Poll time: Is this the year Dogs finally thump Gators?
Orson Charles and Dogs came close last year but lost in overtime. (Brant Sanderlin)
Here we go again. Does I-95 morph into Georgia’s “Trail of Tears” again?
Heading to Athens this morning for Mark Richt’s weekly news conference. I think you can make a case that this is the most important Georgia-Florida game during Richt’s administration, given the ramifications for both this season (the SEC East is still up for grabs) and the big picture (no elaboration necessary).
Loading ...The Gators have lost three straight, but they had lost three straight last season when they defeated the Bulldogs in overtime 34-31. The Dogs have won five straight, but the fact the wins have comes over Coastal Carolina, Mississippi,Mississippi State, Tennessee and Vanderbilt justifiably tempers the celebration (the four SEC opponents have a combined conference record of 1-15.)
I’m not ready to make a prediction yet. You’ll have to wait a couple of days. But here are a few reasons why either team can win, just in case you need something to ponder before voting in the who’s-going-to-win poll.
Why Georgia will win:
• 1) Better quarterback: Aaron Murray has not had a great season but he should be given the edge over John Brantley, who is expected to return from an injury after missing two and a half games and figures to be rusty.
• 2) Better defense: It might be difficult to tell because of the level of opponents, but the Dogs’ defense has improved this season (third in the SEC, sixth in the nation at 272.9 yards per game), and to a lesser degree in scoring (20.4 ranks sixth in the SEC, 27th in the nation).
• 3) Law of averages: Florida has won 18 of the last 21 meetings. Richt has lost three straight and eight of 10. But the Dogs came close last year. It has to turn at some point … doesn’t it?
Why Florida will win:
• 1) Weis vs. defense: The Florida offense has been a mess the last few weeks. But Charlie Weis is one of the best offensive coaches in the game and now he gets back his starting quarterback. Even if Brantley’s timing is off, Weis will put him in the right situations to succeed.
• 2) This could be a three-point game. So it seems appropriate to point out that the Florida kicker (Caleb Sturgis) is 15 for 16 and the Georgia kicker (Blair Walsh) is 12 for 20.
• 3) The Gators are not nearly as bad as they’ve been made out to be. They were waxed in consecutive games by Alabama and LSU, but those two are leveling everybody. In the last game, a 17-6 loss to Auburn, Florida was still missing Brantley. Can we really say they’re worse than Georgia? To date, the schools have had only one common opponent: Tennessee. The Dogs won 20-12; the Gators won 33-23. That’s a push. Florida has beaten Kentucky and lost to Auburn, which Georgia hasn’t played yet. Georgia has lost to South Carolina and beaten Vanderbilt, which Florida hasn’t played yet.
By Jeff Schultz
Follow me on Twitter (@JeffSchultzAJC). Friend me on Facebook (Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC).
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
430 comments Add your comment
Dap01
October 25th, 2011
9:00 am
Weis is only great at the buffet. Was Notre Dame a great offensive team? No, it was horrible.
TrishaDishaWarEagle
October 25th, 2011
9:01 am
When you lose 19 out of 22 to any one team, one thing is certain..during some of those years, you had the better team and still lost. It’s in your heads now..UGA fans are afraid to look in a mirror on a spooky night and say Urban Meyer 3 times, lest he appear with Tim Tebow and blow out the Dawgs again and again. UGA should win, on paper, but I wouldn’t put money on it.
VegasVinnie
October 25th, 2011
9:02 am
Why Florida will win?
1- Better coaches
2- Better QB–Bratley has won a game against a ranked team, and beat some teams with winning records, Murray hasn’t.
3- Mental edge- 18-3 in last 21 games.
4- Conditioning- Florida’s conditioning program is far superior to Georgia’s–look for Florida to go hurry up the whole game like last year
loel
October 25th, 2011
9:02 am
I have wished for years that Georgia people would get over this illusion that they have to play the game in Jacksonville. It is, regardless of opinions ,a HOME GAME FOR FLORIDA. Even Spurrier said that. Switch it out with the GEORGIA DOME. The drunks can still have their party every other year. I know its about MONEY but I would like some wins and a level playing field.
Dawgfan79
October 25th, 2011
9:03 am
Vegas odds are actually on UGA.
Dawgs win by 10 and Crowell runs for 150 yards.
