Georgia has far better than ‘puncher’s chance’ against LSU
Aron White, Christian Robinson punctuate UGA's return with school flag . (Johnny Crawford)
This is the column that I didn’t think I would be writing six weeks ago, when Georgia fizzled and nearly self-destructed at Vanderbilt, and a five-game winning streak seemed like the furthest thing from Mark Richt’s mind.
This is the column that didn’t seem plausible three months ago when I looked up at the scoreboard and saw, “Boise State 35, Georgia 21” after looking down on the Georgia Dome field to see a Bulldogs team get beat physically by a Mountain West Conference team and play flat emotionally — the worst possible exacta for a hyped-up season opener.
This is the column that says Georgia can beat LSU.
This is not to diminish anything LSU has accomplished this season. How can one diminish an SEC team going 12-0? The Tigers have played and beaten seven teams that were ranked at the time they played. That includes No. 3 Oregon to start the season (40-27), No. 2 Alabama in Tuscaloosa (9-6 in overtime) and No. 3 Arkansas (41-17). LSU is as legitimate and proven as any No. 1 team that has come along in years.
Which doesn’t mean it can’t lose.
No. I’m not drunk on the Kool-Aid. Something changed in Athens. Maybe the 33-28 escape at Vanderbilt was a wake-up call. Maybe it was just a case of a young team slowly gaining confidence. At the very least, we know players reaffirmed that they believed in — and would follow — their head coach. Because a team doesn’t just rally from a 17-3 deficit to beat its nemesis (Florida), destroy Auburn 45-7 and spin a 10-game winning streak after a 0-2 start because it’s suddenly getting bounces.
After the body-slamming of Auburn, when it became clear the Dogs would win the SEC East, many felt they would have a “puncher’s chance” in the conference title game against the winner of the West, LSU or Alabama. But that short-changes Georgia.
When I hear puncher’s chance, I think George Foreman vs. Michael Moorer. In 1994, when Moorer was the heavyweight champion, he won nine straight rounds against the unranked 45-year-old Foreman. Then he got stupid. Foreman suckered him in. He landed a concrete right hand to Moorer’s porcelain chin. When Moorer looked up from the canvas, he saw little blue songbirds circling above him.
Three months after the loss to Boise State, the Bulldogs return to the Georgia Dome Saturday against LSU. They don’t need to rely on one lucky punch to win. They have become that good. They are playing with a rhythm, a confidence and an edge that we haven’t seen since 2007.
A year ago, when I wrote that Richt deserved to come back this season because of what he had accomplished in Athens, there was a backlash. Many fans wanted him fired. I wasn’t ready to make that leap. But neither did I share the confidence of Richt’s defenders, particularly after the season’s first two games. An unraveling seemed imminent. So did a job change. Clearly, that’s not happening now.
LSU is rolling. But so is Georgia. Aaron Murray is the best quarterback the LSU defense will face this season, and in the last four games he has completed 68 percent of his passes for 14 touchdowns and two interceptions. The offense is loaded with receivers: Orson Charles, Malcolm Mitchell, Tavarres King, et al. (Just when Georgia Tech figured it had everybody covered Saturday, a freshman, Chris Conley, popped open in the end zone. Chris Conley? He’s UGA’s sixth-leading receiver.)
The assumption here is that with Isaiah Crowell being held out Saturday with an ankle injury, he and Carlton Thomas (who had only a few carries against Tech) will be ready for LSU and provide balance to the offense.
Defensively, the Dogs get better by the week. They throttled the Tech’s option offense Saturday and held the Jackets to 10 points until a meaningless touchdown in the final minutes.
Boise State and South Carolina combined for eight offensive touchdowns in the first two games. In the 10 since, Georgia has allowed only 12 offensive touchdowns. That includes one or none in seven of the 10 games. This is the second-best defense LSU will face this season. They managed only three field goals (one in overtime) against the only opponent with a better one, Alabama.
Georgia doesn’t have a mere puncher’s chance in the SEC championship. Georgia has a legitimate chance. The team that will play in the Georgia Dome on Dec. 3 is not the same one that played there on Sept. 3.
Some things you just don’t see coming.
