Oddsmaker: Georgia would be 10.5-point underdogs to LSU
Les Miles' team is ranked No. 1 by the BCS.
Mark Richt's Dogs have won eight straight.
As Georgia fans begin to allow themselves to dream the impossible dream — beating LSU in the SEC championship game — here’s a clue about how big of an underdog the Bulldogs would be that week.
Todd Fuhrman, the senior race and sports analyst for Caesars Entertainment in Las Vegas, said Monday that he projects LSU to be a 10½-point favorite over Georgia at the SEC title game at the Georgia Dome on Dec. 3. That assumes the Dogs win their final two games against Kentucky (which would clinch the SEC East) and Georgia Tech (road), and LSU defeats Mississippi (road) and Arkansas (home).
Fuhrman, reached by phone on Monday, said the point spread will be about 10½ “unless something unexpected happens, like LSU struggles against Arkansas. The [SEC title] game is going to be played in the Georgia Dome, but in championship games there’s not a real home field advantage.”
Georgia fans might perceive the projected line as a lack of respect for a team that will have won 10 straight. But Fuhrman said, “A couple of weeks ago I think most of us would’ve said LSU would be close to a two-touchdown favorite. But their offense has struggled some the last couple of weeks and Georgia’s defense is playing well, especially against the run, like they showed in the Auburn game. If LSU can’t run, they’re going to have problems.”
Fuhrman also said that the play of quarterback Aaron Murray and the receivers around him give Georgia “a puncher’s chance” in that game.
The projected 10½-point spread seems right to me. Do you agree, or is Georgia being short-changed?
By Jeff Schultz
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391 comments Add your comment
flagboy?
November 14th, 2011
3:31 pm
TampaGator
November 14th, 2011
3:23 pm
Bronco……
That better coach at Vandy lost to the horrible coach at Florida. And the horrible coach at Florida almost coached his battered and undrmanned Gator team to a victory over your Dawgs and SC this year. Yep….horrible coach. Only a 4 point loss to your best team in 30 years…..with the worst Gator team in 30 years. I can’t imagine what he is going to do when all his freshmen and sophs grow up and he adds all those 5-star recruits this year. Gosh……just can’t imagine.
_____________________________________
Yeah, that’s the problem. . . no one knows for certain. Muschamp might be great; he might be awful. Right now, the signs point to awful. It’s funny to hear people blaming Meyer for FLA’s problems at the moment. You get to play that card for one year.
How many skill players is FLA losing this year? I don’t in any way think FLA stays down for long. The state is too talent-rich. But, I think there is a very good chance FLA will be as poor, if not worse, next year.
And best team in 30 years? . . . come on.
Spaceman Spiff
November 14th, 2011
3:31 pm
@gbal
Good points, but lose the caps please!
Fugiddaboutit
November 14th, 2011
3:31 pm
LSU 45, Dawgturds 13
I-DOG
November 14th, 2011
3:31 pm
Don’t disagree at all. Fans have been saying all season that IF UGA made it to the SECCG, either LSU or AL would kill us. If we beat KY and make it in…it will be a big challenge, but we have a legitimate shot to win the SEC and that is amazing considering how last season and this year started out.
The better team doesn’t always win the football game and if Georgia continues to play like they did against Auburn, this will not be a cakewalk for LSU.
1eyedJack
November 14th, 2011
3:31 pm
TampaGator, who told you this was our best team in 30 years? But you’re right Florida is terrible. Get used to it for a while.
Ryan
November 14th, 2011
3:31 pm
I wonder who they will put in the nat champ game if uga beats them.
GTBob
November 14th, 2011
3:31 pm
So, i’m willing to bet what you said there is incorrect. Are you willing to bet that what you said is correct?
Once again, im not willing to place one bet when a better bet is sitting right next to it. If you want to give me 8.5 then ill go with your mythical bookie service. Otherwise, I am going to do the common sense thing and take the better bet. If Vegas raises the spread to 21, then I will consider betting with your service. Send me the lines, when you guys have them. I will look into it.
GTBob
November 14th, 2011
3:33 pm
AND I like Men!
Spaceman Spiff
November 14th, 2011
3:33 pm
@ GTBob
Once again, why are you so concerned with what UGA does?
