Potential first: Georgia and Tech both playing for titles
Mark Richt and Paul Johnson have their teams in position for title shots. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
This didn’t seem possible when Georgia opened the season with losses to Boise State and South Carolina and Georgia Tech followed a 6-0 start with losses to Virginia and Miami: But both schools can all but assure themselves of a ticket to their respective conference championship game this week.
The Bulldogs and Jackets never have played for conference championships in the same season since the SEC (1992) and ACC (2005) split off into divisions, nor have they ever won conference titles in the same season.
Here’s the backdrop:
• Georgia (5-1 in SEC plays) holds a half-game lead over South Carolina (5-2) in the SEC East and is a whopping 12½-point favorite over Auburn Saturday in Athens. If the Dogs win, they need to only beat Kentucky at home the following week to clinch the East. The Gamecocks’ final conference game is against Florida, which was Georgia’s last SEC victim. They hold a tiebreaker edge should the Dogs lose one of their two conference games.
• Georgia Tech’s route is a little more difficult. The Yellow Jackets (4-2) trail Virginia Tech (4-1) by a half-game. But they play host to the No. 10 Hokies Thursday night. Most lines have Virginia Tech as a one-point favorite. Georgia Tech’s only other remaining ACC game is at Duke.
(UPDATE: Just to cover all bases: Virginia technically holds a tiebreaker over Georgia Tech. But the Cavaliers would need to sweep their remaining three games against Duke, Florida State on the road and Virginia Tech to win the Coastal.)
The Jackets are coming off an upset of then-No. 5 Clemson. Can they do it again?
Tech has been to the ACC championship game twice since the conference split into divisions in 2005: It lost the title game to Wake Forest in 2006 and defeated Clemson in 2009 (official records now show that championship as vacated by the NCAA, pending appeal).
Georgia has played in three SEC championship games: The Dogs defeated Arkansas in 20o2 and LSU in 2005, and lost to LSU in 2003.
In no year have the two schools won a football conference championship in the same season (both were in the SEC until Tech became an Independent in 1963 and later joined the ACC).
So what are the chances both pull it off this week?
And then what would the chances be that both win championships? The likely opponents in the conference title games would be LSU for Georgia and Clemson for Georgia Tech.
Or should we just go one step at a time?
By Jeff Schultz
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320 comments Add your comment
5150 UOAD
November 7th, 2011
11:44 am
Time for the ACC(14) and SEC(14) to go to 9 conference games and stop PAYING/playing the FCS teams for a win.
Sailordawg
November 7th, 2011
11:44 am
And plus 2010 Clemson was unranked at the time they beat you guys…
Men's body groomer
November 7th, 2011
11:45 am
Come on dawgs beat them tigers!!!
Jeff Schultz
November 7th, 2011
11:47 am
BobDawg — 83 of those points came in 2 games. Not saying Auburn has a great defense but points allowed in other SEC games were 34-13-6-23.
go dawgs
November 7th, 2011
11:49 am
one game at a time, go dawgs! north avenue trade schoolers beware
jay
November 7th, 2011
11:52 am
I hope both teams are sitting there with everything on the line. Will make it that much sweeter
when Dawgs whip the bugs, again, as usual.
5150 UOAD
November 7th, 2011
11:52 am
DC
November 7th, 2011
11:42 am
I find it humorous that you UGA fans think just b/c someone is a fan of another school that isn’t UGA that they are GT Trolls…or trolls in general…………..
The dawgs think that because they Troll on the Tech blog all the time. The UGA fans don’t realize most other SEC teams don’t like Dawg posters either. Most of the “trolls” on the Tech blogs are Dawgs, but if they are from another ACC team the blogger can prove it.
gdawginkalamazoo
November 7th, 2011
11:59 am
GT crushes VT Thursday.
FDawg
November 7th, 2011
11:59 am
Giving the Dawgs 12.5 points! Really? And for those of you who think VT is a lock…just remember how Tech manhandled Clemson. Good luck to both.
5150 UOAD
November 7th, 2011
12:02 pm
FDawg…………….you don’t bet do you?
