Georgia wins SEC East — and looks like threat to Alabama (UPDATED)
It was a night of celebrations for Todd Gurley, Aaron Murray and the Bulldogs. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
(UPDATED: 11 a.m. Sunday)
AUBURN, Ala. – This is the place where few expected Georgia would be after that ugly night in Columbia last month — not only winning games, but winning them impressively, humiliating an opponent on its home field. This is the place where many may have projected the Bulldogs to be before this season began, but certainly not since (because even Buffalo looked like a greater threat in the season opener than Auburn did Saturday night).
This is where Georgia is today: SEC East champions for the second straight season … and, yes, as improbable as it might once have seemed, a legitimate threat to beat Alabama in the Georgia Dome in three weeks.
Doubt it?
Why?
The Bulldogs thoroughly dominated Auburn 38-0. Georgia fans chanted, “SEC, SEC” in the second half. They were easy to hear because because by then most of the Auburrn fans had left.
Maybe body-slamming Auburn no longer is considered a monumental achievement for an Auburn opponent. The Tigers, two years removed from the BCS title, suddenly look two levels removed from Division 1. They’re having their worst season (2-8, 0-7) in 60 years.
But this isn’t a one night aberration. Georgia (9-1) has won four straight since the loss to South Carolina. It has won the last three by a combined score of 92-19.
A touted defense that looked out of sync for much of the season has allowed just one touchdown and four field goals in the last 12 quarters. Aaron Murray, who had three first-half touchdowns against Auburn, doesn’t look anything like the quarterback who had three first-half interceptions against Florida.
The Dogs run the ball. They stop the run. They’re not committing turnovers or dumb penalties.
While Georgia is ascending, Alabama is sputtering (relatively speaking). The Crimson Tide was fortunate to escape Baton Rouge last week with a win, and was upset Saturday by conference newbie Texas A&M — in Tuscaloosa.
“It’s been unbelievable,” said Murray, who celebrated his 22nd birthday. “Most teams might fold [after the loss to South Carolina] and think, ‘They’re going to win all of the rest of their games and our chances of making the SEC are slim.’ But we know anybody can win any week in SEC. South Carolina lost a couple, we beat Florida and now we’re heading back to Atlanta.”
Murray, who has been a different quarterback since Florida week. When he got to the team hotel, he found balloons and chocolate covered strawberries decorated like footballs, sent by his parents. He and teammates immediately scarfed them down.
His parents did not make the trip. His father, Denny, underwent surgery for thyroid cancer last month and recently underwent radiation.
“My dad had some radiation and he can’t be around people right now for three or four days, so he had to stay back,” Murray said. “Sad. First game he’s missed since I was like eight years old. He wanted to be here, I wanted him to be here, but it’s the best thing for him.”
There will be a bigger game upcoming for Murray’s parents to attend. Players and coaches generally limited their comments to the final two regular season games against Georgia Southern and Georgia Tech, not yet looking ahead to Alabama.
But safety Bacarri Rambo acknowledged, “I’m sure some people didn’t think we would [be in this position]. I’m sure a lot of people still doubt us. But we feel we can beat anybody.”
And even the coach Mark Richt said Georgia is no longer focused on winning just the conference title. A berth in the BCS bowl game is possible, although the Dogs would need to win out and get some help from the teams ahead of them in the rankings (losses by two of the following three: Kansas State, Oregon and Notre Dame).
“Atlanta is not the end of the road, we hope,” Richt said.
They did not respond well to an early hole in Columbia. But now for the first time, they are playing with a sense of momentum. They’re playing with an edge.
Assuming no hiccups against Georgia Southern and Georgia Tech, the Dogs nonetheless will be underdogs to Alabama in the Georgia Dome.
But this Tide team suddenly looks beatable. It was fortunate to beat LSU 21-17 win last week. On Saturday, Texas A&M made its first conference game trip into Tuscaloosa and won 29-24. Alabama allowed 418 yards in offense and forced three turnovers. (Auburn fans were grateful because when the Alabama score was flashed on the scoreboard it gave them something to cheer about it. That won’t cheer again until coach Gene Chizik’s firing.)
