Here’s how Georgia can get to BCS game (step by step) (UPDATED)
Will Georgia players and fans have something to celebrate with a BCS title berth? (AP photo)
(Video added below)
It wasn’t long after Georgia’s win over Florida when I received a few emails and messages on Twitter asking whether the Bulldogs could make it to the BCS championship game. So while this certainly qualifies as putting the cart before the horse – or the crystal trophy before even the SEC East – here’s an outline of what has to happen for the Dogs to get to this year’s BCS title game in Miami on Jan. 7.
1. No. 6 Georgia needs to win its final four regular season games: Mississippi (home), at Auburn (which potentially clinches the East), Georgia Southern (home) and Georgia Tech (home). The Dogs will be favored in all four. They are 14-to-17½-point favorites over Mississippi. Georgia also can’t afford to look unimpressive in the wins because there is a chance that voters in the two polls used in the BCS equation drop them in the rankings.
2. No. 1 Alabama likely needs to beat No. 5 LSU. The reason for that is if Georgia and LSU both win out, LSU is staying ahead of Georgia but there’s no guarantee that Alabama would drop behind the Dogs if they lose this Saturday to the Tigers. So Georgia’s only assurance of passing one of the two (LSU) is an Alabama win.
3. Two of the following three schools need to lose a game: No. 2 Kansas State and/or No. 3 Notre Dame and/or No. 4 Oregon. Let’s break this down by school:
• Kansas State doesn’t get much love because it plays in what remains of the Big 12. But the Wildcats are coming off impressive wins over West Virginia (55-14) and Tech Tech (55-24). They have their two toughest remaining opponents at home – Oklahoma State this week and Texas in the final week – as well as TCU and Baylor on the road. Kansas State’s biggest break: There is no Big 12 championship game anymore — the conference has only 10 schools, two under the minimum, after the defections of Nebraska and Colorado. So it can just sit back and watch the others play, except for …
• Notre Dame also will not play in a conference championship game as a result of being independent. Bu the Irish still must play at USC in the final week. (So Georgia fans could be in the position of rooting for Lane Kiffin.) Notre Dame’s other three games: Pittsburgh (home), at Boston College and Wake Forest (home).
• Oregon has by far the most difficult remaining schedule, playing three ranked teams – at USC (No. 17 BCS) this week, home against Stanford (14) Nov. 17 and at rival Oregon State (11) in the final game. The Ducks also play at home against Cal.
4. If all of that happens, the Dogs can finish as one of BCS’s top two teams if they accomplish just one more thing: defeat Alabama in the SEC championship game. In other words, they would have to beat the nation’s best team for the conference title just for a chance to play for the opportunity to be the best team for the national title.
That would be the most difficult win of all.
So anybody want to put some odds on this?
By Jeff Schultz
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511 comments Add your comment
Patched Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
October 29th, 2012
2:29 pm
Sammy
Yea and guess what thats why those teams will win out and we will once again be at home watching championship teams play for championships thanks to that no show game we decided to play in Columbia a few weeks ago
Conspiracy Theory
October 29th, 2012
2:31 pm
Spurrier OWNS GA!! The jury is still out on Muschamp, especially knowing he’s a GA grad, and is the first coach since Charley Pell in the ’80’s to lose two straight games to GA. Not saying he threw the game, but come on, even RON ZOOK never lost two games in a row to GA!!
Put in Timeout by Ken Suguira,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
October 29th, 2012
2:31 pm
The TRUE Value of UGa football will be measured at the end of the year.
Head Coaching Job offers in the SEC for:
Bobo=0
Grantham=0
Head Coaching jobs at FBS schools?
Bobo=0
Grantham= maybe 1
Alphare
October 29th, 2012
2:31 pm
Sammy,
“Georgia has already faced 2 top 6 ranked teams.”
