Monday Morning Quarterback: It’s early, but (topics galore); Surprises, upsets, Loughdmouthings (Falcons, stat clarifications, John Milledge challenge) Central Georgia's polls
It’s early, but:
1. Stop calling the Falcons in a rebuild and stop bellyaching about the Falcons not wanting to say “rebuilding.” Move on.
They’ve been extremely consistent all season, unfortunately them in starting off rough and finishing strong. If they can get at least a good second quarter and set themselves up better, they’ll get wins instead of marketable losses of progress.
As it is, they’re better than most everybody expected – try some context, it won’t hurt – and yes, can win the division. Nobody in that division is walking away with anything.
And yes, you can start using the P word – playoffs – in discussions about Atlanta.
2. Brent Key should be among the finalists for the Georgia Tech job.
No, don’t make the decision just yet, and not before mid-November if he’s the man.
No, being a Tech alum shouldn’t matter as much as Tech snobs want it to, but it does matter. Not nearly as much as the improvement this team has made in a very short time with a non-clown as head coach.
Being a former offensive lineman does matter. And goodness, a guy so un-media-saavy that he was dropping joyous F-bombs when celebrating toward the student section after beating Duke is a pleasant change of pace. It was genuine.
He’s just a ball coach. We need more of them.
3. No, it’s not time to pull Marcus Mariota for Desmond Ridder.
Mariota hasn’t been the reason for any loss yet, despite weak numbers. Note the two long first-down passes Sunday that were wiped out by penalty. Note the ability to lead a comeback. Note that Atlanta was without all-star players Kyle Pitts and Cordarrell Patterson Sunday, and neither was healthy last week.
Note that he has more passing yards than Jimmy Garoppolo, Daniel Jones, Cooper Rush, Mac Jones, and Justin Fields, and a higher completion rate than
Hey, Matty Stafford looks more like the current Matty Ice when the offensive line is weak, and Stafford can look bad a lot.
Remember all that with the bellyaching about the train wreck and all that. And consider context. None of those teams are in the transition that Atlanta is still in.,
Not to say there might not be a time to consider a change, and Atlanta getting a big enough lead to give the No. 2s some time would be huge. But Mariota is doing a large of his job – game managing – well. Soon, though, yes, he’s going to need to be a better quarterback.
And the guess here is that he will, not that most Falcons fans/media/”mediafans” will give him any credit for it.
4. There is a little suspense in the SEC East, but next year, there’ll be much more.
Tennessee will take Georgia for four quarters, and Florida will be competitive for a bit. Not sure right now about Kentucky, didn’t see that loss to South Carolina coming.
The Vols can take Alabama this week, especially if they can express some early physicality against Bryce Young, who obviously will play.
5. Georgia isn’t anywhere near a worry mode. Can the Bulldogs be beaten? Yes, but not because they’ve had a major backslide, but because teams are better. Some folks were hyperventilating about all sorts of strengths before the season, and now suddenly throw out the “well, we knew that was a question mark” brilliance.
Humans’ performances are unpredictable, except for those who avoid mirrors when blanketly criticizing.
6. Auburn has done Bryan Harsin and its football program in, and the hemming and hawing about when to cut him loose is at a peak.
Harsin needs negotiate a lower buyout, resign, put out a statement about leaving where he’s not wanted and returning to some place where the people in charge don’t publicly sabotage the program on a regular basis, and apologize to the players that the sabotage happened. Again. On the Plains. That’s what they do.
It’s like people just wake up looking for crap to whine about, and ignore accountability. We’ll never really know about Harsin’s fit, because the sabotage started before he did, and people forget why Auburn had a new coach in the first place.
This story gives an idea, which helps explain why the Auburn-Georgia series has grown lopsided: letting people with money meddle with people who mismanage.
Last week’s upsets
The biggest was in Cochran, where a 22-point (Maxwell) underdog (Dublin) won by 18, a 40-point turnaround.
Next was at Spalding, where a 32-point underdog (Howard) came back to win by 1.
Next was in Gray, where a 25-point favorite (Jones County) lost by 7, a 32-point flip.
Next was in Butts County, where an 11-point favorite (Mary Persons) lost by14, giving up 21 straight points.
GMC was a 15-point underdog (sometimes computers are funny) against Wilkinson County, and won by 1. And a winless 12-point underdog (Piedmont) won by 28, another 40-point turnaround.
Last week’s surprises
It was pretty much another week of teams taking care of business, much more than not.
Loughdmouthings
Said it Sunday, will say it again:
Ya kinda think Arthur Smith might just bring his checkbook to the postgame presser, and mention something about at least being taken out to dinner first.(He didn’t, a sign of discipline some probably didn’t expect).
There are as many letters in "touching the passer" as in "roughing the passer." So apparently there was that interpretation. Orrr, the refs were late in paying more attention to potential concussions. Can happen when landing on a 300-pounder & the head is touched by nothing.
Since we may only have a couple months left, it's worth the fine and a 15-yarder for somebody on Tampa Bay's first possession to walk up to Brady and put a flag football belt on him, then turn to a ref and, "We got it. We understand."
Before the inexplicable flag and as Grady Jarrett got up, I expected the Falcons to win. Especially after the gutsy – and well-executed – two-point conversion play. Note: Marcus Mariota threw a very nice ball, so yeah, he’s capable. Remember that.
You hate say suggest things like this, but man, defenders might as well in the first quarter take a legal but physical shot at a quarterback and let ‘em know you’re there. And after that, well, since you can’t just make a routine sack, get your money’s worth in the fourth quarter, too.