Moron the dawgs are GIVING Auburn 12.5 points
Auburn Pride
November 7th, 2011
12:02 pm
If Auburn was in the SEC East – we would win that division.
We have all ready defeated FL and USCe – UGA will be next.
Final Score – Auburn 38 – UGA 24
gdawginkalamazoo
November 7th, 2011
12:03 pm
5150 UAOD, I would agree with the dropping of FCS games however there would be plenty of FCS schools out there that would have to drop their sports programs. A lot of those schools rely on the big game money that they get paid. Plus our programs do need the breaks these games offer throughout the year.
Men's body groomer
November 7th, 2011
12:03 pm
I don’t think the yellow jackies will have a chance of pulling out a win against the dawgs, unless they come up with some trick plays. It should be a great game one way or the other, now come dawgs, beat them auburn tigers!!!!
azdawg
November 7th, 2011
12:05 pm
The dawgs better not pay attention to the odds makers. It’ll be a close game if AU is able to run the ball on the dawgs.
Tokyo jacket
November 7th, 2011
12:06 pm
I’m looking for Tech and UGA to be in their respective driver’s seats come Nov 26. I think Tech will expose VPISU and UGA will get by AU, but I’d take the points in a bet. Two questions though: has GT ever beaten consecutive BCS Top 10 teams (how often does that happen period)? And, would the two teams play it safe w/ personnel to help ensure victories the next week in search of a BCS bowl?
ARdawg
November 7th, 2011
12:08 pm
If Auburn was in the East, Georgia would still win it
ARdawg
November 7th, 2011
12:09 pm
azdawg
I’m looking for a close hard fought game with the barners too
bjohndawg
November 7th, 2011
12:11 pm
Would love to see a 9-2 Dawg team and a 9-2 Jacket team playing in Atlanta. With both headed to their respective conference championship game.
That would be great for football in the state of Georgia no matter who you are a fan of.
Go Dawgs!
ARdawg
November 7th, 2011
12:13 pm
I’d be tempted to take the points
East
November 7th, 2011
12:17 pm
Auburn beats DAWGS, FLA beats USC. Dawgs beat Kentucky then lose to GT. Dawgs get into SECCG at 8-4 and lose to LSU. At 8-5, go to a second rate Bowl game since the major bowls took LSU and Alabama.
Sec 114
November 7th, 2011
12:19 pm
For those of you discounting Georgia Tech’s defense, remember this squad held the explosive Clemson offense to a mere 17 points. And just because the defense might lack the talent to stay with the dawgs for a full 30 minutes, doesn’t mean they can’t hang or at least hold on for 25. The biggest defense for Georgia Tech against Clemson was it’s offense. We had the ball for 39 minutes, which disallows the opposing offense to get in any sort of rhythm. I’m convinced if Clemson can only put up 17 in 21 minutes, Georgia can’t even put up half that. And for the record, I’m not convinced Georgia can stop Tech either.
JMac2011
November 7th, 2011
12:20 pm
Well, I believe that GT has the better chance to win its division than UGA. It has been what some 2 years since UGA has beaten a ranked opponent, and Auburn is a better team that UGA.
gdawginkalamazoo
November 7th, 2011
12:24 pm
JMac2011, Auburn is a better team than UGA. More consistent offense. Better running backs. I say we have the edge on defense and that might be the difference in this game IF our special teams and offense don’t give the game away.
Belcher
November 7th, 2011
12:26 pm
CMR, is “pothead” Crowell going to retain #1 and, if so, why????????
5150 UOAD
November 7th, 2011
12:26 pm
gdawgin……………..It is not the FBS schools JOB to support the smaller schools. It is not good, but FBS teams Paying then for a win is stupid. All it does it force Season Ticket Holders to pay for a game NOBODY wants to see or attend. Some on the smaller schools in the FBS that play the AQ schools are enough of a joke. I want to PAY to see GOOD Football games/teams for my money.
5150 UOAD
November 7th, 2011
12:30 pm
SEC 114…………there are 60 minutes in a game…………4 15 minute quarters. Tech will have to hang with UGA for more than 30 minutes to win. Tech has to play both With the ball and WITHOUT the ball to win and that is a whole 60 minutes.
