Can Kirby Smart Get Mecole Hardman to Georgia?

Mecole Hardman is a 5-Star athlete from Elbert County, Georgia. He is a hotly recruited prospect on just about every college's radar. He has developed a close relationship with Georgia's defensive coordinator (at least for now) Jeremy Pruitt. In fact, Pruitt was with Hardman when Coach Mark Richt was fired. Now for the dilemma in Athens: If Kirby Smart does not keep Pruitt on his Georgia staff, can the new regime still get Hardman "Between the Hedges"? I sure hope so...

Washington County High School's Joel Ingram Blasts Fans

Washington County (Ga.) High School head football coach Joel Ingram dished his community's fans on a local radio station interview recently. He labeled the lack of attendance at his Golden Hawks' first round playoff game "atrocious". The game was played on the Golden Hawks' home field, which proved to be no advantage as the host team was downed by Spencer of Columbus 47-27. For a little background here, Ingram has led his troops to consecutive State Finals the past two seasons, only to walk away with runner-up hardware. During those past two seasons, and many seasons prior to those, the Golden Hawks have been privileged to great crowds both at home and on the road. To the credit of the fans, Washington County has enjoyed a great fan base during those winning years. It's no strange fact that in sports, and especially football here in the South, everyone loves a winner. It's much harder to drum up the same enthusiastic fan base during a losing season. Sure, the family and friends of players and the hard core football fans will still turn out, but the general populace often times will not be in attendance. That just the way it is. And it's that way in high school, college and the pros. For Coach Ingram to further state that the only fans he cares about are the ones who did show up during the tough losses, especially this last one, is a big risk at alienating the somewhat fragile fan base. It also seems unwise for someone whose salary is paid by taxpayers to "bite the hand that feeds you". Just my take...

Georgia Football: Best Case Scenario...

Everyone has an opinion over the past couple of days regarding what should or would or could happen with Georgia's head coaching position. I might as well fathom a guess myself. Here goes:  Since Kirby Smart is the name being brought to the forefront the most, I'll agree that the Alabama defensive coordinator will be the Dawgs successor to Mark Richt. As his defensive coordinator I'll go contrary to many and say Jeremy Pruitt stays at Georgia. In order for this to happen, AD Greg McGarity has to stay out of Smart's way and allow him the control he needs to formulate his staff. I've heard that McGarity has been informed to do just that. On the offensive side of the ball, Smart will bring in Western Kentucky's Tyson Helton. He'll bring in an offensive scheme that will keep Jason Eason honoring his UGA commitment. With Smart, Pruitt, and Helton the Bulldogs recruiting class stays intact and probably even gets stronger. I have no idea how the wheels are spinning in the athletic offices at Georgia, nor do many other people for that matter. We're all just guessing and wondering. I just gave you my rendition. What's yours? The good thing is we will know the truth after the SEC Championship this weekend.

Jacob Eason: The Stakes Just Got Higher for UGA

Jacob Eason, the Lake Stevens, Washington quarterback who has been verbally committed to Georgia for a long time, is heading to Florida today for an official visit. He has always maintained he loves the passion of SEC football. He also, as you would expect, has been contacted by numerous other schools in the wake of Georgia's firing of Mark Richt. His recruitment is obvioulsy wide open at this point.Probably no one knows where Eason's UGA commitment stands at this point, perhaps not even Eason himself. But there is one thing still crystal clear: Georgia needs him desperately. The Bulldogs do not have a quarterback on campus that can carry them through next year, and Eason is their sole target in the 2016 class. This head coach  decision at Georgia needs to be swift. There is a 4th ranked recruiting class at stake. It has to be saved. My question for you is this: If Jacob Eason goes to another SEC school because of Richt's firing, is the destruction of the 2016 recruiting class worth the price of a new head coach?

Mark Richt: Simply Thanks, Coach!

Thanks, Coach!  You did it your way with class and integrity.

Steve Spurrier: You Basically Just Quit, Right?

Steve Spurrier chose to retire from coaching this year when his Gamecocks were 2-4, and 0-4 in the SEC. With his competitive nature and cocky attitude, I find it hard to believe that he would have stepped down if his team had been winning instead of losing. He cited no health issues to prompt this leave, so why not just announce that he would be stepping down at the end of the season? Hang in their and endure this season with the kids he recruited. I suppose his years of successful coaching earned him the right to bail out midway through the season. To me, it still looks like the quit on all his players and coaches. But he came trough all his this squeaky clean. Just doesn't seem right to me. What do you think...?

Mark Richt / Les Miles: Both Out of a Job by Monday?

It is a possibility that Mark Richt and Les Miles will each be coaching their final games at their respective universities tomorrow. The two embattled head coaches have been under fire from powerful boosters and intense fan bases for more that a month now. We are at the point where the trigger just might be pulled on both men after they walk off the field on Saturday. Their tenures don't appear to make it even into December. It doesn't sound as if the results of their two games will even have any bearing on their fates. Win, lose or draw there is a distinct likelihood that Georgia and LSU will both enter the already crowded arena of Division I schools searching for new head coaches. Richt and Miles are both successful SEC head coaches, but their programs have failed to meet the expectations of proud conference standards and expectations. If indeed they are both dismissed, here's hoping they both experience nothing but success in their future endeavors. This is deserved by both. They have each conducted themselves with class and represented their two universities well.

Mark Richt & Jacob Eason: Can't a Guy Just Recruit...?