Until the NFL says something, or other officials overrule the mediocre officials making bad calls. …
The top five candidates for Central Georgia high school football coach of the year, in alphabetical order: Jeremy Edwards, Houston County; Travis Ellington, Lamar County; Keith Hatcher, ACE; Shaun Pope, Putnam County; Kevin Smith, Perry.
There are a few others who can make a move, but we’ll see. …
Reminder, reminder, reminder: No, nobody is the state’s rushing leader or passing leader or anything leader. You can say somebody is the MaxPreps leader or Georgia High School Football Daily leader, and you should, because they’re often not the same.
Why? Ask coaches.
The top rushers, passers, and receivers were different last week, based on the source. And they will be again.
Some coaches, yup, don’t want their kids getting attention, so they don’t update MaxPreps and don’t report anything on Friday night.
Some coaches, yup, think that they’ll lose a game because the world knows what kind of numbers a kid has (just like they’ll lose games if they post sizes on rosters or, hell, if they even post rosters or update them).
So, folks, when hyping, hype accurately, which means stating which source you’re using. …
Yes, this week’s schedule is abbreviated a good bit, with barely 20 games. Some entire regions are off, and others are mostly off. …
John Milledge has last week off. And now?
*Drum roll*
A game. A good game. A week of legitimate film study. A week of practices where sharpness matters from start to finish, Monday through Thursday.
John Milledge at Stratford.
Not to disrespect some of John Milledge’s better opponents the past few years nor the Trojans’ consistency and accomplishmets, but, well, how does one word this nicely?
The Trojans have had it fairly easy for a few years now, en route to 40-plus straight wins (depends on how you classify a COVID forfeit by Community Christian). In part because the Trojans have been good, in part because the GISA has not. Simple reality.
In all that time, John Milledge has won all but five games by 28 points or more. In 2018, the 12-1 year before the streak started, there were six.
It’s been, among other things, unsweetened-tea weak and watered down since schools left for the GHSA. Note, too, that John Milledge hasn’t played one of the Macon’s Big Four since 2013, in J.T. Wall’s third season as head coach.
The four left, and the GISA kinda went pfft – some in ways we’ll rant about down the line – as would be somewhat expected.
John Milledge is 22-53 all-time against FPD, Mount de Sales, Stratford, and Tattnall.
Can the Trojans run the Macon table? Yes. Will they?
The magic 8-ball says no.
Polls
Division 1
(6A-5A-4A-3A)
1. Perry
*Yawn.* The Panthers are becoming almost robotic in how they handle their business each week. They’re winning by an average of 30 points a game, and have won by 28, 31, 28, and 32 – as well as 43 and 49 – so they’re pretty steady.
2. Houston County
The most impressive part of beating Northside was that th Bears won a game with a score more favorable to Northside, in the 20s, not a shootout. Suddenly, the Bears are in a spot to play for second in the region, maybe be involved in a three-way tie for first.
3. Warner Robins
Two solid games now puts the Demons back on track, to a point. They have a favorable schedule the rest of the way, as they return to putting up Demon-like scores.
4. Northside
The Eagles have to be careful to not pull anything while kicking themselves again – again – for finding a way to lose a winnable game. They start finishing better, they’ll be a tough out as a No. 4 in the playoffs. But …
5. Peach County
We’ll find something out this week when the tough-to-figure Trojans host a tough-to-figure Mary Persons group. Then again, we may find out nothing.
Division II
(AA-A-GISA)
1. Northeast
The challenge for Jeremy Wiggins and staff is keeping the Raiders interested for at least 42 of 48 minutes the rest of the regular season, although Spencer is a game to watch.
2. Putnam County
The War Eagles almost had a fourth straight shutout, giving up only six points to Glenn Hills. After an off week, two burly games remain in a top-heavy region.
3. John Milledge
Now, finally, for more than 1.5 times a year, the Trojans will have battles three of the next four weeks. Hasn’t been the case in a long, long, long time.
4. Dublin
Nope, couldn’t quite pull the trigger on picking Dublin over Bleckley County, in large part because the Irish hadn’t played in so long. Winning after having Charlton County bail on “storm” week is impressive.
5. Bleckley County
The “Man, it gets fun now” last week was for those wearing no colors or logos, just that it was going to get interesting. And it was, not for the Royals, who now have to respond, albeit against 1-6 Jefferson County, down this year but also to regain momentum for the rest of the season – especially the regular-season finale with Swainsboro - and after.
6. Lamar County
A week off after a big win is not bad timing. The Trojans should be healthy for a respectable region opener against Temple.
7. ACE
It’s a notable sign of a young program’s growth when it takes care of business, which means handling teams it should handle. The Gryphons are doing that.
8. Dooly County
The Bobcats are quietly earning the statewide rankings they got a little early. And doing so under – for now, anyway –an interim head coach.
9. Tattnall
Now the Trojans are a 6-1 team wearing a 4-3 uniform. That strength of schedule paid dividends in holding on and then coming back to beat Stratford in the final seconds.
10. FPD, Stratford
The Vikings are back on track, and the Eagles are miffed at having lost late to Tattnall.
They wrote it
“This just in: The Miami Dolphins’ team doctors have just cleared Jonathan Isaac, Markelle Fultz, Dillon Gabriel, Kurt Busch, Greg Oden, Grant Hill and Joe Theismann to play this weekend.”
Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel