Regardless, the most hate-filled rivalry of rivalry week figures to be the end of a winning streak for the Tigers. Their offense stinks something awful and they are playing in Tuscaloosa. Although Auburn stunning Alabama is second on my wish list this weekend, there's not a snowball's chance in South Beach of that happening in my mind. The Tigers will pick up a couple late scores in garbage time.
Alabama 38-Auburn 21
Bad news Gator fans: backup QB Cam Newton was arrested for stealing a laptop and then throwing it out a window. Don't know if the Gators can overcome that one. Meanwhile, Rhodes Scholar nominee and Florida State safety Myron Rolle was named to the Academic All-American second team. What does a guy have to do to get named to the first team? Apparently, cracking 1000 on the SAT is not one of them. St. Tebow got first-team honors despite getting somewhere around a 900 on the SAT. He did ace his third-world circumcision midterm though.
The Sunshine State's biggest rivalry has more luster than it has in years. The Gators and Seminoles are both ranked. The Doak should be rocking, but that won't do much good in stopping the circus act that is the Florida offense. I don't think the Gators are going to break 50 again, but you never know. I think the Noles will keep it close for a quarter or two. Then the floodgates open.
Florida 35-Florida State 21
The Big-12 quagmire looks to get slightly clearer this weekend. If Oklahoma State can knock off the Sooners, Texas goes to the Big-12 title game. If not...things will get interesting. Oklahoma absolutely demolished Texas Tech last weekend. Mike Gundy probably saw it on TV. He also probably feels like less of a man for doing so. That Sooner offense was scary. In fact, so was the defense. Let the debate begin.
Oklahoma 45-Oklahoma State 31
Alright Peach State residents (I believe the entire readership of this blog). It's finally time for some Clean Old Fashioned Hate. Apparently, the Dawgs don't even need to bother playing this one. The AJC gave Georgia the triple kiss of death, with Barnhart, Schultz and Moore all going with the North Avenue Trade School.
I can't say I blame Schultz or Barnhart. They have picked Georgia to be dominant all year and the Dawgs have made them look like fools. However, I do believe this perpetuates the stereotype that sports pundits have dangerously short memories.
Yeah, the Jackets plowed through Miami last week. But yeah, the got crushed by UNC the week before. They also beat Gardner-Webb by 3 and lost to Virginia. They needed a miraculous fumble to beat FSU. The pundits point to Tech "wanting it more" as reason for this one. How many points do you get in the scoreboard for "wanting it more?"
I got news for you. I guarantee you that The Citadel wanted to beat Florida more than the Gators wanted to win that one. No doubt in my mind. Didn't turn out too well for the Citadel. I'm not saying the talent disparity is anywhere near that level for this game. But, the "wanting it more" argument is ridiculous.
If you want to talk about mental aspects of this game, talk about seven in a row. Talk about most of these players being in sixth grade the last time Georgia lost.
More importantly, talk about talent and ability. The Tech option attack looked nice last week. Dwyer is a heck of a running back. Their defensive line is extremely talented.
But despite Georgia's disappointing (read 9-2) season so far, the Dawgs are not exactly chopped liver. This is still the preseason No. 1 team in the land (which, along with 5 bucks gets you a latte at Starbucks) but no one seems to think Georgia has a shot.
Georgia's offense is still pretty good. Make that very good. The defense, to my surprise, is still in the top-25 in total defense nationally. And Mark Richt has still never lost to Tech, and has a handful of losses to out of conference opponents.
So, I'm going out on a limb here. Conventional wisdom says that this is a rivalry game and it's going to be close. Also, every time I pick Tech to lose, they win. Well, I don't care.
The Georgia team that graced Sports Illustrated covers and had me dreaming of Miami in January is finally going to show up. Stafford is going to put on a show that ensures he is a top-5 draft pick and Moreno is going to do what he always does. The defense is going to play smart for once.
Then, the UGA cheerleaders are going to carry me out of the stadium on one of those big chairs that sultans sit in. They will fan me with palm leaves and feed me grapes.
Shhh...don't ruin my dream.
Dawgs 42-Jackets 24
2 comments:
I kinda feel a Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl type result here. Everyone gave Hawaii a lot of credit for being undefeated, Colt Brennan for being more than a rapist, etc. But when it came time for them to play a real football team, they got their you know what pushed in. Of course GA Tech has been hyped as having "the perfect option," but Georgia was also supposed to play close (and lose according to Mark May I believe) to a Hawaii team who could put up 50+ points on any defense.
I'm with Adam on the prediction, hopefully not as close as the media thinks.
first off, props to tech. i’m not a sore loser at all, they came to play, hung in there and eventually took advantage of our undisciplined defense. they did exactly what they had to do to win the game.
that being said, this game completely sealed the deal for me, willie has got to go and he has got to go now! i'll help the guy move, even clean out his garage if needed.
from watching the game, anybody could tell that it wasn’t so much GT dominating as it was UGA not tackling. time and time again we missed the ball carrier when he was right in front of us, sometimes even 3 or 4 guys missed. we gave up 410 yards on the ground. 410. check that... 410!
seriously, how do we lose a game where stafford throws for 407 yards and 5 TDs? there is no excuse at all for this lose if you’re georgia. 2 weeks to prepare, at home, having beat this team 7 years in a row and knowing that GT really could only run the ball.
it was just an embarrassing effort and there is no way we'll win our bowl game with this kind of effort again on defense. in fact, ohio st. will crush us if we play like this again, because unlike GT, they have a passing game too.
willie martinez should be fired simply because he’s not getting the job done. his schemes this year has been horrendous and it, at the very least, cost us the bama game and the tech game. we need somebody who’s not afraid to blitz, who’ll play tighter on WRs, and for the love of GOD teach these guys how to tackle.
it's not that crazy of a concept to wrap somebody up and take them down, instead of using your body as a torpedo just hoping you'll knock a guy off balance enough to fall. i never played football and i know this, so what excuse do any of these players or coaches have to back up this kind of effort?
i'm completely fed up with this team now. they need to find an edge before next season or it won't matter if stafford and moreno stay or go.
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