Two years ago at this time, Auburn was on the way to an undefeated season and Georgia was on the way to the Liberty Bowl (and lost).
Richt was at his absolute bottom in terms of how he was perceived by the fan base — at least until losing to Boise State and South Carolina last season.
When asked recently about handling the dramatic turn in fortunes, he said, “You just know it’s a part of the business. You’ve got to keep believing in what you do, keep grinding, keep evaluating what you do, because if you need to make a change, you make a change. Maybe you need to recruit differently or train differently in the offseason or try something different schematically. If you just totally abandon what you believe in and try to be something you’re not, you’re done.”
Georgia isn’t nearly done. A defense that underachieved so much of the season is now stuffing opponents.
Then there is Murray, he of the egged house following the loss to South Carolina and the three-interception first half against Florida. He completed his first 10 passes against Auburn. By halftime he had already thrown for 186 yards and three touchdowns. He completed an 18-yard touchdown pass to Tavarres King, just after getting knocked to the ground by Auburn linebacker Cassanova McKinzy, which forced Murray to leave the game for a play. His threw a 56-yard strike to King, setting up Todd Gurley’s six-yard score.
This isn’t the same team we’ve watched for most of the season. It’s a team playing like a legitimate threat to Alabama and any other team in the BCS rankings.
And that’s something few could have seen coming.
By Jeff Schultz
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649 comments Add your comment
kingdaddy
November 11th, 2012
12:01 pm
I guess rising thought he could find a shoulder to cry on in this blog, lol. Might want to try the Netd blog. BTW, they all left you about the same time I got here…don’t know what that’s all about, do you???
Steve
November 11th, 2012
12:03 pm
My point, Tide Rising, is that every SEC team plays 2-3 cupcakes each year, not just UGA. Again, UGA has no control over the SEC teams they play. Sorry you don’t get it. Again, nice loss yesterday : )
Tide Rising
November 11th, 2012
12:04 pm
Theavgoe,
So we lost to a multi-loss team? And is S. Carolina not a multi loss team? So we got blown out by Utah??? The game was 21-17 midway through the 3rd qtr mam and we eventually lost by 14. A blowout is an asskicking of 20 pts or more. Want to compare how many times Bama has been “blown out” in the past 6 years of Saban vs how many times Georgia has been “blown out” in the same time span. You really want to go there???
Discount DoubleDawg
November 11th, 2012
12:04 pm
a loss is a loss no matter how you slice it. you should have won yesterday and you didn’t. it’s not that big of a deal nor is it complicated. it’s ok to a very good team instead of a great team. there is nothing wrong with that.
Bill Stanfill
November 11th, 2012
12:05 pm
Popped Alabama balloons all over the floor this morning: AJ Mccarron for Heisman? He is a field manager-style QB, not a play-maker. He’s solid but he is not a Heisman candidate.
Alabama is a sliver away from being a 2-loss team. They finally played a couple of good–not great–teams and they nearly lost to both. (Think Alabama has a creampuff schedule this year? Take a look at next year’s schedule–even more cream in the puff.)
In short, Alabama has been an over-ranked, over-hyped team all year.
Now what was that silly comment by Spurrier about being able to beat an NFL team? The silliest part is that some Alabama fans actually believed it.
Popped balloons all over the floor in Alabama.
The Bear
November 11th, 2012
12:06 pm
Bama played terrible in spurts last night and Texas A&M took advantage of the mistakes. The spread offense has given Bama trouble in the past see Utah. Rest assured Bama will be ready when time comes to play in Atlanta. Take your shots now. A&M played an almost flawless game and left with a well-deserved win.
Oh yea Roll Tide
Tide Rising
November 11th, 2012
12:08 pm
Steve,
You’re making a point that we all already know. My point though is that every year Bama steps up and plays at least one traditional heavyweight from another conference. Its been that way since day one under Saban. Can’t say the same for Georgia when it comes to scheduling at least one big time noncon game. Again. Nice loss vs S. Carolina last month. And here’s some advice. At least do try and keep your losses respectable as opposed to rolling over and getting brutal beatdowns.
kingdaddy
November 11th, 2012
12:11 pm
LSU sucked the life out of Bama. They lost at the end of the year to A&M which is a dealbreaker if you are looking at a NC. Guess there won’t be a crystal trophy in your future this year…
Would you call Bama going to the SEC-CG this year “BACKING-IN”???
Steve
November 11th, 2012
12:12 pm
Ha ha. You really are a moron huh? RECENTLY, UGA has played Arizona State, Colorado, Oklahoma State, Boise State, Clemson, etc.
Tide Rising
November 11th, 2012
12:12 pm
Bill Stanfill,
Sorry dude but we have one narrow loss that could have just as easily been a win. And that win at LSU in a night game at tiger stadium. Its still a win ma’am. Even after turning the ball over 2 times to none for LSU and even after LSU had 2 weeks to get ready for the game we still won. Plain and simple. So what happened the last time the dawgs played LSU anyhow? Oh. Thass right! 42-10 asskicking. But but but it was close in the first half dawgs fans will say. Sorry. Its a 60 minute game and all that matters is the final score.
davidinloganville
November 11th, 2012
12:13 pm
Paul Johnson is a genius again! I hope tech gives him a contract extension before Thanksgiving because I don’t see any of CMR best friends on their staff and I don’t expect the Dawgs to take their foot off the gas like last night.
Steve
November 11th, 2012
12:17 pm
Shouldn’t “Tide Rising” go by Tide Falling now? : )
kingdaddy
November 11th, 2012
12:18 pm
Hello Bear
I know Bama’s got a great team, I’m just razzing an idiot who came in here trashing the Dawgs. Good luck against Auburn and we will see each other on the field. Nothing like humble-pie to bring you back to planet earth…
kingdaddy
November 11th, 2012
12:20 pm
The Bear
BTW, have a great Veterans Day brother…
Tide Rising
November 11th, 2012
12:21 pm
“RECENTLY, UGA has played Arizona State, Colorado, Oklahoma State, Boise State, Clemson, etc.”
Steve,
You left out how horrible that Colorado team was. You also left out that Az state was 5-7 the year before playing UGA and I think finished about the same that year. And Ok. state at that point in time was still a middling big 12 team that had never won its division. As for Clemson I don’t remember you playing them recently. Perhaps you did. When was it? I do remember playing them when they came into the season ranked 8th back in 2008. We destroyed them. As for Boise what’s your point? They beat the living hell out of you.
So who have we played lately? How about Michigan which came into the season ranked in the top 10, a VT team in 09 that started the season in the top 10 and was a national title contender, a Clemson team that started out top 10 in 2008 when we played them, Penn state which was respectable the last 2 years. After we beat them last year they were 7-1 through the first 8 games before folding near the end of the season in the wake of the Sandusky affair.
We took on at least 3 teams that were preseason top 10 and beat em all convincingly. You played Boise which was preseason top 10 and they pounded you. Colorado and ASU? Puh-leeze.
Its just too easy making you look like an idiot Steve.
kingdaddy
November 11th, 2012
12:22 pm
More like ebb tide…
Steve
November 11th, 2012
12:23 pm
Projected BCS rankings, UGA #4, Bama #6, ouch!
DawgNole
November 11th, 2012
12:23 pm
Honey boy
November 11th, 2012
6:03 am
Thomas Brown… Step away from the crack pipe you self righteous snot… You get paid to write that drivel? You think your opinions are held as gospel? Joke….!
_____________________
There you have it, TB–a concise summary by Honey boy of the respect you command on this blog. “Self righteous snot.” Well said, Honey boy.