You won one and lost one, what’s your point?
kingdaddy
October 29th, 2012
2:34 pm
Flats
You are wrong about UF not having as much talent. Also wrong about me not watching Bama play. Many folks said we had “no-chance” against a proven Gator team. I heard how UF was gonna hang 40+ on us but it turned into a Defensive struggle, partly due to the high winds that keep Murray from going deep and effected his accuracy.(insert poor Murray joke here!) BTW, Murray broke the UGA TD record in this game, no small feat…UGAs Oline played a good game and have improved steadily if not a little slowly. We showed up. That matters. If you assume we won’t come to play against whomever we play in the SEC-CG, you may be wrong again…
Alphare
October 29th, 2012
2:36 pm
you won barely with your win, you lost badly with loss.
On the other hand, FL lost once barely, and won big time multiple times.
Joe Don Donnan
October 29th, 2012
2:36 pm
Lord Saban would make Richt kneel before the throne
Joey
October 29th, 2012
2:38 pm
I am tickled to have beaten UF. 2 in a row, and 3 of past 6, makes it hard for Gators to gloat much about the glory days of SOS.
Grantham did a great job matching wits with Pease, though he had lots of help from a certain LB named Jones. Bobo did well not to have an aneurysm with Murray’s play in the 1st half.
I hope Murray’s steadiness in the 4th quarter vs the Gators will pay dividends in our big game this coming Saturday.
I also hope our D has realized what playing with great intensity for 4 quarters can accomplish for the Dawgs. I love scoring 50 on opponents, but I hate to NEED 50 to win.
Gonna need to bring it again – Ole Miss is playing lots better than UK . . .
Alphare
October 29th, 2012
2:39 pm
Now FL may not have a chance to compete in SECCG, and UGA likely will.
And UGA fans are complaining media bias against them?
kingdaddy
October 29th, 2012
2:40 pm
Lil Stevie hasn’t been seen since his anxiety attack. He will be retiring sooner than previously thought…
kingdaddy
October 29th, 2012
2:42 pm
What’s up Joey???
gdawginkalamzoo
October 29th, 2012
2:43 pm
Here’s how UGA gets the BCS title game……. Go out to the Ticket Oak and pick a few tickets.
Joey
October 29th, 2012
2:44 pm
Geez, gotta love the Techies telling us how bad UGA is.
Wanna discuss your team a bit, doofuses?
Conspiracy Theory
October 29th, 2012
2:47 pm
That game was a FRAUD!! No way that GA should have beaten UF, unless some under the table dealing happened. GA barely beat a winless Kentucky team the week prior, and was DOMINATED BY SPURRIER and SC!! We totally manhandled SC, so tell me there’s logic to what happened. Something very fishy happened in the FL-GA game this yr. Whether it was thrown or not remians to be seen, but no way we lose 6 turnovers in one game to a pathetic defense that couldn’t even stop Kentucky the week before. RON ZOOK never lost to the dawgs two games in a row!!
Adam H
October 29th, 2012
2:47 pm
1. Georgia wins its final four regular season games: 40%
2. Alabama beats No. 5 LSU: 70%
3. Two of the following three schools (K State, Notre Dame, Oregon) lose a game: 50%
4. Georgia defeats Alabama in the SEC championship game: 10%
Total: 1.4% chance of Georgia in the BCS game. How’d I do?
kingdaddy
October 29th, 2012
2:47 pm
Alph
UF not being able to play for the SEC-CG, has nothing to do with media-bias. They lost a game which put the CG back in UGAs court. If the media could spin it, they would…you know how much Lou loves UGA…
ARdawg
October 29th, 2012
2:48 pm
Joey
POAD, GTBoobie and Alphare have been here all morning harping on what a bad team Georgia is. Ironic don’t you think?
Patched Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
October 29th, 2012
2:49 pm
kingdaddy
Im not saying UGA isnt going to show up for the SEC Championship game
they might if and only if they get called out again by another team member cause this coaching staff would not know how to motivate a million dollar lottery winner if they were the ones presenting the winning check
Put in Timeout by Ken Suguira,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
October 29th, 2012
2:53 pm
Joey…..KingDaddy will tell you I’m not saying HOW BAD UGa IS.
I am saying that most think the dWags are “Not All That”. Good? Yes! BCS Champs Good? NO……
Bobo & Murray.
