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
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
4:59 pm
WHO wants BOBO or Grantham much less Richt? Just asking?
CDAWG
October 29th, 2012
5:00 pm
I just watched Will Muschamp’s post game interview, not one mention about UGA, they lost because of turnovers and to show how good Fl is with 6 turnovers they should have lost by 40 points but they are so superior they kept it close. Wow, I am really disappointed that he did not give UGA ANY credit….NONE!
5150 UOAD
October 29th, 2012
5:02 pm
I saw a SHORT BUS from the Tommy Nobis Center coming on the UGa campus to take Bobo to Lunch. They need a landscape Architect Engineer.
AngryDogD
October 29th, 2012
5:02 pm
The dog’s D will shut down ole miss and UGA wins that game in a rout! Against Bama, Jarvis J will go wild, with a bunch of sacks and fumbles! Dogs upset bama—bet the house!
5150 UOAD
October 29th, 2012
5:04 pm
CDmutt………….The gator player trying to get an ESPN HIGHLIGHT play by the dive that cost fumble the it is a 2 point game with the Gators going for 2 to TIE for OT or lose with 2:25 left on the clock.
5150 UOAD
October 29th, 2012
5:06 pm
AngryDogD………..just asking WHAT TEAM has the Dwags D shut down?
01HAWK
October 29th, 2012
5:14 pm
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The hoots and chuckles were impossible to miss.
Outside Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday, where tailgating tents and lawn parties were abuzz with pregame excitement, music blared, generators hummed and televisions glowed with images of the Georgia–Florida game from Jacksonville, a matchup that ended an hour before Mississippi State kicked off to Alabama.
Fans of the Crimson Tide could barely contain their glee.
“These guys are awful!” a Crimson-clad coed cooed to her date as they hugged and laughed after one of the nine turnovers in Georgia’s eight-point win.
Awful might have been a stretch, but the message was clear: If this was the best the SEC East had to offer, Alabama should have no worries. In the minds of those in Tuscaloosa, the Tide could have beaten a Georgia-Florida All-Star squad.
Given the ease with which Alabama handled undefeated Mississippi State, thumping the Bulldogs 38-7, that assessment might not be far off.
wheelz007
October 29th, 2012
5:19 pm
Seriously?
No way you guys are seriously day-dreaming this.
Sugar Bowl? Yes!
BCSNCG? No way.
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
5:24 pm
I thought I could WED a Cheerleader but reality hit. I could only HIT if Nobody knew and that is what UGa is when it comes the the BCS CG game.
Game Changer
October 29th, 2012
5:33 pm
Alabama, UGA, LSU, Miss State, Florida, South Carolina — 6 SEC teams vying for top tier bowls
UGA has to win out and beat Alabama hoping that at least two teams out of Oregon, Kansas State and Notre Dame loses.
As it stands now:
Alabama vs K State for Title
UGA vs Notre Dame in Sugar Bowl
Dumb and Dumber
October 29th, 2012
5:36 pm
“So your’e saying there’s a chance?” However unlikely, I disagree with one part of this scenario. I think we would still have a good chance at making it to Miami even if LSU beat Bama and we beat LSU in the SECCG. That would be enough for us to leapfrog Bama. Unfortunately, the current set up of BCS requires all teams on the outside looking in to come up with these dream scenarios. Let’s just beat Ole Miss and see what happens. Go Dawgs!
Half Century Dawg
October 29th, 2012
5:40 pm
Need to take them one game at a time. The focus right now needs to be Ole Miss. If we can win out, I would love a shot at playing the best in the nation by a long shot in Bama.
JB at home
October 29th, 2012
5:44 pm
I recommended the AJC drug test Mark Bradley after he said Dawgs could beat Florida. I now believe Jeff Schultz needs to be committed to a rehab center for delusional thinking. I watched us play. Then I watched Bama. Bama is a machine. Dawgs are a athletic basket case with what appears might as well be a true freshman QB.
Really?
October 29th, 2012
5:50 pm
5150 is still bothering to post? That means he has stopped building birdhouses. The guy is a truly pathetic little nothing. It was bad enough when his only source of income was selling a birdhouse every now and then but now he can’t even do that. What kind of man doesn’t provide for his baby mama and her smelly little brood of urchins? A fan of the trade school in other words not a man at all.
JB at home
October 29th, 2012
5:50 pm
That Bama QB reminds me of Brady in New England. Smooth, pin point passes almost every throw. Receivers that catch almost every pass. A very precise short passing game with a mix of a good long passing game. A monster OL with a covey of physical RB’s that get 4,5 .6 yards at will. Very very few 3 and outs thus always a rested defense taking the field. I ‘m excited after the win, but my football mind tells me Bama beats Dawgs about like State, 38-7.
Rick James
October 29th, 2012
5:53 pm
Dont look past Old Miss or its back to Tampa for the Outback Bowl..Run the table and all Georgia has to do is beat one team on one afternoon,Alabama.I dont care what the other teams do Georgia would have beaten the number 1 and number 2 teaams in the country and will play for the national title.But just get by Ole Miss first.
Roll Tide with Pride!!!
October 29th, 2012
5:53 pm
So Jeff, Why do you have to raise the dawg nations expectations to something that just ain’t gonna happen?
Now, When Bama beat UGA silly in the SEC Title game – they will be deflated and will probably lose their bowl game consulation game.
Strange – UGA will need to root for USC to beat Oregon and Notre Dame!
UGA has turned the table on FL
October 29th, 2012
5:58 pm
Where are all the Lizard fans today? Back in the closet with Tom Cruise and John Travolta.
Talked a BIG F’ING GAME before last Saturday. Shove it up your reptile tails and enjoy your freaking humble pie.
UGA has beaten you two in a row and are even 3 wins apiece in last 6. And should have won the overtime game two years ago. That is not any sort of domination you so boldly speak of year after year.
Lizards have NO domination over UGA anymore. The cycle has turned. How do ya like them apples?
hit a single
October 29th, 2012
5:59 pm
Player/Coach Shawn Williams, please make sure we are focused on Ole Miss. That is all that matters right now!
joe jenkins
October 29th, 2012
6:03 pm
gtbob and war mongrel make me sick….both of you are pathetic losers…..auburn has been destroyed by everybody and gt really got the crap beat out of them by byu….we own both of your sorry teams…….we beat fla….when lsu…sc and the aggies couldnt….so deal with it….now go worry about your loser programs who will be lucky to win another game the rest of the year
Octoberdawg
October 29th, 2012
6:07 pm
We will more than likely lose to Alabama. They appear to be a better team, but I wouldn’t rule us out completely. That being said….I would hope that the Dawgs could end up in the Sugar Bowl if we did lose the SEC Championship. I’ve always wanted to visit New Orleans for a Georgia game.
First things first though. Let’s decisively handle Ole Miss and Auburn and secure our spot in the big game.
Go Dawgs!!!
don't go to vegas on bamards yet
October 29th, 2012
6:07 pm
Jeff, I disagree that GA must play Bamards. If LSU beats them Saturday and GA takes out revenge on LSU in the SEC Championship game, that should put them in over bamards. I don’t believe pollsters will want to take another non-SEC champ over an SEC champion with the same record.
And doubt they want to have two teams from same conference play for national championship again, especially if they both have one loss.
hit a single
October 29th, 2012
6:13 pm
Hit A Single Nammath – We will beat Alabama if we get to the SEC Championship. No different than when my cousin Joe led the Jets over the Colts. You got to believe!
gators got the clap
October 29th, 2012
6:15 pm
Jeff, what happened to all those so called “expert” predictions on the GA-FL game?
If any of the blog mouthers put their money where their mouth and keyboard fingers were before the game Saturday, they’re some broke and miserable sob’s today. None of em probably had a dollar to spend between them before Saturday anyways.
Tough luck haters and kiss my hairy dog you know what! HAHAHAHAHA
Poopdawg
October 29th, 2012
6:22 pm
I agree, no need to pull for Bama this weekend , or hell EVER.
He Hate Gator
October 29th, 2012
6:25 pm
Hopefully team is focused on Ole Miss and none of this other currently non-relevant BS…
yep
October 29th, 2012
6:25 pm
espn says if GA wins out they’re in nat. champ. game no matter what. beating lsu team, that beat bamalama, in sec champ. game will secure spot. won’t matter what nd, oreg, or k st does.
two week rehab did wonders for honey boo boo badger
October 29th, 2012
6:30 pm
lsu are professionals when it comes to pot. bunch of stoners. the few ga players don’t come close lsu pot smokin status
not so fast jeff...it aint as difficult as you make it
October 29th, 2012
6:35 pm
lsu will be ranked high enough when ga beats them (for sec), for ga to get in national championship game.
overweight elephants finally play a real team
October 29th, 2012
6:40 pm
bamas going down like their women do in their trailers.
TossSweep
October 29th, 2012
7:01 pm
Jeff,
As the infamous Dr Evil would say, rrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiggggght
Cmdawg99
October 29th, 2012
7:23 pm
Shall we continue the “soft talk” so the defense will be ready to play???
DawgNole
October 29th, 2012
7:30 pm
Heisenberg
October 29th, 2012
11:39 am
And how is it that LSU who beat Florida is ranked ahead of UGA? Should not have to get Bama to beat LSU for that to be fixed.
______________________
LSU didn’t beat fla. Dumb post.
DawgNole
October 29th, 2012
7:31 pm
Rick James
October 29th, 2012
11:47 am
People think CMR has no passion or emotion because he does like act like Muschamp..
______________________
Because he DOES act like Muschamp? Another dumb post.
kingdaddy
October 29th, 2012
8:15 pm
Watching game again, Doggie fans made a lot of noise in Jax. You could really hear them bring it. Gotta give the fans an atta-boy…
DawgNole
October 29th, 2012
8:47 pm
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!!
______________________
This is classic gator garbage here–and is one of the many reasons their sports programs and fans are universally despised.
schultz for brains
October 29th, 2012
8:58 pm
roll tide with pride, sounds like the fla loss followed by the utah loss is still fresh in your memory.
DawgNole
October 29th, 2012
9:03 pm
CDAWG
October 29th, 2012
5:00 pm
I just watched Will Muschamp’s post game interview, not one mention about UGA, they lost because of turnovers and to show how good Fl is with 6 turnovers they should have lost by 40 points but they are so superior they kept it close. Wow, I am really disappointed that he did not give UGA ANY credit….NONE!
______________________
He’s a gator now, and that’s how gators act. Spurrier was the same when he was there, so was Meyer. Zook, not so much, but that was so out of character for typical gators that he didn’t last in their environment of arrogance.
DawgNole
October 29th, 2012
9:06 pm
JB at home
October 29th, 2012
5:44 pm
I recommended the AJC drug test Mark Bradley after he said Dawgs could beat Florida.
_______________________
Hello?
Bradley was right.
Duh!
Fred Russo
October 29th, 2012
9:09 pm
Lets not get carried away people we won an ugly game. Florida imploded and our quarterback stunk once again in a big game. If you think Alabama would give us all those breaks I got a bridge to sell you. However our defense was brilliant
DawgNole
October 29th, 2012
9:11 pm
Roll Tide with Pride!!!
October 29th, 2012
5:53 pm
Now, When Bama beat UGA silly in the SEC Title game – they will be deflated and will probably lose their bowl game consulation game.
_______________________
You mean like Bama did against Utah?
Utah!!!!!!!!!! LOL!
Mobile Dawg
October 29th, 2012
9:20 pm
DawgNole, act like you’ve been there before; Central Florida, Colorado ring a bell. Enjoy the win, but put down the kool aid. Ignore the Bammers, providing we get by Ole Miss and AU we still have a field to plow.
kingdaddy
October 29th, 2012
9:24 pm
Murray’s first two INTs hit the recievers in the hands. Recievers fault, not Murray’s. The third one was all Murray though. Go back and watch the game again and STHU. Aaron Murray helped us win , one of the biggest games in recent memory. You bashers need to get a life and try paying attention to the facts…
Yeah, I'll take ape tit for $200
October 29th, 2012
9:34 pm
Im calling it now Notre Dame will lose to Pittsburgh this week and the stars will start to align for UGA.
DawgDaze
October 29th, 2012
9:44 pm
One other scenario…. All of the above happens, except lsu beats Alabama. Then UGA plays and beats LSU for the SEC championship. This means we would probably play Alabama in the title game. I actually think this would be the most optimal path to play in the BCS championship…. Not to win it, but to play in it..
Mobile Dawg
October 29th, 2012
10:03 pm
Not gonna happen Daze, no one loss SEC team is going to jump an undefeated KS, ND, or Ore. I do think you look at the schedules and only one of those three come out undefeated. That being said, a one loss SEC team would probably get a shot. UGA would be the long shot by far at being that one loss team.
NC Dawgfan
October 29th, 2012
10:26 pm
It’s like the Nature Boy always says….”To be the man you’ve got to Beat The Man!!!”
DawgNole
October 29th, 2012
10:29 pm
Mobile Dawg
October 29th, 2012
9:20 pm
DawgNole, act like you’ve been there before; Central Florida, Colorado ring a bell. Enjoy the win, but put down the kool aid. Ignore the Bammers, providing we get by Ole Miss and AU we still have a field to plow.
__________________
Not gonna ignore potshots like that from a jerk whose team has done the same thing he’s poking at us about.
And yes, we have a lot of work to do before any talk of NC or even SECCG–starting this Saturday.
kingdaddy
October 29th, 2012
10:55 pm
Been saying it all year, still saying it…”One game at a time! ”
Mobile Dawg,
time to come back bro…
Thomas Brown
October 29th, 2012
11:07 pm
If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.
We control our own destiny and that destiny is beating SEC West playing Notre Dame BCS NC Game.