Are we really underachieving vs. the rest of the SEC?

Looks like UF & Tenn are the worst offenders to me...

Pretty cool article that looks at over/under achieving vs recruting performance using Massey ratings.

LINK /

TL;DR We aren't over-achieving by a huge amount, but since 2005 we have performed better on the field than our recruiting projected we would.

Print the shirts GT

My position on this subject has been consistent. IMHO Georgia has not underachieved when you consider 4 factors:

1. Our average 247 Composite recruiting ranking is 9.25 of the 4 years they are considering. Since it is an average it means that we have NOT had top 10 recruiting in some of those seasons; 2010 and 2013 come to mind. There is a significant difference in talent in top 5 vs top 10 recruiting. Those extra 4 and 5 star players are often difference makers; just ask Auburn relative to Cam Newton.

2. Our attrition of top players is ridiculous. The team we field is not nearly as talented as the team we recruit.

3. Our recruiting practices, namely undersigning, handicapped our team for many seasons. Looks like Richt has finally seen the light though I do note we have a slot available for wishy washy Roquan Smith. The truth is we should be over the limit allowing for typical attrition in the off-season.

4. Our admins have constrained our program by being tightwads. Only just recently are they showing signs of paying coaches fair market value and adding assistants who can free up our coaching staff to focus on priorities.

How of that is not in his control?

It's all about the Nattys...always has...always will

Lot's of statistics...bottom line is the best of the best (particularly on Offense) choose to go where you stand a chance of winning a national championship, not just hope to get into the SEC title game once a decade.

LSU, Bama, AU all get the majority of their in state top prospects. Ours go to UCLA, Ohio State, USC, Auburn and FL.

And, just like Spurrier said when at FL, "what happens to all that talent that UGA recruits?" I'd like to know too.

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Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't recruiting a primary function of the coaching staff? If this same peer group of NC winners also out recruited us in the years prior to their championship - then how can you NOT conclude that we're underachieving when compared to the top half of the SEC. Either way you look at it we're not keeping up.

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I agree with this and let me qualify. We are not underachieving when I consider the "fielded" team. We are definitely underachieving when you consider the potential team that could be fielded based on the wealth of talent in our state and the available resources of our university most of which have not been focused on winning a football NC.

Many like to talk about metropolitan nature of our state particularly in the Atlanta area creating a recruiting environment in which recruits have no loyalty ties to the main university in our state. And statements like we can't put a fence around our state because we can't take them all and there are major universities around our state, blah, blah, blah. I get that but surely we have at least as much draw on players in our own state as other schools yet we lose out on key 4 and 5 star in-state players every season who could make a difference in our team making in to the playoffs or not.

Bottom line: we lost 4 players down the stretch that dropped us down to the 10th ranked recruiting class. Players who might well have made a difference. Meanwhile Auburn picked up 3 key players down the stretch and jumped us in the rankings to finish with the 9th ranked class. Furthermore, Auburn finished with 19 four star players and just 7 three stars to our 11 four star players and 15 three stars. In my mind, any time you finish with more 3 star players than 4 stars, you definitely settled for less and that pretty much defines our ongoing recruiting efforts; we settle for less and try to make ourselves feel good about it.

I've reached the point where I'm convinced that if it weren't for Saban and Meyer, the SEC would only have 1 national champion in that time, Auburn with Cam. After tOSU won this year, that cemented it for me. Saban is responsible for 3 at Bama and you could argue both of LSU's. Meyer is responsible for both of Florida's. Those 2 coaches are so far and away the best in the business that I can't fault Richt for not being them, they're 2 of the all time greats. Just because we don't have one of them doesn't mean we should fire Richt, he's elevated UGA to a place we historically haven't been at a consistent level.