College Football Zealots Mid-season Round-table

College Football Zealots has convened another round-table, this time in two parts.  The first questions are below.

At the mid-way point what makes you the most excited about this Georgia football team?  The upside.  While the simple answer is the defense, since it has been at least seven years since I didn't have a foreboding sense of abject dread every time we had to punt, the complete answer is the upside.  Georgia hasn't played a quality opponent with a fully put together game yet.  We've had good defensive performances.  We've had good passing performances. We've had good rushing performances.  We have had games where we didn't crap ourselves on special teams.  I realize it is a big 'if', but if we ever put it all together and keep it together, we will be a dangerous football team.

Which player has been the biggest surprise on defense (and why)?   Bacarri Rambo.  I was on him all last season and during the off season for his lapses in 2010.  He has stepped up big time and is a big part of why we are in the top 10 in total defense in the nation. Take away the two trick play TDs (Ole Miss and Vandy) and it is hard to remember anyone throwing a big pass against him.  This time last year, the mention of 'wheel route' would elicit a Pavlovian response of cursing about Bacarri from most Georgia fans.  Now, offenses have to trick play to get him off his coverage.  He plays pass coverage like a corner and running plays like a linebacker, and rarely makes mistakes on either.

What needs to happen for Georgia to run the table in the rest of their games?  1) Get better at recognizing misdirection and delays on defense; 2) Find a way to get the curse of Fabris off the special teams; 3) Have Murray finally get his timing on long pass plays down pat; 4) Get complete games from Crowell.  Special bonus answer in the event we play in the SECCG: Have all the pieces come together and hope Trent Richardson is suspended.

Part two is coming next week.  Many thanks to Kevin at CFZ for putting this together.

TD