LIVE BLOG: Georgia tries to avoid ‘trap’ against Tennessee
Bulldogs safety Bacarri Rambo goes through warmups at Sanford Stadium. (Brant Sanderlin)
ATHENS – So is this affirmation week or trap week?
Georgia plays Tennessee today. Honestly, I was a little surprised when the Glantz-Culver line (adopted by the AJC and Weekend Predictions, Inc. as the official point spread ) opened with the Bulldogs as a 15-point favorite and it immediately dropped to 13½ (though it has inched back up to 14).
The Dogs are ranked No. 5, and look like legitimate
Alec Olgetree, along with Bacarri Rambo, returns from a four-game suspension. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
title contenders. Other than some first-half hiccups in the SEC opener at Missouri, they have looked strong defensively and leveled Vanderbilt 48-3 last week. Tennessee isn’t as bad as some people think – Derek Dooley inherited a mess and really isn’t doing a bad job – but for the Volunteers’ defense to give up 555 yards at home in a 37-20 loss to Florida speaks to where the program is.
The “trap” concerns come from the fact Georgia plays at No. 6 South Carolina next week, in a game that conceivably could decide the SEC East. And, fact is, Georgia has laid some eggs against Tennessee in the past: a 45-19 loss at Knoxville in 2009, 35-14 loss at Knoxville in 2007, 51-33 loss in Athens in 2006, 19-14 loss in Athens in 2004.
But I think it’s more about this: People are waiting for something to go wrong. Georgia is 4-0, including 2-0 in the conference. It hasn’t started this strong since 2008, when it was 4-0 going into the infamous “blackout” game against Alabama, only to be body-slammed 41-30 at home.
In fact, the Dogs have not won their first three conference games in a season since 2005, when they started 5-0 (7-0 overall). Quarterback D.J. Shockley was injured and they lost the next game to Florida 14-10, as well as Auburn the following week. But they still won the SEC title that season.
The biggest news going into today’s game is the expected return of both safety Bacarri Rambo and linebacker Alec Ogletree. Coach Mark Richt has played coy on the subject all week but it has been widely reported that both players had been suspended for four games.
That’s all I’ve got for now. Time to open the cyber-venting lines. I’ll be back to chat shortly.
What are you thoughts about today’s game?
By Jeff Schultz
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1,545 comments Add your comment
sicemdawg
September 29th, 2012
6:28 pm
Dawgs defense vastly overated No way they beat gamecocks
KDS
September 29th, 2012
6:28 pm
This sucks
oldfart
September 29th, 2012
6:28 pm
Call it both ways Refs.
rivercard
September 29th, 2012
6:28 pm
Bobdawg – D was rated #43 in country after playing 4 cupcakes. They look soft to me.
worried
September 29th, 2012
6:28 pm
Tampa Gator
September 29th, 2012
6:28 pm
oldfart….
the tennessee player had his helment in front….and that made it legal. That was clear….unless you are just biased or blind.
You could see than from the endzone shot? Funny.
katherine
September 29th, 2012
6:28 pm
tampa the idiots calling to fire the coaches arent really uga fans
JB
September 29th, 2012
6:29 pm
D looks like they have checked out to NFL
Bobo is Not the Problem
September 29th, 2012
6:29 pm
OTOH, the offense looks good.
FIRE MARK RICHT.
Jeff Schultz
September 29th, 2012
6:29 pm
I surrender.
Tampa Gator
September 29th, 2012
6:29 pm
The could 120 to 110 before it is over…..my lord…..Tennessee’s defense is horrible today.
dawglova
September 29th, 2012
6:29 pm
Marshall is a beast
John L. Smith
September 29th, 2012
6:29 pm
SMILE Dawgs are overatted!
KDS
September 29th, 2012
6:29 pm
Best two freshman backs in the game
ARdawg
September 29th, 2012
6:29 pm
The D has slacked but the O is AWESOME
Brownies for everyone
September 29th, 2012
6:29 pm
Wow these freshman are good..
Chas
September 29th, 2012
6:30 pm
Undisciplined defenses
Keith
September 29th, 2012
6:30 pm
Again, that is why you throw the ball!
6-18 Against End of Season Ranked Teams Since '05
September 29th, 2012
6:30 pm
Hey Grantham….how about that vaunted coaching….Please???
