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Alright. Alright. Alright. After reading that title I know most of you either think I’m crazy, an idiot, or maybe both. Well, simmer down a little bit, grab a nice cold beverage, find a comfortable spot on the couch, keep reading, and allow me to explain myself.
Every year Georgia enters the college football season highly ranked, loaded with talent, and expecting to compete for and finally win the national championship. But, every year for the past 35 seasons Georgia has fallen short of that long sought after goal. But, these next two seasons will be different, they will be surprising, and yes bulldog fans, they will be special. Georgia will finally win their first national championship in the past 35 years and here are 7 reasons why:
1. Jeremy Pruitt
I, along with most UGA fans, absolutely love Jeremy Pruitt and what he has done for our program. He is not only a great coach (In my opinion one of the best defensive coordinators/secondary coaches in college football), but he is a program changer off the field as well. For those of you who have read my previous article, "The Pruitt Effect", or Chip Tower’s ‘sequel’ (Cough Cough)"The Pruitt Effect Is Palpable at Georgia" you know how much Pruitt has revolutionized UGA’s football program. And if you haven’t read my article, go ahead and read it. Overall, Pruitt is number one on this list for a reason. He is the main reason why Georgia will win this national championship because he is the foundation upon which this goal has been built.
2. Nick Chubb
Nick Chubb is a man-child. He is a freak of nature. He is the kind of athlete/running back that comes along once every 20 years. Fortunately for Georgia’s sake they’ve had 2 in the past couple seasons. (Gurley & Chubb) Chubb has freakish strength, great speed (runs around a 4.4), and has an incredible work ethic (Nick Chubb's Spring Break). He doesn’t’/hasn’t gotten caught up in all the hype either and is the most humble superstar the SEC has seen since Tim Tebow(otherwise know to some as the 2nd coming of Jesus). Most normal running backs don’t just run for 1547 yards, 14 TD’s, and average 7.1 yards per carry after only starting 8 games as a TRUE FRESHMAN. Chubb is special. watch.0.html
3. Georgia’s Defensive Resurrection
The Junkyard Dawgs from the Erk Russell days are back. Georgia’s once proud and feared defense has been resurrected by Mr. Pruitt and is another major piece to the national championship puzzle. Our pass rush (including the likes of Lorenzo Carter, Leonard Floyd, Jordan Jenkins, Davin Bellamy, and D’Andre Walker) will be the best in the SEC for at least the next couple seasons, our defensive line is/will be loaded with talent after the past couple of recruiting classes, and our secondary is coached by the legend himself (Jeremey Pruitt) so they’ll be just fine. Pruitt’s defense finished 17th in total defense in his first season, and they will only improve from there. In the words of the great Bear Bryant, "Defense Wins Championships."
4. Mark Hocke
If you don’t know/ aren’t familiar with Mark Hocke’s name, you should be. As the head of the strength and conditioning program at UGA he is just as important a coach as any other. At the urging of Pruitt, Richt was able to snag him from Alabama (where he was assistant S&T coach) and make him the man in charge in Athens. According to all my sources, Hocke has been a superstar this offseason and our players are in better condition than they have ever been in previous seasons. Most people would agree that UGA looks out of shape and unprepared to start the season each year, suffering a surprising early season loss. Well, for the next couple season’s I think Hocke will have them ready for war game 1. Mark Hocke
5. The Coaches
Mark Richt has assembled a star-studded group of coaches. To begin, our coordinators are two of the best in college football, in Pruitt and Schottenheimer. Pruitt has been discussed before and Schottenheimer brings numerous years of NFL experience to our already proven offense. All of their assistants seem to be perfect fits as well. They are all great coaches and just as importantly are great recruiters. Almost all of the players that have visited UGA recently have raved about the coaches and how energetic and "real" or honest they are.
6. Recruiting
Guess which state claims the most current SEC scholarship football players? Georgia. The state of Georgia is loaded with talent each and every year and over the past decade or so the walls of the state that had been held up by UGA for so long on the recruiting trail had begun to crumble. Alabama, LSU, Florida State, Clemson, and many other SEC rivals as well as national powers had begun stealing the state’s top prospects away from the Bulldogs. Well, thanks in part to "The Pruitt Effect" UGA’s recruiting efforts have been revamped and we have fortified those walls around the state once again. Now yes, there is the occasional crack or prospect that slips away, but for the most part UGA has gotten its main targets over the past couple recruiting cycles. The 2015 and 2016 classes in particular are loaded. Having great coaches is very important, but having elite talent is essential.
7. Mark Richt
I’ll give credit where credit is due. Although I haven’t been the biggest advocate of Richt’s performance as head coach over the past 5-7 seasons, he is the man in charge and is the person that has put all of this together. This national championship will define the Mark Richt era at Georgia and will be a huge monkey off his back.
Buckle up Georgia fans, your in for one hell of a ride over the next couple of seasons.