“Here we go again.” That seemed to be the common refrain amongst Georgia football fans this week as news of injuries to projected starters Darnell Washington and Tykee Smith leaked out of camp.
SOURCE: Georgia TE Darnell Washington and DB Tykee Smith both sustained foot injuries at practice and are out indefinitely and are doubtful to play in the Bulldogs opener against #Clemson.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) August 18, 2021
There’s a bit of Eeyore in every Georgia fan; just a pervading expectation that something is bound to go wrong. And maybe that’s justified. The fanbase has certainly endured plenty of heartbreak over the years, see: 2nd-and-26, 5 Yards Short, The Dobbsnail Boot, The Prayer At Jordan-Hare, well, you get the picture.
Here’s why it’s time for Georgia football fans to step out of the rain cloud that follows them and in to the sunshine. Three words – Kirby. Paul. Smart.
Five straight Top 5 recruiting classes.
Four straight seasons ranked in the preseason Top 5.
Four straight appearances in New Year’s Six bowls.
Four straight finishes in the Top 7.
Brand new, state-of-the-art, glistening football facility.
Upgrades galore at Sanford Stadium.
Georgia fans seem to be perpetually pining for the “good ol’ days”. Well, guess what? The good ol’ days are right now.
The product of all of those highly-rated recruiting classes is a Georgia roster that is absolutely loaded for the 2021 season. The back-ups in Georgia’s two-deep are good enough to start at most programs around the country.
Did Georgia have a good chance to beat Clemson if Darnell Washington and Tykee Smith played?
Yep.
Do they have just as good a chance to beat Clemson if Brock Bowers/John Fitzpatrick and Latavious Brini play?
Yep!
Leading passer returning? Check. Leading rusher returning? Check. Leading receiver returning? Check. Leading tackler returning? Check.
There isn’t a fanbase in America that should be more optimistic heading in to the 2021 college football season than Georgia football fans.
They have one of the most dynamic young coaches in America at the controls, a Heisman Trophy favorite at quarterback, the Four Horsemen of the Georgiapocalypse toting the rock, the Blurr Gang catching it, and Davis-Dean-Cine anchoring the reincarnation of the Junkyard Dawgs D of yore.
Gone are the gloomy days of Georgia fans thinking like Eeyore. Put your Georgia Red-colored glasses on, it’s sunshine and fireworks ahead.