Are you like me and you're just glad that it's going to be over on Saturday. Not the game. Hopefully that will be 60 minutes of pure joy that I'll never want to end. But, no matter what, the drama will be over. Lose, and the Mark Richt era is probably officially coming to a close. Win, and he'll probably be here as long as he wants. I, for one, am glad to be getting an answer to that question on Saturday.
The more I think about the game, the more I want to throw up. Good Lord, it's huge. It's huge not just for Richt, but for our program and the national perception of our program. This isn't just about this year's team. This is about can Georgia finally take advantage of a poor Florida and some momentum to seize control of this series and recruiting. Win this game and you've got an uber-experienced Murray coming back against Driskel the next 2 years. I like my chances there. Win this game and #11 has the legitimate chance to be a UGA QB that leaves with a winning record vs. the Gators. That is, as we say, unheard of. The last QB to do that? Wayne Johnson was 1-0 and James Jackson was 2-1. Yes…the mid-eighties. It's time to stop it. If Mark Richt can't do it in 11 years, it's time to find someone who can. This year is a good place to start.
And, hopefully this will be the beginning of something to prove for the remainder of the season. 2009 vs. Georgia Tech is still the last time we beat a ranked team. That's a looooooooong time for a program like UGA. We haven't had many shots this year, but we'll get some down the road. Auburn will probably still be ranked when we play them. And, despite all their flaws, every team they've lost to is in the top 10 and either undefeated or their only loss is to one of the undefeateds.
And a scheduling note, Auburn will probably be a 3:30 game at home (finally) if we win. The other games that week are Bama @ MSU, UT @ Arkansas, and Florida @ South Carolina. If we win, ours will be the only game pitting two ranked teams. And, given the history of the series, they'd be crazy to pass it up. Bama will be a snoozer, and Arkansas might beat UT by 80. Depending on what the Cocks do, that could be a battle for 2nd place in the East.
"Lose, and the Mark Richt era is probably officially coming to a close. Win, and he'll probably be here as long as he wants."
ReplyDeleteAgree with the first sentence, not the second. Still a lot of work to do after Jax even after a win.
I'm way more worried about the game the more I read about it. Florida has lost 3 games, but only 1 of those losses really weren't expected. Also, they are a much better team with Brantley under center. I am not going to worry about the head coach situation until the end of the year. Their defense is good as our defense. It's going to come down to who is better prepared. We can't let history get in our heads. We haven't exactly pounded the SEC opponents that are 1-15 against the SEC. MM and IC need to show up big. This is our year here. Win it and we will probably have a chance to redeem ourselves in the Dome. Lose it, and we might still get a chance to redeem ourselves in the Dome, albeit in the Chick-fil-a bowl.
ReplyDeleteWell, it assumes a lot. Because I think a win means a turning of the tides for our program. I think a win catapults us to a 10-2 record and Eastern Title and, maybe, the odds on favorite in the SEC next year. I simply think we put it together if we win. Obviously, we could tank it and lose to Auburn and Tech after a win, but I just don't see that happening. I think we get rolling a little.
ReplyDeleteI've got a hot mess for you. What if LSU beats Bama and Arky beats LSU? Who goes at that point?
Arky would have and Eastern win over South Carolina, which LSU and Bama would not. They'd also have a non-conf. win vs. A & M.
LSU would have non-conf. wins vs. Oregon and W. Va.
It'll be interesting to see how all these bowls shake out. Obviously, we want N.O., but who knows what it will be. What if we win the conference and end up vs. Boise again in the Sugar? Could we actually make it to the Cotton this year? What if we go 10-2, and lose a valiant battle in Atlanta. We're 10-3. LSU/Bama go to the BCS. Does Orlando take Arkansas? Then, you've got Cotton and Outback choosing? Do we finally make that trip to Dallas or do we get screwed into Tampa (which ain't a bad place) and 7-5 Auburn goes to the Cotton. That's what's wrong with this system. The East really gets screwed in this deal, especially since that new stadium has been built. Just kind of interesting thoughts.