Guilty as charged, I look at the world through Gold tinted glasses.

The University of Georgia is a villain, a proverbial Ernst Blofeld to my adored James Bond. But with that said, many times we can learn more about ourselves by studying our enemy. I sincerely try to be objective.

The 2010 Bulldogs are an enigma. A team incapable of truly being accurately forecasted. Why?

UGA’s head coach Mark Richt is a good coach. The problem for most Dawg fans, Mark Richt was on path to be an All-Time Great Coach. For several seasons Mark Richt could do no wrong. Two SEC Championships in his first four years, annual top 10 recruiting rankings, and three BCS game appearances set expectations and hopes for a program affixed in the top tier of college football teams.

Yet, somehow, somewhere, for some reason the perceived rise to the top has stalled for Georgia. After their preseason No. 1 ranking in 2008 the program has been mired in disappointment. Despite a compilation of some of the most prolific talent in the nation, the Bulldogs failed to take the program to the place most onlookers expected it to go.

Fallout from such disappointment turned the burner on under Mark Richt’s seat. After last season’s 8-5 record Mark Richt was effectively forced to fire long time staff member and friend Willie Martinez from the Defensive Coordinators role. The search and subsequent hiring of Todd Grantham (linebackers Coach from the Dallas Cowboys) was held on the public stage and despite what many Georgia fans may think, the perception was they were turned down three times before overpaying their last resort in Grantham.

The good news for UGA fans is that they had the cash to pay whatever was required, and what was needed was a change. Grantham brings in the 3-4 defense, a big change from the base 4-3 that UGA has fielded forever. Grantham has little college experience, but his close ties to Nick Saban and Frank Beamer should provide an expert resource when friendly questions are in need of an answer.

My guess is that the Bulldog defense will be better at times, but also, much like playing a freshman in an important position, it at times will show its inexperience too. How well Grantham can communicate and coach up his young players will be one of the biggest and most speculated points of the remaining offseason.

Speaking of Freshman, the reigns to Georgia’s offense will rest completely in the hands of the highly touted young Aaron Murray. Last season Murray redshirted with fellow QB talent Zach Mettenberger who was recently kicked off the team for off-field indiscretions.

The other roster QB this spring, was redshirt Junior Logan Gray, but it has just been announced that he has decided to transfer, leaving the Bulldogs will no game experience and razor thin depth at the most important position on the field.

2010 recruit and true freshman Hutson Mason will presumably back up Murry this season, a situation every Dawg fan is praying will not come into play.

Despite the lack of experience at the QB position, the Bulldogs return the remaining 10 offensive starters, including an upperclassmen laden offensive line. Talent at the skill positions is not lacking either. Washaun Ealey and Caleb King bring talent, speed, and skill into the backfield and will be leaned on heavily to keep the Dawgs in games this season.

All SEC and future NFL star WR A.J. Green will also be on the field for the 2010 Red and Black. Add other weapons WR Tavarres King, WR Marlon Brown, and TE Orson Charles and the Dawgs appeared stacked with scoring potential. The biggest question regarding throws down the field circles back to who will get them the ball?

Again, trying to be objective, I believe the one question that has to be asked by all UGA fans is: How did this QB situation happen?

On paper the 2010 Bulldogs should be the favored team in the SEC East with Florida losing so much talent to the NFL, but that is hardly the case. In fact, most college football fans see UF and Alabama as running away from the rest of the SEC. UGA used to be a team mentioned in that same breath, but no longer seems to be whispered among the conference elite.

Coach Richt has some serious coaching to do in the remaining four months of offseason. His seat is still warm from 2008 and 2009, and should this season have disastrous results from the lack of foresight regarding the QB position, it might be set ablaze.

UGA’s 2010 season will be interesting to watch from an outsider’s perspective. They have an opportunity to rise above distraction and adversity and take the open seat at the top of the SEC East, but they’ll have to walk a thin tightrope to do it.

One small misstep or accident and the UGA fans might find themselves watching bowl games without a team to root for.

Read more Georgia Bulldogs Football news on BleacherReport.com

The 2010 NFL Draft is officially over and the prognosis for the Georgia Bulldogs was good—depending on your perspective.

All of the Dawgs who expected to be drafted, were, but not necessarily when they expected.

Below are the names of those who were picked up and when:

1. Rennie Curran : Tennesse Titans, Rd. 3 (No. 97 overall)

2. Geno Atkins : Cincinnati Bengals, Rd. 4 (No. 120 overall)

3. Reshad Jones : Miami Dolphins, Rd. 5 (No. 163 overall)

4. Jeff Owens : Philadelphia Eagles, Rd. 7 (No. 243 overall)

5. Kade Weston : New England Patriots, Rd. 7 (No. 248 overall)

Overall, the count for Georgia Bulldogs taken was five, with Rennie being the earliest player taken.

It was a stark contrast to last season which saw Matthew Stafford, Mohammed Massaquoi, and Knowshon Moreno selected in the first two rounds.

The big surprise was how long both Geno Atkins and Reshad Jones went undrafted. Both were projected to go in the first three rounds.

