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PRESEASON EXPECTATIONS
What a difference a year makes! Last year at this time UGA was #1 and gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated. Life was good because Athens was about to become home to the national title - just read any print or internet article and they told you so. Funny thing about predictions... they often aren't right. In fact, in the last 20 years the consensus preseason #1 has ended up winning the championship only three times (1993 Florida State, 1999 Florida State and 2004 USC). Any Georgia fan that is devastated because of last year's failure to win the title is not being rational. It's okay to be disappointed because of how the season played out, but not devastated. It takes way more than skill and scheme to win a national title. It also takes luck and health, both beyond any player, coach or fan's control.
Going through last season as a Georgia fan is exactly why I know that a champion is only crowned in January, not in July. Florida certainly looks to have no question marks, and I understand why they are clearly the consensus number 1. But, they don't get the trophy until they earn it. There's no reason to think that UGA has no chance this season, and there's no reason to think last year's season was a complete disaster. Yes, we failed to meet expectations last year, but I have to take some solace in knowing that those expectations exist because of how far our program has come. And just because we suffered mind-blowing injuries, a tough schedule and probably didn't handle the hype as well as we should have doesn't mean that we should abandon the expectations that the Georgia program has developed in Richt's tenure. I fully expect to be vying for a spot in the SEC championship game because that should be the expectation every year in Athens... regardless of whether that expectation was met the previous season. Expecting excellence is what we should be doing as Georgia fans; however, that's not to say that there shouldn't be some level of rational thought applied when analyzing a season's outcome.
Preseason predictions are fun, and any reason to talk college football is great in my opinion. But, they should be treated as fun banter only, and should certainly not completely define a season. All I know is that I'm ready for some freakin football!!
Going through last season as a Georgia fan is exactly why I know that a champion is only crowned in January, not in July. Florida certainly looks to have no question marks, and I understand why they are clearly the consensus number 1. But, they don't get the trophy until they earn it. There's no reason to think that UGA has no chance this season, and there's no reason to think last year's season was a complete disaster. Yes, we failed to meet expectations last year, but I have to take some solace in knowing that those expectations exist because of how far our program has come. And just because we suffered mind-blowing injuries, a tough schedule and probably didn't handle the hype as well as we should have doesn't mean that we should abandon the expectations that the Georgia program has developed in Richt's tenure. I fully expect to be vying for a spot in the SEC championship game because that should be the expectation every year in Athens... regardless of whether that expectation was met the previous season. Expecting excellence is what we should be doing as Georgia fans; however, that's not to say that there shouldn't be some level of rational thought applied when analyzing a season's outcome.
Preseason predictions are fun, and any reason to talk college football is great in my opinion. But, they should be treated as fun banter only, and should certainly not completely define a season. All I know is that I'm ready for some freakin football!!