Pick 4...

You think the 4-team playoff is going to fix everything?  Anything?  I don't think so.
Just take this year - was there really any controversy as to what 2 teams should play for the NC?  How about last year?  The year before?  Bottom line is, when picking 1 & 2, it's rarely that difficult.  And some years you might even get lucky and end the season with 2 (and only 2) undefeated teams - doesn't get much easier or any more clear than that.  But when was the last time the season ended with 4 clear champion contenders?  4 undefeated teams?

Just look how difficult it would have been this year to choose a non-controversial 4 to play in the playoff.  You had an undefeated FSU.  Auburn.
From there it gets pretty tough.  I would say that coming off the Big10 Championship, Michigan State would clearly get the 3 seed.  But wait, Baylor won the Big12...are they somehow an inferior conference?  Then there's little old UCF - champions of the American Conference.  Maybe the 3rd seed isn't that easy.
So, what 1-loss team would you leave out?
Michigan State
Alabama
Ohio State
Baylor*
UCF*
Louisville
Are you going to tell 4 of those 6 teams that a single loss in a 10 or 11 game season precludes them from a shot at a title?

How about the 2-loss teams...
South Carolina
Missouri
Oklahoma
Clemson
Oregon
Stanford*
Tell me that none of those deserve at least consideration for the 4 seed.  Maybe not, but I'd like an explanation as to why I'm looking at the final BCS poll and seeing South Carolina at #4.  Surely their win over Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl isn't what propelled them to such heights.

*Denotes Conference Champion

Bottom line is this - if you want a playoff that's fine.  Seed the 10 major conference champions in a 2-3 round playoff and move on.  Yes - all 10 major conferences - you can't tell a team at the beginning of the year that they are in Division 1 or FBS or BCS or whatever, and then penalize them at the end of the year for winning every game you put on their schedule.
Also...
If you don't win your conference, you're not hoisting any crystal in January - period.  And certainly if you don't even win your HALF of your conference, you're not hoisting any crystal in January.  Sorry - them's the breaks - next time you might want to study up on your closest competition and not lay an egg when it matters most.
Oh yeah...Notre Dame...get in a conference or just blow your own crystal football, put it in your trophy case every year, and call yourselves champions.

Discuss.

His Words, not mine.

"Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." 
1 Corinthians 6:9-11

If you don't like that, take it up with God.

As a believer, I support the Word of God, and to use one of my favorite sayings...I own it.
I've never understood why someone who doesn't believe in God or His Word, would give two shakes of a stick at what God thinks or what God's Word says. And why does a non-believer care what a believer believes? Are you that nosy? Is imposing your will that important? Or do you, somewhere deep down in a place you don't want to talk about, feel a bit curious as to why we are at peace in the face of turmoil? Do you wish you could love your neighbor rather than constantly worrying about how their beliefs offend you?
Do what you want to do. Live how you want to live. Die how you want to die. Face eternity how you want to face eternity. Own it. And when I say own it, I mean own it.
Coddle terrorists and kill babies. Laugh at Miley and denounce Phil. Embrace Mandela and ignore Netanyahu. Mock George Bush and worship Barack Obama. Do what you want to do, but lose the double standard. Tolerance is a two way street - before you demand it, practice it.

NCAA Football Playoff...

To those who have eagerly awaited a playoff and think it will finally put an end to all the controversy surrounding the NCAA football championship...

OK, smart guys - if the 4-team playoff were in effect this year, what's your 4-team bracket look like?

Obviously, you have FSU in under any scenario, but after that, it gets just as complicated as when choosing only 2 teams for the BCS Championship.

Sure, AU and Alabama probably deserve a shot...but then what?  

Michigan State?  With a loss to Notre Dame?  All of a sudden beating an Ohio State team (also with 1 loss) who many people thought shouldn't even get a shot if they went undefeated because "they haven't played anyone" is grounds for inclusion into the 4-team playoff?  Hardly.

What about Baylor? Their only loss coming to a strong Oklahoma State team.

Stanford?  Sure, they lost 2 games (one to Utah), but they beat 7 ranked teams - anyone want to argue they aren't among the best teams in the country today?

As far as that goes, Missouri...whose only losses are a 2-OT road defeat at SC and to AU in the SEC Championship game.  I might argue they belong over Bama - they at least won their half of the conference - something Bama obviously doesn't have to do to be included in any national championship discussion (see 2011 season).

Point is - nothing will give the people the definitive champion that they want - it just can't happen.  It isn't the NFL with 30 teams...you just can't start with 125 teams and get 1 winner.  

Until the NCAA has an honest discussion with themselves and the 100 or so teams that cannot, under any circumstances, win a championship - we will never have a season free from controversy.  So, do I simply complain and offer no solution?  Of course not.

