I think it's funny how pup fans' narrative has changed in one year...

[Black Diamond Vol]

Immediately Following Last Year's Game:  This is an absolute disgrace.  It's inexcusable for a team with this much talent to lose to a garbage team like Tennessee.  Those guys were 2-3.  They actually lost to Arkansas last week.  Arkansas!  Fire.  Richt.  Now.

This Past July, After UT was Picked To Win The East:  ROFL, UT is all hype.  Preseason National Champions, just like the last ten years.  The Kardashians of college football.  Now that we have a REAL coach and a REAL quarterback, we won't be losing to those chumps again any time soon.

Today: I'm so proud of this team.  Even though they were badly outmanned, they fought so hard and came within a Hail Mary of pulling the upset.  Coach Smart was left with an empty cupboard, but he has us on the right track!

 

[BanditVol]

Has it escaped their notice that their former coach is 4-1 at Miami and a quiet contender for the NC? 

Firing Richt was, IMO abysmally stupid, and LSUs firing of Miles is more likely to lead to a decline in their fortunes than otherwise.   

[Creek Walker]

I said this last year when UGA fired Richt: If I was a UGA fan, I'd be right there with the rest calling for his head. But with the benefit of an outsider's perspective, you better realize what you've got before you lose it.

Heck, we've all said it: There was no coach in the SEC in the past 10 years who had done less with more than Mark Richt. But if your coach is consistently winning and recruiting well, you better have a proven winner ready to take his place before you fire him — not an unproven coordinator with no head coaching experience. I'm not saying Kirby Smart won't be a good head coach; I'm not sure anything would be different right now if Richt were still in Athens. Ole Miss and UT were two good teams. But it's undeniable that UGA was consistently ranked for 15 years under Richt. Now Miami is a top 10 team and UGA is unranked. Coincidence? Maybe. But it makes McGarity look like a chump.

[Black Diamond Vol]

I just think it's funny that all of a sudden they're a plucky little underdog.  What changed in 2 months?  

There is a very small handful of CFB programs who don't get to play the "we're rebuilding" card.  Ever.  UGA is one of them.  And they can say what they want about Richt, but on a year in year out basis he recruited better than anyone in the SEC except for Saban.  Yes, this is the year UT fans have been pointing to for a while now.  And yes, UGA is in a transitional phase with their new coach.  And with our experience edge, it's certainly fair to say we have the better team (although our rash of injuries evened it up a lot), and it's fair to say they outplayed us for most of the game.  But if you take experience out of the equation, they have the more talented roster.  By a long shot.  In fact, we haven't equaled their talent level at any point this millennium. We've closed that gap substantially since Butch arrived, but we're not there yet.  Just line them all up and compare their Rivals ratings.  It's not even close.

So please, pups.  Stop acting like you're the Dillon Panthers and you just gave the '85 Bears a scare.  That's a seriously false narrative, and it's polar opposite of what you yourselves were saying  just this past August.

[Tnphil]

Miami is 4-0 IIRC. And I wish CMR well.

Sometimes a change in scenery is good.

[BanditVol]

Miami is 4-0 IIRC. And I wish CMR well.

Sometimes a change in scenery is good.

Yeah I messed that up they are 4 0. They are overshadowed by louisville and clemson but definitely  much improved over the last few years.

I've been on the record as saying the criticism of Richt was over done.  Georgia has the 12th best win percentage in the country the last ten years. Is that a reason to get a new coach? Maybe but literally ypu can't do much better than that.

[volsboy]

It's the win now era. If a top level program can't compete for a playoff spot, their coach is on the hot seat. Maybe that's why I've been such a douche toward Jones. I have eased off on that. He is 5-0. He can't be better than 5-0 right now. But it has not been pretty. So what? I don't get the slow starts, but who does? As long as it works I'm all in. I worry that if you let teams like aTm and Bama get a good lead on you, they may just increase that lead in the second half. I pray we don't trail either one of these two teams by 21+ at halftime. I just think they are a different animal from any of our first five opponents. Alabama's depth is tough thing to overcome in the 2nd half. Staying in front of these two teams seems like the best option. That's easier said than done.

[Tnphil]

Yeah I messed that up they are 4 0. They are overshadowed by louisville and clemson but definitely  much improved over the last few years.

I've been on the record as saying the criticism of Richt was over done.  Georgia has the 12th best win percentage in the country the last ten years. Is that a reason to get a new coach? Maybe but literally ypu can't do much better than that.

And you hire a first time HC to replace one that averaged 9-10 wins a season. Smart has some pressure for sure.

IMO Richt looked like he was burned out at UGA. The past 2-3 years his attitude seemed to have changed. I'll be the first to say that with the talent UGA got year after year they should have won more SEC championships....But I always like Richt.

[BanditVol]

And you hire a first time HC to replace one that averaged 9-10 wins a season. Smart has some pressure for sure.

IMO Richt looked like he was burned out at UGA. The past 2-3 years his attitude seemed to have changed. I'll be the first to say that with the talent UGA got year after year they should have won more SEC championships....But I always like Richt.

Yeah. And I think it was kind of mutual, as you suggest.

Les Miles was even better than Richt. 7th in win perceTage last ten years.