Hey, TB, you still predicting “four or five losses in 2012″ for the gators? Still claiming Ohio St has never beaten an SEC team in a bowl game? And you’ve got the unmitigated gall to question the “street cred” of posters on this blog? Simpleton.
And I see you’re still lying. I’ve never posted under another handle on an AJC blog. Never. Stop lying, TB, Stop distorting. Stop fabricating. Stop being two-faced. Stop bragging. Stop writing poorly and inaccurately. Stop boring the rest of us. Go back to your restroom and contemplate yourself and the contempt and disgust with which you’re viewed on AJC blogs. And be thankful that you haven’t also been banned from this one. It’s only a matter of time.
BILLY JACK
November 11th, 2012
12:23 pm
You techies better get off Georgia blogs or Mark Richt is gonna forget he is a christian and hang 80 or 90 points on you nerds-you have been warned.
Tampa Gator
November 11th, 2012
12:24 pm
Are the Crimson Tide people on here yet making all their excuses for losing to Texas A&M? A&M came into your house and dominated your unbeatable team…….too bad…but I think you will beat Auburn this year to wrap up the West. But I think the Dawgs are a better team overall than your team….and they win the SEC this year……..and Dawg fans will have to wait yet another year to FIRE their head coach.
Imagine this….TIDE FANS……..Georgia wins in Atlanta. Florida somehow beats FSU in their house. Florida goes to the Sugar Bowl….and Bama goes to Orlando. Oooppppssss……….
Steve
November 11th, 2012
12:25 pm
HA HA. Tide Falling, you make me laugh. You really don’t know anything. You see, when teams schedule to play each other, it is done several years before they play. Therefore, UGA has no control of how good the teams are when they play. YOU said UGA does not play quality teams, wrong. Later little boy. Again, nice loss yesterday. Was hilarious seeing the Bama fans crying on TV.
kingdaddy
November 11th, 2012
12:25 pm
Michigan was “preseason” top 10… meant nothing. Where are they now? They used to be good, but so did UT, lol…
Jet Puffed
November 11th, 2012
12:26 pm
SEC analogy = JET PUFFED. You know, the “fluffy, marshmellowy” topping.
2 great examples: Miss St & UGA.
Miss St played NOBODY, I mean NOBODY until the last 3 weeks in which they’ve gotten their butts handed to them by BAMA, Tex A&M, and LSU. Before that this SEC team “Jet Puffed” themselves to the #11 ranking by beating SEC foes Auburn, Kentucky, and Tenn along with a bunch of nobodys.
Now UGA … the Dawgs have “Jet Puffed” their way to the #5 ranking by going 1-1 vs. the only good teams they’ve played (now question just how good UF really is), and “flexing their muscles” vs. the collection of stiffs that include powerhouses like Kentucky, Tenn, Vandy, Mizzou, Ole Miss, and a slew of “we’ll take your $ to come to Athens and get clobbered” teams.
$$ is what drives every business. The NCAA/BCS is a business. The biggest $-grab is from the SEC constituents & its fans. Thus, Jet-Puffing SEC teams is a very good business decision. The majority of SEC fans are the “some of the people you can fool ALL OF THE TIME”
Tide Rising
November 11th, 2012
12:26 pm
“Would you call Bama going to the SEC-CG this year “BACKING-IN”???”
kingdaddy,
How is it “backing in” when you win the division by a full game? Typical trash talking from another dumb dawg fan always out to rag on Alabama.
Discount DoubleDawg
November 11th, 2012
12:27 pm
there a number of things fans do when they are back-pedaling… they become historians and delve out statistics and records, they start looking at schedules, their best counter point is to ‘move the target’ (change the subject)… Tide- you seem to be doing all of those things and I all can see is you back-pedaling… Take a deep breath and slow down. You lost and it’s going to be ok. No need to sling mud…
DawgNole
November 11th, 2012
12:28 pm
Beast from the East
November 11th, 2012
8:46 am
Congrats, Dawgs. Best of luck in the dome. Personally, I’m glad my Gators did not make it as our offense is inept. We could hold Bama to about 17-20 points, but we would be lucky to score 9 on them. Kind of like the UF/UGA game turned out. Sigh…
Anyway, once again…Congrats!
