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From the editor : vance leavy With the SEC Media Days now in the books, college football fans’ long wait to see what their team will look like in 2011 is almost over. And for our team and its fan base, that wait has been even longer after the lowliness of the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

Like everyone in the Bulldog Nation, I can’t wait to see our boys run onto the field in Georgia Dome the first Saturday of the new season. Even though a successful football season is never determined in September, I’m a firm believer there are always a few signs here and there that give major clues to whether a team is of championship caliber or not.

A realistic look at Georgia’s home opener last year in Athens against an inferior Louisiana-Lafayette team should have had everyone who loves red and black worried. Our offensive line and running backs could not manage consistent forward push in that opener.

And guess what, nor could they in the final bowl game, where a 99 yard drive ended with them settling for a demoralizing first quarter field goal.

Yuck, what terrible memories.

When such lows are reached, a college football program led by their coach, his staff and most importantly, his players either throw in the towel and wait for the remaining cards to fall or they reverse the course and begin a climb to a place where they think they belong.

To me, Georgia began that climb at the SEC Media Days led by a very inspired and focused Mark Richt. There was no hemming and hawing from our top guy. Instead, he acknowledged that the program had fallen way below where it needs to be. Despite that, it’s quite obvious that he has managed to remain upbeat and confident in the belief that a return to greatness is attainable.

Don’t’ believe me? Then read his answer to the final question he was asked in Birmingham.

Question: Mark, you mentioned it was your 11th year. Talk about the difficulty of being at a school in the SEC for over a decade?

Richt: “It's not difficult if you win (laughter). It's not difficult if you win 9, 10, 11 a year, win the Eastern Division every other year, win the SEC every three or four years. It's not a problem at all. It's when you get 6-7, that's when it's a problem. But greater days are coming. The best is yet to come.”

Since our coach was willing to make such a bold statement, I decided it had to be used on our cover for this SEC Preview/Media Days issue. No matter where you fall on Coach Richt at this point, a statement like this one has to be music to your ears from a head coach.

I encourage everyone to go to Ryan Scates’ column on page 25 to read his spot-on take of Richt’s performance in

Birmingham. I definitely couldn’t have said it better and probably couldn’t have even gotten close to the job Ryan did of pinpointing Richt’s mindset during the most challenging times of his ultra successful coaching career.

My hope is that Richt’s players will all comprehend that their coach has put his word on the line that the Georgia football program is soon to return to greatness. After all, it’s the players who have to make the plays to win games. Or, it’s the players who have to avoid silly mistakes and penalties that can lose games.

Damn, I’m fired up about this season. How about you?

Unfortunately, we’re not quite there yet. But I feel certain this issue of BI will certainly help you get through these painstakingly, long remaining days. Both Ryan and our newest member of BI, Travis Ragsdale made the trip to SEC Media Days and they have delivered some great content in this issue.

Beginning on page 12, Travis gives us a quick look at each team including a comment from either a coach or player that was in Birmingham. Yes, there hasn’t been a college football game since around January 10, but it’s still a blast to get updates on all the teams in the greatest conference in the land. And then on page 22, Travis gives our readers the lowdown on what our players had to say at Media Days.

Brandon Boykin, Ben Jones and Aaron Murray are certainly deserving of being chosen to represent not only our football team, but also our university. And not surprisingly, they did a helluva job!

And even though JD wasn’t in Birmingham, his writing in this issue is sure to get your juices flowing. From him discussing in his column on page 4 of the pressures of winning in the SEC to his all SEC player selections (pages, 6 and 7) to his don’t miss games of 2011 (page 28), you the reader is bound to find something you didn’t know or something you either agree or disagree with. The true sign for something well written.

And even though Murray Poole didn’t make the trip to B-ham, his column (page 5) is a beauty filled with some awesome SEC moments in Georgia football during his 40 plus years of covering the Dawgs. After Cheri proofed it, she commented that many of Murray’s choices were some of the best Munson calls of all time.

Now, I know you have to be fired up. With that, I will need to say good-bye.

However before I do, please also check out Carlton DeVooght’s recruiting update on page 26 and our lifestyle coverage on pages 8 and 29. There’s nothing like getting a reliable pound cake recipe for tailgates and learning about Katherine and Frank Chanley’s love of the Dawgs. Wow, and I almost forgot to mention all the photos in this issue, but I’m confident you would have found them anyhow.

See you August 16 with our Fall Camp update issue, when finally we’ll be able to report on some head knocking. Until then, stay safe and get your body in shape as another season is oh, so close!

2011 SEC Preview Cha Cha Cha Publishing Editor Vance Leavy Editorial & Ad Director Cheri Leavy Sports Guru Jeff Dantzler Public Relations Director Andrew Miller Sales Kelley Blanton Andrew Miller Holly Stanfill Alan Lanier Sports Murray Poole, Ryan Scates, Travis Ragsdale Layout/Design Vance Leavy Photographers Rob Saye and Ryan Scates Ad Design Cheri Leavy Andrew Miller Cover Photo Ryan Scates Columnists Carlton DeVooght Andrew Downs Al Hickson Rob Sherrell Loran Smith Chad White Web Maven Cheri Leavy

SEC Preview, July 26, 2011 FOR ADVERTISING OR TO SUBSCRIBE: andrew@bulldawgillustrated.com

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Immense pressure to excel in SEC The wonderfully simple cover of the Southeastern Conference Media Guide said it all. The Number Five.

In an unprecedented run of excellence, dominance, power and balance, four different schools have combined to win five consecutive national championships.

Over this five year stretch, with Florida, LSU, Florida, Alabama and Auburn respectively capturing the crystal pigskin, three other SEC teams also finished in the nation’s top three. LSU finished No. 3 in ’06, Georgia No. 2 in ’07 and Florida No. 3 in ’09.

Seven different schools have played in the SEC Championship Game in this five year run.

Defending national champion Auburn is picked by the league’s media to finish fifth, not in the conference, but in the West division.

Highlighted by top pick Cam Newton, the SEC sent the National Football League an incredible crop of underclassman talent, including a pair of Heisman Trophy winners.

There is a great deal of talent to replace and the question is asked again. Can another SEC team win yet another national championship?

Well every year, four to six of the top ten recruiting classes in the country belong to SEC schools. So, the answer is yes. Even though there is a tremendous amount of talent – Newton, Mark Ingram, Nick Fairley, Patrick Peterson, A.J. Green, Marcel Dareus, Julio Jones and Ryan Mallett most notably – that has moved on, the league is loaded with heir apparent players ready to step into leading roles.

You’ve heard the term, “we don’t rebuild, we reload.”

Welcome to the SEC. With all of the conference’s amazing success, the pressure not just to succeed, but to excel is at an all-time high in the toughest league in the land.

Back in 2007, I wrote that for the first time since maybe the late 1960s when “Bear” Bryant, Vince Dooley, “Shug” Jordan, Charley McClendon, Johnny Vaught, Doug Dickey and Ray Graves stalked the league’s sidelines, that a majority of the fan bases for every school in the conference was happy with their head coach.

Nick Saban and Bobby Petrino had taken over at Alabama and Arkansas. Houston Nutt had moved to Ole Miss. Les Miles was coming off a great season and LSU was embarking on a national title run.

Sylvester Croom had a Liberty Bowl appearance in Starkville. Tommy Tuberville had guided Auburn to a 33-5 run from 2004 – 2006. In the SEC East, Mark Richt was leading Georgia to a No. 2 national ranking. Urban Meyer had led the Gators to the 2006 national championship. Phil Fulmer took Tennessee to the 2007 SEC Championship Game. Rich Brooks had Kentucky going to bowls, and Bobby Johnson had Vandy zeroing in on its first bowl in a quarter century.

And Steve Spurrier, one of the league’s greatest ever coaches, was building at South Carolina.

Four years later, only six of those coaches remain in place.

The seat is warm to hot in at least two SEC hotbeds.

But then again, every coach is a bad year away from feeling the heat.

And the numbers don’t allow for everyone to win a bunch every year.

To win the league title, there are eight conference games to navigate and then the SEC Championship Game.

Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Georgia, Florida and Tennessee – the league’s “big six” traditional powers, who have combined to win every SEC Championship going back to 1964 – can’t all win 10 or 11 games every year.

Not that it was ever easy, but in the days of six conference games, it was much easier to keep more fans and alumni happy. Plus, SEC titles could be shared. In 1989, Alabama, Auburn and Tennessee (when there were seven conference games in the days before expansion and divisional play) were tri-champs. They all got to raise championship banners.

To go undefeated in league play and win the SEC Championship, it used to take six and then for a few years seven wins. Now it takes nine!

For decades, the SEC has been the country’s strongest league. Five of the 13 winningest teams in college football history – Alabama, Tennnessee, Georgia, LSU and Auburn – are SEC schools. Note, this doesn’t include Florida, which was arguably the country’s best program in the 1990s and 2000s combined.

But beating up on one another made access to play for the national championship extremely tough. In 1988, Auburn went 10-1, losing only at LSU 7-6 in the “Earthquake Game,” when the Bayou Bengals touchdown sent Tiger Stadium into such a frenzy that it caused Seismic activity and registered on the Richter Scale. A West Virginia team that played an incredibly weak schedule, got the date to play Notre Dame for the national championship. If the same thing happened today, obviously Auburn would get that berth.

When the SEC finally, through some incredible fortune and circumstance in Florida’s case in 1996 and 2006 and for LSU in 2007, got access to play for the big prize, league schools kicked down the door. The last eight SEC schools to play in the national championship game won – six by double digits.

What has truly separated the SEC though is not just the power, but it’s the balance. While other leagues have had outstanding runs – none near the SEC’s – it has been two schools. Oklahoma and Nebraska.

Ohio State and Michigan. Not four different schools.

What sent the league into yet another stratosphere last year heading into this, is caliber of coaches at Arkansas, South Carolina and Mississippi State – not the usual contenders. In a recent poll, Arkansas’s Petrino, the Gamecocks Spurrier, and Mullen of MSU were all voted amongst the top five coaches in the league.

Arkansas won 10 games and went to the Sugar Bowl. South Carolina played in the SEC Championship Game and beat Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Florida, winning nine. Mississippi State beat Georgia, Florida and Michigan, also winning nine times.

While the Gators, Volunteers and Georgia won eight, six and six, the Hogs, Gamecocks and MSU won 10, nine and nine. That’s 20 wins compared to 28.

And with Petrino, Spurrier and Mullen at the helm, these three programs aren’t going anywhere and will continue to be a huge factor.

So you’ve got the big six programs, where double digit wins, top ten rankings and SEC and BCS championship contention are regularly expected, and now three more added to the mix.

This means that the odds of some team going undefeated are pretty long. But it’s happened the last two years. And with the strength of the conference and its dominance in national championship games, a oncebeaten SEC champion should be a virtual lock to play for the big prize.

The quest for the SEC title in Atlanta will be a typical grind. But don’t bet against whoever prevails in the Georgia Dome to win it all once again in the Super Dome.

Bulldawg Illustrated

poole shots

By Murray Poole

Remembering great UGA SEC wins If Georgia is to entertain thoughts of its first SEC title since 2005, the Bulldogs are going to have successfully navigate a conference slate that includes battles with South Carolina, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Florida, Auburn and Kentucky.

Would a 6-2 finish in the SEC be enough to send Georgia on to the Georgia Dome in early December? It’s very possible that would be enough to get the Bulldogs to the title game, that is, if those two losses didn’t come to defending East Division champion South Carolina and old nemesis Florida.

But, most assuredly, every conference counter will be vital for Mark Richt’s team this season and if the Bulldogs are to reach deep and achieve their goals in 2011, they’re going to have to take care of business in those eight SEC battles.

Just the same way Georgia’s greatest championship teams of the past rose to the occasion in their biggest league tests.

But then, all of the Bulldogs’ greatest and most exciting wins in SEC games didn’t always transpire in championship seasons. The following is one long-time sportswriter’s listing of the 10 most monumental wins by Georgia in SEC games. You may notice I don’t go back into the Charley Trippi, Frank Sinkwich years of the early 1940s, when I was a babe in diapers, nor do I include undeniably one of the Bulldogs’ best- ever conference wins, when I was a teenager in 1959 and Fran Tarkenton guided the Bulldogs to a stirring 14-13 win over Auburn and Georgia’s first SEC crown since Wally Butts’ 1948 champions.

Interesting to note that, of my 10 listed games, four of them were Bulldog victories over the Florida Gators. A message in that? … Most certainly, in more seasons than not, the road to an SEC title for Georgia must be traversed successfully through Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.

But here they are, the Bulldogs’ best-ever SEC wins in my mind, starting with No. 10 and working down to the very top one: (10) Oct. 28, 1978 – Georgia 17, Kentucky 16

Not a championship season but it was hard to beat the Bulldogs’ scintillating one-point win that fall evening in Lexington, Ky. Down by 16-0 in the third quarter, Georgia, led by captain Willie McClendon, battled back to score two touchdowns and then marched down to the Wildcats’ 12-yard line, where time was called to get kicker Rex Robinson in the game. Robinson’s 29-yard game-winner came with three seconds remaining and evoked one of Larry Munson’s most famous calls … “Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!”

(9) Nov. 16, 1996 – Georgia 56, Auburn 49 (four overtimes)

In the first overtime game in SEC history, Georgia fell into a 28-7 first half hole and still trailed Auburn 28-14 in the fourth quarter. However, Jim Donnan’s Bulldogs then staged a furious rally to tie the score on the last play of regulation, when Mike Bobo and Corey Allen hooked up on a 30-yard touchdown pass. Finally, after three extra periods, Georgia cashed the winning TD in the fourth OT, on a one-yard run by Torin Kirtsey. Still, the Bulldogs had to stop Auburn’s Dameyune Craig one yard short of a first down on fourth-and-three at the Georgia 18 to seal the exciting victory.

(8) Nov. 9, 1985 – Georgia 24, Florida 3

Unlike most wins over Florida, the Bulldogs’ trouncing of the Gators in the fall of 1985 didn’t lead to an SEC championship but, oh, how sweet it was for Georgia fans that Saturday afternoon on the banks of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville.

For, you see, Galen Hall’s Gators came into that game ranked No. 1 in all the land … only to be trampled by a Bulldog running game featuring freshman backs Keith Henderson and Tim Worley and a tenacious Bill Lewis defense that wouldn’t allow Florida to cash a touchdown.

(7) Dec. 3, 2005 – Georgia 34, LSU 14 (SEC championship game)

Since this was the last time the Bulldogs captured the conference crown, this contest simply must be included in our top 10 list of best Georgia SEC games. It wasn’t that great of a surprise Richt’s Bulldogs beat the Tigers that early December evening in the Georgia Dome but what was rather shocking was the manner in which Georgia simply dominated Les Miles’ team. Led by senior quarterback and game MVP D.J. Shockley and Willie Martinez’s ball-hawking defense, the Bulldogs controlled the Tigers from the get-go and, in the process, made amends for tough late-season losses to Florida and Auburn.

(6) Nov. 6, 1976 – Georgia 41, Florida 27

Surely, one of Georgia’s greatest victories ever over Florida, taking only a back seat to the epic 1980 game and perhaps the 1966 win in Jacksonville. Trailing the favored Gators 27-13 at the half, the Bulldogs staged one of their best come-

backs to remain on track toward the SEC title.

Led by Ray Goff’s three touchdowns passing and two running, the Dogs pummeled the Gators 280 in the second half. Of course, in Gator lore, this will always be known as the “Fourth-and-Dumb” game as UF coach Doug Dickey opted to go for it on a fourth-and-one on his own 29-yard line, only to see Georgia defensive back Johnny Henderson nail the Florida back for a one-yard loss to send the momentum the Bulldogs’ way for good.

(5) Oct. 6, 2001 – Georgia 26, Tennessee 24

Although the Bulldogs ended the 2001 season with just an 8-4 mark – the exact same record that Georgia had compiled under Donnan the previous two years – this became a landmark victory for Richt in his first year at the UGA helm.

Most certainly, the team’s newly-adopted motto of “Finish the Drill” became a reality that afternoon in Neyland Stadium. The Vols struck for a long touchdown with just 49 seconds left but with redshirt freshman quarterback David Greene rapidly passing the Dogs down to the Vols’ 6-yard line, Georgia then put the 26-24 dagger in Tennessee’s heart as Greene simply lobbed the ball to fullback Verron Haynes, wide open in the UT end zone. Winning this game (Munson’s famous “Hobnail Boot” call) gave Georgia the confidence it could play with anybody on the road in future outings.

(4) Nov. 5, 1966 – Georgia 27, Florida 10

The Bulldogs were on their way to their first SEC title under third-year coach Dooley but on this day in the old Gator Bowl, Georgia was a decided underdog to 7th-ranked and unbeaten Florida, which was led by eventual Heisman Trophy winner Steve Spurrier. But down 10-3 at halftime, Georgia unleashed senior All-America tackle George Patton and sophomore tackle Bill Stanfill on Spurrier and, fueled by a 50-yard interception touchdown run by Lynn Hughes, the Bulldogs went on to outscore the Gators 24-0 in the final two quarters. It was said, after Spurrier became head coach of the Gators in 1990, that his reason for wanting to beat the Bulldogs so badly (which he managed to do) stemmed right back to the frustration he experienced against Georgia in the 1966 meeting.

(3) Nov. 16, 2002 – Georgia 24, Auburn 21

Who can ever forget this one as it was the win that propelled the Bulldogs of second-year mentor Richt on to their first SEC championship in 20 years. And, just like the Tennessee game the previous season, it was last-second magic by David Greene – this time connecting with Michael Johnson in the end zone corner on a 19yard pass on a fourth-and-15 with just over a minute remaining – that sent Bulldawg Nation into complete euphoria. “Touchdown, oh God a touchdown, in the corner, with 85 seconds left,” screamed Munson as the Bulldogs rallied from a 14-3 halftime deficit.

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(2) Sept. 6, 1980 – Georgia 16, Tennessee 15

Can any list of Georgia’s all-time greatest victories be complete without this one …. the introduction of Herschel Walker to the college football world? No player ever made a more anticipated college debut than Walker, that humid September night in Knoxville. But Dooley’s Dogs had to fall behind the Volunteers by 15-2 before Dooley finally sent the touted freshman onto the field in the third quarter. The rest, as they say, is history as over Bill Bates and other Vols Herschel ran for his famous 16-yard TD gallop and then came back with another nine-yard scoring run as Georgia rallied for the shaky one-point win and began the Buldogs’ unbeaten quest for the school’s only consensus national championship. And after that one, you can only guess as to the media mob scene around No. 34 in the cramped visitors’ locker room at Neyland Stadium.

(1) Nov. 8, 1980 – Georgia 26, Florida 21

Not much suspense here as to the greatest Georgia win I’ve ever witnessed in an SEC game.

Like the mighty Munson barked throughout the radio world, the Dogs were dead and gone, trailing the Gators 21-20 with just 1:35 to play and Georgia facing a third-and-10 from its own sevenyard line. But just as I started to head for the elevator to the field and surely a despondent UGA locker room, then came the play that will forever be immortalized in UGA history, with Buck Belue throwing an over-the-middle strike to Lindsay Scott and Scott turning toward the left sidelines in front of the Georgia bench and racing 93 yards into Bulldog glory. Without the electrifying Belueto-Scott scoring bomb (and can you believe it was Scott’s only TD catch of the season?), there is of course no unbeaten season and national crown in 1980. And, without question, the play provided Munson with his most famous call ever …. “Run Lindsay!”

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JD’s all SEC team Preseason predictions for the top players in the nation’s toughest football conference

By Jeff Dantzler

There has never been a season in which one conference sent so much underclassmen talent to the National Football League, highlighted by a pair of Heisman Trophy winners. Cam Newton, Mark Ingram, Ryan Mallett, A.J. Green, Julio Jones, Nick Fairley, Justin Houston and the dynamic Patrick Peterson were all great players in college and now they’re set to begin their rookie seasons. So will this be a down year for the SEC with all that talent lost? Don’t bet on it.

