Dawgs Roll Over...and We Aren't Talkin' Doggie Tricks

Is it not ironic that we lost our greatest radio personality and two UGAs during these sour past two years?

I've tried to be nice. I've tried to be loyal. I've tried to run off the critics.

I credit myself with a pretty solid history of keeping optimistic with my favorite teams, even in the toughest times. I stayed relaxed with the 2006 Georgia Bulldogs, who went 9-4 with a freshman quarterback.

I stayed relaxed with my 2003 Atlanta Falcons as I watched every game of their 5-11 season. This season, I have tried so hard to keep my head up as my Dawgs continued to plummet downward.

But after tonight's loss to the Kentucky Wildcats, the Cats' first win in Sanford Stadium since 1967, my faith is completely gone.

Something is extremely wrong with Georgia football. I took some time to really think about this team and what has happened since the turn of the century.

In 2002, the Dawgs were the best team in the country in my opinion, and Richt was the captain of the ship.

But, Richt did not recruit those Juniors and Seniors on that football team. Richt did not recruit David Greene. Richt did not recruit David Pollack. Richt did not recruit Thomas Davis or Greg Blue or Boss Bailey.

Richt's playcalling, however, was a major part of a pretty potent offense. His playcalling continued until 2007.

Georgia's defense in the early part of the decade, during their 2002 and 2005 SEC championship seasons, was led by Brian van Gorder.

Van Gorder is now a coach in the NFL, while Richt handed over his playcalling to Mike Bobo.

Georgia has not looked like a championship team but once since. There was that span between the 2007 Florida game and the early part of the 2008 season where the Georgia players had a certain swagger to them.

Knowshon energized an entire football team, did he not? The Georgia players really took it upon themselves when they stormed the field against Florida (according to CMR).

Georgia's top talent such as Stafford, Massaquoi, Moreno, Thomas Brown, and Marcus Howard energized that football team.

That was the only span, since 2005, where Georgia has shown any confidence or swagger: the type that yields champions.

As of this year, Georgia takes the field with no confidence. You can see it. Their quarterback is terrible. Their players are still learning what "penalty" means. Their coaches show zero emotion.

And in my opinion, their coaches flat out can't coach, and their players (aside from a few) flat out can't play.

All through this year we tried to find a scapegoat for the lack of success. Is it players or coaches?

Guess what folks, it's both, and the sad thing is the fans seem to have the answers. The fans seem to blog the answers.

Week in and week out we ask ourselves, where is the emotion? Why does Richt NEVER crack down on a guy? Why does this team not look like it knows what in the name of Munson it is doing?

I'm tired of watching this group of heralded coaches and five-star recruits come out and get stomped week in and week out, but I'm even more tired of how it happens.

These players are not disciplined at all!

I almost turned off the TV early in the game when Bryan Evans was complaining to a ref after getting called for pass interference.

Evans had coverage on a downfield pass, and instead of playing the ball, did not turn his head around and put his arm in on the receiver.

Now folks, I have never played a snap of organized football in my life, but I will tell you right now I know more about covering a receiver than Georgia senior Bryan Evans does.

If you do not turn your head to play the ball, you will get flagged! It's that simple! Mind you folks, Evans had great coverage on the guy. Had Evans turned and played the ball (which he has never done here at UGA) he might have had an interception!

And what was so interesting is that he complained to the referee when he should have well know he interfered! He also made a stupid late hit earlier in the game.

This is a senior we are talking about.

What about Joe Cox? Sure, he made some great throws. But talent isn't everything folks. Cox's toss down near the goal line looked to be his fault. That tight power I handoff has been a trademark in Georgia's goaline offense for the past few years.

It's always a handoff. Yet, Cox tossed the ball? Really? How about Cox's two interceptions? Talk about tunnel vision...he threw a soft pass when the linebacker was right down his eye of sight and in front of Caleb King's route for an interception to lose the game.

My mother would have held onto that ball. It was the first play in the biggest drive of the game and Cox made the worst interception of his short career.

This is a senior we are talking about.

Our talent has won us games this year. The Arkansas and South Carolina wins were disciplineless shootouts. The Arizona State game was saved by A.J. Green and his field goal block.

The Auburn game was only decided by seven points. Our only convincing wins are over Vanderbilt and Tennessee Tech.

And let us not forget how we have laid in egg in every big game we have played in in the past two seasons.

Does this team prepare during the week? Did this team prepare during the spring or summer?

I know that sounds disrespectful to inquire, especially since I am not a football player at UGA, and many players would be offended.

But maybe it's time players get offended. Maybe it's time there is some emotion...some adversity.

They certainly don't get that dose of heat from coaches.

Last week against Auburn, Montez Robinson decided it would be okay to clothesline an opponent after the whistle had been blown. He grabbed the guy and intentionally slung him to the ground.

Richt was smiling as he gingerly trotted to Robinson to say, "Don't do that again."

I may only be 5'9" and weigh 130 pounds, but I would have cursed the living daylights out of Montez Robinson.

You don't just walk into a program like Georgia and decide it's okay to pull crap like that...or do you?

After all, the coaches never yell at their players for anything.

Yet, tons of fans are always blogging about how the mindset with these coaches needs to change.

And yet, it still hasn't.

ESPN's Bob Davie put it perfectly by saying, "The only thing that is keeping this program from being a top-tier football team is penalties and turnovers; dumb mistakes. I just don't get it."

Yeah Bob, we don't either. What invisible force field has kept all of this talk away from the coaches? These coaches don't seem to get it!

When the fans and broadcasters get it and the coaches don't, there is a problem...a BIG problem.

Georgia outgained Kentucky tonight by almost 200 yards, and lost because of turnovers and penalties.

Turnovers and penalties are the kind of stuff you iron out in Spring, not when December is rolling around.

This coaching staff is the most miserable bunch of jokes in the SEC. Bobo's playcalling is too gimmicky. Martinez's defense has just finally figured out how to defend a pass.

And Richt always greets a personal foul with a smile.

Until the mindset of these Georgia coaches and players change, this team will continue to spiral downward.

I know this because when you look around the SEC, you see teams who have those fiery coaches. You see teams who actually look like they know what they are doing.

And all of a sudden Kentucky looks better than we do?

We are 6-5, going on 6-6, and honestly don't even deserve to show up to a Bowl Game.

This Georgia team is a few athletic saves away from being 2-9. This isn't Vanderbilt or Northwestern we are talking about, this is Georgia.

This is that school that brings in top five recruiting classes. This is the school that has the 92,000 seat stadium; the beloved Uga; the rich history of hard nosed defense and disciplined football.

But I'll tell you one thing.

Those aren't the Georgia Bulldogs taking the field on Saturdays. It's time they take a gander at that G on their helmet, or on their coaches jacket, and come out with a purpose.

Either that, or the departure of Munson and the deaths of UGA VI and VII really will become the symbol of Georgia's decline.