By Jeff Schultz
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1,469 comments Add your comment
"Anyone who doesn't win their conference has no business playing in the national championship game." - Nick Saban - 2003
November 28th, 2011
9:47 am
“Anyone who doesn’t win their conference has no business playing in the national championship game.” – Nick Saban – 2003
B'dawg
November 28th, 2011
9:47 am
FIRE MARK MAY
Spaceman Spiff
November 28th, 2011
9:48 am
Kaitlin must be another p!ssed off technerd
Evansdawg
November 28th, 2011
9:48 am
PLEASE!!!! Keep up the ‘Georgia has no chance’ rhetoric. It may lull LSU to sleep and pi$$ off the Dawgs. In the words of Phil Steele, “do not expect a UGA victory, but do NOT be surprised if they win it.” Historically, the Dawgs are more dangerous when made the underdogs.
DawginLex
November 28th, 2011
9:49 am
Alphare, take away the divisions and the standings are:
LSU 8-0
Bama 7-1
UGA 7-1
Ark 6-2
SC 6-2
Since LSU and Bama have already played,the SEC would not want a rematch for the title so we would be playing LSU anyway.
Your 5th place argument doesn’t hold any water and is only an opinion.
St Simons - we're on Island time
November 28th, 2011
9:49 am
ESPN – the collection of Georgia Haters Network
we have an entire cable network dedicated to da hate of everythang UGA
Jealousy is such an unattractive emotion, hatahs
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
November 28th, 2011
9:50 am
Im not daydreaming
I realize Bobo hasnt called a game to upset anyone yet and Richt hasnt upset anyone since the 2005 SEC championship game; if you want to call that an upset, because both teams were evenly matched.
So I wouldnt really call that an upset; heck when did Richt upset a team. I remember plenty of Dooley upsets though
B'dawg
November 28th, 2011
9:51 am
Why is it that Tech cant get 5 star recruits? Because theyve already played on a high school team.
WDE
November 28th, 2011
9:51 am
@Alphare which house would I have to put up? And by the by your telling me that there is no way UGA can win this game or cover the spread??
Joey
November 28th, 2011
9:51 am
Could you imagine the 5th best MLB team winning the World Series? Oh . . .
And, what’s with this “5th best” stuff anyway?
UGA Insider
November 28th, 2011
9:51 am
Saturday will be a tight game and UGA is getting no respect. Like AU and GT, there will be plenty of bulletin board materiel which is great! I love it. I also love how the UGA is not rising in the polls.
DawginLex
November 28th, 2011
9:52 am
the standings don’t indicate 5th best
Only opinions from haters do
Spaceman Spiff
November 28th, 2011
9:52 am
Its hilarious to read all of these technerds slam the Dawgs. Guess that yet another loss leaves the technerds bitter and irrelevant. Hey tech fans, what is the excuse now? What is even funnier is that the technerd site (stingtalk) is imploding… BWUHAHAHAHAHAHA
ARdawg
November 28th, 2011
9:53 am
“Mike Bobo 17 INT
We are not haters, only observers of the game. Whenever someone makes a constructive criticism about Athens, everyone is up arms calling everyone haters”
Said the Tech Nerd
Dr. Phil
November 28th, 2011
9:53 am
This team has pulled itself up independent of bad coaching and is due great credit. Part of this improvement is because of the controls that McGarity has put on the program. The Dogs played a clean game agains GT, without the usual dancing and posturing. Against LSU, Crowell is a liability and will limp from the game in the first quarter. Without a running game, Murray spends much of the time on his back, after throwing at least two interceptions, one of which the “Honeybadger” returns for a touchdown. LSU wins by three touchdowns. Georgia goes to a decent bowl and wins. Richt gets a two year contract extension. Grantham returns to the NFL. Richt begins talking about “Dream Team 2″ and looking for the next “missing man”, because Crowell ain’t him.
Alphare
November 28th, 2011
9:53 am
Spaceman Spiff,
Here are the BCS rankings of SEC teams:
1. LSU
2. Alabama
8. Arkansas
12. South Carolina
14. Georgia
Here it is, UGA is ranked #5 in SEC, but given a chance to play in SECCG.
jack
November 28th, 2011
9:53 am
Beat LSU, Jeff? Do you really think so? Georgia couldn’t beat Arkansas.
randyman
November 28th, 2011
9:54 am
Where do you idiots get LSU will put 40 on the board against UGA. Dont forget have the #4 in the nation defense. Sure we havent beat a top 10 team but look at the other teams in which we have played that they have played. We put up just as many stats on offense and defense as they did. We only allowed 7pts to Auburn and both AL and LSU allowed more pts than we did….so you dont know people..