After all, every year, four to six of the top ten recruiting classes in the country belong to programs from the toughest league in the land. It’s called re-loading. So here we go.

Offense QB – Aaron Murray, Georgia He sparkled as a redshirt freshman. Murray is the unquestioned leader of the Bulldogs offense, but he’s surrounded by huge question marks at receiver, running back and on the offensive line. Murray has excellent feet and is elusive, he’s a weapon in the running game. He’s accurate and throws the deep ball well, but is not very big. He is not supersized and hulking like Tim Tebow and Newton.

RB – Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina The SEC is stacked at tailback, with Lattimore, Alabama’s Trent Richardson, Michael Dyer from Auburn, and Arkansas’ Knile Davis highlighting the class. He has power, speed, and a nose for the end zone and big games. South Carolina has had some good backs through the years, but he’s far and away the Gamecocks best since George Rogers.

RB – Trent Richardson, Alabama Take your pick with this quartet of standout runners. Richardson and Ingram gave Bama a dynamic duo, but he’s the focus now. The Crimson Tide should have a great defense and offensive line, and because of shared carries, Richardson will be plenty fresh to carry Nick Saban’s offense as he breaks in a new quarterback. A Heisman is a distinct possibility.

WR – Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina With Green and Jones gone to the NFL, Jeffery steps to the head of the SEC’s passcatching class, and he’s cut from their cloth. The Gamecocks junior is tall, fast and has excellent hands. With defenses focusing on Lattimore, Jeffery often finds advantageous coverage schemes to exploit with big plays.

WR – Greg Childs, Arkansas Teaming with Joe Adams and Davis, Childs is a major part of one of the country’s top set of skill position personnel. He’s tall and fast with excellent hands, and has come up with a slew of big grabs in his career. It’s a pick-your-poison when defending the Hogs and this should allow new QB Tyler Wilson to flourish.

TE – Orson Charles, Georgia He’s just a different looking athlete. A prep teammate of Murray’s from Tampa,

Alshon Jeffery these two have a great chemistry, and with Georgia’s question marks at receiver, Charles will be the Bulldogs No. 1 receiving target.

OL – Barrett Jones, Alabama The Crimson Tide’s left tackle is the anchor of what is one of the country’s offensive lines. Jones is versatile, as he played right guard a year ago. If Richardson puts up big numbers, figure Jones and his fellow bruisers up front to get plenty of accolades.

OL – Cordy Glenn, Georgia The Bulldogs are thin on the offensive line and will lean heavily on the talented Glenn, as he moves to left tackle. He’s been one of the SEC’s best in the middle and now Glenn will be relied on to protect Murray’s blindside against the SEC’s fierce edge passrushers.

OL – William Vlachos, Alabama The Crimson Tide’s man in the middle is arguably college football’s top center. All four of Bama’s returning offensive line starters are All-SEC caliber, and you can bet that this is a hungry bunch after what happened last season in the Iron Bowl.

OL – Alex Hurst, LSU Like Alabama, the Fightin’ Tigers return four starters on the offensive line and that’s a big reason why both are picked in the nation’s top five. Hurst is massive at 6-6, 324, and is charged with protecting a speedy and talented group of skill position players.

OL – D.J. Fluker, Alabama A heavily recruited prep phenom, the 6-6, 325 Fluker could explode as one of college football’s top tackles this season. Projected to start on the right side, Fluker gives the Crimson Tide tremendous power. It’s a pick your poison, if you gamble to stack the line against the Tide.

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6

Bulldawg Illustrated

JD’s All SEC Defense DL – Barkavious Mingo, LSU Have you seen “Swamp People?” You talk about tough! The Tigers get these players out of Louisiana that other schools are probably scared to go recruit. Glenn Dorsey, Tyson Jackson and Drake Nevis have all been defensive line terrors for Les Miles over the past five years, and an All-SEC Freshman selection with a name like this has to be Tigers next big star up front.

DL – Devin Taylor, South Carolina If freshman phenom Jadeveon Clowney is ready, then the Gamecocks will have a dominating duo at defensive end. Taylor is rangy. An excellent pass-rusher and very tough against the run, Taylor is South Carolina’s best on the front seven since Eric Norwood and until Clowney blossoms.

DL – Sharrif Floyd, Florida Floyd and Ronald Powell highlighted a defensive line class from 2010 that was the nation’s best, and they’ll be called upon to anchor Will Muschamp’s front the next couple of years. At 6-3, 303, Floyd is a prototypical defensive anchor with great feet, hands and strength.

DL – Jake Bequette, Arkansas Arkansas is known for its high powered offense under the watch of standout coach Bobby Petrino, but the defense has improved in each of the last two years. Bequette is a big reason, and he’s the motor in Arkansas’ defensive engine. If the Hogs are going to win the West, the defense has to make another jump.

LB – Dont’a Hightower, Alabama Back at 100 percent from a knee injury that he suffered during the Crimson Tide’s run to the 2009 national championship, there’s a good chance that Hightower will be the SEC’s – and maybe the nation’s - best linebacker. At 6-4, 260, Hightower is a run-stuffer supreme and a disruptive nightmare in the passing game.

LB – Nico Johnson, Alabama A five-star talent coming out of high school, Johnson has stepped right in and figures to explode this season playing next to Hightower and Courtney Upshaw. All of Bama’s linebackers are stout, big, strong, tough and fast. It’s an NFL quality unit right now.

LB – Courtney Upshaw, Alabama Upshaw is another part of this tremendous linebacking corps that could be Saban’s best ever – and that includes the Relando McClain-led group from ’09 and some great quartets at LSU. Upshaw is big, strong and fast. This unit doesn’t miss tackles.

DB – Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina He’s probably not quite as good as LSU phenom Patrick Peterson was, but Gilmore is cut from that cloth. He’s very good in coverage, tremendous in the return game and has outstanding ball skills. Gilmore was one of Spurrier’s first big recruiting gets in Columbia.

DB – Mark Barron, Alabama What a boost for the Crimson Tide with Barron returning for his senior season.

He’s got a great nose for the ball and is excellent in run support. This is the defense that Saban has been dreaming of and building since he set foot on the capstone back in 2007, and Barron is the cherry on top.

Aaron Murray DB – Robert Lester, Alabama Teaming with Barron to give the Crimson Tide an incredible duo at safety, Lester should put up gaudy numbers this year. After all, the line is excellent, the linebackers are incredible and Bama has a couple of 5-stars speedsters at corner.

DB – Janzen Jackson, Tennessee Far and away the Volunteers most talented player, Jackson has been a nightmare and a headache off the field. But he’s back. And that gives Tennessee a big-time defensive play-maker, giving the Volunteers a much better shot as they go through a brutal mid-season scheduling gauntlet.

Special Teams PK – Blair Walsh, Georgia Joining with Drew Butler to give Georgia the country’s best combination of kickers, Walsh is the total package. He’s a very accurate kicker with great range. Walsh has also become a threat on kickoffs. This dynamic duo yet again gives Georgia a tremendous special teams edge. Can the Dogs cash in this year?

P – Drew Butler, Georgia His father is the greatest college football kicker ever. In 2009, Drew had one of the greatest seasons of any punter ever. He was outstanding again last season and figures to be at least as good as anyone here in 2011. Butler is a dual threat. He’s got the great leg and the touch on the coffin corner.

Photographs by Ryan Scates

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In the kitchen

Greer and Katherine

with Katherine Moseley Every southerner needs a recipe for a good pound cake and I am thrilled to now have one since the Moseleys shared their family favorite. While father and son Matts were on the golf course, I caught up with the Moseley ladies, Greer and Katherine, and they showed me how to make their Aunt Martha’s pound cake. It was Greer’s choice for what to make because they all have fond memories of visiting Aunt Martha and her delicious desserts. Greer likes to help her mom make it and it isn’t just so she doesn’t miss out on “cleaning” the beaters. It is a traditional recipe with one pound each of flour, butter, sugar and eggs but it calls for a can of evaporated milk that makes it extra moist and must have been their Aunt Martha’s secret ingredient.

It was fun to have them tell a little about their family while we baked. It resulted in Greer looking at her mom and dad’s wedding album with me. I was unaware that Katherine and Matt were both twins so it was wild to see her with her identical sister with Matt and his twin brother posing in photos on their big day.

The two Georgia graduates settled in Athens after Matt finished up law school. Katherine grew up in Atlanta and Matt was born in Athens and raised in Dawson, Georgia. And now they are raising their precious family in the town of their alma mater taking advantage of being able to walk to UGA sporting events.

Team sports and passed down recipes are honestly both pretty treasured by folks like us. I plan to take the Moseley’s Aunt Martha’s pound cake to my next potluck or tailgate. It will score big!

Visit guide2athens website to see more of the photo shoot and “how to.”

Bon appetit- Cheri Leavy

Aunt Martha’s Pound Cake 2 sticks of butter - soft 2 cups sugar 4 eggs - room temp 1 Can (5 oz) of Evaporated Milk 2 cups flour - sifted 1T vanilla extract 1 t almond flavoring 1/2 t lemon flavoring

sous chef taste testing

Well greased bundt pan Preheat oven to 350 degrees Mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and mix well.

Add milk and mix well. Add sifted flour gradually. Add vanilla, almond and lemon. Mix well.

Pour into well greased bundt pan. Bake appproximately 45-50 min.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then place in cooling rack.

Enjoy with fresh strawberries and ice cream or toasted with a pat of butter!

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11

SEC ... SEC ... SEC Annual gathering in Birmingham signifies the beginning of battles to capture the league title

By Travis Ragsdale

S

EC Media Days has always provided writers and reporters that do not normally cover other SEC football teams an opportunity to get a feel for what to expect with the upcoming season. 2011 was no exception to this rule and reporters were able to grab great insight into other teams around the SEC and how the 2011 season may shake out. Let’s take a look.