There should be 4 major conferences of 16 teams.  That's right - only 64 teams can possibly win a Division 1 Championship.  Sorry Nevada.  Sorry Bowling Green. Sorry Navy.  And for that matter, unless you pony up and join one of the 4 conferences - sorry Notre Dame.

Currently, a BCS Champion will have played 14 games before hoisting the crystal football (unless you're Alabama and don't have to even play for your conference championship to be given a shot...)  So, we'll work with a 14 game max schedule.

Games 1-7 you play each team in your half of your conference...same as now.

Games 8 is for playing 1 teams from the other side of your conference on a 2 year rotating basis - home and home.

Game 9 is for a traditional conference rivalry from the other half of your conference (i.e. UGA/AU).

Games 10-11 are for non-conference games.  If a team has a traditional rival that is out of conference (i.e. UGA/Tech), that game is played every year.  The other remaining game can be against anyone else out of conference (i.e. UGA/Clemson), and would change every 2 years (home and home).

Game 12 is your Final 8.  The 2 conference division winners meet to determine the conference champion.

Game 13 is your Final 4.  Rank the 4 conference champions - 1 plays 4, 2 plays 3.

Game 14 is your National Championship Game.

Whoever survives this scenario would easily be crowned the most worthy winner - having won both their conference division, their conference, a game against another conference champion, and a final championship game.  Oh yeah, every 10 years, the NCAA would hold a review - replacing any non-competitive teams from the pool of Division 2 teams.  So, maybe UGA won't be playing Tech every year after all.

Dawgs 2014-2015

Yes, I am looking towards next year.  Why wouldn't I?  All we have left this year is our bi-annual trip to Atlanta to kick the Jackets followed by a fun return trip to Jacksonville to go Gator Bowling against some Midwest, dust bowl, corn-eating, Big Ten scrub.

Date	Opponent / Event	Location	Time / Result
08/30/14	vs. Clemson	Athens, Ga.	TBA
09/13/14	at South Carolina	Columbia, S.C.	TBA
09/20/14	vs. Troy	Athens, Ga.	TBA
09/27/14	vs. Tennessee	Athens, Ga.	TBA
10/04/14	vs. Vanderbilt	Athens, Ga.	TBA
10/11/14	at Missouri	Columbia, Mo.	TBA
10/18/14	at Arkansas	Fayetteville, Ark.	TBA
11/01/14	vs. Florida	Jacksonville, Fla.	TBA
11/08/14	at Kentucky	Lexington, Ky.	TBA
11/15/14	vs. Auburn	Athens, Ga.	TBA
11/22/14	vs. Charleston Southern	Athens, Ga.	TBA
11/29/14	vs. Georgia Tech	Athens, Ga.	TBA

So...
Clemson at home, followed by a tough trip to Columbia (the evil one).  Then we come home for a few weeks to take on some Million Dollar Baby from LA (Lower Alabama...Troy), and two of the 'Ville Quadruplets (Knox & Nash).  We hit the road for a not so daunting four week stretch to Columbia (the other one), the other two 'Ville Quads (Fayette & Jackson), and finally Lexington.  We wrap up with three at home against Auburn, some directional beauty school (homecoming), and finally Tech.

Even with an untested quarterback, I like our chances.  Our defense needs more improvement, and hopefully as they mature, that will happen.  Our offensive line has been solid, Gurley should return for a Heisman run, and the impact players who suffered injuries will all be back (Marshall, Mitchell, Conley, and Scott-Wesley).

Stay healthy, play a lick of defense, and learn the fundamentals of special teams, and we could be in business for the inaugural season of the BCS 4-team playoff.

Go Dawgs!

The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry...Indeed

To all my Auburn friends...
Hats off to you. I wish we could have broken your hearts, but it was your night. And like Munson always said, you can't beat Old Lady Luck. She was certainly smiling on you tonight. 
We had a great run over the last few years, and I'm glad we kicked you while you were a little down. As much as I'd like to keep pounding you over the next few years, I'm really glad the program is rolling again - it's good for the conference and it's good for the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. 
Besides, to think you're gonna rattle off more than 2-3 in a row in that series is simply folly. 
It's funny, every time we beat Auburn, I'm happy for a day or so, but then it hits me...100+ years of history says we lose next year. 

So enjoy it...we'll be waiting next season to even it back up Between the Hedges. 

Go Dawgs!

Consequences

The difference between any of those past presidents is one key thing...accountability and consequences. 

Nixon lied and paid for it with his resignation. 

Carter was ineffective and incompetent and he paid for it in Election Day.  

Reagan's administration had Iran-Contra and many heads rolled. 

Bush said no new taxes and paid for his new taxes on Election Day. 

Clinton paid for his indiscretions and perjury with impeachment. 

Bush paid for his decision to invade Iraq and his increased budget deficits with a constant and relentless character assassination by the left and their complicit media. 

