Georgia Bulldogs' Youth a Calming Brightspot

It's been a long year Bulldog fans, and I am well aware that one of the most painful parts of a controversy-filled year is the constant output of negative articles.

Whether we log onto a blog, a local news site, or Bleacher Report, people are going to be complaining about the program.

I am guilty. But, in even the worst times, I try to find a bright spot in the situation.

Georgia's coaches are under fire. Their culture is under fire. Athens hasn't been in such a disarray since I can remember.

I know people have given the coaching staff a lot of heat, and rightfully so, but I cannot seem to notice a strange correlation between age increase and lack of game.

Joe Cox, our senior quarterback, has looked like a deer in headlights all season. Bryan Evans, our senior safety, doesn't even understand what "pass interference" entails. Reshad Jones, despite his talents, is always out of position.

Roderick Battle has been MIA all year, and even Rennie Curran has lacked big play ability.

It's been a tough sledding so far, but if I had to choose one bright spot, interestingly enough I find it to be the youth.

It seems the guys that are the most productive, and more importantly, more fan-friendly, in terms of playmaking ability, are the youngsters.

A.J. Green is only a sophomore, yet he has emerged into one of the best receivers in college football. And to add on, Georgia's second wave of receivers is beginning to really come along.

Rantavious Wooten and Tavarres King, who really are carbon copies of one another if you ask me, are lightning fast downfield threats who really compliment A.J.

It was an interesting contrast hearing the fans, who have "booed" Joe Cox so much this year, chant "Wooooooooooten" after Rantavious' two touchdown grabs last weekend.

The only guy in the stadium who's name we are chanting is a freshman? Nice.

Both King and Wooten are averaging over 20 yards per catch on the year. Their speed, quickness, and athleticism is something Georgia even lacked at wide receiver during their 2002 and 2005 championship years.

And Orson Charles, a freshman tight end, has become just as consistent as A.J. Green in terms of getting open and hanging onto passes.

Give us a live-armed quarterback and we might be in good shape. Aaron Murray anyone?

And how about Washaun Ealey. The suffix of his first name isn't the only thing similar to the last guy who wore No. 24. Ealey, frankly, looks a lot like Knowshon Moreno.

And I'm not just being some dorky, overly excited fan here. Ealey really is an impressive player. He came on halfway through the year, much like Moreno did, and completely charged this Georgia running game.

Georgia's tandem of Ealey, King, and Samuel has turned out around 1,300 yards this year. Considering we were running for squat a game in the first half of the year, I feel like this running game is on track to become that dangerous weapon we all thought it would be.

There are no seniors or juniors in that backfield, mind you. They are all freshman or sophomores.

In our defensive backfield, which is three-fourths upperclassmen, the only standout this year has been Brandon Boykin. Boykin at least gets his hands on balls, which might be thanks to his 43" vertical leap.

He also appears to me as the most physical cornerback specimen we have had since Demario Minter. This is a guy who I think has potential to be an All-SEC cornerback.

Oh, and he has two—not one—100-yard kickoff return touchdowns. His return ability has yielded at least one "ooh-ahh" kickoff return in each game he has participated in.

And this guy is a sophomore? Prince Miller, what have you done for us lately? Where is Reshad Jones? Why in the world do we even let Bryan Evans on the field?

These are juniors and seniors I am bashing. Heck, our best defensive rush end, Justin Houston, is a sophomore and a heck of a good player. Where is that upperclassmen defensive end huh?

All over the board it appears that Georgia's biggest liabilities are the older guys, which was so ironically put on display during the loss to Kentucky on Senior Day.

Who were the big names in that game for Georgia? Wooten. King. Ealey. Charles.

And yet, the senior quarterback stares down a linebacker and throws him a gift—the game.

Before Cox's infamously bad interception (one I think should go on Best Damn Sport Show 's 50 Most Embarassing Moments) Washaun Ealey, a freshman, had to tell Joe Cox, the senior, that the play was a handoff rather than a toss.

Really, Joe Cox? Georgia has run that tight-I handoff over and over, yet you tossed it and the frosh had to give the, "are you serious?" assessment?

I'm not going to lie folks, this has been a bad year, but it looks to me as if the last few recruiting classes could very well pay off for us.

Maybe we need to be patient? I even figure it's time to dump Willie Martinez, but maybe we just need to wait out the storm. Heck, even if problems exist in the coaching, I'd have to argue Georgia is starting to look more talented than it did in 2002 or 2005.

I know that in college youth and age disparity should never be an issue for big schools—you reload, not rebuild.

Well folks, maybe we needed to rebuild a little bit. But, I think we have some potential to build something great.

But, regardless, the fact I'm fishing to the guys who are younger than me for answers, is, well, not a very good thing.