LSU BCS good? Don’t think so either….Rapistburger?
USC? No not a complete team either and with Lattamore gone NO WAY.
MISS ST? HAHAHHA we all knew that was a Schedule JOKE like UGa.
Gators? Still a Murray like QB and had no real shot either.
te29wr
October 29th, 2012
2:53 pm
WHAT IS A CRIMSON TIDE?
Joey
October 29th, 2012
2:54 pm
kd, as about as good of a defensive effort by UGA as I’ve seen since maybe #2 Texas in the Cotton Bowl?
I hope somebody can convince the D as to what’s possible if they can keep the intensity up for the rest of the season. Forget the BCS stuff – they just need to take care of the things they do control.
LDawg
October 29th, 2012
2:55 pm
Thanks for picking Florida to win. I knew UGA would win based on that alone!!
Carrie
October 29th, 2012
2:57 pm
I LOVE the Georgia bulldogs and was thrilled to watch them beat the Gators over the weekend…. But I cannot lie, I am an OREGON girl….. GO DUCKS!!!
Joey
October 29th, 2012
2:59 pm
What else they got, ARdawg?
They know what’s coming right after Thanksgiving.
kingdaddy
October 29th, 2012
3:00 pm
Flats
I won’t argue with you on that. Also think one coaching position must go so we can get an ace Special Teams Coach. I vote TEs coach got to go. Friend can handle them seeing as they don’t catch much anyway. Sorry TEs, you are one of my favorite positions. You should be used more, not less..
GTBob
October 29th, 2012
3:02 pm
OK played K-St and we know what happened to them and thats the only good team they will play
The SEC mindset is pretty dumb. Do you guys really think there are no good teams in the country outside of the SEC? Are you really going to be arrogant enough to suggest that there are no good teams in the Big 12?
Joey
October 29th, 2012
3:04 pm
Dang girl, you’ve got to be the first Duck ever on here.
I admire your head coach, buy the way.
kingdaddy
October 29th, 2012
3:05 pm
If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s Carrie. Just kidding. Can’t keep up with your unis…
gdawginkalamzoo
October 29th, 2012
3:05 pm
Patched Tire, I couldn’t agree more with your 2:29 post. That’s the way we have been rolling the past few years. One game that we totally throw away. We showed up against LSD last year in the SECCG, for almost a full half. But of course the Stoney Badger got the best of us.
kingdaddy
October 29th, 2012
3:08 pm
Crimsom tide is an algae that happens on a monthly cycle, lol…
Joey
October 29th, 2012
3:08 pm
“Are you really going to be arrogant enough to suggest that there are no good teams in the Big 12?”
*************************************
I didn’t write that, but I would never be that arrogant, GTBob.
Now I am arrogant enough to suggest that there are no good teams in the ACC . . .
Patched Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
October 29th, 2012
3:09 pm
kingdaddy
wow we actually agree
yea we need a special teams coach
now I will add
If we go find us a better OC and tell Richt to stop being an Energy Vampire to Grantham and let him stay fired up on the sidelines we might be saying Richt will coach a NC team
Until then the status quo will always remain the same
old Buck Blue
October 29th, 2012
3:11 pm
Well, I thought I was a part of the Mother of All Flukes; (”run Lindsey run” + my glaring 1 for 14 for 7 yards vs ND, but I gotta say Murray’s 3 picks vs the # 2 team and coming out smelling like a rose when he played like you know what, could very well top it. But he still has a couple Great Flukes to go and then we can say it is the real Mother of All Flukes.
ARdawg
October 29th, 2012
3:16 pm
Joey
I guess decency isn’t even an after thought to those guys
GTBob
October 29th, 2012
3:17 pm
Now I am arrogant enough to suggest that there are no good teams in the ACC . . .
Thats not arrogance, thats common sense. The ACC is worse than a D3 conference. FSU is decent though when they are not laying eggs against NC State or Wake Forest.