Jeff Owens took to his Twitter account to voice his displeasure after four rounds were in the books, stating:

“Now in the 5th round still waiting on a phone call…Going into camp
with a chip on my shoulder”

It’s hard to imagine that Reshad Jones didn’t feel much the same as he was thought to be the third-best safety in the draft yet watched many go before he was selected.

His long wait inspired many fans and draftniks alike to say he would have been better served to play out his senior season with Georgia.

Michael Moore, who came on late after a great Pro Day, was not drafted. However, he was offered a free agent contract by the Detroit Lions late Saturday evening.

He will be reunited with former Georgia quarterback, Matthew Stafford. After learning of his new team, Moore tweeted this:

“Aaahhhhhh!!!!!!!…I just wanna get up there now and get to work!!!!…”

Prince Miller (CB) and Bryan Evans (S) have also been extended opportunities by the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals, respectively.

The Bengals have shown much love for the Dawgs in recent years.

As a whole, the SEC was well-represented with 49 players taken overall, starting with Tennessee safety Eric Berry.

It will be interesting to see where the now-free-agent Georgia players land.

This article, and more, can be found at The Lady Sportswriter . Check it out for daily Bulldog and football commentary .

The Georgia Bulldogs and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets both hired new defensive coordinators this offseason.

One move was expected after a disappointing 8-5 season where many blamed the decline of the defense over the past few years. The other was a little more of a surprise, considering an 11-3 record.

Georgia upset Georgia Tech by holding the Yellow Jackets to just 24 points and 205 yards rushing. A far cry from the 45 points and 409 yards rushing a year ago. But that performance was not enough to save Willie Martinez’s job along with two other defensive assistants who were dismissed by head coach Mark Richt the following week.

UGA tried to lure some of the top defensive names in college to Athens. John Chavis of LSU said no thanks as did Bud Foster from Virginia Tech. The Bulldog Nation thought they had their guy when they approached former player Kirby Smart, the DC at Alabama. But Smart also spurned Georgia, and stayed with Nick Saban at Alabama.

The Bulldogs finally landed their guy in Todd Grantham, the defensive line coach at the Dallas Cowboys.

The Yellow Jackets decision to fire Dave Wommack was a little more surprising, but looking more into the statistics you saw a defense that was living off the success of the offense. Wommack’s defense did not force a punt in several games this year including the Georgia loss.

Georgia Tech’s search was a little more low key and focused. Head Coach Paul Johnson brought former Virginia head coach Al Groh in during preparation for the Orange Bowl and passed it off as a farewell tour for the Cavalier coach.

Groh also considered the Miami Dolphins DC job, but decided to stay in the college game saying he like the atmosphere of the college game.

Both coordinators will be installing a 3-4 defense in their new jobs in hopes of improving woeful units last year. Both guys have had successes and failures along the way.

Grantham has been a position coach for some of the best units in the NFL recently, including the Dallas Cowboys that were second in the league in points allowed last season. Before the Cowboys, he was DC for the Cleveland Browns for three seasons before being fired.

Groh was a LB coach on the 1990 Super Bowl winning New York Giants under Bill Parcells. Groh spent 13 seasons with the Big Tuna following him to New England and then to the Jets. But Groh was never able to sustain success at his alma mater Virginia, finishing 59-53 in nine seasons.

I have no doubt both guys will improve their defenses in the first year, but most the success will come down to talent and experience.

The Bulldogs lost some of their top defensive players from a year ago including their leading tackler Rennie Curran. Also gone are two defensive lineman and safety Reshad Jones. But UGA has recruited very well over the last few years.

Georgia Tech the ACC defensive player of the year and first round draft pick Derrick Morgan as well as ball hawking safety Morgan Burnett.

The biggest challenge in Athens is finding a viable pass rusher an area Georgia has really struggled in the last few seasons. Groh’s biggest challenge in Atlanta will be finding that all important NT that can control the line of scrimmage. Quality depth on the defensive line has been an issue at Tech for years.

Groh knows many of his opponents he will face this upcoming season well, but they also know him.

Grantham may have to struggle with a new QB on the other side of the ball, while Groh will have the luxury of having a third year starter whose offense has improved each of the last two seasons.

I think both are good hires, but the final judgement on who is the better hire will come on the Saturday after Thanksgiving in Sanford Stadium.

This article and others are also available at The ACC & SEC Blog

The Georgia Bulldogs are on a roll in the recruiting game thus far. They have already landed their sixth commitment towards the 2011 class—another homegrown talent in Devin Bowman . The young speedster from Rossville, GA will play cornerback for the Bulldogs next season.

His decision to commit early to the Dawgs further demonstrates that Mark Richt has heard the criticism, that he is letting too much talent leave the state, loud and clear. The staff is honing in on the top talent and have been major players in securing it early as opposed to hopping in late.