But Obama. Nothing. Zero accountability. Zero consequence. Nothing is his fault and he remains blameless despite 5 years of lies, deceit, reckless spending, illegal wiretapping, illegal IRS targeting, rising unemployment, hundreds dead at the end of automatic weapons provided to drug lords courtesy of Fast and Furious, four dead Americans in Benghazi, and an economy-killing government takeover of the health insurance industry in the name if affordable healthcare for everyone. Is there anything I missed?

Lies

You remember when you were a little kid and you told a little lie?  Because you were a little kid and didn't know better, you didn't really think it through and your little lie just didn't make complete sense to adults.  So what did you do?  You told another little lie to clear up the details that the first little lie left unresolved.  Finally, after some number of repeated little lies, it became obvious that your story just didn't add up and you ran out of ways to cover the last little lie and it all fell apart.  The lesson learned (hopefully), was that you would have been better off to just tell the truth in the first place and face the consequences of the window you broke or the drink you spilled on the sofa, or the pencil marks you made on your mom's bedspread in 1977 ("Those are not pencil marks and I didn't do it"...yes, I said those very words).

Most of us grow out of it.  A few others turn to a life of crime because they simply refuse to stop telling little lies, which turn into big lies, until eventually they forget what is truth and what is fiction.  At this point the lines of morality are blurred beyond comprehension, and consequences begin to add up.  But I digress.

Our president never grew out of it.

What started as a little lie in the Rose Garden about some YouTube video and the uprising that ensued, turned into a full scale cover-up that has denied justice to the four families of the men killed on American soil abroad.  Four men died - Americans - and our president just couldn't bring himself to confess his little lies and tell us the truth.  Anyone who could have saved Ambassador Stevens and the other three men were ordered to stand down...an order to defend them would have uncovered the little lies and exposed the reality of an Al Qaeda attack on the 11 year anniversary of 9/11.  And with an important election looming on the horizon, that was just not an option.  So he simply told more lies.  And the media followed - even going so far as to shape the direction of a presidential debate by falsely substantiating this little lie.  So here we are today - over a year after those tragic deaths - and what do we have?  Nothing.  But hey, "what difference does it make?"

I guess we shouldn't be surprised that a man who would tell a little lie about his citizenship to gain admission into a prestigious college would then tell a little lie to assure that this 'September Surprise' was swept under the rug - at least until after the election.  I suppose it was an added bonus that the media has been successful in keeping those lies, and the consequences that accompany them, comfortably tucked away under the rug for over a year now.

Later this afternoon, our president will address the nation - and he will tell a lie.  He will tell you that he 'incorrectly promised' that you could keep your health insurance plan.  Following that, he will tell you another lie - he will tell you that he is a man of his word and has devised a way for him to honor that 'incorrect promise'.  He will then proceed to tell you how he has suspended the PPACA mandated benefit requirements for insurance plans for a year - and that he is legally able to do just that.  That is a lie.

Article I, Section 1: All Legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States..."

There is no gray area here - this is not up for interpretation and no amendments or subsequent law has changed this most basic of Constitutional truths.  Our president is the Chief Executive of the United States, and with that awesome job comes awesome responsibility...to execute all legislation that has been passed by Congress and adjudicated by the Courts.  When he tells you he can just 'modify' the law a little - that is a lie. When he tells you that he can legally instruct health insurance companies to sell plans that do not meet provisions of the law - that is a lie.  He knows it and the insurance companies know it - which is why they will not sell you a plan that doesn't meet the requirements of the law because doing so will subject them to a liability that they simply do not have to bear.  Besides that, why would an insurance company who cancelled plans, reinstate those plans knowing it will be for only a year?  Why would they go to that hassle and expense...just to break the law?  For you, Mr. President?  A ineffective, lame duck whose legacy mirrors the trainwreck that is the piece of garbage legislation that informally bears your name?  Obamacare is a disaster, and it's your disaster.  It's 2000 pages of lies - the worst kind of lies - deceit.  You could have easily given access to medical care to all Americans - but that's not what you wanted.  You wanted your hand in the multi-billion dollar healthcare industry honey pot and you lied to every one of us to get it.  You lied to every American when you said you wanted to reform healthcare in this country, and this law and all of the consequences - intended and otherwise that accompany it, are on your weak and pathetic shoulders.  If you wanted to reform healthcare, you should have started with healthcare.  People who can't afford to seek medical care don't need insurance any more than someone who cant afford a home needs homeowner's insurance.

Mr. President, you told this lie - you sold this lie - you got elected based on this lie...twice - and you will live with this lie.  The lies of the PPACA are about to crush you and your administration and I've got the popcorn in the microwave and a comfy blanket waiting for me on the couch.  Own it, chump!