VegasVinnie
October 25th, 2011
9:03 am
UGA QB’s self destruct in this game every year. Georgia will beat itself.
2008- 3 interceptions
2009- 3 interceptions
2010- 3 interceptions
TrishaDishaWarEagle
October 25th, 2011
9:05 am
The GhettoDome is just not a party atmosphere..then it just becomes any other old game.
layinlow
October 25th, 2011
9:06 am
Dave, sorry but if you want to keep getting stomped by UF every year and accepting it then fine. I guess us idiots want to compete with Florida and the upper echelon of the SEC. I suppose you’re happy winning 7 or 8 games and being happy about it but I’m not. The state of Georgia produces some of the best talent in the nation and we should be at the top year in and year out. Richt hasn’t been getting it done and the pollyanna’s just can’t seem to accept that fact. UGA has become an SEC also ran.
Old School
October 25th, 2011
9:06 am
Law of averages?
JT
October 25th, 2011
9:09 am
“UGA fans are afraid to look in a mirror on a spooky night and say Urban Meyer 3 times”
This has to be the lamest post of all time.
VegasVinnie
October 25th, 2011
9:10 am
You can’t get better odds than a team that has beat the other team 18 out of last 21.
a gambler’s dream.
Florida, by 10.
BurytheBone
October 25th, 2011
9:11 am
@1eyedjack, I’m thinking at least a carton. But my eleven year old says we win in a close one. He’s been right all year. I’m still not getting that warm fuzzy feeling. I say HUNKER DOWN YOU HAIRY DAWGS….WE DON’T NEED NO CATS…. WE NEED DAWGS!!!! GATA
VegasVinnie
October 25th, 2011
9:12 am
I don’t have a buddy who’s putting money on the Dogs.
gdawginkalamazoo
October 25th, 2011
9:13 am
I think if we can keep any of our drives from getting to the 2nd & 57 point we might have chance to do some good here. Or if we can actually find somebody to pay attention on special teams we might have a chance. How about Boo making a difference.
roughrider
October 25th, 2011
9:13 am
I hope CMR has the class to resign if he loses to Florida.
VegasVinnie
October 25th, 2011
9:14 am
Georgia has 5 wins, but they havn’t beat anybody. The SEC teams they beat, havn’t won an SEC game combined. Georgia got tested twice early, and came up short again.
Came up short in all 5 big games in 2010 too.
Georgia chokes.
THE Dixie Redcoat Band
October 25th, 2011
9:14 am
We bet that Pepper Rogers would tell the team…”just go out and play hard and have a good time”..
Michael
October 25th, 2011
9:15 am
The stars are aligned. FL is down and UGA has two weeks to prepare. Where’s Goldberg?
VegasVinnie
October 25th, 2011
9:15 am
Comes down to winning the turnover battle, look at last 3 years, 12 turnovers for Georgia???? That’s pathetic.
Ga wins easy
October 25th, 2011
9:16 am
Georgia has a lot more talent at all key positions and should win this game easy, by at least 20. Florida’s team may be the worst since the 1980s when Ga would win every year. After Ga beats fla, they will beat auburn by 10-20 in Athens and win the SEC east. Then, an easy win over a bad tech team.
TrishaDishaWarEagle
October 25th, 2011
9:18 am
@JT
Aww just for that, I will go ahead and beat FL congresswoman Corrine Brown to the punch and “‘gradulate the florida university gata on they win ova da georgia university boodawgs with one of the best… defense plays. ..Go Gata!!”
FSU baby
October 25th, 2011
9:18 am
UF has had qb problems, like us…UGA has stupid player problems…UGA is like GT won the easy games but now it time to walk the walk are sthu…Both wins are important to Coach’s future…
UF buy 3 if there qb plays if not UGA by 6..Both teams have a safe trip, students too… State Troopers are on the roads.
DawginLex
October 25th, 2011
9:18 am
Everyone keeps saying that Tennessee is a nobody.
Anyone else notice Cincy’s record and who their only loss is to?
Georgia and florida both beat UT. Brantley being healthy was the difference.
Him being back is going to be huge for them but he still has to be gimpy.
We need to pressure him and sack him and not allow him to sit back and not get hit.
VegasVinnie
October 25th, 2011
9:18 am
Georgia can’t dominate teams. All 4 SEC teams, 14 points wins or less.