Old GT Fan
November 7th, 2011
12:39 pm
Eastern Dawg says GT has a terrible defense. Guess he did not see the Tech/Clemson game.
gdawginkalamazoo
November 7th, 2011
12:43 pm
5150 UOAD, then go watch the pros play. There is no way that these still developing players can sustain a 12 to 14 game season without injuries. It has always been this way with D-1 football from as long as I can remember. I agree it is not the job of the big schools to support the FCS schools but as far as athletics go I have no problem paying out the monies to see the games. Sometimes they are well worth it. Remember App State beating Michigan or LOU-LA beating Bama a couple of years back? Or who was it Richmond beating Va Tech? Or Georgia beating GaTech last year?
5150 UOAD
November 7th, 2011
12:48 pm
gdawgin………………paying $50 for how many years to get a App State v Michigan? I am sure the Michigan fans were not Happy when that upset happened.
Where is Kalamazoo?
P. Bull Terrier
November 7th, 2011
12:50 pm
My Prediction:
Georgia beats Auburn and Kentucky to clinch the SEC East. To celebrate, everyone parties at Crowell’s crib. Trying to figure out which Tech back has the ball is hard enough when you’re sober, but when you’re still high from last weekend’s party…
Tech bounces back from an embarassing loss to Duke with a win over UGA.
Clean and sober after the loss to Ga Tech, the Dawgs upset LSU in the SEC Championship game.
Tech declares themselves SEC Champions since they beat Georgia and Georgia beat LSU, who beat Alabama…
BCS voters, especially the computer pollsters, buy into the Ga Tech logic and rank Ga Tech #2 in the final poll, right behind the only undefeated team in the country – Houston.
The BCS National title game is played before a crowd of 12 people. Three days and 52 overtimes later, the NCAA decides that neither team will ever stop the other from scoring and declares the game a tie.
The coaches vote Alabama #1 in the final poll, but the AP writers surprise no one when they rank Ohio State at the top of their poll. The computers can’t agree on which team is #1, with LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma, Stanford, Arkansas, and Duke finishing at the top of various computer polls..
A Georgia Tech grad student builds a robot from pieces of an old Atari system, crunches the numbers, and discovers that Ga Tech gained more rushing yards than any team that was voted #1 in any of the polls.
Thus, Ga Tech declares themselves National Champions.
Scorekeeper
November 7th, 2011
12:52 pm
Auburn rolls over dawgtards, wins by 13 points.
Tech wins a close game by a field goal.
Saturday will be a fun day.
Ming the Merciless
November 7th, 2011
12:55 pm
And it came to pass that Mark Richt brought billions of people from Mongo to Earth in spacecraft, stacked them around volcanoes, and detonated hydrogen bombs in the volcanoes. The Dawgs then clustered together, stuck to the bodies of the living, and continue to do this today. Society’s biggest problem is to isolate and neutralize the Dawgs and their companions, the fleas.
Gamecocks and Gators have had great success in this.
Most people didn’t know this.
GT Rolls!
November 7th, 2011
12:56 pm
Hey Who Cares: If UGA wins the east, which they probably will do, it will be a sad day for the SEC. If you look at who UGA has played, only two teams, those being SC and Boise State are good, while everyone else in the east is a joke. TN = suxs, Vandy = suxs, UF = suxs, Ole Miss = suxs, New Mexico State = Really suxs, Kentucky = suxs, Miss St = suxs. Add up the combined winning records of the teams UGA has played and will play and it’s a joke. I hope UGA wins the east, as the hammering you will take from LSU or Alabama will be priceless. A must DVR game. By the way, UGA loses to GT this year. THWG!
chris
November 7th, 2011
12:57 pm
I think chances are good they both get there. LSU in my opinoin is the better option for Georgia and a chance of an upset. LSU offense is average at best, and Georgia Defense is playing well enough to keep the game close. Still don’t think Georgia can win it though.