Tampa Gator
September 29th, 2012
6:30 pm
This is Big 12 football…..not SEC football….please…..someone play some defense.
observer
September 29th, 2012
6:30 pm
dawgs are getting mauled right up the middle. Ogletree and Rambo….sigh.
Bobo is Not the Problem
September 29th, 2012
6:30 pm
The idiots calling for retention of the mediocre Mark Richt and staff aren’t really UGA fans.
Al
September 29th, 2012
6:30 pm
Tampa Doofus knows all!!
JB
September 29th, 2012
6:30 pm
Tenn D is as bad as Buffalo
Mike
September 29th, 2012
6:30 pm
Lookin like the West Virginia/Baylor game.
BIGWIN
September 29th, 2012
6:30 pm
Our defense is absolutely horrible.
Tampa Gator
September 29th, 2012
6:31 pm
Marshall is the slowest RB in the country……send him to South Alabama.
6-18 Against End of Season Ranked Teams Since '05
September 29th, 2012
6:31 pm
Tampa Gator….finally I agree something with you
Mike
September 29th, 2012
6:31 pm
@ Observer, you do realize it’s UGA that just scored right?
Silly Bloggers
September 29th, 2012
6:31 pm
To think I was making fun of West Virginia and Baylor earlier today for lack of defense…I should be ashamed.
jerry
September 29th, 2012
6:31 pm
Derek is a John Fox in the making.
Patrick
September 29th, 2012
6:31 pm
Derek Dooley knows these aren’t his father’s hairy dawgs…..
Tampa Gator
September 29th, 2012
6:32 pm
Al….
No I don’t…….but I live in America.
DAWGFAN
September 29th, 2012
6:32 pm
As horrible as Georgias defense is Tenn is awful! 9 men on the field! Dooley is TOAST after this season!
RunninWithTheDawgs
September 29th, 2012
6:32 pm
Kindly move over BOYS and LET THE BIG DOG EAT ! Go Dawgs
cooter
September 29th, 2012
6:32 pm
UGA wins 82 to 80
Keith
September 29th, 2012
6:32 pm
And here comes the defense!
Jeff Schultz
September 29th, 2012
6:32 pm
I’m not sure what happened to SEC football, but maybe it will be back next week.
dawglova
September 29th, 2012
6:32 pm
No excuses for the d, but 21 of Tenn pts off turnovers. Is this still bad coaching? Ididnt know
Go Vols
September 29th, 2012
6:32 pm
I don’t know why all you dawg fans are belly achin. You’re winning, what more do you want?
Brownies for everyone
September 29th, 2012
6:32 pm
51 points before the 4th.. Fire bobo!!!
Tampa Gator
September 29th, 2012
6:32 pm
Boy…..that Murray has a horrible arm…..send him to South Alabama….along with Bobo….who made that horrible call on that 2 point conversion.
6-18 Against End of Season Ranked Teams Since '05
September 29th, 2012
6:33 pm
Hey Jarvis…..why don’t you show that you deserve Heisman talk?? Where you’ve been today??
KDS
September 29th, 2012
6:33 pm
I still can’t tell if Georgia is good
SOS Dawgs
September 29th, 2012
6:33 pm
Well I knew it was going to happen sooner or later when the Dawgs have that one or two games a year when they look like they want to lose and CHOKE like hell.
BobDawg
September 29th, 2012
6:33 pm
Momma… where’s my Makers.. Momma!!! Momma!!!!
jerry
September 29th, 2012
6:33 pm
13 and 1/2 is the spread?
katherine
September 29th, 2012
6:33 pm
Bobo so tell all us “idiots” who should replace the coaches you keep calling to be fired?
observer
September 29th, 2012
6:33 pm
Defensive line is just blowing up field and RB is going right by them.
How was there no flag on the 2 point conversion. 2 TN players clearly jumped across the line. I guess they could see the TN players “helmet was in front” of the UGA player on the clip, but couldn’t see that. What a joke.
JB
September 29th, 2012
6:33 pm
The Oregon Dawgs
Patrick
September 29th, 2012
6:34 pm
But we all will have to admit this is a fun game to watch…even if the flaws in UGA are showing.