Georgia should resolve to be BETTER in 2011

With the calendar turning over, folks across the country will boast New Years’ Resolutions such as losing weight, staying in better shape, quitting smoking, etc. The Georgia Bulldog football program should seriously think about making a few resolutions as well. The program should resolve to FINALLY BEAT FLORIDA, stay out of the police blotter or at least finish with a winning record. Several members of the Bulldog program in particular should announce resolutions immediately and they should go a little something like this…

Head Coach Mark Richt: GET THE TOP RECRUITS FROM GEORGIA COME FEBRUARY. This coming National Signing Day will be the most important in Richt’s career in Athens as it might be the class that can save his job. Two straight underwhelming seasons following an underachieving campaign in 2008 has put Mark Richt squarely on the hotseat. NO ONE can deny that fact now. Richt needs to have a banner 2011 year potentially with a date in Atlanta come the first weekend in December, and the way to get started is to snag Carver tailback Isaiah Crowell and Valdosta TE Jay Rome along with a few more Georgia prep products such as Xzavier Ward, Xzavier Dickson, Ray Drew, Malcolm Mitchell and Damian Swann. If Richt can net the first two along with three of the five others, he will be well on his way to a top three recruiting class and perhaps living on to coach the Dawgs in 2012.

Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo: CONSTRUCT A CONSISTENT OFFENSE. For all of the talk about Bobo’s record-setting year of eight games with 30+ points, he also oversaw an offense WITH AJ Green that failed to score a touchdown in its bowl game against Central Florida. Not the University of Florida or Florida State. UCF. Bobo’s crew also failed to reach paydirt against South Carolina and only got into the endzone against Miss State when the game was all but decided. You had AJ Green and Aaron Murray and two rushers that should have each gone for 1000 yards, yet the offense sputtered in three winnable games. If the offense scores a TD in any of those three, suddenly the season is a LOT better.

Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham: MOLD THE FRONT THREE INTO A FORCE. The 3-4 offense didn’t take off this year. It didn’t seem to get better as the year wore on and honestly, if the 2011 season started today, it would be worse as OLB Justin Houston is likely to depart for the NFL draft and first round riches. So Grantham’s resolution should be to build the front line so the LBs can fly around and make plays. Scout the jucos, force-feed PB&Js to current players and teach some of the older guys how to eat space. Grantham coached up the defensive line in Dallas; time to start doing the same thing in Athens.

Receiver Tavarres King: WORK ON YOUR HANDS. It sounds silly for a wide receiver to have to make a resolution to work on catching the ball, but King needs to. He has the size/speed combo to be a dominant receiver; he just needs to NOT drop the balls thrown his way in big situations.

Receiver Marlon Brown: GET CONFIDENT. Speaking of size, Brown certainly has it. His first two seasons in Athens have been disappointing. Hopefully if Brown can just get confident, he can get on the field and dominate the way Bulldog Nation hoped he would when he committed on National Signing Day in 2009.

Safety Alec Ogletree: LEARN HOW TO TACKLE. Boy, this kid looked special at times this year. He can lay the wood just like Thomas Davis and Greg Blue used to do Between the Hedges. Let’s just hope that Ogletree doesn’t just look for the big hit. Georgia needs a safety that can come up and help in run support by tackling the ball carrier or taking down a receiver. Sometimes if you just try for the big hit, you’ll miss, OR you get a reputation as a headhunter and the officials, concerned over safety, may flag you after a big hit. Learn to tackle and the officials may let a few of the questionable calls slide your way.

Just a few resolutions for the Georgia Bulldogs to work on to make 2011 a successful one; and face it, Mark Richt and company need a successful year.