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
Ward
September 29th, 2012
6:56 pm
I’m frustrated
Tampa Gator
September 29th, 2012
6:56 pm
JB…….Your team will be 5-0 after this game.
Keith
September 29th, 2012
6:56 pm
Another TN first down
oldfart
September 29th, 2012
6:56 pm
Guess I need some Maker’s too. Verne is agreeing with me.
SOS Dawgs
September 29th, 2012
6:56 pm
Well said Dawgz81
JB
September 29th, 2012
6:56 pm
very avg D
Russa
September 29th, 2012
6:56 pm
south carolina has the blueprint it’s just a matter of how they decide to use it
Brownies for everyone
September 29th, 2012
6:56 pm
Katherine you probably have bigger balls than your husband. You should be coaching..
KDS
September 29th, 2012
6:56 pm
Dam!!! Stop the run
Go Vols
September 29th, 2012
6:56 pm
Hate to beat a dead horse, but we’re still gonna lose to you whiners. You are never satisified. A win is a win, but thats not good enough for you dawg “fans”
deadrednecks
September 29th, 2012
6:56 pm
A GOOD GORGIA BOY LIKE PLUG THAT HOLE. FIRE RICJ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tampa Gator
September 29th, 2012
6:56 pm
Gosh…….knocking the Georgia DL backwards……
Keith
September 29th, 2012
6:57 pm
Who is Jarvis Jones
DAWGFAN
September 29th, 2012
6:57 pm
Georgias defense is being POUNDED! They look like they are about to fall out! WOW!
Ward
September 29th, 2012
6:57 pm
This sucks
SOS Dawgs
September 29th, 2012
6:57 pm
What a suck ass defense. LOSERS>
evil empire
September 29th, 2012
6:57 pm
geathers and jenknis are out of gas…just like mich state game…
BubbaGolf
September 29th, 2012
6:57 pm
Is UGA’s D look soft???? How is TN rushing for 170+ yards and another TD. ######!!!!!!!
jerry
September 29th, 2012
6:57 pm
Good coaching, play conservative, turn it over to Grantham’s defense.
told ya
Here we go again...
September 29th, 2012
6:57 pm
oldfart, that is definitely a sign…
deadrednecks
September 29th, 2012
6:57 pm
HORABAL DEEFENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FIRE RICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JB
September 29th, 2012
6:57 pm
We go in a shell on offense…..we lose
KDS
September 29th, 2012
6:57 pm
You have to be kidding me!!! 10 running plays in a row and untouched up the middle
Keith
September 29th, 2012
6:57 pm
Georgia may drop to 8th or 9th in the poll if they win
Tampa Gator
September 29th, 2012
6:57 pm
…..backwards and into the parking lot on that run…..wow…..what happened to Georgia’s great defense………
nobody
September 29th, 2012
6:57 pm
Todd Grantham pulled a NFL prima dona DE. Signed a huge deal and took the year off….
Truth teller
September 29th, 2012
6:57 pm
UGA LB play is non existent. No run support from safety. Just terrible.
Ward
September 29th, 2012
6:58 pm
WTH will SC do to us next weekend?
SOS Dawgs
September 29th, 2012
6:58 pm
Grantham go eat a carrot and learn how to teach defense.
RunninWithTheDawgs
September 29th, 2012
6:58 pm
51 — 44 Lets go Dawgs we can’t stall now!
deadrednecks
September 29th, 2012
6:58 pm
DIS AINT TO BULLDOG TAEM. GOOD BULLDOS SLICK IT UP N PLUG THOSE BOYZ HOLES!!!!!!!!!!
Jimmy Crack
September 29th, 2012
6:58 pm
Those Tennessee linemen are all going to the NFL and the entire Georgia defense went to a batchelor party last night and they’re still drunk.
THE Dixie Redcoat Band
September 29th, 2012
6:58 pm
USC/UF licking their chops. UGA may not make it to ATL.
dbc
September 29th, 2012
6:58 pm
Georgia D was supposed to be a strength. They stink…
katherine
September 29th, 2012
6:59 pm
Its just really irritating when the same people who are bashing your team one minute are the same ones acting happy when they win…fair weather fans
rivercard
September 29th, 2012
6:59 pm
good news for Georgia fans is when you know you can hang 40 on just about anyone, there is always a chance.
Georgia 42 Sc 27 next week.
Brownies for everyone
September 29th, 2012
6:59 pm
Fire ctg fire ctg..
Keith
September 29th, 2012
6:59 pm
Sorry to say but we better hope we can escape. Nine minutes is a long time left
JB
September 29th, 2012
6:59 pm
8 -4 if this is as good as it gets
KDS
September 29th, 2012
6:59 pm
Hell with the polls, TEN IS ON OUR AZZZ
Carolina Dawg
September 29th, 2012
6:59 pm
Steve Spurrier is licking his chops…better believe it!
DAWGFAN
September 29th, 2012
6:59 pm
Open this nextdrive with a pass to losen the defese! You ave to stay away from the 3 and lng plays. I bet they run a draw to Gurley for 3 yards on te first play.
Ward
September 29th, 2012
6:59 pm
This performance shows no focus, heart, or effort by the defense… It looks like another year of disappointment…We just cannot ever put it all together for multiple weeks.
nobody
September 29th, 2012
6:59 pm
Jarvis has been a HUGEEEE disappointment this game. He is a non factor.
St. Bernard
September 29th, 2012
6:59 pm
I might prefer Herrera at ILB
DAWGFAN
September 29th, 2012
6:59 pm
Georgia will hav to score 70 to win!
angela
September 29th, 2012
7:00 pm
what happened to the defense at georgia seems like they have none
Amused
September 29th, 2012
7:00 pm
It is constantly amusing to me that most of the folks who comment on blogs like this are people who hate the team being covered.
BubbaGolf
September 29th, 2012
7:00 pm
Not looking good dudes……………!
JB
September 29th, 2012
7:00 pm
The Knoxville writers said all we were overrated