7576DAWG
October 25th, 2011
9:19 am
THE BAD:
1-We want have Geathers or Williams for the first half.
2-Murray’s history in big games.
3- Walsh’s worst year by far.
4- Terrible special team play.
THE GOOD:
1- Geathers and Williams will be as ready as one could get to play the second half and make a statement.
2- Robinson, Mitchell, and Ogletree will be back and ready to make a difference.
3- Florida knows that if Murray had not self destructed last year we could have beaten them by 2 or 3 touchdowns. We came behind at half to take it to overtime. The Florida players will remember that they were not dominate and that the better team lost.
4- Georgia has the confidence that they can win and the whole team wants it.
FSU baby
October 25th, 2011
9:19 am
buy..sp by
DawginLex
October 25th, 2011
9:20 am
If either team scores the same amount of points as they did last year, that team will win.
This game will be 20-14 or 21-17 unless one team decides to turn it over a lot, then the spread widens.
VegasVinnie
October 25th, 2011
9:21 am
Easy play here is put all your chips on Florida. They will cover the spread too. No brainer.
FSU baby
October 25th, 2011
9:23 am
7576..different coach this year..so forget last year.
shankit
October 25th, 2011
9:25 am
Call heads on the coin toss this year and we win.
JDawg17875
October 25th, 2011
9:26 am
I’ll believe it when I see it.
GO DAWGS!
ARdawg
October 25th, 2011
9:31 am
Dawgs win it and should win big. It is likely CMR’s final test for a few seasons of whether he wishes to keep his job at UGA. If he does wish to keep his job, the Gators are steamrolled because, he will prepare and have them ready. If he shows up with his usual non-chalant posterity, we go down for the fourth straight year. What’s it going to be coach?
cantondawg
October 25th, 2011
9:31 am
THIS is definitely our year…We beat FL and then Au on our way to the SEC East title.
Dawg Breath
October 25th, 2011
9:32 am
The bye week is a bigger advantage for the new Florida staff. They came into the season without having peronally seen their players in game situations. The bye week gave them a chance to reevaluate with the benefit of those first seven games. Now we’ll see if they can do anything with that extra time…
bart
October 25th, 2011
9:36 am
I’m a huge Dawg fan. If UGA doesn’t win this year, then when will we win? All the odds are in our favor. If we don’t win, then Richt definitely needs to go. But I think we’ll win.
DawginLex
October 25th, 2011
9:36 am
Another thing in UGA’s favor is the change from the spread to the I formation by Florida.
ARdawg
October 25th, 2011
9:39 am
Georgia has all of the ingredients to have a breakout game and a blowout of Florida. If Georgia is serious about making the run at the Est title they will have to make an impression and this is the marquee to accomplish that. While it appears Carolina is in the driver’s seat, that is actually Georgia. If they beat FL,AU and KYthey will coast. All winnable games. Carolina will lose 1, likely 2 more conference games. All the Dawgs need do is win. All games are important but all games are the opportunity to make that impression and it starts this week with Florida
JB
October 25th, 2011
9:40 am
Anyone looking at Season to date play would have to think the Dawgs will win…………But, not so fast my friend……Florida has looked rough, but they have played a tough schedule without their starting QB and a new system, while my Dawgs have their systems in place, their pretty good starting regular QB has been in place and played a really weak schedule the last 5 game winning streak. On paper the Dawgs ought to win, but that team and that stadium does something to us. Georgia should of won last year. Murray made way to many mistakes for turnovers and easy points…..But, here we go….Dawgs 31-Fla 21
Milk
October 25th, 2011
9:40 am
And they call our players small?! Look at Orson in that picture. You can tell he lives in the weight room. Tight End but built like a linebacker
tastelike chicken
October 25th, 2011
9:44 am
no. they can’t/won’t/aren’t gonna win against FL.
JB
October 25th, 2011
9:46 am
Would love to see a 45-7 Dawg win and watch Muschamp on the darn hot seat for a change.
OLDDAWGFAN
October 25th, 2011
9:46 am
BATON ROUGE, La.
Three Louisiana State University players suspended last week for failing drug tests are expected to be reinstated Tuesday, CBS Sports reported, citing sources
how about that after all the bs about the georgia vanderbilt game
PMC
October 25th, 2011
9:48 am
Until Georgia gets on some kind of run against Florida again, without resorting to clownish antics in the endzone I’m not sure I’ll have confidence that they will ever go down to Jacksonville and win.