It seems that Mark Richt's breakfast on the west coast has everyone up in arms regarding his intentions. As the story goes, Richt headed for the airport following Georgia's win over Auburn Saturday and departed on an already planned trip. His intended destination was Washington state and a visit with UGA's top quarterback recruit Jacob Eason. The coach, Eason and Eason's Dad had breakfast together and then spent the remainder of Richt's visit hanging out together. You see, Coach Richt is allowed this unusual visit with a recruit because this particular player has already signed his financial aid papers with the University of Georgia.This gives the Bulldog coaches unlimited contact with Eason. So, why did Richt take a cross-country, in-season recruiting trip? He did it to try and make sure Jacob Eason enrolls at the University of Georgia in January 2016 as planned. Plain and simple. No ulterior motives. Jacob Eason is that important to the future success of the Georgia Bulldogs. Richt just tried to calm the seas among the recent rumored staff turmoil and assure the high school star that Athens, Georgia is where he indeed needs to be to play his college football. A very important recruiting trip. No more - no less.

Georgia: Quit Playing Georgia Southern

As a Georgia fan, I believe the Bulldogs should stop scheduling games with Georgia Southern University.  Think about it: Georgia has absolutely nothing to gain by playing Georgia Southern. If Georgia wins, it's no big deal because they were supposed to win. If Southern ever wins, Georgia will never hear the end of it. Not to mention the fact that a Southern win would then make the Eagles just like Georgia Tech to Bulldog fans: Hated. Georgia fans admire the Georgia Southern program primarily because of Erk Russell. Seeing the Eagles succeed is an extension of Erk's success.The two go hand-in-hand. There are also many Southern supporters who have always been fans of the Bulldogs. It sounds good to keep it that way. Besides, Georgia has more that enough rivals now. We certainly don't need another one. There's only so much hate to spread around.

Jeremy Pruitt: Most Valuable Coordinator and More...

Georgia assistant coach and Defensive Coordinator Jeremy Pruitt is one hot commodity. He is being attributed for many positive changes around the Georgia football program. For example, he is the reason the Bulldogs have changed the way they practice and the way practice is now set-up and conducted. It is said that some of the new hires UGA has made in the football operations department are a direct result of his input. He is being credited as the reason Georgia is much more aggressive in recruiting, offering the elite high school athletes much earlier than they had in the past. It is known that he is a huge reason kids want to come to UGA, and not just kids on the defensive side of the football. Coach Pruitt is a big reason the Dawgs now will remain in Athens on Friday nights before home games instead of having to ride 45 minutes on a bus from a night spent outside of Athens. He is also named as the catalyst for the University finally moving forward with the construction of a long overdue indoor practice facility. He is definitely the Big Man on Campus at the University of Georgia. Since all of these factors are significant reasons for Pruitt's MVP status, doesn't it make sense that Georgia must do whatever they can to keep him wearing Red and Black? With that being said, if Mark Richt, Greg McGarity, and the administration at UGA feel as strongly about Jeremy Pruitt as the Bulldawg Nation does, they have to play all of the trump cards to keep him. Bring out the checkbook again and make him the highest paid coordinator in college football, and by a long shot. In this area, be like Pruitt is with his job, and be proactive and aggressive. Don't drag your feet with this man. Pay him big and pay him now. I don't like the concept of  "coaches-in-waiting" because it never seems to work out, but assure him he'll be the head Dawg when Richt decides to retire. Make it legal and put it in writing. Yes, Pruitt is that crucial to the success of the Bulldawg Program. Read the Georgia blogs, read the articles from the UGA beat reporters, read recruiting news concerning the Bulldawgs, listen to high school prospects, and in all of these Pruitt's name will be mentioned at some point. Other schools will come after Jeremy Pruitt, they will come sooner than later, and they will come hard. Georgia must make it tremendously hard for him to leave.

The Now "Infamous" National Letter of Intent

The 2015 recruiting season and subsequent signing day have brought to the forefront the inadequacies of the National Letter of Intent. It is true that this "contract' is heavily weighted in favor of the universities. The recruit is locked in, locked up, and locked down. It is now argued that current day players, generally speaking, sign with a particular school because of developed player-coach relationships, as opposed to signing with the school and program itself. This year in particular, coaching changes at signing day have left several high school players feeling betrayed. This feeling is intensified once the letter of intent has been signed because now the player is bound to that school. There is no question that the process of signing high school athletes to "scholarships" needs to be changed. There is some/much tweaking that needs to be done. Why not do away with "Signing Day" as we know it now. Allow high school seniors to sign a letter with schools any time after Labor Day of their senior year through January 31st. That signed document could be worded to give the student-athlete an "out" option upon certain circumstances that might occur at the school of his signing (such as head coaches position coaches or coordinators leaving) up to the date of his actual enrollment. It could also be worded to protect the validity of a four year commitment by the school. I'm certainly not a lawyer, but I could see a viable document created in a reasonably simple way that would be fair to both the institution as well as the individual. But in reality, is anything simple these days?

If Tony Ball Bolts for LSU, UGA Should Call Hines Ward!

As we speak, University of Georgia Wide Receiver Coach Tony Ball is a finalist for that same position vacancy at LSU. It is rumored that it could be Ball's job if he wants it, not only as a change of scenery but also as a nice bump up in salary. When Georgia revised the titles and pay grades of several coaches after the 2014 season, Ball's position was not included in those pay hikes. Read in to that what you'd like, but the fact remains he is now exercising his options. For my unsolicited and unwarranted opinion on what the Bulldogs should do if Ball does indeed depart, I think Mark Richt's first call should be to former Bulldog and Pittsburgh Steeler great Hines Ward. With his resume he would certainly be a viable candidate, even though he has no college coaching experience. I can only guess here, but I would see wide receiver recruits jumping at the chance to play for a guy with Ward's credentials. Hines Ward may have bigger and better things going on right now, but he should be UGA's first call. It never hurts to ask...