So far, of the six prospects that the Dawgs have landed, five of them are admitted Georgia Bulldog fans who state their commitment is solid. Of course this early in the game anything is possible. However, just read some of the statements made by the newest 2011 commits:

“Georgia has always been my dream school, so I look at the offer and the chance to go there as a blessing from God. He has opened doors for me and this one is a dream of mine coming true.” – David Andrews, OL

“I’m a big Georgia fan, I am from Georgia, and there is no other school in Georgia that is better than UGA, so that is why the choice was obvious,”. –Amarlo Herrera, LB

“In keeping with my beliefs, I want my yes to be yes and my no to be no. Therefore, as of today, I will discontinue my contact with all schools other than UGA.” –Christian Conley, WR

It’s a trend that has to bring a smile to the faces of the Georgia Bulldog faithful who endured some tough ribbing after the 2010 class’ top prospects abandoned their commitments just days before they were poised to sign.

Now that the dust has begun to settle on spring practices, what is left is a lot of enthusiasm and positive energy heading into the 2010 season despite lingering questions about the 3-4 defense and the quarterback race. The overall tone of the team points to a new attitude—a better one.

The addition of positive, aggressive, and energetic coaches (Todd Grantham, Scott Lakatos, and Warren Belin) has infused the players with a new sense of purpose where their play is concerned. They appear willing to put in the work and lose the complacency that plagued the 2009 team.

There is no more entitlement where starting positions are involved and that makes every guy, from first to last on the depth chart, more focused on playing his best football because he knows he’s not promised any time on the field.

That is something that isn’t lost on the fans who, believe it or not, play an important role in the recruitment of these young Georgia players who are familiar with the program. It’s an attitude that was wasn’t nearly as favorable towards the end of 2009 and that spelled trouble for Georgia as they headed into signing day.

The 2010 signing class was preceded by grumbling and uncertainty—based largely on the performance of the 2009 class. Here were just a few of the comments heard, regarding the team, during the year:

“The defense is awful, we’ll never be anything as long as we keep playing this way.”

“Will that quarterback (Joe Cox) ever get his act together? He needs to be benched.”

“The players aren’t even trying anymore, I can’t believe they let some of these guys start.”

The fans and the media were negative about the team and, if you don’t think that matters, then you aren’t paying attention to how important a role social media has begun to play in the lives of potential prospects. Few players want to sign with a program that, on its face, has a bad defense, a fan base that appears to be growing more apathetic and restless by the day, and a coach that is supposedly “on the hot seat.”

Georgia seemed unstable and prospects had second thoughts—wouldn’t you? After all, this is a four-year commitment. You want to walk into as good a situation as you possibly can. Any bit of turmoil, perceived or real, can make a school look unattractive to a potential signee. That’s just fact.

That said, the wave of change that has come through Athens has proven to be more good than bad and the early commitments speak to the solid message that the new regime is sending and if they can follow it up with a good season “Tween’ The Hedges,” who knows what 2012 will bring?

This article can also be found at “The Lady Sportswriter” . A site dedicated to talking Georgia Bulldogs and Football 24/7.

As I walked across the Sanford Bridge Saturday in Athens, I stopped to behold one of the most beautiful sights in this land. Spread out before me was Sanford Stadium in all of its glory.

It told an age old story of joy and pain. It screamed of victory and whispered of defeat. It seemed to hold a secret that it wasn’t ready to tell.

I made my way to the stadium and took my place at the hedges. My heart beat with anticipation and my mind raced with scenarios of what was to come.

photo credit: jmartcmu

Who would be the Georgia Bulldogs QB? Who would step up at receiver? What about the 3-4 defensive scheme? Who is Todd Grantham?

I watched as Zach Mettenberger zipped the ball between defenders and I watched Aaron Murray throw an interception. I watched Nick Williams hold Washaun Ealey down before Ealey retaliated with a punch.

I watched Logan Gray run for a gain and I watched Kris Durham catch a pass in the end zone.

I waited patiently for the answers to my questions.

I smiled at the little ones donning their red and black attire. I knew that one day the love they held for the dawgs would run as deep as mine.

I got pictures and autographs from the likes of Michael Moore, and it was a day that I will not soon forget.

Somewhere inside of me there was a gaping hole left by the “what ifs?” of last season. I knew that sooner or later it would be filled with this year’s answers.

On this day, my questions didn’t exactly get answered, but the joy of Georgia football began to close that hole.

Even though last year was sub-par at best, my pride still burned inside of me. I realized that the glory doesn’t come from victory. The joy comes from the embedded love of this team and this game.

I left with a feeling of excitement. Whether it be Gray, Murray, or Mettenberger behind center, I know that September will hold as much glory as the days gone by.

There will be more history-making players like Verron Haynes and his hobnail boot. There will be more game-winning saves like Baccari Rambo and his hit heard round the world.

It wasn’t just me. I saw 30,000-plus on that day and all of them were proud to be dawgs. As I walked away from the beloved stadium, I heard the gentle whisper of a secret that was now ready to be told. The whisper that the glory has returned.

As I took one last look over my shoulder, I saw something that I’m sure was just my imagination. I was almost sure I saw a trickle of blood fall from the head of Grantham. I knew then, the whisper was right.

Leave your comments below…………

============================================================

Read more Georgia Bulldogs Football news on BleacherReport.com