Alabama The writers at SEC Media Days have predicted for Alabama to win the SEC West as well as the SEC Championship. Alabama returns seven starters on offense and nine of defense. They also are dominating the pre-season all-SEC teams with 16 total players on the writer’s poll including nine first teamers. The only question mark for the Tide is going to be at quarterback. As soon as Fall Camp starts in Tuscaloosa the battle will be on for the coveted starting quarterback job. On the defensive side of the ball, Alabama looks to have one of the strongest units in the country. Linebacker Dont’a Hightower is a legitimate candidate for All-American and safety Mark Barron is a shoe in for All-American honors. It looks as though Alabama will remain amongst the elite in the SEC and the entire country.

Head Coach Nick Saban: “It's always a challenge to have the right kind of team chemistry, your team have the right stuff. I feel like this team has the ingredients for that, but that's always the challenge, because the consistency and performance is what helps you have successful seasons, especially in a league that's as challenging as ours in terms of the number of good teams.”

Arkansas Arkansas will look very similar to the team they fielded last year. Certainly Ryan Mallett is a tough guy to replace but Tyler Wilson showed in limited time last year why head coach Bobby Petrino has so much confidence in him. The return of Knile Davis at the running back position will also help Wilson as he won’t have to sling the ball around as much with a solid back to help him power the offense. Arkansas will be lacking on defense. Bobby Petrino is an offensive-minded coach and has not spent nearly as much time working on the defense as he has with the offense; he admitted as much at SEC media days.

It will be hard for him and the Razorbacks to win the SEC with this philosophy in a conference that demands defensive dominance. Another factor not helping the Hogs is the fact that they play in the SEC west, a division that has recently become incredibly strong with five teams last year finishing in the top-25.

Running Back Knile Davis: “I think the team as a

whole is very confident. Since Coach Petrino got here, we’ve gotten a lot better every year and made improvements. We feel like setting big goals is the only way for us to get to the SEC Championship. We have the players to do it. We just don’t see why we can’t.”

Auburn Regardless of what Cam Newton is accused of doing, it has hard to deny his talent. He was one of the most tremendous athletes to play in the SEC in recent memory.

With that being said, he is going to be impossible the Tigers to replace. This is part of the reason that not a single member of the media voted for Auburn to win the SEC championship. They join Vanderbilt as the only team to not receive a single vote. Auburn will return Michael Dyer at running back and tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen.

So Auburn does in fact have some offensive weapons but offensive coordinator Guz Malzahn will have to get creative without the presence of Cam Newton. Last year’s National Championship team had a defense that led SEC in run defense. This was mainly due to defensive lineman Nick Fairley clogging to middle and boggling offensive linemen all year long. Without these two key pieces to the Auburn puzzle, the Tigers are going to struggle in 2011 to even be a shade of the 2010 team.

Head Coach Gene Chizik: “So the journey from this point in time last year to now has been incredible for us. But I want to make this really, really clear because the minute our plane hit the ground in Montgomery on January 11th, we had moved on. We have been focused and locked in solely on the 2011 football season.”

Florida Former Dawg Will Muschamp is now the head man in Gainesville. Dawg fans may be upset that he decided to take the Florida head coaching job but fans also have to be excited to see Urban Meyer no longer in the coaching

12

role for the Gators. With that being said, Will Muschamp has a tough year ahead of him. The Gators are an extremely young team and have depth issues on both the offensive and defensive lines. To add insult to injury, Florida has hardly any playmakers on either side of the ball. They are one of three teams in the SEC with no players on the first team all-sec preseason list. The best player on their team is their placekicker, Caleb Sturgis if that’s any indication of where Florida stands. It may be a down year for the Gators but don’t expect them to stay down for long.

Muschamp is going to be a great recruiter and will find success in Gainesville very soon.

Quarterback John Brantley on the offensive

line: “During the spring, they were doing well. A few of them got hurt, but they’re back, working hard. They’re all working hard, they’re hungry to play, and I’m excited about what they’ll do.”

Georgia The Dawgs are a bit of a mystery coming into the 2011 year. Nobody from other teams at SEC Media Days had much to say about Georgia. You could say they are flying under the radar, at least right now. That will certainly change when the Dawgs hook it up and clash with Boise State in the Georgia Dome. That game, is incredibly important for the Dawgs. If they can beat Boise State on national television to kick off the season, the team will be riding a huge wave of momentum coming into week two against South Carolina. If the Dawgs beat Boise, they will beat South Carolina and quickly be in the driver’s seat of the SEC East. At that point, Georgia will control their own destiny with the toughest part of the schedule in the rearview mirror. Coaches try to avoid pinning the whole season on one game but the clash between the Dawgs and the Broncos could be the deciding factor as to whether Georgia is able to reclaim their glory of old.

Head Coach Mark Richt: “Well, I'll say this: when we were making the decision, should we play this ChickFil-A game, should we play against Boise State, a lot of things went through my mind personally. Where we were at that time was a decline in our record, a decline in how people perceived our program, a place that I didn't really like, I wasn't very comfortable in, wasn't used to. I said, ‘What better way to send a surge of energy into this program than to schedule a game like that?”

Kentucky “Rise” is the mantra for the Kentucky Wildcats this year and it seems to be an appropriate one. Head coach Joker Phillips was very impressive at SEC Media Days this year and with him at the helm, Kentucky will most assuredly “rise” from where they are now. But they aren’t there yet. Kentucky will once again pace the back of the pack in the SEC East. Still, the wildcats will prove to be a tough game for anyone who has them on their schedule.

They are very capable of adding a few upsets to their résumé in 2011. They also have several playmakers on their team who will be fun to watch as the season progresses.

All-American and 1st All-SEC linebacker Danny Trevathan comes to mind. Trevathan will lead the wildcat defense and while his defensive teammates may not be the most impressive in the conference, Trevathan strikes fear into every SEC offensive coordinator with his abilities.

Linebacker Danny Trevathan: “I’m not really worried about the defense. I have the kind of relationship with everyone where I trust them to the extent that I know they are going to take care of business. We have been through so much together that we don’t have room to make mistakes that are going to be so costly. We are still going to make mistakes but we are going to try and capitalize off of them, turn it around and have a great season this year.”

Nick Saban LSU The Bayou Bengals have 16 seniors on this year’s roster so the experience is there for LSU to have a big year. The biggest question mark, as it has been in years past, is head coach Les Miles. He has been known to make some questionable on the field decisions. That doesn’t bode well for the Tigers considering the recent news of NCAA rules infractions. Giving Les Miles something else to have to think about may create a distraction that sends him over the edge. Players and coaches will have to answer questions all year long about those violations and it will be tough for them to concentrate on football. Even so, there is so much talent in Baton Rouge that anyone would be hard pressed to say LSU won’t have a successful year. They will clash with Alabama and Arkansas for top honors in the SEC west.

Head Coach Les Miles: “It's a quality team, 16 seniors, 24 freshmen or sophomores in the two-deep, to me gives me a great blend of veterans and leaders and young guys that are really pursuing the field. I think that there's a great leadership there. The guys that have been in our program and learned to do hard things and understand how you play in tight quarters, been through the wars in this conference.”

Mississippi State Watch out for the Bulldogs in 2011. Another team that’s flying under the radar that had a very successful year in 2010 could be a sleeper in the SEC this year.

Dan Mullen is a fantastic football coach and has finally gotten some players that compliment his offense that was so successful in Florida. Quarterback Chris Relf proved to himself as well as the rest of the SEC that he can be a successful dual-threat signal caller in this conference. The defense will be anchored by the 6-4, 295 pound junior Fletcher Cox. Cox is one of the best in the SEC and if he can get some support behind him then the Bulldogs defense could be much improved from 2010. The bottom line is that Mississippi State is going to be a good team this year. They may not have the superstars that some of their opponents may have but they are sold from top to bottom and will surprise many people when Saturdays in September start rolling in.

Head Coach Dan Mullen: “That's what the goal of our program every single year is going to be. It will be no different for us this year as we get ready for this season, is to find a way to win the SEC West. That is something we can control. That is something we will continue to pursue, find a way to get to Atlanta. Mississippi State has been there before. We need to get there again and find a way to win in Atlanta and get that SEC title for the people of Mississippi.”

Continued on page 14

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SEC ... SEC ... SEC Continued from page 12

South Carolina Unfortunately for everyone in the SEC, Steve Spurrier was acting like he did when he was the head coach of Florida while at SEC Media Days. This means one thing; he knows he has a good team. This is a scary proposition for many because the implications of him thinking he has a championship-caliber team are extremely far reaching. People who have followed SEC football for a long time know that a cocky Steve Spurrier means bad news for opponents. In years past at South Carolina, Spurrier has not had a team that he could be confident about. But now he is confident and for good reason. On offense, the Gamecocks have two of the best skill position players in the entire country in sophomore running back Marcus Lattimore and junior wide receiver Alshon Jeffery.

If quarterback Stephen Garcia can keep his head on straight and not get in any more trouble, the offensive attack from South Carolina will be very potent. Looking at South Carolina’s defense on paper, many would say they have the second best D in the SEC behind Alabama. Defensive linemen Devin Taylor and Travian Robertson will anchor an extremely impressive front seven. Couple those guys with freshman phenom Jadeveon Clowney at defensive-end and South Carolina will have one of the best defensive lines in the country. As long as the Gamecocks don’t do what they usually do and give away two or three games towards the end of the season, South Carolina will find themselves in contention for an SEC title once again.

Head Coach Steve Spurrier: “We feel like

we've probably assembled the best group of players we've had in the seven years now that I've been there.

But time will tell. Time will tell how this year's team will do.”

Ole Miss The Rebels have a long season ahead of them in 2011. It’s always scary when the head coach doesn’t know who the starting quarterback is going to be heading into August. Give Houston Nutt credit though, he has also found a way to get an upset or two in any given season. Even though Ole Miss may not have a quarterback they will have at least an average offense.The line will be anchored by senior offensive lineman Bradley Sowell and Junior Bobby Massie. They also return their running back Brandon

14

Bolden who had a successful 2010 campaign. The problem for the Rebels will be on the defensive side of the ball. They will have to outscore opponents to win and without an established quarterback, that is going to be a tough task.

