When fans (or me, specifically) think Georgia is going to have a poor season (or what we like to call a “rebuilding season”), the Bulldogs do well – think about the 2005 season or the 2007 season. Those were “rebuilding” seasons, and the Bulldogs accomplished so much, including the SEC Championship in 2005 and a Sugar Bowl win in 2007. When we thought the Dogs would do well – think 2008 – they perform pitifully.

As such, I am torn on whether to believe the Georgia Bulldogs will do well this season or will do poorly.  I truly don’t know how the Bulldogs will do this season.

So here is Georgia’s 2010 football schedule, with my predictions.

• September 4, 2010 (home) – Louisiana-Lafayette
  • Do I even need to say anything?  Louisiana-Lafayette will try the same thing Southern Miss tried last night (against South Carolina): the no huddle offense, which will work for the first 3 series, and then Georgia will blow them out of the water.  Win.
• September 11, 2010 (away) – South Carolina
  • This will be a tough start for Aaron Murray, but behind the veteran offensive line, Georgia’s receivers will open up the running game.  Win, but close.
• September 18, 2010 (home) – Arkansas
  • This is going to be a tough game against Arkansas’s offense, but I think the 3-4 defense will stand tough.  Win, but close.
• September 25, 2010 (away) – Mississippi State
  • This is a real tough call, because we’re playing in Starkville.  But, I think the new version of the Miss State Bulldogs, with their new-ish coach, will take us.  Loss, but real close.
• October 2, 2010 (away) – Colorado
  • Georgia football comes out my way, to play in Boulder against the Buffaloes.  Georgia handles the altitude well, and the defense pounds the Buffs.  Win, all the way.
• October 9, 2010 (home) – Tennessee
  • The Volunteers have this game marked on their calendars, but I think we make quick work of the new Vols coach.  Win, but close.
• October 16, 2010 (home & homecoming) – Vanderbilt
  • Although I like Vandy’s new coach, Georgia dominates at home.  Win.
• October 23, 2010 (away) – Kentucky
  • Kentucky could be tough, but if Georgia concentrates on this game and not the next week, they take the day.  Win, but close.
• October 30, 2010 (Jacksonville) – Florida
  • Why can’t we schedule the bye week before the Florida game?  It worked well in 2007 (think Endzone Celebration).  I really can’t decide on this game.  On one hand, I think Florida comes more prepared to this game and blows out Georgia.  On the other hand, the Georgia team has to want to win in Jacksonville again.  Loss, close but heartbreaking.
• November 6, 2010 (home) – Idaho State
  • I don’t know who scheduled the Bengals from Pocatello, but we rock this game at home.  Win.
• November 13, 2010 (away) – Auburn
  • Auburn on their own turf.  I think Georgia forgets how to play this week, and the more prepared Tigers maul us.  Loss.
• November 27, 2010 (home) – Georgia Tech
  • A nerd-whooping in Athens.  We learned how to stop this offense last year, and we’ll do it even better this year.  Win.

That puts the final tally at 9-3 (excluding any postseason games), but I’ve identified 6 close games (welcome to the SEC folks).  Those six games can really go either way.  And since I’ve predicted they’ll do well, the Dawgs will likely disappoint this season (see above).  Just remember, when David Greene started at quarterback his true freshman year, the Dawgs went 8-4.  The next season, they went 13-1 and were SEC and Sugar Bowl champions.

Stay tuned tomorrow, I’m going to post some great Georgia videos to pump us up for the season opener.

They have an excellent article, an overview of their writers’ predictions for the season.

I’m going to post my predictions for Georgia’s season tomorrow.

My cellphone is something I depend on everyday.  If it can’t get a signal (because I can’t hold it correctly or AT&T’s horrible service) or if I can’t replace the battery (batteries hold less of a charge over their lifespan, and with the iPhone, I can’t change the battery), I can’t trust it to work when I need it.

Don’t get me wrong.  I love my first generation iPod Touch (seriously, love it).  The apps are incredible, and everything just works.  But the battery will barely last an hour now, and it crashes frequently.  My iPod Touch is just an extra, something I love, but I can live with out.

My cell phone (a Blackberry) is always there for me.

This helps me continue my move to the Ubuntu Linux operating system.

It shouldn’t be the responsibility of the state and its citizens to continue a students’ education beyond graduation requirements. Smart and applied students can continue their learning at graduate institutions, rather than continue to use up taxpayers’ dollars. Rather than worrying about “earning without fear of financial burdens,” why not invest in your own future? I would imagine if students paid their own college tuition bills, they would graduate in four years (or maybe even sooner).

Chris M. Lindsey, Denver (UGA ‘08 in four years)

My letter was written in response to an editorial published December 14th that explained why “super seniors” who have high grades should get continued support from Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship beyond the mandated 127 hours:

What I don’t comprehend is why students with the highest level of pride in their studies, students who dedicate time and energy to rising above the norm, are not given the chance to continue or even finish their goals [...]

My proposition allows students with a 3.5 grade-point average or better to be granted the chance to appeal scholarship revocation due to exceeding the 127-credit-hour limit [...]

I felt compelled to bring this injustice to the public’s attention. Yes, I could have earned one degree and graduated last May, but my résumé would have been void of a much-needed internship, and I would have had to sacrifice the presidential role of a club I have invested my heart into at UGA.