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
November 28th, 2011
9:55 am
Alphare
How do you come on here running off at the mouth about UGA being the 5th best team shouldnt play for the SEC championship
Tech and Clemson played for the ACC championship not too long ago and they both lost to middle of the road SEC LEAST teams (Georgia & SC) the game before
With that said
The ACC championship game should have been canceled that year with your logic
noot rocknee
November 28th, 2011
9:56 am
cmon the dawgs schedule was even more of a joke this year then it usually is. Coastal Carolina? New Mexico State? only five teams they played had a winning record. OVERRATED!
Spaceman Spiff
November 28th, 2011
9:56 am
@ Alphare
And we all know about the BCS rankings…facts are facts, UGA is going because they took care of business and USCe didn’t. Kind of like how the technerds are staying home for the All Cupcake Conference championships…
Snake Doc
November 28th, 2011
9:56 am
When was the last time UGA beat a team ranked in the top 10.
All you need to know about who is going to get their arse’s handed to them on Saturday.
UGA would be a great ACC team, a good SEC team? eh, not so much!
Billy K.
November 28th, 2011
9:57 am
Great column Jeff. You did forget one mention, though. Michael Bennett has been Georgia’s most reliable receiver this year, as redshirt freshman. Much I like Larry Munson said, “I gave up, you did too.” I’m amazed and impressed with what Coach Richt has done since the first two losses. I’m equally amazed with the evolution of Coach Bobo. He has gone from unimaginative to creative and unpredictable. I confess I was completely wrong and look forward to Saturday’s game and more importantly, to the future.
Evansdawg
November 28th, 2011
9:57 am
The Augusta Chronicle just posted that the week has started with LSU as a 13-point favorite. I love it!!!! Is it likely that the Dawgs will beat LSU? No…but with all the ‘underdogging’ going on, we have a coaching staff that will use it to our advantage. The more ‘underdog’ we are made, the more dangerous we will be. PLEASE!!! Someone tell our team that they “aren’t man enough.” Remember what Pat Dye saying that did????
Spaceman Spiff
November 28th, 2011
9:58 am
@ noot
Your logic is somewhat off – the only good team(s) that Alabama played are LSU and Arky, so what does that say about them?
Alphare
November 28th, 2011
9:58 am
WDE,
why don’t bet all your houses. Houses are cheap these days anyway.
Of course I give UGA a chance, but I still want to bet my house on it.
Spaceman Spiff
November 28th, 2011
9:58 am
Snake Doc is just another poor, pathetic technerd whose team can’t win…
DawginLex
November 28th, 2011
9:59 am
Who has bama beaten?
Overrated teams like PSU, Ark and auburn
Lost to the only good team they played.
Pat Dye
November 28th, 2011
10:00 am
UGA isn’t man enough to beat LSU.
Spaceman Spiff
November 28th, 2011
10:00 am
@ DawginLex
Good point! The jealousy coming from the bitter technerds is definitely in the air…
Spaceman Spiff
November 28th, 2011
10:01 am
@ Pat Dye
And your mighty ‘nerds aren’t man enough to beat UGA…
WDE
November 28th, 2011
10:01 am
@Alphare USC and Ark both have one more SEC loss that UGA..so in your little mind that makes them better? If UGA was so weak they should have scheduled us. And the BCS is this year going to allow a team that did not even play for the SEC championship to play for the national title so don’t go toss them around like the mean anything they will bend the rules at will. And jack we would beat the brakes off of Ark.
Kenneth Smith
November 28th, 2011
10:02 am
LUS looked like the best team on day and UGA looked like the worse team, Now I’m putting my money and passion on my Dawgs to win 28-17. The P cats of LSU never like playing the dawgs
Alphare
November 28th, 2011
10:02 am
Spaceman Spiff,
I don’t dispute UGA should play in SECCG according to the current rule. What I am disputing is the fairness of current rule.