There’s a good chance Ole Miss will finish at the bottom of the SEC West.

Offensive lineman Brandon Bolden: “We were put at the bot-

tom, the very bottom. We’ve got to get back to the top. We’ve got to win games; we’ve got to do something.

It’s a horrible spot to be in from 4-8.

We’ve just got to get back to the top.

We’ve just got to climb.”

Steve Spurrier

Tennessee The youngest team in the SEC by a long shot. The offensive line is Knoxville will struggle mightily against the overpowering lines of the SEC. That doesn’t bode well for quarterback Tyler Bray, who actually is a pretty good ball player. However, if he doesn’t have any time to throw the ball, he won’t be able to use those abilities. The Tennessee defense is in a lot less trouble than the offense but they will also have to battle through the woes of inexperience. Upfront they will have Malik Jackson who is a first-team all-SEC lineman but there is not much more on the defense for the Volunteers. Junior college transfer Mo Couch could provide a spark along the line and if safety Janzen Jackson is re-instated by head coach Derek Dooley, then the defense could improve a bit. Even so, Tennessee will have to battle hard to compete amongst the elite in the SEC. Head Coach Derek Dooley: “We enter this year, it's probably the youngest football team I've ever been a part of and seen. I was looking at our roster before we came down here, 57 freshmen, sophomores, 24 juniors and seniors representing about 70% underclassmen. We have 10 seniors, only two of them are returning starters. So that's our makeup.”

Vanderbilt The Commodores are still the Commodores despite of what new head coach James Franklin says.

From last year there has not been a great improvement on either side of the ball and there likely won’t for a long time. However, currently Vanderbilt is assembling a very good recruiting class by their standards but it is nowhere near the level it needs to be to compete in the SEC. Vanderbilt will once again finish at the bottom of the SEC. Head Coach James Franklin: “Everybody has to understand we can't do this alone. It's not the players, it's not just the coaches. It's our alumni base, it's the community, everybody. We need this fan base to unite like it never has before.”

Photographs by Ryan Scates

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Dissecting the Dogs Boykin, Jones and Murray discuss their team’s chances in 2011, while others take notice of UGA

By Travis Ragsdale

F

or every team at SEC Media Days, three players come, along with their head coach, to address the reporters about the upcoming season. In the 2011 version of Media Days, Georgia sent senior center Ben Jones, senior cornerback Brandon Boykin and redshirt sophomore quarterback Aaron Murray. They joined head coach Mark Richt in stemming the media tide in Birmingham. This can actually be a difficult proposition considering simply the sheer amount of media members in attendance. However, the three players did with a grace that you can only expect Dawg players to do.

Brandon Boykin was just excited to be at media days saying, “As a freshman, sophomore, junior, you always watch it (media days) and always hope you can be here. It’s gone by fast so far. Everything’s a blessing.”

Boykin was able to shed some light on what the Dawgs have in the arsenal this year. He also wanted to make sure that everyone knew Georgia was working their hardest this off-season to get Georgia back to their winning ways.

“We’re just training for the season, actually in January. We’re trying to train and condition for that fourth quarter.

Being able to sustain out whole energy for the whole game,” said Boykin.

With how many close games Georgia lost in the fourth quarter last year, this must be music to Dawg fans ears to hear about the players already training to fight and finish in the fourth quarter.

Aaron Murray attended media days which was a bit of an anomaly in and of itself. Generally, most coaches decide to bring upper-classmen to the event who may be more well-versed in dealing with members of the media. But just like Boykin, the redshirt sophomore Murray handled the spotlight well.

“It’s an honor to be here and I’m excited to see what it’s like. I’ve heard from people before that it’s a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to the rest of the day,” said Murray about the entire event.

Murray was very candid about how the summer was going for himself and his teammates. Most specifically, Murray had extremely high praise for true freshman Malcolm Mitchell. Coming out of high school it seemed like there would be a debate on whether the versatile athlete from Valdosta would play offense or defense at the college level; it looks like Aaron Murray has solved that debate already.

“I haven’t seen speed and quickness like that for a while,” Murray said. “The other day he ran a post pattern and split our starting safety and one of our starting corners. Shawn Williams came up to me afterward and he’s like, ‘Aaron, I’ve never seen somebody with that kind of speed before.’ You ask any of the DBs, Boykin or any of those guys, Malcolm has unbelievable speed, unbelievable quickness."

Not only did Murray say that Mitchell possesses the tools to be successful at the SEC level but he also has the wherewithal to realize that it takes more than just talent to break into the 2deep at Georgia.

“The thing I like about him most is he works harder than anyone. I would say he knows already 70 to 80 percent of the playbook. He’s been studying every day. Every day after pass drills he’ll get with me and we’ll work on routes a halfhour or 45 minutes. That’s every day.

Three times a week he’ll call me and say, ‘let’s go work on routes; let’s go do this and that.’”

Ben Jones was being his usual self at SEC Media days this year, cracking jokes and keeping reporters on their toes. One

22

of the best moments of the week was when Mark Richt was at the podium in the main room taking questions from more than 300 reporters. Jones was able to grab a microphone in the middle of it all and do his best impression of a sports writer.

“Coach, Ben Jones, University of Georgia. I wanted to see how you felt about Georgia’s offensive line in 2011 and how much confidence you have in them.”

The moment got a big laugh from the crowd of reporters and even a grin from Jones’ head coach.

In regards to what others were saying about Georgia’s football team in 2011, players and coaches at SEC media days stayed very ho-hum about the Dawgs, failing to bring them up unless prompted. Even further is the fact that when Georgia’s time came to address the media, reporters were not nearly as infatuated with Georgia as they were with teams like Auburn, Alabama, Florida and even South Carolina. However, what was said about the Dawgs by players and coaches was very interesting and should bode well for the Dawgs in 2011.

South Carolina Gamecock head coach Steve Spurrier is not well-known for paying others compliments too often; but when he was asked what defense may cause him the most problems in 2011 he had this to say, “I think that of course Alabama is going to have a good defense, they always do. Georgia is going to have a pretty darn good one I think too. You know they’ve got some players down there in Athens that’s for sure.”

It is well-documented how great of an offense coach Steve Spurrier is so this is a great compliment to second year defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and his defense.

There are plenty of question marks on the offensive side of the ball for the Dawgs in 2011. Once, again Georgia certainly has the talent to be successful, it is only in experience that they are lacking. Mississippi State defensive lineman Fletcher Cox agrees saying, “Georgia’s got a good quarterback so they don’t need much more there. I don’t really know much about their offensive line but it’s still Georgia so I’m sure they are going to have some guys ready to go.

Same with running back.”

Aaron Murray certainly won’t be a question mark for Georgia after such a stellar freshman campaign that saw him earn Freshman All-American honors. In fact, the Georgia signal caller was tabbed pre-season first –team All-SEC by media members in Birmingham. This is quite the accomplishment considering Murray will only be entering into his second year at the helm of the Bulldawg offense.

There may have only been one person at SEC Media days who doesn’t think Murray will have a stellar year and that’s Tennessee defensive lineman Malik Jackson who said Murray was “just another guy.”

Jackson is the same person who believes Tennessee won’t lose a game this year.

Coach Mark Richt is probably the happiest of all after such a quiet week in SEC media days. He walked and talked with quiet poise which bodes well for the Bulldawg Nation. Could this be the team? Could this be the group of young men to lead the Dawgs back to the glory days of 1980? There are many similarities between now and then. A team flying under the radar, not picked highly going into the season, a coach on the brink, a freshman tailback with high expectations. The season is only a few weeks away and it seems as though there is a sleeping giant looming in Athens.

Brandon Boykin

Ben Jones

Aaron Murray

Photographs by Ryan Scates

Bulldawg Illustrated

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2011 Schedule Saturday, September 03 #PJTF 4UBUF t JO "UMBOUB ("

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Athens Chamber Butts-Mehre Expansion Phil Bettendorf, Echo Daniel, Michael Daniel and Laurie Clarke

Walker Keadle, Tripp Bridges and David Dismuke

Susan and Brian Brodrick with Stacy Stephens

King Evans, Hairy Dawg and Jan Evans

Adam Land, Barrett Malone and Jeff Deloach

Kathryn Lookofsky, Barry Rutherford and Megan Henning

Mandy Hewitt, Deanne Rosso and Webster Hewitt

Carey Stephens, Rick Doherty and Bo Hart

Dan Styf, Liz Dalton and Trey Ragsdale

Pat Allen and John Gaultney

Jeff Cole and Mike Pilcher

vy Le and Katie Jacobs

Jeff and Liz Bell

Frank Thompson, Lindsey Pierson, Robee Brown and Dwayne Serritt

24

Christy Terrell and Elaine Cook

Micheal Reed and Patti and John Reed

Bulldawg Illustrated

SEC Media Days

By Ryan Scates

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Richt not shying away from hot seat

Photograph by Ryan Scates

HOOVER, ALABAMA- No sports meme is more tired than that of the "hot seat coach". And nowhere is "hot seat coach" talk hotter than it is each year at SEC Media Days in Hoover, Alabama.

Without any football action to talk about, each year the media scrambles for a consensus pick on the next coach to fall from grace. With the same fascination that comes from seeing a caged lion at a traveling carnival, middle-aged men with receding hairlines and beer guts line up with columns, tweets, radio and television interviews, taking their proverbial prods through the bars of the cage at former coaches of the year before retiring to the mall food court for some chinese food or a big pretzel.

Heading into 2011 SEC Media Days, Mark Richt knew his role in the carnival.

2008, 2009 and 2010 were some of the most disappointing seasons relative to fan expectations since the Ray Goff era. As the SEC office celebrates five consecutive national championships, Richt carries the albatross of a loss to UCF, coming in the Liberty Bowl of all places. So on Thursday morning over 900 media types swarmed inside of the Wynfrey Hotel, eager to pounce on this year's hot seat coach.

Would he respond like Tuberville, with a deer-in-the-headlights resignation to the whole process? Or maybe Fulmer, with indignation and frustration that he should ever have to defend his record after bringing his team to unprecedented modern glory?

No more than two minutes into his remarks to the media, it was clear that the SEC has a new type of hot seat coach. First up was a question about that loss to UCF. "How devastating was that?" asked a Florida writer, surely well-versed in things like definitions and word usage.

"Devastating means you've like blown up the program and it's beyond repair," said Richt, suddenly the English teacher in the room, "so I don't think it was devastating."

Next question?

The East Division was down last year...Why did that happen?"

Richt: "Well, it happened because we didn't win." Profound.

How do you address off-season rumors about your future?"

Richt: "I don't." He may as well have dared the reporters in Eastwood style to, "Go ahead, make my day."

After that series of roars and flash of the teeth, the frustrated media members gave way to the old Lion. Marking the 11th year as an SEC Coach with his appearance, Richt was not willing to resign himself to the fate that the gathered media had assigned to him. Instead of giving way to the inevitable spotlight that comes with being a coach in danger of losing his job, Richt grabbed hold of the extra attention, owning

his status as the hot-seat coach and using it as a platform to showcase that he was still the man in charge between the hedges.

There was still plenty of room for criticism from the media. Why risk losing to Boise State in that fried-chicken game?

Why change the uniform again when the last two times the Dawgs strayed from the old red-and-silver it has backfired so horribly?

Richt cut the reporters off at the pass.

On the Chick-fil-A game: "In order for us to get back to where we want to be, which is highly ranked and highly thought of, we need to play this game." On the jerseys that have sent all of those sartorially-minded Georgia fans into a tizzy not seen since the last season of Project Runway, Richt said, "You know what? Our players are excited about it...anytime you can have some fun with your guys, I think it's good to do that.

To wear those uniforms is going to be something they're really going to enjoy."

Around that time most of the media was thinking "But what about the personnel issues, coach?! There is really no way to hide from the fact that you don't have any proven running backs, and that offensive line is so thin! Somebody pass the microphone to that unusually large Alabama man in the dark suit, he will put this tired old Lion back in his cage. Oh, it's an actual member of that thin O-Line? Here we go again...", someone handed Ben Jones the mike.

The starting center asked, "Coach Richt, do you trust the offensive line this year?"

Richt replied, "I'm not worried about it if nobody gets hurt...I think (Ben Jones) is going to win the Remington." By this time Richt has made his point. The media wasn't dealing with a Tuberville or Fulmer here.

He may be on the hot seat, but Mark Richt was not going to let some high-minded pundits make him look like a lame duck.

Georgia's appearance at SEC Media Days sent one consistent message: that the Dawgs are ready for 2011 to be the fight of their lives. This is not to say that Richt is going to lead the Dawgs to a national title this year, or even that they won't start 0-2.

But the Georgia delegation's demeanor led this reporter to wonder aloud, "why shy away from the pressure? If you are pegged to go down anyway, why not own it? Is it really better to beat Buffalo at noon on PayPer-View to open the season than to lose to Top-5-ranked Boise in prime time on national television?"

For better or worse, this year's Georgia team is owning their status as a team with something to prove. And if Richt can handle the likes of Spurrier, Muschamp, and even Saban in the SEC Championship game as well as he could handle the media, look out. All of us Dawgs may be in for a special year yet.

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25

recruiting news

By Carlton DeVooght

It is more than a month before the 2011 College Football season begins and more than 6 months until National Signing Day for the Class of 2012. The Bulldogs recruiting class for 2012 already has 12 commitments and appears to be half full. Here is a quick look at the 12 young men who have committed to be a part of the Bulldogs’ class for 2012.

Collin Barber, Kicker, Cartersville High School (6’2”, 191 lbs). Barber is a punter from Cartersville High

School with a booming leg. Currently, he is rated as the number two punter in high school by Kohl’s Kicking Camp.

Barber has an average hang time of five seconds on his punts. He will try to come in and take the place of Drew Butler, who graduates after the upcoming season. Barber is a former soccer player who is excited to be committed to the home state Bulldogs.

Chester Brown, Offensive Line, Bradwell Institute (6’5”, 333 lbs). Chester Brown is the Bulldogs’ most recent

commitment. This massive young man is a native Samoan who only picked up the game of football his freshman year of high school. At the recent Dawg Night Camp, Brown gave a dominating performance, working mostly at offensive guard. His film shows that he has very quick feet and moves as quickly as someone who weighs 75 to 80 pounds less than he does. Brown has flown under the recruiting radar, both because he is relatively new to the sport and Bradwell Institute is not a traditional southeast Georgia football powerhouse. Make no mistake about it, Brown is an excellent pick up for the Bulldogs and will be a real mauler at right guard.

C.J. Curry, Wide Receiver, Flowery Branch High School (6’2”, 203 lbs). C.J. Curry is a tough wide receiver

who committed to the Bulldogs in October, 2010. This 4star prospect is ranked as one of the Top 20 prospects in the state of Georgia this year and has been working hard to help recruit other in-state blue chip prospects to join him in Athens. Curry has been impressive in camps throughout the summer and has demonstrated good hands. Look for this big physical athlete to fight for the top wide receiver ranking in the state of Georgia this year.

The Class is half full

best football player in the Country. Currently, a defensive end in high school, Floyd will likely move to outside linebacker in Coach Grantham’s 3-4 defense. Standing 6’5”, with long arms, Floyd can shut down the passing lane on his side of the field. While there is a chance that Floyd could play tight end in college, all signs seem to point to outside linebacker. He chose the Bulldogs over Alabama, Florida, Auburn, and many other top programs.

Quayvon Hicks, Running Back, Pierce County High School (6‘2”, 245 lbs.). Quayvon Hicks currently plays

defensive end for Pierce County, but is being recruited by the Bulldogs as a fullback. Although he does not have much experience at the position, his performance at fullback in recent camps vaulted him to the #2 ranking in the country at that position. Should he grow a couple of inches, there is a possibility he could wind up at defensive end in Athens.

Right now, he is slated to be the next in the Bulldogs long line of hard-nosed, punishing fullbacks. Hicks has also been a recruiting machine, staying in touch with all of the other blue-chip prospects in the state of Georgia. Already a leader in this class, look for Hicks to continue this leadership role when he arrives in Athens.

Marshall Morgan, Kicker, American Heritage High School (6‘3”, 195 lbs.). Marshall Morgan was everyone’s

first option at kicker. In fact, Florida, Florida State, Virginia Tech and many other schools did not extend an offer to another kicker until Marshall Morgan committed to Georgia.

Ranked as the top kicker in the country by most recruiting sources, Morgan kicked 8 field goals last year that were longer than 43 yards, including a long of 53 yards. He also had the opportunity to be one of, if not the very first football player to earn All-State Honors all four years of high school at two positions (punter and kicker). Kickers get a lot of grief, but Morgan is not your standard kicker. He has played defensive end in his high school career and loves to tackle. His high school coach says that Morgan loves to hit a return man between the numbers whenever he gets the chance. That is a trait I want to see in a Bulldog kicker.

Lonnie Outlaw, Wide Receiver, Georgia Military College (6‘6”, 201 lbs.). Lonnie Outlaw originally com-

technique at this point, he makes up for with potential and athleticism. He is incredibly tough for a young man who is not yet 17, and will be an essential plug in the middle of Coach Grantham’s 3-4 defense. Look for Taylor to move up the national rankings during the course of this year as he focuses on his technique. This is a huge get for the Dawgs.

John Theus, Offensive Line, the Bolles School (6‘6”, 295 lbs.). As good as Jonathan Taylor is at defensive tackle, John Theus may be even better at offensive tackle. Currently ranked as the top prospect in the state of Florida, second overall offensive tackle in the country and the seventh best prospect in the country, this five-star prospect is one of the most dominating High School offensive tackles I have seen on film. The younger brother of current Bulldog, Nathan Theus, John anchors Bolles Coach Corky Rogers’ offensive line. Theus is a well-mannered young man off the field who literally destroys opposing defenders on field. The Bulldog Illustrated will not give me enough space to list all of the accolades Theus has already earned prior to his senior season. He is the offensive tackle Georgia wanted and needed in this class. He also committed with three other blue-chip prospects who are introduced below.

As you see, the first half of the class of 2012 is loaded with Blue-Chip prospects and some of the very finest players in the country. If the Bulldogs have a solid campaign on the field, I feel certain that the second half of the class will be just as good, if not better.

Surprise Commitment for Class of 2013 and 2014

Blue chip offensive tackle, John Theus committed to the Bulldogs at Dawg Night with three elite prospects for the Class of 2013. The self-named “Fab Four” included Theus, Running Back Derrick Henry (Yulee, Florida), Quarterback Brice Ramsey (Camden County High School) and Tramel Terry (Goose Creek High School, Goose Creek, South Carolina).

Henry (6’3”, 232 lbs) averaged 6,000 yards and 65 TDs over his first ten years of football. He has also run a sub4.4 (4.38) 40. The Miami Herald already has him ranked as the likely top prospect in the State of Florida for 2013.

Henry is friends with Brice Ramsey and John Theus, and wants to play with them at the collegiate level. According to his coach, he has shut down his recruiter and is fully committed to the Bulldogs.

namic Duo” from Millen, Georgia. Deloach has a quick burst and could see playing time at outside linebacker or other positions, depending on how much he grows in the next couple of years. Although his teammate (introduced below) may be more highly ranked, the Bulldogs look for Deloach to be an impact player when he arrives in Athens.

He chose the Dawgs over offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, and many other colleges.

mitted to the Bulldogs out of Wilcox County High School in 2010. Like Jalen Fields, Outlaw currently stars for the GMC Bulldogs and had a solid freshman season in Milledgeville. His size and vertical leap make him an ideal red zone target for any quarterback. The smaller defensive backs in the SEC will have nightmares watching film in preparation for defending Outlaw. Like Fields, Outlaw is going to try to graduate in December. Even if he doesn’t, look for him to make an immediate impact in Athens for the Bulldogs’ offense.

