the Hawks, but 1-0 to start.
The Georgia Bulldogs WIN the 2021 NATIONAL TITLE!
Check out DAWGSTRUCTION NOW!
Legge’s Thoughts: We are halfway through the year, and it was time for a break. Technically the break hasn’t happened yet, but it feels like it already has. These seasons can take a lot out of you, and travel is about to be a very real thing for the Dawgs.
Consider that Georgia will travel nearly 2,200 miles over the next four games. That’s plenty of bad decisions with food in gas stations. It also means Georgia will conclude it’s 2022 of playing at the geographic extremes of the league (Cootlumbia, Lexington, Columbia and Jacksonville.)
I thought Georgia, the team, looked like they were having as much fun as I can remember them having in some time when they played against Vandy. And it wasn’t just that they were winning - this was before, during and after the win.
It was interesting, too, to see the positions gather together after the game and take photos as a group. I’ve never seen that done inside Sanford Stadium before - at least I have not noticed it. That’s something that happens after bowl wins - at the conclusion of seasons.
I saw that last Saturday.
And how about the performance from Carson Beck? He looked exceptionally good. That performance confirms what I hear behind the scenes about his development and arm talent. Beck’s day is a reminder, and perhaps an example, that development inside the program in Athens might be the best way to prepare for success in college and beyond.
Has Jermaine Burton gotten better at Alabama? Has Brenton Cox gotten better as a Gator? I can answer the second one: if he has it hasn’t been to the degree the he could leave early to play in the NFL. Burton? I don’t know enough to say, but it isn’t obvious that he’s gotten better. Again - I’m not the right person to determine that.
It seems to me the team folks are not considering enough in the national championship picture is Michigan. The Wolverines have been very solid this fall. They did have what was a lackluster seven-point win over Maryland earlier this year, but you are going to have performances that are not ideal. It happens - you just have to win, and not develop a pattern of not looking great.
I think they are the dark horse to win it all; I guess Clemson is in the same position. But Clemson doesn’t look like Michigan does in terms of the “way” they have played. Neither team has faced unreal competition yet. At least the Taters have played a few ranked teams. Michigan only has the win over Penn State, which continues to prove its lack of value under James Franklin.
I love a few of the matchups this weekend. LSU-Ole Miss is going to be fun… the Rebels had better not take LSU lightly. I think South Carolina can beat Texas A&M. We shall see. What will Shane do in the locker room this week?
You also get Ohio State and Clemson playing at Noon. Tennessee also plays at Noon. All three contests should be must-watch for Georgia fans. It looks, too, like the Oregon-UCLA game is the biggest game of the weekend, and that matters for the Dawgs for obvious reasons.
State at Alabama is a critical game for a slew of reasons. Alabama needs to not just win, but play well. Kansas State has a fun backfield, and will need it to compete on the road at TCU. We will be forced inhale Minnesota at Penn State - in primetime no less.
I will have that one on mute.
I do think this week is critical for the Dawgs. Can they get everyone healthy? The truth is Georgia won’t be “markedly” better with the return of AD Mitchell and Jalen Carter, but those two will matter on the margins. And anything that increases the margins… that’s what you want in today’s college football.
