Afternoon stuff

Today's the first day of classes at Georgia, which begs a question that's always bothered me: How come classes start earlier in the South? Growing up in the north (well, Maryland anyway) we always started school right after Labor Day, and wrapped up mid-June.

The high school football seasons also start later up north. It always would've made sense to me to flip it, because of the heat. Now I suppose for school reasons you're sort of trading one hot time for another - start earlier in the heat in the summer, but finish up earlier in the summer.

When it comes to football, however, the southern schools are practicing in the heat earlier, and playing in the heat earlier. And the northern schools are stretching their seasons longer, to when it gets much colder up there.

I suppose there's a real good reason out there that someone will enlighten me on. It's just always sort of confounded me.

Anyway ... First day of school, Georgia's practices are starting an hour later than the previous two weeks, blah blah blah ...

- Aron White has been named to the watch list for the Mackey Award, given to the nation’s top tight end.

Coincidentally, White is also on the watch list for the starting tight end job at Georgia.

White entered the fall behind Orson Charles on the depth chart list, though it’s understandable why the Mackey people would pick him out: White started 12 games last year and caught two touchdown passes in the Independence Bowl.

But Georgia’s tight ends depth chart is so deep – Charles was a freshman All-American, Arthur Lynch played in 11 games last year, and Bruce Figgins has started three times – that the Mackey people could probably just have put “TBA, Georgia” on the list.

- Ivan Maisel of ESPN.com does not include A.J. Green in a ranking of top 20 Heisman hopefuls. He quickly got asked about it on Twitter, and replied that he was "skittish" about the quarterback situation.

I probably would've put Green somewhere in there, but Maisel's right to hold back a bit. Plus, receivers don't often start the year out as Heisman favorites.

- Another ESPN.com entry, this time from newbie Andrea Adelson (recently hired from the Orlando Sentinel). Adelson asks who would you rather be this year, Mark Richt or Les Miles.

Ah, a hot seat question. From my vantage point, you'd probably rather be Richt. But that's just me.