Joey
October 29th, 2012
3:19 pm
Patched Tire, I don’t agreewith you on Bobo. It’s Richt’s offense and he keeps tabs on every play Bobo calls with his headset. It would be that way no matter who Richt installed as OC.
I would like to see Bobo out from under Richt’s thumb, with his own offense, and his own playcalling, just once. You do remember after ‘10, along with the “studying football” stuff Richt promised, he also said he was getting back involved in game-planning for the offense.
GTBob
October 29th, 2012
3:19 pm
They know what’s coming right after Thanksgiving.
We lost to Middle Tennessee St and BYU. Do you think we really care about the UGA game this season? We are just praying for a miracle against Duke.
kingdaddy
October 29th, 2012
3:23 pm
Flats , sometimes we agree to agree…
Joey
October 29th, 2012
3:24 pm
“Thats not arrogance, thats common sense.”
*****************************
Lol, GTBob.
I am looking forward to the UF – FSU game. Muschamp’s loss to UGA Saturday makes FSU a LOT more important for him.
Patched Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
October 29th, 2012
3:27 pm
Joey
I can agree with that…
Yea Im still waiting on the that “”Cutting Edge Football”"
I guess 1-10 on 3rd down conversions is cutting edge
Boom Boom
October 29th, 2012
3:33 pm
So there is a chance…
kingdaddy
October 29th, 2012
3:39 pm
E Jarvious Unum!!!
DawginLex
October 29th, 2012
3:53 pm
Joey
I told you we would win
I’m right every once in a while…………………………..
Ruff to be a dawg fan...
October 29th, 2012
3:55 pm
National championship talk?? Really? Lets just try to be Ole Miss next week. I was yelling louder than anyone when Ga beat Fla on Saturday night but lets be realistic. We’re talking about the most consistently overrated program in all of college football. A team that was flagged what, 14 times for 100+ yards during the game? A quarterback who caves in any big game they play in? Hes broken the TD record but is tied for #2 in interceptions thrown. The defense showed up and Fla turned it over 6 times, so how does that translate into a BCS title run?
Love CMR, nice guy…but under his leadership the Dawgs will always be mediocre. They will always be an overrated, underachieving team filled with arrests, suspensions, attrition, and an overall lack of discipline. They will do less with more(see Spurrier’s quote about UGA’s talent), and will continue to disappoint against ranked opponents(see UGA’s record against ranked competition since 2008).
Once again, lets just take care of Ole miss this weekend…
Patched Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
October 29th, 2012
4:06 pm
Yea DawginLex
UGA beats a good team every once in a while
But hey UGA football is heading in the right direction when it finally beats a top 20 team in 4 years
Joey
October 29th, 2012
4:07 pm
I didn’t believe, Lex. You know how bad I hoped, but I just couldn’t see it happening. Just couldn’t see our lines holding their own vs UF’s. Damn, if Murray had controlled his emotions, and just played steady in the 1st half, we coulda cruised.
But, congrats – and don’t be humble, Lex. You are right on the money lots of times.
Go Dawgs!
kingdaddy
October 29th, 2012
4:14 pm
Joey
the last couple of weeks have been hard on some of us. This game has helped to heal several ugly wounds…
Joey
October 29th, 2012
4:18 pm
Patched Tire, when our game with SC started, I was watching UF beat LSU, and I told a buddy, man I’ll be happy if we just win one these two games (SC & UF). I’m still pissed with the SC game, but I’m gonna chill – we SHOULD win the next 4 games.
Let’s see what happens.
Joey
October 29th, 2012
4:25 pm
EXACTLY, kingdaddy (4:14).
Let’s see if Richt can get em back up Saturday for the Rebs. It’s time for UGA to shut down some teams – for the voters.
It’s against Richt’s nature to do this, but we have seen from time to time him get a chip on his shoulder, and turn the Dawgs loose – Auburn ‘11, and Vandy ‘12.
Bulldawgman49
October 29th, 2012
4:59 pm
Well I wish it could happen but to many teams to hurdle , Just play one game at time that has to be the focus . Ole Miss is playing so much better now . Let’s don;t get ahead of ourselves.
GO DAWGS !!!!!!