GT Joe
November 28th, 2011
10:02 am
I am surprised that the resident GT crybaby ken hasn’t gone on some anti UGA rant
randyman
November 28th, 2011
10:02 am
Well talk is cheap!!! We will find out Saturday who is better. IF UGA wins i want all you haters to meet me on here next Sunday. If UGA looses then so what…we werent suppose to win anyway right? LSU has more to loose here…be careful around this sleeping dog…It may bite!!!!
DawginLex
November 28th, 2011
10:02 am
BCS rankings don’t apply first when determining a conference champion
conference record does
We are 7-1 and that is 2nd best in the SEC
Bama has already played LSU and lost
Now it’s our turn to play them as the other 7-1 team in the conference
LSUfrombirth
November 28th, 2011
10:02 am
All year I’ve heard the very same things from fans opposing LSU. At the beginning of the year, I worried about it. As the year passed and LSU passed every single test from the best in the nation, I stopped worrying. This LSU team is focused, focused, focused. Now their focus turns to UGA. Congrats on the winning streak, UGA, but it ends Saturday…no matter how hot you get the rhetoric!
Spaceman Spiff
November 28th, 2011
10:03 am
@ Alphare
Your logic is somewhat off, too. Let’s see, 7 – 1 vs 7 -2. How is that off?
SEC East Chumps
November 28th, 2011
10:03 am
I always laugh. The heralded Georgia defense. They have played very well in beating subpar teams over the 10 game stretch. Every SEC team they faced (save SC) is in a rebuilding stage. They beat Florida…FCS Furman had Florida down 22-7 in the first half…WOW…They beat Auburn…FCS Samford played them tough, and who isn’t beating Auburn this year. Georgia spanked Coastal Carolina…ooo…ahhh..beat Georgia Tech, but UGA faces the triple option every year. They SHOULD be able to read that offense like a book. So yeah their defense has looked great against these teams…but to say that it’s better than BAMA…please! I’m not an LSU or BAMA fan, but I know they are light years better than UGAly’s defense. We will see Saturday. Prediction: LSU 38 UGA 13
DawginLex
November 28th, 2011
10:04 am
Who is your team SEC East chump?
Spaceman Spiff
November 28th, 2011
10:05 am
@ Alphare
Your logic is also somewhat off. Let’s see, 7 – 1 vs 6 – 2. What is so hard to understand?
Pat Dye
November 28th, 2011
10:05 am
Spaceman – Apparently you don’t know what happened when I last said “UGA isn’t man enough.” Would a more informed fan please remind Mr. Spiff???? He’s asleep at the wheel.
Snake Doc
November 28th, 2011
10:05 am
Boneheads – gotta love’em. If not for any other reason than the simple fact they haven’t got one decent brain cell in their collective melons.
Remember earlier this year? Everything was all Aaron Murray’s fault and he should be replaced by the pedophile LeMay. LMAO
Boneheads, make no sense whatsoever, always looking at life through, and I’m borrowing or stealing this line,… Always looking at life through Richt colored glasses!
LMFAO
Mr. Tuesday Night
November 28th, 2011
10:05 am
‘Puncher’s chance’? More like ’snowball’s chance”.
ARdawg
November 28th, 2011
10:05 am
“Here it is, UGA is ranked #5 in SEC, but given a chance to play in SECCG.”
Given a chance? Nothing was given. It was taken. You can sulk all you want because of the GT beatdown but now, you are attempting to obscure facts. Georgia earned the SECCG. Win or lose it doesn’t matter. Nobody else deserves to play in the game other than LSU and Georgia. Deal with it
Spaceman Spiff
November 28th, 2011
10:05 am
My mind isn’t working now…too much turkey…disregard that 7 -1 vs 7 – 2 post…
DawginLex
November 28th, 2011
10:05 am
sec east chump
Georgia 45
Auburn 7
Bama 42
Auburn 14
But don’t let facts get in the way
randyman
November 28th, 2011
10:07 am
Prob Tenn…….lol
Spaceman Spiff
November 28th, 2011
10:07 am
@ SEC EAST CHUMPS
You may want to look at LSU’s and ‘Bama’s SEC opponents records too…