Word has come out that Georgia will be a top ten team in 2012 based on who is coming back and who isn’t, but let’s worry about 2012 after we know for certain which underclassmen will continue to tote around a backpack in Athens next semester. Instead let’s take a look back at the 2011 edition of the Georgia Bulldogs that saw the team experience a ten-game winning streak bookended by a pair of two-game skids. The Georgia Bulldogs won the SEC East after dropping just one conference game but many will point out that the highest profile win for the Dawgs this year was over in-state rival Georgia Tech, which plays in the lowly ACC. How do these Dawgs grade out?
Quarterbacks: Aaron Murray set all sorts of records in his redshirt sophomore season, but sadly he also gave Bulldog Nation some awful Joe Cox flashbacks at times. When on, Murray was All-SEC, but when off he led many to call for Hutson Mason. Mark Richt will ride with Murray for two more years and Mason may end up transferring. Grade: B
Running backs: Isaiah Crowell was supposed to be the recruit that saved Richt’s job. Crowell signed on the dotted line last February, but he may not even make it to a sophomore season if his actions and injuries continue the way they are currently trending. Crowell was talented enough to earn SEC Freshman of the Year honors, but that fact simply makes the performances (or lack thereof) in the SEC championship game and bowl game even more frustrating. Crowell missed large chunks of games with injuries and “injuries,” and he could not be counted upon after the Auburn game. And no one else could seize gig from him. Not good. Grade: C-
Wide receivers: Outside of Arkansas, this was the best collection of receivers in the conference. Michael Bennett, Malcolm Mitchell and Chris Conley all stood out in their first year in between the hedges. Tavarres King set a school record for yards in the bowl game, and Marlon Brown made a few nice plays for the Dawgs this year. The best part: all of these guys are returning next year along with a few players redshirted this year and Blake Tibbs from the high school ranks. Grade: A
Tight ends: Based on the talent, this position should receive an A++, but the tight ends were a bit disappointing this year as Orson Charles just never exploded as we thought he would. That probably has something to do with the receivers showing as they did, but alas more was expected. Aron White was a really nice piece, but you just wanted more. Grade: B-
Offensive line: This unit was a big question mark coming into the season, and Cordy Glenn and Ben Jones made this line into a fine front. The collection of beef was bigger than even most NFL lines, but it never could effectively open holes for anyone not named Crowell. And LSU manhandled the line as did South Carolina. Solid, not great, like the tight ends. Grade: B-
Defensive line: John Jenkins and Kwame Geathers formed one of the strongest centers to a 3-4 line that has been seen in the SEC in years. Abry Jones, Garrison Smith and DeAngelo Tyson really made plays from the end positions, with Smith looking like a superstar set to explode in 2012. The line came to play in 2011. Grade: A-
Linebackers: You have to start any discussion of the linebackers with Jarvis Jones, boy howdy. The USC transfer was simply awesome from the moment he strapped on the silver britches, and he alone would have gotten this unit an A. Factor in Alec Ogletree’s transition to the ILB spot and Michael Gilliard, Christian Robinson, Ramik Wilson and Amarlo Herrera and you have some impressive specimen on the Athens campus. This group was so good that Ray Drew, one of the feathers in Mark Richt’s recruiting cap from 2011, didn’t have much of an impact at all. Grade: A+
Secondary: Brandon Boykin was a stud on special teams and even made some plays on offense. Defensively, he was as strong as ever, and Sanders Commings and Branden Smith also played well on the opposite side of the field. Damian Swann looks like a playmaker in the upcoming years. At safety, Bacarri Rambo was a ballhawk, leading the team in interceptions, while Shawn Williams was sticking his nose in seemingly every tackle on the field. The secondary was rarely beaten and made more plays than it missed. Grade: B+
Kicking game: let’s move on. I don’t want to be mean.
Coaching: Richt kept his team believing after an 0-2 start while Todd Grantham had the defense flying all over the field after the first two games. Mike Bobo really seemed to help in Murray’s maturation process though his inability to figure out the rushing attack bothered many in the bowl game. Both coordinators have warts but both also had great moments in 2011. Grade: B-.
Assuming the early entry defections aren’t over-the-top, the Dawgs rightfully should be a top 12 team, maybe even a No. 8 or No. 9. Will 2012 be the year Richt brings the Crystal Football to Athens? The schedule looks favorable. Things may be falling into place for the Georgia program.
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