Just Because

I wanted to see how UGA stacked up in the win column this decade vs. the rest of the SEC. I wasn't shocked to see where we are on the list, but there were a few suprises overall.

WINS THIS DECADE

1. LSU 82
2. UGA 80
3. AUB 75
4. UF 74
5. UT 71
6. ARK 58
7. USC 54
8. UA 53
9. UM 42
10. MSU 33
11. UK 32
12. VAN 25

I guess Alabama being in 8th is the biggest shocker for me. Now we've just gotta bump LSU out of that top spot. GATA

As a footnote, here's how we stack up against the rest of the BCS

WINS THIS DECADE

1. OKLAHOMA 90
2. TEXAS 85
3. LSU 82
4. USC81
5. OHIO ST 81
6. GEORGIA 80
7. VA TECH 79
8. MIAMI 76
9. AUBURN 75
10. FLORIDA 74
11. LOUISVILLE 74
12. MICHIGAN 73
13. TENNESSEE 71
14. FSU 69
15. WISCONSIN 69
16. BOSTON COLLEGE 69
17. WEST VA 67
18. OREGON 66
19. NEBRASKA 65
20. CLEMSON 63

Timing is everything

UGA doesn't have a MNC to show for their efforts during the Richt era. Going into the '08 season as one of the contenders is reason for hope, but there are alot of factors that must go our way just to make it to the dance.

Consider this list of SEC champions and their records for the season in this decade

1. 2000 Florida 10-3
2. 2001 LSU 10-3
3. 2002 UGA 13-1
4. 2003 LSU 13-1 MNC
5. 2004 Auburn 13-0
6. 2005 UGA 10-3
7. 2006 Florida 13-1 MNC
8. 2007 LSU 12-2 MNC

Three MNC's for the SEC this decade for arguably the best conference in cfb, but it also shows that having a great season doesn't necessarily guarantee you a shot at the crystal ball. Hell, winning 'em all doesn't even guarantee it.

Recruiting 101.........or is it 151?

I'm still waiting for my offer


Ok, so I'm a month behind, but crap like this interests me, so you've gotta suffer through it too.

I was looking through some recruiting numbers and noticed that UGA offered 60 scholarships this year and signed 23. That made me a little curious to see how many scholly's were offered by other schools. Quite an eye-opening experience. Before long, I had poured through the top 25 recruiting classes as listed by Scout.com and found a very wide range from top to bottom.

The most shocking number was the 151 offers made by Florida while signing 23. Are you kiddin' me? Talk about putting out feelers. If a kid has a pulse, he has a UF scholly offer. I'm a little pissed that I didn't get one.

On the flip side, Texas offered only 33 while signing 20. UT definitely has a lock on the State of Texas.

This is not a list that ranks the recruiting classes. It simply shows how many scholarships that the schools offered this year. Also, there's a couple that are not top 25 classes (i.e. North Avenue Trade School & "the other USC"), I was just curious.

1. Florida............................151
2. Nebraska.......................145
3. LSU................................137
4. Tennessee......................125
5. South Carolina...............120
6. Alabama.........................119
7. Auburn...........................113
8. Michigan........................111
9. Oregon...........................110
10. Clemson.......................106
11. Arizona State................104
12. FSU..............................100
13. Miami............................95
13. Arkansas........................95
15. Illinois............................91
16. Georgia Tech.................88
16. Oklahoma......................88
18. Boston College.............. 84
19. Virginia Tech.................68
19. Washington....................68
19. Texas A&M.....................68
22. Georgia...........................60
23. UCLA..............................59
24. PITT...............................58
25. USC................................55
26. Notre Dame................... 53
26. Ohio State......................53
28. Texas..............................33

Looking at the numbers, it seems that there's alot of competition for recruits in the southeast (go figure), with the SEC taking 6 of the top 7 spots. However, it also shows that there is more than one successful recruiting philosophy.

The Florida approach - Throw out a huge net and see what we catch. I don't prefer that method because it seems like they aren't targeting specific needs. However, it seems to be successful for them.

The Texas approach - Identify your needs, interview the prospects, decide their level of interest, make the offer. This method requires an excellent eye for talent by the coaches, and again, has been successful.

The USC method - #### it, we're USC. Make the offer, they will come. Very successful.

The Notre Dame method - Magic. There's no other explanation for a recruit wanting to play there at this point in time.

The Auburn method - Lower your standards because Saban grabbed all of the top local talent. Preach to the media that recruiting services don't know what kind of heart your recruits have.

Different strokes for different folks. There's no 1 "right" way to recruit. The proof is 3-5 years down the road.