A Yankee Hack on Georgia Football: Week One at Oklahoma State

Your best source of uniformed and biased Georgia Football commentary.

My thoughts on week one in Stillwater.

I expect OSU to get the ball first

Gundy wants the crowd to see the offense ASAP and will take the ball. Richt does not want the OSU Defense, already jacked up with a loud home crowd and a new DC to get early confidence and will defer to the second half.


I believe OSU will score on it's first possession

While I hardly buy into this offense as the next Texas Tech (realistically, I expect it to be the next Klingler/Ware-led Houston) but every person at OSU from the waterboy to Pickens wants to see this offense explode. 

Gundy has been planning since the Bowl game, the crowd will be going insane and the offense will have plays and formations that are not on film for Georgia to scheme against.

I expect Martinez will put an extremely basic defense out for the first series hoping to get as many new plays and formations as possible on film while letting the defense get their butterflies out.  When OSU crosses the 50, he will start to blitz and UGA may get away with only a FG.

I also expect that Martinez will have put together an excellent game plan and the UGA defense will progressively take over the line of scrimmage as the game progresses.

UGA goes three and out on their first possession...

...but will score a TD on their second.

OSU has a new DC (new scheme) and will be flying high with the new stadium and the national TV game. Easier to play defense than offense with an overload of adrenaline and Richt will play close to the vest on the first series to avoid a mistake or turnover.

Samuel will get a heavy load in the next series.  Running behind an offensive line that may be the best in the SEC this year, his running will make the defense susceptible to play action Joe Cox will hit a TE (likely freshman Orson Charles) on a crossing pattern to score.


The inside pass rush (and subsequently the DE pressure) will return

Everyone sees the DE come around the corner and make the sack.  But, as last year showed use, that sack never happens when the the QB can step into the pocket and let the OLB or DE be run past them.

The return of Jeff Owens will allow he and Geno Atkins to control the center of the line of scrimmage.  At the very least, their play will prevent OSU from sliding a Guard over to help the Tackle with the DE.  Likely they, do this as well as collapsing the pocket and forcing Robinson to hurry this throws.

Robinson will be pressured and sacked, while he will get yards running from the pocket,  I would much prefer to see that than giving him time to find Dez Bryant in space.


Perhaps I have the Red-Tinted Glasses on...

... But I think UGA wins by 10.

This offensive line is every bit as good as Alabama's was last year and might be deeper.

Final thought

Sometimes a player is better than his physical skills (Mike Bobo) often he is worse (Jasper Sanks); Richard Samuel has plenty of skills and will be a better player than those skills suggest.  As the OSU defensive line wears down, Samuel goes over 130 with a TD run of 40+ yards.

Prediction:

Down 14 - 10 at the half...UGA wins 31-21.