_______________________
Thanks, Beast. A gator with class–a rare bird indeed.
kingdaddy
November 11th, 2012
12:31 pm
Hey…Do y’all hear that beeping???
That’s ebb*tide’s team “backing” into the SEC-CG to play us. Don’t get behind him, he doesn’t like looking in a mirror…keep on backing…back…back…
Tide Rising
November 11th, 2012
12:32 pm
kingdaddy,
The point is that Michigan was expected to be a contender and hence the preseason # 8 ranking. That was why we scheduled them. Not our fault that they turned out to not be that good.
Steve,
Its obvious you don’t know wtf you are talking about. Many noncon games are scheduling years in advance. Many are not. We scheduled the Michigan, Clemson, and VT games on very short notice because we knew all 3 would come into the season preseason top 10. Gawd you are effing stupid. And also if you scheduled Colorado and ASU and Ok. state years in advance then you scheduled teams that were very mediocre when you scheduled them and were expected to continue to be mediocre later on. None of those 3 were exactly powerhouses when you scheduled them. All 3 were middling level teams. Damn you are stupid.
j
November 11th, 2012
12:33 pm
eh, ga southern is going to give the dawgs a real challenge
Tide Rising
November 11th, 2012
12:34 pm
kingdaddy,
Backing in? Hilarious. Especially since its coming from a guy whose team has played all of 2 good teams the whole season and who got blown the eff out in one of them.
Tide Falling
November 11th, 2012
12:36 pm
I’m sorry guys, I am just sad about yesterday. I was up all night crying and wetting the bed and am grumpy. Just sucks knowing we are going to lose to UGA in the SECCG and end up at the Capital One Bowl while UGA goes to New Orleans.
Tide Rising
November 11th, 2012
12:37 pm
Discount Double Dawg,
Using stats and history to validate a point is backpedaling? Pointing out that we scheduled a number of noncon games with opponents who were going to be preseason ranked top 10 is “backpedaling”? You dawg fans make no effing sense at all. None.
KBP
November 11th, 2012
12:37 pm
Bama Fans, You have one heck of a program and in my opinion the BEST recruiter in the country in Nick Saban. This years’ team is nowhere near as good as last years’ team nor 2009. Your secondary is talented but young and inexperienced except one guy. Your defensive front is not as dominant as 2011 and 2009. With all that said, you guys are a very good team but are very susceptible to a passing attack. I posted that after the Michigan game and most everyone who commented disagreed. LSU and A & M showed that. Why make excuses about why you lost yesterday? Your schedule this year was no tougher than ours. Your signature win is against a 5th ranked LSU team that until last week could not pass the ball at all. Your signature loss is against a 15th ranked, again a 15th ranked A&M team. Our signature win is against #2 Florida and our loss is against #6 South Carolina. By the way the pundits informed the whole nation how invincible Bama is, then your loss should be more despicable than our 28 pt loss. After all, Bama has the best players,coaches,facilities,fans, and all things football-the audacity to suggest you could beat an NFL team. Surely you should not lose to a college team. A&M should be 9th and Bama should be 10th but your reputation won’t let you drop that far. You lost, deal with it.
Discount DoubleDawg
November 11th, 2012
12:38 pm
Georgia ranked #4, Bama #5… Not big on rankings myself but this is how things have unfolded.
Jet Puffed
November 11th, 2012
12:38 pm
It’s not UGA’s fault that they have had, arguably, the weakest SEC schedule in the history of SEC play this season and last. It’s a shame when teams like this are “Jet Puffed” to higher rankings though.
Thank God I’m not a UGA fan (or SEC fan). It’s sad watching the NCAA & BCS dictate your life, what you do with your spare time, and on what you’re going to spend your disposable income.
I’ve got 8 tix to the SEC Champ game in ATL, Dawg fans …… prices start @ $1,000 each.
Who cares about your family & friends over the holidays, this game is BIGGER than all of that. It’s a 3.5 hour event that, all is said & done, you’ll swear $1,000 / ticket was a bargain. Think about it, you’ll be able to say to all of your friends, “I was there!”
Free samples of Jet Puffed will handed out the first 100,000 people in the Dome.
Tide Rising
November 11th, 2012
12:38 pm
Tide Falling,
UGA will be in New Orleans? Happens about twice every 30 years does it? Too funny.
Discount DoubleDawg
November 11th, 2012
12:40 pm
What makes less sense is you being on this blog, a day after a loss, with some sort of attitude problem. At least gtbob has common sense sometimes. And yes you are back-pedaling…
j
November 11th, 2012
12:40 pm
i think most of you dawg fans need to worry about your opponent next week than alabama right now … gsu put up the most points against Bama last year than any other team. You can expect more of the same next saturday. CMR knows that the Ga Southern game is not one to discount nor is it a cupcake team by any means.
kingdaddy
November 11th, 2012
12:41 pm
Rising
How does it feel to be treated like you try to treat everybody? You ducked every good East team and should have tried a little harder to get out of playing in your own division, lol. Giants fall really hard, don’t they? Please try to beat Auburn. I can’t imagine two teams playing each other while both sides of fans wear paperbags over their heads, LOL…
Tide Falling
November 11th, 2012
12:41 pm
Yup, UGA goes twice every 30 years. 1981, 1982, 1983, 2003, 2006, 2008. Yea, you know your stuff!
Tide Falling
November 11th, 2012
12:44 pm
J = Moron. Georgia will destroy GSU. Final score 45-14.
kingdaddy
November 11th, 2012
12:45 pm
J
You worry about the nerds. We don’t need your advice…
Tide Rising
November 11th, 2012
12:45 pm
Discount double dawg,
What the hell is there to backpedal from? We lost a close game to a team that is playing hotter than anyone in college football. We will still win the sec and with a little luck from USC or Oregon State who knows maybe we will get back in the big game. If not then so be it. We have 2 bcs titles in the last 3 years. We’re cool and we understand we won’t win it every year.
I gotta get going. I’ve had enough fun for one day with you guys. Speaking of bcs titles lemme know if you guys ever get one. In the mean time after you shine the bcs crystal trophys at UT, AU, LSU, and UF you can then shine our most recent crystal trophy. I figure it will be the closest you dawg fans ever get to one. Toodles!
Discount DoubleDawg
November 11th, 2012
12:46 pm
stay classy Tide Rising, stay classy…
Tide Falling
November 11th, 2012
12:46 pm
Guess it’s time for Tide Rising to go have some fun with mommy.
Tide Rising
November 11th, 2012
12:47 pm
Tide Falling,
UGA won the sec conference in 2006 and 2008? Who knew? I think the UF fans may disagree with you. What a blitering idiot of a dawg fan. Now I’m really out. Imbecile.
Tide Rising
November 11th, 2012
12:49 pm
Discount Double Dawg,
You try and stay classy too ma’am. And speaking of classy tell your fellow dawg fans not to go egging Murrays house again after the seccg.
BWAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHAHHA.
Discount DoubleDawg
November 11th, 2012
12:50 pm
I think he just tripped over something while back-pedaling…
DawgNole
November 11th, 2012
12:50 pm
laughingattheleghumpers
November 11th, 2012
8:53 am
Can you dare even say it? GO Notre Dame! Go Oregon! Go K State!
That’s what this SEC fan is shouting !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
_____________________
You’re no SEC fan, obviously. Poser.
Tide Falling
November 11th, 2012
12:52 pm
You said UGA never goes to the Sugar Bowl. Where did I type UGA won their conference in those years? MORON.
2003 – UGA 26 FSU 13
2006 – West Virginia 38 UGA 35
2008 – UGA 41 Hawaii 10
GOOGLE IT!