Athens came alive Thursday night, as The Red & Black hosted its much-anticipated \u201cCountdown to Kickoff\u201d event at Athentic Brewing Co. Legends of college football media \u2014 ESPN\u2019s Mark Schlabach, former Georgia All-American David Pollack, veteran journalist Tony Barnhart, and DawgNation\u2019s Brandon Adams \u2014 gathered for an electrifying conversation about what fans should expect from the 2025 season and what it means for fans everywhere.<\/p>\n
From heartfelt nostalgia to bold predictions, here\u2019s what these voices of Georgia football shared, with highlights from my exclusive Q&A:<\/p>\n
A veteran\u2019s beginning: Barnhart\u2019s journey from aspiring coach to storied journalist<\/p>\n
Barnhart, known as \u201cMr. College Football,\u201d recalled how his career began almost by accident.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was going to be a high school football coach,\u201d Barnhart said. \u201cBut then one day I had a chance to write for the student newspaper and sell my byline on it. So this is kind of cool. And that’s how it got started.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stressed that his time at The Red & Black shaped him as a young reporter.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing part of The Red & Black was a very important part of my growth as a professional,\u201d Barnhart said. \u201cWhen I got out of college and graduated, I had a good background of what I wanted to do thanks to the time I spent on The Red & Black.\u201d<\/p>\n
When I asked how media access has changed since his early years covering Georgia, Barnhart didn\u2019t hesitate to reflect on the differences.<\/p>\n
\u201cBack when I started in 1984, I came to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and I was the Georgia beat writer. I covered Georgia exclusively,\u201d he said. \u201cBack then, they let us come to practice every day. We could stay as long as we wanted. And now, it\u2019s not like that now. It\u2019s really about technology.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added how the internet transformed the relationship between media and programs: \u201cWhen I was out there covering, there was no internet. There was no cell phone. None of that. And now, if somebody gets hurt in practice, it\u2019s out on the internet before you know it. That has changed the dynamics between the media and the programs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now at the half-century mark in his career, Barnhart said his passion hasn\u2019t faded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis will be my 50th year of covering college football,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m still as excited about this season, maybe more so than any season since I\u2019ve been doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Barnhart also boldly predicted that Georgia will play Texas for the national championship.<\/p>\n
I then asked who he would choose if he had to pick one sports figure to sit down with.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would be Roy Kramer,\u201d Barnhart said firmly. \u201cSince that decision was made [to create an SEC championship game] in 1992, the game has only grown and grown and grown. Roy Kramer was one of the great visionaries in the history of college football.\u201d<\/p>\n
Memories and momentum: Pollack on Georgia\u2019s rise and the bond of tradition<\/p>\n
Pollack, one of Georgia\u2019s most iconic defensive players turned ESPN analyst, reflected on the places football had taken him.<\/p>\n
\u201cMan, I\u2019ve been everywhere in the country. That\u2019s the blessing of the job,\u201d he said. \u201cI got to see all the different traditions. I went to every stadium in the Power Five. I\u2019ve seen a lot of cool traditions and fun slogans and chants and fans and dresses and attires.\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked about his favorite on-field memory from his playing career, Pollack didn\u2019t hesitate.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, personally, it was probably the interception against South Carolina,\u201d he said. \u201cThat was probably the biggest play of my career. I ended up going to the ESPYs for it. Like, it was probably the play that I get talked about the most and I\u2019m most synonymous with. Because everyone\u2019s like, I remember where I was when you made that play.\u201d<\/p>\n
When talking about Georgia\u2019s evolution under head coach Kirby Smart, Pollack pointed out how expectations have soared.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast year felt like a down year and you won the SEC championship,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s all you need to say. Just the expectations are so high because of how good they\u2019ve been and how dominant they\u2019ve been. And now you go, SEC? Like, that\u2019s not good enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
I asked Pollack what keeps him so hooked on the game, even after his playing and broadcasting days.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe strategy and unpredictability \u2014 it\u2019s the ultimate team game,\u201d he said with a smile. \u201cYou don\u2019t know what\u2019s going to happen. Every time I watch it, I get my notepad \u2014 third down and personnel \u2014 and you\u2019re just like, this is freaking awesome. I love it. I\u2019m passionate about it. That\u2019s why I still talk about it, do my podcast and keep going. It\u2019s just so much fun, man.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dual-coverage dynamism: Schlabach balancing college football and golf<\/p>\n
Schlabach, a Georgia alum who now covers both college football and golf for ESPN, described his unusual split career.<\/p>\n
\u201cI cover college football and PGA Tour golf for ESPN,\u201d he said. \u201cI did golf during the summer and then did college football in the fall and winter. I just finished golf coverage yesterday. Took today off, and I\u2019ll start college.\u201d<\/p>\n
Schlabach also commented on how NIL and realignment have shifted the sport.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s impossible. There\u2019s so many kids going to the transfer portal and NIL deals getting done,\u201d he said. \u201cLSU spent $18 million on the roster. From when I started covering college football back in the \u201890s, it\u2019s so much different. It\u2019s basically professional football now. I don\u2019t have a problem with the kids getting paid, but some of the NIL deals out there are a little outrageous.\u201d<\/p>\n
