We're still talking about Georgia and the passing game? Really? SMH, about that and other items

            Thankfully, 3:30 p.m. and kickoff is impending, so folks can stop talking about Georgia-Auburn, and the hourly "what if" scenarios.

            Most games come down to simple things, primarily the play of the offensive line, taking care of the ball, and not turning the ball over in a bad spot.

            There are all sorts of matchups, some of which only develop after the game starts. The drama comes with those matchups.

            This is one of those games getting a little too much hourly discussion.      

            But what's more exhausting is the concern about Georgia's passing game.

            Exhausting, because it's merited. Annoying, because it shouldn't be.

            Players have to have confidence in doing something to do it well. Whatever the explanation is, it's no doubt still trickling around some players' heads this reticence to offer, you know, a full offense when it's clear the Bulldogs can execute a full offense.

            Even though Auburn brings by far the best defense Georgia has had to prepare for, there's confidence in doing something regularly against lesser defenses.

            The SEC defenses Georgia has played so far still have SEC athletes on them, even if the entire unit isn't all that good.  So receivers have to learn to get open regularly, and get used to having passes be where the passes are supposed to be and where the receivers are supposed to be.

            And the offensive line has to be proficient at pass blocking, which is very different on Saturday than Sunday through Friday. Opponents have nine sacks this season, which is impressive except when noting the frequency of Georgia passes. Jake Fromm has made superb passes under pressure and some subpar passes under pressure.

            Therein lies what can be the issue: should we be this deep into the season with questions about Georgia’s passing game when it’ll count, and against an upper-level D?

            Yes yes yes yes, Georgia doesn't have to pass to beat lesser teams.

            But good grief awmighty, you don't get better at something by not doing it.

            Georgia doesn't need to work on its run game. It doesn't need to work on its run blocking. The fathers of the most of the current offensive linemen could do well enough for Georgia to get 150 yards a game. OK, maybe not fathers, but youngish uncles.

            One needn't have the best OLine in America to block for the best backfield in America.

            So that's the concern, and should be. People whined about Mark Richt not beating teams soundly and playing backups, orrrr working on things needed down the line, and that whine was correct. Half of it is in place now, not playing for the future.

            Auburn has 26 sacks and has played teams that have thrown 283 times. Georgia has 17 sacks against teams that have thrown 280 times.

            The Tigers have four interceptions, the Bulldogs eight.

            Indeed, this would be an interesting matchup under normal circumstances (and don’t shortchange Auburn’s improve offense … until Georgia’s defense inspires such shortchanging).

            But for the umpteenth time, this isn't as much about having a freshman quarterback as it is having a new quarterback. And new receivers in spots. And tweaks to the offensive line.

            It's about timing. It's about backs pass-blocking better than Devonta Freeman in the final game of last season. It's about spreading out the defense so that run game can do even more damage without punishing the line and backs.

            For all the movies, national TV infatuation, and history that no kid playing the team or in the stadium knows almost anything about, Notre Dame will not be tougher for the freshmen to play in than Jordan-Hare. Not even close. Notre Dame wasn’t all that interested in Georgia. The Tigers and Bulldogs are a little more obsessed with each other.

            That home fan base is into things from before the eagle leaves the cage. And there aren't many players on either team who don't know a fair number of players on the other team.

            Somebody won't like somebody a good bit. And no, we won't hear or see that chatter that's been going on all week and will go on.

            Maybe the plan is to hold back and come out throwing a chunk. Maybe the fact is that Georgia coaches have the confidence in Fromm they should have.

            And perhaps they have this tremendous gut feeling that the drops are pretty much gone, precision routes are the norm, and whoever is on the left side of the line can slow down the impending blitz parade.

            Auburn doesn't quite have Georgia's defense, but it doesn't have Tennessee's, either. And here we are, with people still wondering about Georgia’s offense and the freshman quarterback.

            There is very much a chance Georgia can ride this philosophy far. But if not …

 

Loughdmouthings

            All that carnage at ESPN and Trey Wingo survived? For real?

            Perhaps the tradeoff is still not having Chris Berman and Lou Holtz near a studio. I'll take it. ...

            Two high school teams that will have a long offseason: Bleckley County and Upson-Lee.

            The Royals seemed like a lock for second in 3-AA for awhile as Dublin and Washington County struggled and Southwest seemed to fall out of the picture.

            Southwest beats Bleckley County to force a playoff and then the Golden Hawks block a PAT to end the Royals season.

            Going out on a blocked PAT? Ouch.

            Upson-Lee hoped to inspire head coach Tommy Parks, who suffered a stroke over the summer and has been rehabilitating in Atlanta.

            Each game, home and away, was a reminder of the Knights' missing coach with "TPStrong" either worn by opposing coaches or on items being sold to raise funds. It's all over Thomaston.

            The hopes of continuing the progress made under Parks, a U-L alum, didn't quite happen.

            The Knights had some injuries and couldn't get a break, losing by 10 to a Class 5A ranked team, by seven to region champ Mary Persons, and then by one and four to Howard and Spalding, losses that ostensibly put those two teams in the playoffs instead.

            The clock to 2018 has started ticking. ...

            Breaking news: really good high school football players players interested in playing for good college programs, visits this weekend. (Lather-rinse-repeat). ...

            Mike Leach is funny, but yeah, only in SportsCenter snippets. Do you really want to deal with the attention-getting every week? ...

            There won’t be a Central Georgia team – and yes, different media describe that geography differently, and in this case, it’s about 21 counties – in the GISA championships. That happened in 2015, 2012, and, well, I’ll stop looking there, because the GISA still had the Macon schools in it, and a championship without Stratford or Tattnall was mighty rare. …

            OK, Saturday’s predictions start off with Fort Valley State nipping Tuskegee 31-27 in the SIAC championship (and I’m severely waffling on that one); yes, it’s started, but at prediction time (12:40 p.m.), Virginia Tech leads Georgia Tech 3-0, a trend that will continue through to a 24-17 win; Western Carolina gets the best of Mercer 32-26.

            And Georgia 27, Auburn 23 (original pick was 34-30). No Auburn receivers will almost be bitten in the making of this game.