Is the decline real at UGA?

[NC_Canes_11]

Defense has taken a massive step back, but they are still really talented and have Kirby who is the best in game adjuster in college football.

They’re young and banged up on the O line. They *should* get better as the year goes on, but are nowhere near elite.

They have more talent at WR than they have had in a decade. They *should* get better as the year goes on.

RB’s are still legit.

They aren’t done, but they certainly aren’t what they were a couple years ago.

 

[Rellyrell]

IMO- it would be the schools in decline now that NIL is above the table. Texas tech, Miami, and SMU would have been bag schools but the ncaa had some nails.

To me: most of the top sec plus osu, Oregon, usc, Mich.

Now you have every sec, B1G, half b12, half the acc all fighting for kids. Just look at Russell going to cuse potentially. Or mendoza at Indiana, Duke Qb. All the QBs moving vs sitting for 1-2 years then playing 2-3

You can say it is the same but I see a difference. 5 teams with most, 5 more fighting no one else. Now you have 10-15 fighting for NSD too kids, 30-40 fighting for good NSD plus portal.

The bag schools per CIS:

Bama
UGA
O$U
Texas
UofM
Clem$on
Oregon

Do me a favor; go look at the top recruiting classes from 2015 - 2026, & let me know what u find out.

 

[Memnon]

Always love when the Georgia lovers come out in full force with the body armor on to protect the sanctity of the Mighty Dawgs of Athens.

 

[UMFarArcher]

You mean Schellenburger (hope I spelled his name right)

You spelled it right.

Butch Davis had to do the same, exact thing.

 

[Rellyrell]

Also ya’ll do realize UGA has been Bama’s bytch since forever, don’t u?

We have to stop looking at things from a microscopic viewpoint:

Since 1985, UGA’s record vs. Bama: 5-14.

 

[Rocketcitycane06]

Mike Bobo getting hired, and them losing Dan Lanning, along with the philadelphia DLine.

Bobo ain't it.

 

[Rellyrell]

Bobo ain't it.

THIS is what needs to be talked about. Bobo was Richt’s OC, & Bobo put Richt on the hot seat which led to his firing the following season. I get it:
-He’s from Georgia
-He’s an alum
-He’s Smart’s boy & former teammate

BUT, he sucks as a playcaller & I hope he stays forever.

Richt’s record pre-Bobo: 61-17 (.782 win %)
Richt’s record w-Bobo: 75-31 (.707 win %)

IMHO, & I know @Memnon probably hates his guts right now, but if Monken was still w UGA, we wouldn’t see the O look stagnant. However, let’s not conflate things. UGA’s classes have been:
2026 - #2 (currently)
2025 - #2
2024 - #1
2023 - #2
2022 - #3

Since the NIL era. The bag schools r still the ones dominating the recruiting scene & they’ve been dominating the polls.

National Title Winners since 2015:
-Bama
-Clem$on
-Bama
-Clem$on
-L$U
-Bama
-UGA
-UGA
-UofM
-O$U

So just b/c a couple of B1G schools have won two titles haven’t changed the narratives. They, too, r apart of big bag crew.

 

[texascane12]

THIS is what needs to be talked about. Bobo was Richt’s OC, & Bobo put Richt on the hot seat which led to his firing the following season. I get it:
-He’s from Georgia
-He’s an alum
-He’s Smart’s boy & former teammate

BUT, he sucks as a playcaller & I hope he stays forever.

Richt’s record pre-Bobo: 61-17 (.782 win %)
Richt’s record w-Bobo: 75-31 (.707 win %)

IMHO, & I know @Memnon probably hates his guts right now, but if Monken was still w UGA, we wouldn’t see the O look stagnant. However, let’s not conflate things. UGA’s classes have been:
2026 - #2 (currently)
2025 - #2
2024 - #1
2023 - #2
2022 - #3

Since the NIL era. The bag schools r still the ones dominating the recruiting scene & they’ve been dominating the polls.

National Title Winners since 2015:
-Bama
-Clem$on
-Bama
-Clem$on
-L$U
-Bama
-UGA
-UGA
-UofM
-O$U

So just b/c a couple of B1G schools have won two titles haven’t changed the narratives. They, too, r apart of big bag crew.

I hear your point loud and clear, but it’s hard to deny what we’re seeing on the field right now. Vanderbilt is a prime example. Good talent doesn’t want to sit and be depth anymore with the transfer portal.

Georgia can keep buying recruiting classes, and that will inevitably make them a perennial contender, but now Texas Tech can take all their backups and Georgia is left with significantly less depth than they used to have.

Top end talent is still fairly consolidated, but depth is where we’re seeing the biggest difference. And that transferred depth is going to places it never would have gone in the bag era.

Additionally, you keep talking about continued domination by these historic bag schools. I’m not seeing a truly dominant tier of CFB a la Bama, UGA, Clemson of old. I’m seeing those schools still winning (other than Clemson, lol), but not in the same fashion. That’s a good thing.

So, if O$U stays healthy, they should be in the natty - their starting 22 is a better team top to bottom than 99% of America right now. But if we start to see some big injuries from these top teams down the stretch, they no longer have the depth to make up for it.

