This post is therapy for me.

I don't think I can put this loss behind me until I get some thoughts down on paper. Please excuse the lack of "funny juice" in this post...Daddy's just not feeling very humorous right now. Well, there is this.

• I said, on the way back to the tailgate, that wherever we're ranked it's too high. I was serious. We're 24 in the Coach's Poll. Do you think we deserve a Top 25 ranking? Me neither.
• The saying before the season was "Richt doesn't rebuild. He reloads." Riiiiiiiight. I'm starting to find peace realizing that even UGA needs a year like this to rebuild. Remember 2005 Tennessee? I still don't think we're that bad and will easily make a Bowl game but I'll gladly take a year of 7-4 if the next year we're competing to win the division.
• Our defensive ends are horribly overrated.
  
• Our entire defense has lost its quickness and its swagger. Late in the game when Martinez decided to start blitzing almost every down, we couldn't apply pressure. I've never seen blitzes develop so slowly.
  
• DJ Shockley, David Green, David Pollack, Boss Bailey, Terrance Edwards. If we have any of those guys still on the team we don't lose yesterday. Those guys were true competitors and would've put the team on their shoulders. There wasn't anyone to step up and get the job done. Well, maybe Stafford (I really thought we were going to see the beginning of the Stafford era yesterday. A few catches instead of drops and we probably do).
  
• I had a conversation with Coach Craft who had a conversation with a UGA coach before the season (I'm not sure if I should say which coach). the coach's main concern? The fact that the defense didn't have a true leader. The offense has Nick Jones to rally the troups, but the defense has nobody. I hope this changes soon. Kelin Johnson or Asher "Unbelievable Sights. Indescribable feeling. Soaring, tumbling free wheeling, through an endless diamond sky" Allen (yes, that is a line from the song "A Whole New World" in Alladin. I loved that movie as a kid. So what.) Someone on that defense needed to give a "This is Fuc*ing Vanderbilt" speech. There was absolutely no passion.
• Shame on the UGA fans for this weekend's game. The stadium was NEVER loud until the last Vandy drive. The upper deck wasn't packed and the game really wasn't a home field advantage.
• Joe T III isn't going to take another snap for the rest of his life. Not only does Stafford give us the best chance to win, he needs the experience. I thought he looked great on Saturday and I'm excited to see him next week.
  
• Does this game hurt us in the recruiting race? I wonder. You could spin it Urban Meyer-style and say "see...this is why we need you". I doubt this is a real issue.
• Is Will Muschamp ready to come to UGA?
  
• I just watched the preview for Flags of our Fathers. That looks like a winner.
  
• My apologies to the tailgating crew for my behavior right as we were leaving Tent City and back at Tim's. I was a bit...mmmm...testy. I never knew how I'd act if we lost at home to Vandy. Guess that answers that question.
• The fact is that we're just not a very good football team right now. Many things could've pulled out a win for us yesterday but they didn't. Mediocre football teams find ways to lose a close game every now and then. Ask Tech. They're experts. I see a lot of promise for the remainder of the year with this now becoming Stafford's team. Am I depressed? Oh yea, as bad as anyone...but I've finally accepted the truth. That is, unless we beat Florida and Auburn and Tennessee loses 2 more conference games and somehow South Carolina doesn't sneak in there. Then this team is DOME-WARD BOUND!!!! And we'd deserve the hell out of it.