Bill Stanfill
November 14th, 2011
3:33 pm
GTBob,
Everytime I come onto a DAWG blog I see your name. You spend more time on UGA blogs than even the most devoted UGA online fans. (In a way, I can’t blame you because there’s hardly anybody on the GT blogs.) But let’s be real: you need to either get a life or just go on and get it over with and convert. Go where your heart obviously is, son–get on your knees, say a prayer, and convert to DAWGISM.
GTBob
November 14th, 2011
3:33 pm
I just asked Beamer, and he agreed.
How would Beamer know? He is still thanking god that our LB decided to Kwame-punch the opposing QB for no reason.
GTBob
November 14th, 2011
3:34 pm
AND I have posters of UGA players on my bathroom walls!
GTBob
November 14th, 2011
3:35 pm
I have no life. You guys are like my big brother. Always beating me up.
flagboy?
November 14th, 2011
3:35 pm
All that just for, “yeah, i was blowing hot air”
You won’t get my bet for 10.5. You’ll get my bet for 21, which you already said you see LSU winning by at least.
Should be easy money for you. Unless. . . . of course. . you’re not willing to back it up.
ole richie
November 14th, 2011
3:35 pm
With regard to UF, i don’t think Muschamps a bad coach, he’s just trying to get into a culture of pro style offense with a lot of spread type players.
DiggerDawg
November 14th, 2011
3:37 pm
All Beamer knows is that your defense folded at the end of the game and couldnt stop a qb sneak for less than 10 yards. He also knows that when you lined up to through the ball in the 4th quarter, your players looked lost because they have not learned how to pass protect.
BILLY JACK
November 14th, 2011
3:37 pm
Poor GTBob sitting there typing on a UGA site obsessing about all things Georgia wearing his pajamas with a pocket protector on both pockets…….pathetic.
gbal
November 14th, 2011
3:37 pm
DO THINK UGA HAS IMPROVED DRAMATICALLY FROM GAME 1… HAVE TO SAY THE MOST IMPROVED TEAM IN THE SEC… MAYBE NATIONALY… CANT SAY THAT REALLY BECAUSE I DONT FOLLOW AS CLOSE. I MEAN LAST TWO GAMES (I KNOW NMS…) UGA HAS BEEN TOOOOGETHER. THATS ALL I CAN SAY ABOUT THAT.
NOW I THINK 75% OF US IF FORCED TO BET THE HOUSE WOULD HAVE TAKEN AU AND THE 13. I KNOW I WOULDA… JUST COULDNT SEE THAT BEATDOWN HAPPENING.
GTBob
November 14th, 2011
3:38 pm
flagboy, I have no interest in betting a 21 point spread when I can bet a 10.5 point spread. I thought that was clear by now but you still seem to be confused. Would you like for me to explain spreads to you and why one is better then the other?
GTBob
November 14th, 2011
3:38 pm
I hope my mommy doesn’t catch me in the bathroom with my UGA posters!
JDawg1785
November 14th, 2011
3:39 pm
Once the Dawgs take care of business against UK, we can all think about the spread for the SECCG. I hope that’s the last thing on the players’ minds this week. Go Dawgs!
Spaceman Spiff
November 14th, 2011
3:40 pm
Wait a minute, GTBob is not only obsessed with the Bulldogs, he is a Vegas bookie!
GTBob
November 14th, 2011
3:41 pm
AND that Russ sure is looking good!
ole richie
November 14th, 2011
3:41 pm
JDawg, with the unity of this UGA team, i think they will be more than prepared to take on the Wildcats. I just can’t see UGA looking past them since they must win to get to the championship. Richt will have his boys mentally prepared.
BurytheBone
November 14th, 2011
3:42 pm
@ Spaceman….. I agree LSU has a great Defense. As does Alabama. But I think both teams are suspect in the passing game….D and O. If we handle the business at hand and continue to improve. The dawgs will finish in the top five. If not higher. I would love an opportunity to have a shot at Boise again. Not sure it will help our rankings. But for the players pride and fans as well.
Bogey
November 14th, 2011
3:42 pm
TampaGator–you’re having a bad year and things will certainly get better but being the dominant team in the SEC is not your birthright. You can talk about being young but look at the other teams in the east–they are all young. All the Dawgs playmakers are also freshmen or sophomores.
GTBob
November 14th, 2011
3:43 pm
Spaceman Spiff, no that is flagboy apparently. If you act fast you can get a 21 point spread on the LSU-UGA game.
flagboy??
November 14th, 2011
3:43 pm
No Bob, I’m not confused. I know what it looks like to get called out for making a ridiculous statement. I’ve done it a time or two myself.