When I asked him about the most memorable moment of his career, Schlabach looked back to Augusta. \u201cThe first Masters I covered was 2019 when Tiger Woods won for the last time,\u201d he said. \u201cJust getting to write that lead for ESPN was really cool.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that covering Georgia\u2019s national championships has also been a highlight.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was at both of Georgia\u2019s national championships,\u201d Schlabach said. \u201cI went to school here, and my wife went to school here. At the time, both my daughters were in school here. So they got absolutely spoiled going to national championship games and seeing Georgia win.\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking ahead, Schlabach believes Georgia will still be in the mix, but with plenty of challengers.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Texas, Georgia, Alabama and LSU are probably the top four teams,\u201d Schlabach said. \u201cThis is probably Kirby\u2019s youngest team. A lot of guys like Gabe Harris and Chris Cole have to step up and make plays. But even after losing all those NFL draft picks, there aren\u2019t many teams that have stockpiled four- and five-star recruits like Kirby.\u201d<\/p>\n
A fan\u2019s lens with strategic insight: DawgNation\u2019s Adams<\/p>\n
Adams, host of DawgNation Daily, spoke about balancing his passion as a Georgia fan with his role as a media voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cGeorgia fans know the real deal on almost anything,\u201d Adams said. \u201cIf anything was inauthentic or unreal, Georgia fans are going to be the first people to recognize that because they\u2019re pretty plugged in.\u201d<\/p>\n
He explained how Georgia\u2019s recent dominance has altered the fan mindset.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn 2017, that was Kirby\u2019s second year. Georgia wins the SEC, and everybody\u2019s elated. It was a dream season,\u201d Adams said. \u201cNow in 2024, they come off an SEC championship, and all of a sudden, that doesn\u2019t feel quite so good anymore. Georgia fans have experienced a lot of winning, and so therefore, almost any loss now becomes somewhat intolerable.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Adams, the back-to-back national championships remain the top memory, but the Rose Bowl in Pasadena stands out for its uniqueness. \u201cI was lucky enough to go to Pasadena that year and go to the Rose Bowl,\u201d he said. \u201cThe Rose Bowl is a game that I grew up watching on TV. SEC teams rarely played in that game, so it almost felt like you were watching college football on the moon.\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking at the 2025 season, Adams was realistic.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the days of an undefeated college football national champion are over,\u201d he said. \u201cGeorgia\u2019s going to lose eventually. They can lose twice and still make the playoffs. That\u2019s about what I have right now. 10-2 gets you in the playoff, and then we\u2019ll see what happens after that.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also noted that Georgia\u2019s wide receiver group could be the breakout story.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt certainly sounds like the Georgia wide receivers have had a really good summer,\u201d Adams said. \u201cSeven new receivers. Two transfers \u2014 Noah Thomas, Zachariah Branch. Probably the best high school receivers they\u2019ve ever brought in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adams went old school when asked what he would choose if he could script his own play call.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to see a return to the old school toss sweep running play,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s the Georgia football of my childhood. Kirby said this offseason they want to upgrade the rushing attack. Give me that play sheet, and let\u2019s run it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Final Snap<\/p>\n
The \u201cCountdown to Kickoff\u201d event wasn\u2019t just a panel \u2014 it was a reflection of Georgia football\u2019s journey, from nostalgic beginnings and media evolution to championship expectations that have reshaped how fans experience the game. It was a fun night that kept the crowd engaged, with fans asking questions of the panel. Georgia fans are optimistic that this season\u2019s roster is a strong one with the potential for a memorable run.<\/p>\n
\n The Red & Black is a 501c3 nonprofit.
\n Please consider a one-time gift or become a monthly supporter. Cancel anytime.<\/b>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Athens came alive Thursday night, as The Red & Black hosted its much-anticipated \u201cCountdown to Kickoff\u201d event at…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":185148,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[8019,5539,103994,1428,43082,86511,103996,103993,103995,5723,1318,43063,24286,1430,15549,24287,43567,88971,9338,1317,11996,11145,1315,1316,24249,43073,86514,9661,31596,31593,62,27063,103992,5540,85386,67,132,5541,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-185147","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ncaa-football","8":"tag-american-football","9":"tag-athens","10":"tag-brandon-adams","11":"tag-college-football","12":"tag-college-football-competitions","13":"tag-college-football-national-championships-in-ncaa-division-i-fbs","14":"tag-countdown-to-kickoff","15":"tag-david-pollack","16":"tag-dawgnation","17":"tag-espn","18":"tag-football","19":"tag-georgia-u-s-state","20":"tag-georgia-football","21":"tag-golf","22":"tag-gridiron-football-variants","23":"tag-kirby-smart","24":"tag-lsu-tigers-football","25":"tag-mark-schlabach","26":"tag-national-football-league","27":"tag-ncaa","28":"tag-ncaa-division-i-fbs-football","29":"tag-ncaa-division-i-fbs-football-teams","30":"tag-ncaa-football","31":"tag-ncaafootball","32":"tag-nil","33":"tag-outdoor-sports","34":"tag-rose-bowl-game","35":"tag-sec-football","36":"tag-southeastern-conference","37":"tag-southeastern-conference-football","38":"tag-sports","39":"tag-team-sports","40":"tag-tony-barnhart","41":"tag-uga","42":"tag-uga-football","43":"tag-united-states","44":"tag-unitedstates","45":"tag-university-of-georgia","46":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185147","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=185147"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185147\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/185148"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=185147"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=185147"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=185147"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}