LMAO
October 25th, 2011
9:48 am
18 out of 21 enough said.
Gator Bob
October 25th, 2011
9:52 am
Neither team is great – battle for the title of best average SEC East team out there.
Right now – S. Carolina is in the lead!
Florida will win the SEC East by beating Georgia and S. Carolina head to head. S. Carolina will lose to ARK as well. All 3 teams finish 5-3 SEC record.
So what’s the prize of winning the SEC EAST?
Being the sacrificial lamb on the alter of the SEC WEST in the title game!
Florida will beat UGA.
Why?
UGA can’t put away poor teams – and their perceived improvement – is based on beating – but not putting away poor teams.
I thought UGA’s defense was improved – until I saw Vandy run on UGA.
Florida – had a rough 3 weeks – Alabama, LSU and Auburn. Playing Auburn with our #3 QB. A game we got hosed on a bad call – leading to an Auburn score – which was the difference in the game.
Florida has better athletes – and is a better team.
Weiss or Bobo? HMMMMMMM….. pretty easy to pick this one.
Special teams ……..go with Florida.
Defense? …….hard to say – seeing UGA playing well – but against poor teams.
Georiga – which goes conservative and plays not to lose.
Look for Florida to attack UGA like Boise – quick 3 step drops to set up intermediate – which will set up some runs.
Travel Safe to all – Go Gators!
Contractor
October 25th, 2011
9:55 am
One, Orson Charles looks like a freaking beast in that picture. Two, I don’t care if the Gators don’t have a starting quarterback yet, it still does not make them less dangerous. They still have speed out the arse, and athletes that were all four and five stars just like ours. Their defense is still very good, where our offense takes the most lackadaisical approach in all of college football it seems. I don’t see a two loss Georgia team beating a three loss Florida team “OUR YEAR”. Of course it will be nice to thump them, but this is a year we SHOULD beat them, and a year where we only have one or no losses would be “OUR YEAR” to beat them
slayer
October 25th, 2011
9:56 am
Dawgs win by 17 and continue to SEC Title game and whip Bama by 10! We win national title in 2012 and 2013!
Gator Bob
October 25th, 2011
9:56 am
Georgia fans talking their way into believing they will win. They do this every year.
1. Florida has better athletes.
2. Weiss vs Bobo
3. Special teams
4. Look at UGA consistently failing to put away poor teams.
UGA loses again in JAX.
C from Marietta
October 25th, 2011
9:58 am
I am going with Flordia, until UGA proves to me they can beat Flordia. GO DAWGS!
Thomas Brown
October 25th, 2011
10:00 am
Should be asking who has the better team. Clearly UGA does. Florida has a 1st time coach in way over his head at that school. He has no QB and that is when neither is injured. Malcolm Mitchell tweaked his hammy again yesterday in front of Seth Emerson. Isaiah Crowell is still pouting about being SUSPENDED for the Vandie 1st quarter, and he is injured too. Neither team can return punts. Neither team has beat anyone although Florida beat the vols better than we did. Neither team has an offense, at all. Both teams have a defense but our defense has been more opportunistic vs the cupcakes than Florida’s has been. Both team make a ton of mistakes and both look very poorly coached. Neither team sacks the opposing quarterbacks. One team has a defensive coordinator as head coach who has lost the last 3 games he played against us. The other team has an offensive coordinator who has lost the last 3 and lost 5 of the last 6 against them. We backed into the rankings and figure we can back into The SEC Championship Game. Florida still believes they can back into The SEC Championship Game. Florida can run the ball; all Georgia has ever done is to be a pass-happy offense. Now, with all the Isaiah Crowell issues – and no one even wants to ask was he found with something, we are reminded that the db for Florida are excellent against the pass. Vegas insider has retracted their odds and now all show -2.5 to -3 for us. Besides 2-8 when we were the better team most of those years, we are only 7-19 ATS in our last 26 vs. a team with a winning record, and 0-4 ATS in our last 4 games following a bye. Did I mention despite playing the top 2 teams in the nation and playing the only team to beat South Carolina, that Florida has a winning record ? South Carolina has the easiest schedule in the nation, except for us, and that only because they play Arkansas. Who is the best SEC East team ? There isn’t 1.