Tech seems to have Clemson’s number so I think that is winnable for Tech
Jimmy Crack
November 7th, 2011
12:58 pm
I think the Georgia defense will get their pound of flesh and make the Auburn QB see double after the zebra-ignored mugging that dirtbag Fairley and the Tigers gave Aaron Murray in Auburn last season. Now that it is back in Athens, I expect payback in the form of blitzes from every defensive position raining down on their QB and with very bad intentions. Auburn, prepare your backup QBs, you will need them.
38-17 Bulldogs.
OWS
November 7th, 2011
12:59 pm
A survey done over the weekend shows that 94% of “Occupiers” are UGA fans, students, or alumni.
The other 6% weren’t fans of the team, but they wanted to know if Isaiah Crowell could get them some good weed.
gdawginkalamazoo
November 7th, 2011
1:00 pm
5150, Kalamazoo is southwest Michigan about halfway between Detroit and Chicago. There were SO many Michigan fans PO’s about that game before it was played. They made the same argument that you are making. Shouldn’t even be playing them, not worthy of being on our field. They weren’t any happier when it was over. But those App State fans and players would have paid decades for that win.
BobDawg
November 7th, 2011
1:00 pm
Jeff, I saw the Auburn-Florida game and neither team could score…. and it wasn’t the defenses…They are both pitiful on offense… Brantley wasn’t playing for UF and they still almost won…
ARdawg
November 7th, 2011
1:01 pm
What is a shame is, all these GT fans on the blog and 1 of 10 might have a rational thought and/or contribution to the topic. Don’t be a hatred Homer, letting your hatred for UGA cloud your judgement and thought process. Contribute constructively or s.t.f.u. It matters not what your position or belief is or that you think GT is the greatest thing since slice bread. Encourage civil discourse and quit posting just for negative reaction
BobDawg
November 7th, 2011
1:01 pm
… in Fact, I thought the Ref’s were going to penalize both benches for failure to resemble Football Teams!!!!
The Truth
November 7th, 2011
1:02 pm
GT wins out, wins the ACC and wins the Orange Bowl. UGA wins the East and get blown out by LSU 38-0.
Dawglasville
November 7th, 2011
1:03 pm
Has UGA improved or is it simply the schedule? Will the Tech team that destroyed 5th ranked Clemson show up or the team that lost to Virginia and Miami show? We will find out a lot this week. For all of the crowing by Auburn fans, we will see in you in 5 days. For all the Tech fans who are crowing we will see you in 20 days. It is good for all involved to have meaningful games left to play.
Navy Seal Dawg
November 7th, 2011
1:07 pm
Yes we did loose the first 2 games. If we played them right now, I think our chances would be better.
ARdawg
November 7th, 2011
1:08 pm
Dawlasville
We don’t have as many AU fans here on the blog as maybe advertised
Ted M
November 7th, 2011
1:08 pm
I think GT beats VT. But I’m not so sure anymore that Virginia loses again. VA has been playing very well. FL State is a shell and VT could lose that in-state rivalry game easy.
wreckmaniac
November 7th, 2011
1:09 pm
Looks like another national championship for the dawgs. Let’s see, that will be 7 consecutive ? All they have to do is beat LSU (we all know that Auburn and Tech are in the bag) and either Stanford, Ok State or Boise in the BCS. This is the best set of circumstances that they could ever wish for. A slam dunk.
1eyedJack
November 7th, 2011
1:09 pm
After Virginia and Miami whupped the GnaTs all 33 of their fans were ready to slit their wrists. One win later and they are again undefeatable. After another beatdown by VT Thursday it should be back to form.
Dawglasville
November 7th, 2011
1:10 pm
GT Rolls! – If we beat Tech this year does that count as a quality win in your book?
ARdawg
November 7th, 2011
1:11 pm
Auburn doesn’t have the talent or the depth to beat or outlast Georgia this year. The only thing that may point to an AU victory is the history and even that was skewed by last years defeat of Georgia in Auburn. The only way AU beats UGA this year is CMR asleep at the wheel and did not prepare to beat Aurburn. Otherwise, there is nothing, which in and of itself is something in this series
wreckmaniac
November 7th, 2011
1:11 pm
P. Bull Terrier: You are a crackup. Thanks