 

[Canes Legacy]

Been saying it, without a stacked roster, Kirby won’t be able to beat teams that are on the same tier as them.

The pressure is going to start to pick up on them as well.

 

[90scane]

The bag schools per CIS:

Bama
UGA
O$U
Texas
UofM
Clem$on
Oregon

Do me a favor; go look at the top recruiting classes from 2015 - 2026, & let me know what u find out.

I’ve found out that recruiting rankings don’t factor in the profound impact of the portal.

Mendoza. Sayin, Beck, Moore. Mateer, … on and on. UGA alone has lost two starters to top teams. Bag schools aren’t done but they don’t have stacked rosters. Otherwise, UGA would have to pick from 3 starters in Beck, sayin, gunner. I’m pretty sure it would not be gunner.

Thus the likelihood of said schools winning drops and parity forms. It also means key injuries impact the scope of the picture. Oklahoma may be on the outside looking in due to one injury. If OSU loses js or sayin, I can’t see them winning it all. Moore at Oregon. Beck at Miami. Etc etc

 

[Coach Macho]

 

[ShadowSpring]

Georgia has lost 1 home game in 6 years. They won SEC championship juss last year. They gone be aiiight.

Have you actually seen a Georgia game this season? They've been bad. 3 or 4 losses incoming.

 

[TrumpyCane]

THIS is what needs to be talked about. Bobo was Richt’s OC, & Bobo put Richt on the hot seat which led to his firing the following season. I get it:
-He’s from Georgia
-He’s an alum
-He’s Smart’s boy & former teammate

BUT, he sucks as a playcaller & I hope he stays forever.

Richt’s record pre-Bobo: 61-17 (.782 win %)
Richt’s record w-Bobo: 75-31 (.707 win %)

IMHO, & I know @Memnon probably hates his guts right now, but if Monken was still w UGA, we wouldn’t see the O look stagnant. However, let’s not conflate things. UGA’s classes have been:
2026 - #2 (currently)
2025 - #2
2024 - #1
2023 - #2
2022 - #3

Since the NIL era. The bag schools r still the ones dominating the recruiting scene & they’ve been dominating the polls.

National Title Winners since 2015:
-Bama
-Clem$on
-Bama
-Clem$on
-L$U
-Bama
-UGA
-UGA
-UofM
-O$U

So just b/c a couple of B1G schools have won two titles haven’t changed the narratives. They, too, r apart of big bag crew.

You're right those schools are still top recruiting classes but in TrumpyCane's opinion the portal is negating that somewhat

If this was 5 years ago a guy like Damon Wilson would still be at UGA, instead transfers to Mizz.

 

[Coach Macho]

Yall sound like the high school guys that tell me Saint Thomas is "down" every year.

Some years might be better or worse than others, but a quality program is never "down".
Certain programs are just machines.

Downplaying Kirby is wild talk. He's an innovator and one of the best defensive minds in football. Same with Saban.
EVERY coach takes some L's, and EVERY program has seasons where they look better/worse depending on personnel, chemistry, culture, etc.

I think yall underestimate how many things have to align in order to produce a championship program/season.
Even THE BEST staffs can't do it year after year. There's way too many parts.

 

[TrumpyCane]

Georgia has lost 1 home game in 6 years. They won SEC championship juss last year. They gone be aiiight.

Then got bounced 1st round of playoffs and finished with 3 losses.

Last time they finished with 3 losses was 2018, wouldn't shock TrumpyCane they finish with 4 this year, they still have AT Auburn, Ole Miss, Texas, UF, AT Miss State, they could easily lose 2 there

 

[ShadowSpring]

Yall sound like the high school guys that tell me Saint Thomas is "down" every year.

Some years might be better or worse than others, but a quality program is never "down".
Certain programs are just machines.

Downplaying Kirby is wild talk. He's an innovator and one of the best defensive minds in football. Same with Saban.
EVERY coach takes some L's, and EVERY program has seasons where they look better/worse depending on personnel, chemistry, culture, etc.

I think yall underestimate how many things have to align in order to produce a championship program/season.
Even THE BEST staffs can't do it year after year. There's way too many parts.

The best DC in football can't stop anyone. there is a such thing as losing control of the team. I've seen this 3 times at UM. Lack of discipline, players not executing, lack of focus, lack of effort, slow starts, and getting into trouble. Kirby is losing the team. Just like Dabo.

Saban is the only one who was able to keep it going and he was openly paying players.

CIS Dawgs out in full force!

The great Kirby Smart is currently behind the defensive juggernaut in Tallahassee. Genuis or cheater?

 

[Golsen82]

I’ve always felt he was a below average coach. He would just out talent everybody. No matter how much talent they had, their offense was always boring af. But they had some legit defenses.

Sounds like Mario

 

[AlexCane]

It’s got to be hard too once you establish sustained success that your coaching staff hires may be guys looking to use the job as an internship of sorts for a stepping stone to something larger.

 

[Okefenokee Cane]

They got out-corched- specially Bobo. 4th and goal kwik snap back-fired. Giv da offense line time ta set up an exacute an they score an dat’s a W.

Georgia has lost 1 home game in 6 years. They won SEC championship juss last year. They gone be aiiight.

 

[88]

Checks recruiting rankings*

Nope, they're not going anywhere.