If you must have more experience, more degrees, or more résumé fillers (injustice?), please pay for your own classes. It is what students everywhere else are forced to do for their own education.  Stop wasting the money of the taxpayers of the State of Georgia. It is not their job to help you with your résumé.  It is this mindset, that people have the right to HOPE Scholarship, that will eventually run the HOPE Scholarship fund dry.

An undergraduate degree paid for by the State of Georgia is a privilege.  Enjoy it, but remember that it might not always be there.

The best part?  All the Georgia Tech fans talking trash for the past 365 days.  You’d think they might watch out, since they’ve beaten Georgia once (ONCE!) in the past nine years.  But no, they shot their mouthes off for a whole year.  And now they can eat crow.

Some highlights:

• HeyJennySlater chronicles the trash talk (there was so much, especially on the AJC blog comments)
• The Senator is still savoring.
• Georgia Tech Coach Paul Johnson basically says Georgia hasn’t done anything since 1980.  DawgSports doesn’t like that and lists 8 or more reasons Tech defines itself by UGA.
• Remember what Tech players did to the Hedges last year?  Georgia center Ben Jones evened the score (btw, I think destroying an opponents field is bad from either or any side).

And as the words go:

Glory, glory to old Georgia.  And to Hell with Georgia Tech!

Go Dawgs!

Over the years I have made a conscious effort to make fun of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).  One of these posts (Georgia Tech Student Needs Kissing Lessons, a true story) made a big splash and one of my most visited posts to date.  I hope this post is just as good.

It seems that recently, the Georgia Tech Student Center Programs Council has seen a deficiency in Georgia Tech students.  Apparently that deficiency is dating.

So they did what any self respecting university would do, they hired David Coleman, the self-proclaimed “Dating Doctor”.  I kid you not.  David Coleman’s byline is “America’s Real-Life Hitch,” a reference to the movie Hitch.  Hitch is a dating doctor played by Will Smith who coaches hopeless men to date the women of their dreams.  If only those Techies could learn these lessons, they could take over the world.

Sadly, attending World of Warcraft parties and majoring in chemical engineering don’t help your case.

Again, I’m not making this up.  Here’s the event listing on Georgia Tech’s calendar and here it is listed on the Fall 2009 programs (pdf) for November 12.  There is a photo gallery on Flickr (only the nerds would hire a guy that looks like this to teach them how to date).  There is a post on Twitter, from this Georgia Tech female (rare) student (she’s apparently a model, I wonder why she needed to go to this).  She remarked, “The dating doctor talked in the student center tonight and was actually really helpful.”  I want to know what she learned.

And have you seen the website Only at Tech?  A site in the style of FMyLife.com, people tell their little stories about life at the North Avenue Trade School.  Three note the visit by the “Dating Doctor”:

• I get an email today informing me of the new ‘Dating Doctor’, GT’s real-life Hitch, on campus. Only at Tech.
• So the other day my friend was talking about that dating doctor guy that came to the student center. I asked him if he went, and he replied” Yeah, and I even took notes!” Only at Tech
• The Dating Doctor is coming to speak at the Student Center! Only at Tech.

I love making fun of Georgia Techies (see these pictures here, here, and here).

But this guy, this “Real-Life Hitch” sounds like a winner too.  Let’s take a look at some of the advice on his site.  Here are a few of his recommended pickup lines:

• “I’ll keep buying you drinks. You tell me when I get good looking.” [you can't make this stuff up, people]
• “If your beauty was measured in light, I’d see you coming from a mile away.” [I'm sure a Techie could find some problem in that math statement]
• “Would you like to meet Russell? Russell my love muscle.” [Wow]
• “You must have glue on your butt, because my eyes have been stuck there all night.”

The Love Doctor also lists some “kiss off quotes” which I’m sure my friends on North Avenue hear frequently:

• “I’m not attracted to you in that way”
• “It’s me. It really is. It’s not you”
• “I really just want to be friends”
• “You’re like a brother (or sister) to me”

This Love Doctor even has a list of items to take on a first date:

-Tums or Rolaids (in case your meal doesn’t sit well or nerves hit)

-Breath mints and gum (bad breath can shorten a date in a hurry)

-A small mirror to check your appearance and teeth for food particles

-An extra set of car keys (for pretty obvious reasons!)

-Chapstick….keep those lips soft and voluptuous

-A small list of 5 things to do on the date or talk about in case of awkward pauses, silence or indecision

-A small piece of paper with your date’s name, address and phone number on it just in case you forget this vital information!

-Phone numbers to contact friends or family in case the date isn’t going well

-A tiny (travel size) deodorant, cologne, hairbrush and toothbrush (in case a nervous nature changes your body chemistry)

-Extra money (in a pocket), including phone change, in case you lose your wallet or cell phone

-A condom (which, by the way, if you use, will signal your last date!).

-A couple of aspirin or Advil (in case your date causes more stress than he or she relieves)

-A smile, eye contact, a firm handshake and self-confidence that doesn’t appear arrogant.

-A positive attitude! If you don’t think you are going to have fun, you probably won’t!

Georgia Tech students, if you can fit all of that AND your light saber in the pockets of your cargo pants, you are ready to go on your first date, courtesy of “America’s Hitch.”

Ramblin’ wreck from Georgia Tech and needing a dating doctor.