1.) Everybody. We have a brutal slate coming up later in the season, and Baton Rouge is simply not an appropriate venue for on the job training. Look for the coaches to get a lot of guys on the field if at all possible, even if that means giving up a shutout or not getting Knowshon a 100 yards rushing game or any other similarly less significant accomplishment. This game is about two things, winning and getting better. Players get better by playing. Ergo, you better get your programs ready. You're gonna need them.
2.) Kris Durham, specifically. Call this one a hunch, but as I've said before, somebody has to catch the passes from Matt Stafford, and it might as well be Durham. At 6'5, he's an easy target when things break down (as often happens behind inexperienced and not yet cohesive lines) and he and Stafford have played a lot of pass and catch over the past two years. Appropo de nada, I'm fairly certain that if Kris Durham were a Starbucks coffee drink, he'd be a skinny white chocolate mocha. Tomorrow he'll be a skinny white chocolate mocha with at least 4 catches for 70 yards and one touchdown. Again, that's my hunch.
3.) Trickeration. Chris Hatcher, in addition to absolutely loving him some Fazoli's, is too smart a coach not to come up with a few offensive wrinkles for this game. Look for Georgia Southern to try to use our defensive speed and early season general jackedup-itude against us with some misdirection. Bonus prediction: at least one "junk touchdown" scored by the Eagles (your definition of junk TD may vary, I'll leave the particular method up to your imagination.)
4.) Reshad Jones. . His closing speed and athletic ability will provide the opportunity for at least one pick. He's also an undercover tackling machine. If GSU gets behind and has to throw the ball more than they want to (and the front 4 gets suitable pressure), he and C.J. Byrd could have a very good afternoon.
5.) Georgia 41, Georgia Southern 17. This one's never in doubt and looks closer on Sportscenter than it really is. Southern scores one touchdown either off a boneheaded gaff by our offense or the aforementioned trikeration versus our defense. Really, nothing good can come from this game. If you win by 50, who cares? It's only Georgia Southern. If you win by a mere 20, the dire predictions and whispers of potential overratedness surface on the WWL. Games of this variety are like having Dr. Lou Holtz as your proctologist: even when the final results are good, you're really just ready to put the whole thing behind you.
And speaking of Coach Holth, was I the only one who found the "Ask Dr. Lou" segment to essentially be a dried up husk of last season's "Pep Talk" schtick? Let's get this straight right now: Lou Holtz is only barely tolerable as a college football analyst after anesthetization to Notre Dame fans who still own Bob Davie voodoo dolls under the best of circumstances. And only then because of the slobbering zaniness which he just can't help. Deprived of that and asked to do actual interviews, with, you know, dialogue, he loses all of the charm. But that's just me. It is sad however that a much taller Jesse Palmer apparently stole his tie. Or Verne Troyer's, I'm not sure which. Either way,. we'll see you in Athens tomorrow. Can't miss me, I'm the guy in the red golf shirt. Until then . . .
Go 'Dawgs!!!