Jalen Fields, Defensive End, Georgia Military College (6’5”, 280 lbs). A little over two years ago, Jalen

Ty Smith, Tight End, Colquitt County High School (6‘3”, 280 lbs.). A high school teammate of current Bull-

Fields, a 4-star prospect out of Dalton High School, committed to the Bulldogs. Despite being re-recruited by Tennessee, Alabama, Miami and Auburn, the current GMC Bulldog remains solid to Georgia. He is scheduled to graduate in December and cannot wait to get to the Classic City.

Fields has a personal goal of double-digit sacks this year, and is one of the top defensive ends in the junior college ranks. His explosiveness and solid technique will help Fields make an immediate impact in Coach Grantham’s defense when Fields arrives in Athens.

dog, Xzavier Ward, Smith has solid hands (42 receptions for 576 yards) and a build very similar to current Bulldog, Orson Charles. He can play tight end or flex out when the Dawgs to 4 wide. The team leader on the Packers team that made it to the 5A state title game, Smith picked the Bulldogs over Florida, Florida State and Georgia Tech.

Tramel Terry is an electrifying Wide Receiver (4.4/40) from Goose Creek High School. Many recruiting experts believe he will be the top prospect in the state of South Carolina next year. Terry has received a great deal of grief from Gamecock fans in his hometown, but currently remains committed to the Bulldogs.

Jonathan Taylor, Defensive Tackle, Jenkins County High School (6‘4”, 323 lbs.). Jonathan Taylor is

As if this news wasn’t exciting enough, Stanley Williams, a running back from Apalachee High School, in Bethlehem, Georgia committed to Coach Richt and the Bulldogs at Dawg Night. At Dawg Night, Williams turned in a time of 4.28 in the 40-yard dash. As a freshman, he rushed for 954 yards and 11 touchdowns. While he has a long way until he signs with the Bulldogs, he says he and his family have been Bulldog fans and he is very excited to be committed to Georgia.

James Deloach, Defensive End, Jenkins County High School (6’3”, 260 lbs). Deloach is part of the “Dy-

Leonard Floyd, Defensive End, Dodge County High School (6’5”, 215 lbs). This 4-star prospect is ranked as

one of the top 15 defensive ends in the country and one of the top 10 players this year in the state of Georgia. He is also a member of the Rivals 250, currently ranked as the 159th

the other half of the “Dynamic Duo” (James Deloach) from Millen, Georgia. This 4-star prospect is currently ranked as the top overall player in the State of Georgia this year, the #6 defensive tackle in the country and the 36th best overall prospect in the country. Taylor may very well be the top defensive tackle to come out of Georgia in the last five to ten years. He is a very raw athlete, but what he lacks in

Brice Ramsey has yet to start a game for the Camden County Wildcats, but has been so dominant in camps that the Bulldog quarterbacks offered him a scholarship. Ramsey got limited playing time in one game as a sophomore that looks to lead Coach Jeff Herron’s Wildcats back to the Georgia Dome and hopefully to another state title.

THE UGA ALUMNI ALUMNI ASSOCIATION ASSSOCIA AT TION INVITES YOU YOU O TO TO KICK OFF FRIDAY! FRIDA AY Y!

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26

Bulldawg Illustrated

Don’t miss 2011 games The doozies with huge implications toward the goal of finishing in Atlanta and then New Orleans

By Jeff Dantzler

W

hen it comes to playing for the SEC Championship, every league game counts the same in the standings. But several are the true difference makers. Let’s take a look at my Super 11 biggest (some big time traditional match-ups are left out in this dream schedule season) and then five other non-conference contests that will also shape the national picture.

September 10 South Carolina at Georgia The winner of this one is the early front-runner in the race for the SEC East title.

If the Bulldogs can pull it out, the schedule is mighty manageable the rest of the year. A Gamecocks win, and the Garnet and Black faithful can dream their biggest dreams.

September 24 Arkansas at Alabama A year ago, this was one of the league’s best games as the Crimson Tide prevailed 24-20 in Fayetteville. The Hogs are loaded on offense and could give Bama’s stout defense its toughest test of the season. Bama must go to Florida the next week, while the Hogs must play Texas A&M in Arlington.

Les Miles

October 1 Auburn at South Carolina The champs twice beat the Gamecocks a year ago, but now must head to Columbia. If South Carolina beats Georgia, this will be a prime opportunity to improve to 5-0. Lattimore and Michael Dyer will give tailback lovers a great show.

Alabama at Florida This is the 20th season of divisional play in the toughest league in the land. Alabama and Florida have played one another in seven of the previous 19 SEC Championship Games. Bama blew the Gators out last season and would love to do it in the swamp.

October 8 Auburn at Arkansas Last season on the plains, Auburn prevailed in the highest scoring game in SEC history. The Razorbacks will look to return the favor this season and stay in major bowl game contention. Auburn’s defense will be put to the test.

Florida at LSU This could be the best day of the season with these two match-ups, plus Georgia at Tennessee. The Gator offense will be put to the test in noisy Baton Rouge, while LSU plays yet another big game of a loaded schedule.

October 22 Auburn at LSU This rivalry has produced some of the SEC’s most memorable games of the 2000s and there’s no reason this one won’t be a dandy as well. Bama hosts Tennessee and Arkansas is at Ole Miss as the SEC West takes shape.

October 29 Georgia vs. Florida (Jacksonville) There’s no Urban Meyer or Steve Spurrier and the Gators have tons of question marks for first year coach Will Muschamp, a Georgia alum. The Dogs have a lot of questions and optimism. This is the chance for a new start for the Dogs in this most painful of rivalries that has yielded just three wins in the last 21 meetings.

November 5 LSU at Alabama These two powerhouses have combined to win two of the last four national titles and have squared off in some doozies. Plus there is the Nick Saban factor. LSU’s offense and Bama’s defense will produce some awesome match-ups.

November 25 Arkansas at LSU This is another of those rivalries that has produced some of the league’s most memorable meetings of the 21st century. SEC Championship Game and BCS implications could be on the line in what should be an entertaining shootout.

November 26 Alabama at Auburn Last season – considering the circumstances, site, deficit and foe – Auburn pulled off the greatest comeback in college football history. You can bet Saban has been reminding his team every day. Bama may be punching its ticket to Atlanta and a shot at the big prize.

SEC vs. Non-Conference September 3 LSU vs. Oregon (Arlington) What a kickoff to the season, as the Fightin’ Tigers, national champions of 2003 and 2007 tangle with Oregon, which fell to Auburn in last season’s BCS Championship Game. The Ducks offense will be one of the country’s best. LSU, led by Russell Shepherd, has speed to burn. The Tigers have a lot of talent to replace on defense. The crowd at the Cowboys stadium will be heavy LSU. Dallas is loaded with Tiger alums.

Georgia vs. Boise State (Atlanta) In 2005, the Bulldogs crushed Boise State in Athens to open the season. The Broncos program has come a long way since. The Bulldogs get an early barometer on the quest to return to the nation’s elite. The Georgia Dome will obviously be proBulldog, but Boise gets a boost not having to deal with the brutal deep south heat.

September 10

Derek Dooley

Alabama at Penn State This was an annual clash back in the 1980s and the Crimson Tide on the famous goal line stand beat Penn State in the 1979 Sugar Bowl to win the national title.

Last season, Bama blasted the Nittany Lions in Tuscaloosa. Joe Paterno has coached against both Bear Bryant and Saban as Alabama coaches.

October 1 Arkansas vs. Texas A&M (Arlington) These two old Southwest Conference rivals both have top ten dreams and this game could have major bowl ramifications. For the Hogs, the game comes between Alabama and Auburn, which is awfully tough.

November 26 Georgia at Tech This is one of the biggest days in the league, as the Dogs go to Tech, Florida hosts Florida State and South Carolina entertains Clemson. The Bulldogs have won two straight and nine of the last ten against the Yellow Jackets. In the sunshine state, Will Muschamp and Jimbo Fisher square off for the first time.

Photographs by Ryan Scates

www.bulldawgillustrated.com

27

SEC Media Days Birmingham Eric Blackerby

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David Ching and Bryan Harris

Kate Powell and Mary-Carter Kniffen

Mike Morton, Alex Morton and Taylor Holmberg

Matt Williamson and Lee Massengale

Victoria Runge, Hannah Grace Hastings and Danielle Fabian

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28

Bulldawg Illustrated

Conversations

By Andrew Downs

Meet Katherine and Frank Chanley

To make the statement, "I'll always be a Bulldawg!" is a natural enough thing to admit.

To say, "I've always been a Bulldawg!" is another thing, but for some just as natural. Take for instance Katherine and Frank Chandley. I had heard of the Chandleys and the devotion they hold for the Bulldawg Nation, so I thought I'd call on them to find out exactly where they stand in regard to their true devotion to the Georgia Bulldogs.

I pulled up in front of their home, passed by two UGA flags in their yard, and was greeted by a painted bulldog on the porch. Then, the Chandleys greeted me dressed from head to toe in red and black. I actually mean head to toe, but I'll get back to that later.

As I entered their home, there was no denying I had entered a Bulldawg museum. I didn't even need to bring it up, and they felt no need to explain their decor. I was quickly getting the feeling that the Chandleys had indeed always been Bulldawgs. The only way I thought to describe this experience was to call it "Bulldawgmania" which I utter with great reverence.

The Chandleys were made for each other.

Her father was an attorney, and his was in the dry cleaning business. Katherine says, "I was a country girl who wasn't all that country." She seems to me to have been a little spoiled. Frank got his work ethic from his grandfather, a farmer. He says, "My father worked long hours, and I spent most of my time with my grandfather." It seems to me that his grandfather might have pampered him a little.

In high school Frank was an overachiever, athletic and a natural born leader. Katherine was a cheerleader, student council president and a real "looker." Frank didn't look that bad either. So, you can tell this made for each other thing is coming together. Right?

After graduation they both headed to Athens and UGA, and it didn't take long for them to become Bulldawgs of the highest order.

He became a fraternity guy and she a sorority lady. He was elected to the Interfraternity Council as a freshman; she was a Davidson College Board member for two years. They became Bulldawgs, and their collective bark was to become an extremely loud one.

Graduation came; they married, and into the world they went together. Frank's job with Western Electric took them to North Carolina, and they commuted to Athens to football games and to the Sugar Bowl in 1969. Then they moved to New Jersey and attended games as they could. After they moved to Indianapolis and then to Colorada, they still managed to attend three home games a year. By then, their son, David, was a training coach at Georgia. You see, Bulldawgmania is a generational condition.

While the Chandleys were still in Colorado, several of Katherine's relatives had been part of the formation of an Athens tailgating group called "The Oaktree Tailgate Gang."

Frank and Katherine were asked to join, and, by 1994, they had tired of missing the tailgating ritual in Athens. They decided to move back home.

It was at this time that the Chandley's condition of Bulldawgmania was diagnosed as incurable. Since that time, with the exceptions of marriages, deaths, or preventing illness, the Chandleys have not missed a Georgia football game, home or away. Let me repeat that: The Chandleys have not missed a Georgia football

www.bulldawgillustrated.com

game, home or away, with those unavoidable exceptions.

I thought I'd ask the Chandleys a few questions about their lives with incurable Bulldawgmania: How do you describe the game day experience?

Katherine: Tailgating is not an easy task, but it's a thrill to be with friends who feel like us about Georgia football. Then you walk into Sanford Stadium and it's all worth it.

Frank: A Georgia football game is a life or death social event. The rules are that you have 24 hours to celebrate or cry and then you move on.

What could replace Georgia football in your lives?

Katherine: Being able to travel without the accompanying concern of winning and the fear of losing.

Frank: I'd live with a big hole in my life. There is no replacing it.

How do you describe football spirit?

Katherine: I don't really know. It's just an emotion that changes everything.

Frank: It's the feeling of enthusiasm, pride and love for something which has always been part of your life.

What makes you happy?

Katherine: Being loved and appreciated, my family, and my home.

Frank: A big win.

What was your favorite journey?

Katherine:: Going to the White House.

Frank: My career and my involvement with Olympic games.

I understand you have been married for fifty years. Has your mutual love for Georgia football played a significant roll in your marital longevity?

Katherine:: I've never thought of it that way.

For me, it's about loving a wonderful person who is my best friend and who never bores me.

Frank: Being married for fifty years is about having an understanding partner, compatibility, sincerity, and a willingness to cooperate. But that's enough about me!

When I noticed your Bulldog attire as you greeted me on your porch, I described you as dressed in red and black from head to toe. Do you have on Bulldog boxers?

Frank:: Yes, I do.

Enough said!

29

Jeff Dantzler’s Top 25 College football has gone through a great deal of change. The PAC-10 is now the PAC-12. The Big Ten now has 12 teams and the Big XII has 10. The SEC is still the strongest conference in the land, but most of the power remains in the west, lessening the odds a bit for an undefeated season. Unless it’s Alabama. The SEC champ against the Big XII champ – Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma State all have top tier talent – for the big prize would make for a doozy in the Big Easy.

1. Alabama – The Crimson Tide lost a lot of talent, four firstrounders, including 2009 Heisman winner Mark Ingram, Marcel Dareus and Julio Jones. But Nick Saban’s last four recruiting classes have all been ranked in the top three nationally. With Saban at the helm, the Bama fans have been able to put away their “dig him up” bumper stickers.

2. Oklahoma - Boomer Sooner is loaded. Bob Stoops has led Oklahoma to four BCS Championship Games. Since 2000, the Sooners have won seven Big XII championships. Texas two.

The schedule is more than manageable. The Aggies come to Norman.

3. Oregon – What a game to open the season in Dallas. The Ducks and LSU go head-to-head at the Cowboys Stadium. The PAC-10 might not have a slew of top ten teams, but there are plenty of schools capable of pulling off the upset. If Oregon beats the Bayou Bengals, a return to the BCS Championship Game could be in the cards.

4. South Carolina – Marcus Lattimore is on his way to being an all-time great back. And the Gamecocks are loaded for a run in 2011. They are clearly the team to beat in the SEC East and Cam Newton-less Auburn comes to Columbia. If Steve Spurrier gets settled at quarterback, the sky’s the limit.

5. LSU – The Bayou Bengals have a brutal schedule, opening with Oregon and fighting through the teeth of the SEC West. LSU lost a lot of talent on defense, most notably the sensational Patrick Peterson, a dynamo at corner and on returns, and a beast of a dominating defensive tackle in Drake Nevis.

6. Florida State – It will be tough for the Seminoles to replace Christian Ponder, but the Seminoles still have the best talent in the ACC. Plus, Florida is not what Florida was while dominating the ‘Noles in the ‘2000s. Same goes for Miami, which has won nearly every big game ever contested with FSU. 7. Nebraska – What an opportune time for the Cornhuskers to be moving to the Big Ten (12). With chaos at Ohio State and a shaky hire with low talent at Michigan, the window is open. Don’t be surprised if Nebraska wins the Big Ten championship within its first couple of years in the league.

8. Arkansas – Ryan Mallett will be missed on the field. Make no mistake. But Tyler Wilson is solid, Knile Davis is a premier tailback and the Hogs receivers may be the country’s best. And say what you will about Bobby Petrino, the guy took Louisville to an Orange Bowl and Arkansas to the Sugar.

9. Oklahoma State – Mike Gundy has a good thing going in Stillwater. There’s only one problem. The Cowboys play in the same state as Bob Stoops and the Sooners. As usual, Oklahoma State will be able to score a ton of points. Can they make enough stops? That’s the challenge.

10. Wisconsin – Many favor the Badgers to win the Big Ten this year, and with good reason. As usual, they will have an excellent, massive offensive eline and be able to run the ball at will in the league.

11. Boise State – If Boise State beats Georgia, the Broncos will have the credibility to get a crack at the BCS Championship Game if they go undefeated and there aren’t two big boy unbeatens.

Kellen Moore and Doug Martin are a tremendous one-two backfield punch.

12. Stanford – The Cardinal will drop off some. Jim Harbaugh did incredible things on the Farm, most notably posting winning records over both Southern Cal and Notre Dame, and leading the Cardinal to a No. 4 national finish last season. Andrew Luck is incredibly special and will be the top pick in the draft. He’ll be second only to Elway in Stanford’s illustrious signal caller annals.

13. Texas A&M - Mike Sherman, slowly but surely, has Texas A&M turned back around. How about this trifecta: the Aggies beat Oklahoma, Texas and Nebraska last season. It’s a pretty good bet that’s a first. Texas A&M will miss Von Miller, but the Aggies can move the ball.

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14. Ohio State – Both the crime and the cover-up were bad.

How did the NCAA let those five players participate in the Sugar Bowl? What a farce. They’re reeling in Columbus. Jim Tressel is second only to Woody Hayes in Buckeye coaching lore.

They’re hoping that after a year away, Urban Meyer may be ready to strap the whistle around his neck again.

15. TCU – What a job Gary Patterson has done at TCU. This program was borderline dormant for decades. He’s taken the Horned Frogs back to their glory days of Davey O’Brien and Slingin’ Sammy Baugh. Not even the greatest writer of them all Dan Jenkins could have scripted TCU going to Pasadena and winning the Rose Bowl. Patterson is the toast of the town at Joe T. Garcia’s, home of the world’s greatest Tex-Mex. 16. Virginia Tech – What a bizarre season for the Hokies, who lost a heart-breaker to Boise State, were stunned by James Madison, then ran the table in the ACC, before getting clocked

by Stanford in the Orange Bowl. Frank Beamer is a hall of famer and his program is very consistent.

17. Auburn – On the heels of the dream season, it will be difficult for Auburn to repeat as SEC kings with the loss of Cam Newton and Nick Fairley. But oh they’ve got the tailbacks and that house money victory ride. Don’t count Auburn out in the SEC West.

18. Mississippi State – Dan Mullen has done some kind of job in Starkville. Think about this, and throw in all the factors you want…whatever: Mississippi State beat Georgia, Florida and Michigan last season. And Chris Relf is coming at quarterback.

19. Miami – You just never know in the ACC. But if Al Golden had a nine win season at Temple and took the Owls to a bowl, then certainly he can push Miami in the top 25. Newsflash, the Hurricanes have tons of speed.

20. Penn State – Joe Paterno should have another solid team in State College. The schedule, as usual, is far from challenging. The Nittany Lions could take advantage of the situations at Ohio State and Michigan. The Penn State people are right there with the Buckeye faithful hoping that Urban Meyer is their next guy.

21. Missouri - The Tigers have fallen into that 8 – to – 10 win range and with Nebraska gone out of the Big XII North, Missouri has a window to make a jump. With Chase Daniel and Blane Gabbert, the Tigers have been a standout QB – producing school.

22. Michigan State – The Spartans put together one of their great seasons of all-time, going 11-1 and sharing the Big Ten championship. The downer: Alabama lambasted Michigan State in the Capital One Bowl, just humiliated Sparty. Michigan State has enough to contend again, if they aren’t hung over from the Crimson Tide pasting.

23. Texas – What a crushing season for the Longhorns.

Texas should never lose to Baylor and Iowa State in the same year at home. With all of their resources and a cake schedule, the Longhorns standards should be higher than almost any.

Mack Brown made Texas nationally relevant again, but he’s no Stoops. Texas needs an offensive identity. Getting heralded tailback Malcolm Brown is a big step in getting the Longhorns back.

24. Georgia – The Bulldogs have a manageable schedule that has neither LSU nor Alabama. There are questions on defense, the O-Line and at receiver. Georgia needs freshman help from a talented crop. If Georgia can beat both Boise State and South Carolina, the Bulldogs could contend for a top ten season.

25. Florida – Will Muschamp was a surprise hire for the Gators. In his first year as a head coach, Muschamp brought in Charlie Weis to run the offense. There figure to be some growing pains. Florida has been recruiting very well, especially on defense.

Bulldawg Illustrated