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
BubbaGolf
September 29th, 2012
7:21 pm
LUCKY LUCKY. BUT, thank god!!!!!!!!!! Go Dawgs!
DAWGFAN
September 29th, 2012
7:21 pm
Bray is a LOSER! WHAT A PATHETIC LOSER! Georgia lucks up with this win!
Ward
September 29th, 2012
7:21 pm
Now please don’t fumble Aaron
Brownies for everyone
September 29th, 2012
7:21 pm
What luck..UGA you should be counting your stars tonight..
Jimmy Crack
September 29th, 2012
7:21 pm
Lucky Dawgs. Grantham gets ripped for a week in the media.
Here we go again...
September 29th, 2012
7:21 pm
We may win this yet, and if we do, we owe it all to Maker’s Mark.
Tampa Gator
September 29th, 2012
7:21 pm
Redcoat…..
Tennessee is better than Dawg fans repeatedly stated on these blogs…….and Georgia will be in the top 5 next week.
Ward
September 29th, 2012
7:21 pm
What the hell are we doing???!!! Take a knee
JB
September 29th, 2012
7:22 pm
hell. we’ll punt again
Jim
September 29th, 2012
7:22 pm
Dodo’s favorite call coming up and TN will get the ball back with a few secs left.
Bill
September 29th, 2012
7:22 pm
A fun game to watch, but glad I’m not driving out of Athens tonight…
DAWGFAN
September 29th, 2012
7:22 pm
Someone explain to me why they are linning up in the shotgunto run the football!!!!!!!!!
Big Crimson 75
September 29th, 2012
7:22 pm
Survive & Advance.
katherine
September 29th, 2012
7:22 pm
oh come on lsu only fell a couple of spots….whenwe beat south carolina we will be right back in the top 5
mr. obvious
September 29th, 2012
7:22 pm
luck is a horse to ride like any other.
Ward
September 29th, 2012
7:22 pm
UF will be LSU next week.
Truth teller
September 29th, 2012
7:22 pm
Why in the hell do we run outside when we are trying to kill the clock.
These teams seaux
September 29th, 2012
7:22 pm
Anyone that thinks Georgia isn’t going to lose at least one to SC or Florida is fooling themselves.
RunninWithTheDawgs
September 29th, 2012
7:22 pm
Yep — I’m sitting here with ole Jhonny Walker and we’re wondering when they’re gonna give us back one of them fumbles. Thanks Bray you’re a dang good Dawg !
Ward
September 29th, 2012
7:23 pm
Damn it…take a knee…
Tampa Gator
September 29th, 2012
7:23 pm
Dawg fans……
South Carolina has a very good defense…..and a good offense as well. Georgia might have been looking ahead……but they will be in for a big battle next week. The Dawgs better get their act together before next Saturday.
KDS
September 29th, 2012
7:23 pm
HELP OUR DEFENSE
Hairy Dawg
September 29th, 2012
7:23 pm
And we’re not even going to run the damn clock out. Jesus H., man.
Truth teller
September 29th, 2012
7:23 pm
One on one blocking when we have to run the ball and the right tackle just gets blown up. That is just really bad.
Brownies for everyone
September 29th, 2012
7:23 pm
This is just pathetic to watch..
sicemdawg
September 29th, 2012
7:23 pm
wORST DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE I’VE SEEN AT UGA
Ward
September 29th, 2012
7:24 pm
This UGA team is 9-3 and no better…
Mike
September 29th, 2012
7:24 pm
We’ll stay in the top 5. LSU barely beat Auburn last week, Alabama barely beat Tennessee 12-10 in 2009 when they won the national title…teams have these kinda games. This could be the springboard to the rest of our year. Good team make corrections, we will.
Russa
September 29th, 2012
7:24 pm
are they really going to get the ball back one more time??? sheesh
Dawgs1965
September 29th, 2012
7:24 pm
We agree there, Tampa Gator.
Truth teller
September 29th, 2012
7:24 pm
Tampa Gator
September 29th, 2012
7:23 pm
Dawg fans……
South Carolina has a very good defense…..and a good offense as well.
Yes. This game reminds me of SC getting by Vandy earlier this year.
Patrick
September 29th, 2012
7:24 pm
It may go in the ‘W’ column but it also needs to be in the major disappointment column too…..and —as a loyal UGA alumni–it hurts to say it but this ain’t the year.
Mike
September 29th, 2012
7:24 pm
@ Ward, well ya know what bytch, we’re 5-0 right now.
katherine
September 29th, 2012
7:24 pm
I know we are going to beat florida and south carolina
Ward
September 29th, 2012
7:24 pm
Carolina, Florida, and Auburn have this team’s number right now///
Patrick
September 29th, 2012
7:25 pm
Ward– let’s say 10-2 ?
Ward
September 29th, 2012
7:25 pm
What the hell with the clock…we got screwed.
KDS
September 29th, 2012
7:25 pm
Im here with my best friend coors light and we both agree that our defense sucked azzzzz today
oldfart
September 29th, 2012
7:25 pm
Why did they stop the clock there?
Brownies for everyone
September 29th, 2012
7:25 pm
I had us losing this week or next..
Tampa Gator
September 29th, 2012
7:25 pm
Fun game to watch……now go beat the Gamecocks and come to JAX undefeated….please. Should be a good one in THE SWAMP next week……..
Big Crimson 75
September 29th, 2012
7:26 pm
Derek Dooley still looking for that signature win.
katherine
September 29th, 2012
7:26 pm
every team has a bad night….this was ours
Truth teller
September 29th, 2012
7:26 pm
Ward
September 29th, 2012
7:24 pm
Carolina, Florida, and Auburn have this team’s number right now///
Isn’t this a great country. People are free to make complete fools of themselves. Just like you just did.
USC barely gets by Vandy.
Jeb
September 29th, 2012
7:26 pm
Congrats to the Vol fans, Good game , our defense is friking gay, good luck the rest of the year year.
evil empire
September 29th, 2012
7:26 pm
spin it however you want, this isn’t a natchamp team…
BobDawg
September 29th, 2012
7:27 pm
HERE WE GO AGAIN…. That Maker’s has been goooooood!
Truth teller
September 29th, 2012
7:27 pm
punter was really slow getting that kick off.
KDS
September 29th, 2012
7:27 pm
KAT, one game at a time
JB
September 29th, 2012
7:27 pm
UGA does not look like the #5 team in the country. Can you say overrated!!!