No biggie. Carry on
GT Joe
November 14th, 2011
3:43 pm
GTBob, please clean my UGA blow-up doll before you give it back to me!
JDawg1785
November 14th, 2011
3:43 pm
No doubt, ole richie. I’m hoping they come out on fire on Saturday!
BurytheBone
November 14th, 2011
3:44 pm
GTBob is really Mike Sandusky
Spaceman Spiff
November 14th, 2011
3:44 pm
@ BurytheBone
Couldn’t have said it better…
flagboy?
November 14th, 2011
3:44 pm
No Bob, I’m not confused. I know what it looks like to get called out for making a ridiculous statement. I’ve done it a time or two myself.
No biggie. Carry on
Spaceman Spiff
November 14th, 2011
3:45 pm
@ BurytheBone
That 3:44 was just wrong…funny, but wrong…
JDawg1785
November 14th, 2011
3:45 pm
@BurytheBone, only if Mike Sandusky is Jerry Sandusky’s more perverted brother.
Instant Dawgma
November 14th, 2011
3:46 pm
Take the points….Dawgs win outright
Instant Dawgma
November 14th, 2011
3:48 pm
Don’t ever go into a game thinking we’ll lose….if you do that you’ve already lost.
BurytheBone
November 14th, 2011
3:48 pm
IT was wrong i meant jerry
JDawg1785
November 14th, 2011
3:50 pm
It’s hard to keep all the creeps in order sometimes. Go Dawgs!
Nathan
November 14th, 2011
3:51 pm
I’d not be shocked to see Georgia win the thing. LSU has had the pressure on them all year long and will continue to have it. Georgia has had nothing to lose all season and it’s in the Dome. Though that doesn’t cinch it up, Georgia will be able to play free and easy on offense and potentially scrape together enough offense to win the game. Georgia’s defense isn’t much of a slouch!
UGA 9 GT 1...hurts doesn't it?
November 14th, 2011
3:52 pm
GT Bob, you are a big mouth…let me know how to get in touch with you. I will yake all your action with UGA at 10.5 vs Tigers.
PS, we will beat your little boys like we own them, AGAIN !! Loser
doug dawg
November 14th, 2011
3:52 pm
this is how dreams die, folks. talking two or three weeks in the future. counting
wins before they happen. just be thankful for where we are now; focus only on kentucky, and then focus on the next challenge. this team has done very well, but no team can look past the next opponent. kentucky only, folks. that’s how we got this far. one game at a time.
i truly hope this team is not looking past kentucky. remember two years ago??????
Instant Dawgma
November 14th, 2011
3:53 pm
Once they start smacking heads and realize they can play with the big, bad wolf, Dogs will win….Dogs strength is stopping the run and even the oddsmaker said stop the run and you stop Lsu.
News | MrSEC.com
November 14th, 2011
3:53 pm
[...] celebrating anything yet as it turns its attention to Kentucky.4. But looking ahead, one oddsmaker would make Georgia a 10.5 point underdog to LSU in the SEC Championship Game.5. Kentucky is reeling after a 30-point blowout loss to [...]
Deven
November 14th, 2011
3:55 pm
Given that Georgia keeps up its good work, we should easily roll by UK (we’re a 28.5 favorite last time I saw) and GT (they really struggle against defenses ranked better than 50th in the country). The Georgia Dome is in no way home turf for the Dawgs – LSU will have just as many fans present. It’s really going to boil down to how well each of these teams finish the season. I do think that if things continue the way they are now, that Georgia could enter that game as a 7 point underdog.
We’re playing great football right now and only getting better! Go Dawgs!
Bartles & James
November 14th, 2011
3:55 pm
We thank you for your support!
1eyedJack
November 14th, 2011
3:56 pm
We’re gonna sack Kentucky getting off the bus!
kb
November 14th, 2011
3:56 pm
Doug dawg I couldn’t agree with you more, but this Kentucky team is far less talented than 2009 and conversely UGA is far more talented but I agree 1 at a time.
marc da gator
November 14th, 2011
3:58 pm
Georgia has one good win against a depleted and under aged Auburn squad with 4 losses…..LSU has beaten Oregon,Alabama,and all SEC opponents…. 10 and a half seems generous. LSU will have the puppies whimpering!
1eyedJack
November 14th, 2011
3:59 pm
No football team who wears orange, yellow or purple should ever be allowed to play for a championship!