Upsets launch Georgia into BCS title picture (UPDATED)
It took a little while but Aaron Murray and Georgia eventually took charge. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
(LAST UPDATED: 12:18 a.m.)
ATHENS – For as much as Mark Richt prefers his Georgia players focus on opponents (Georgia Southern, Georgia Tech) and not acronyms (SEC, BCS) in these final two weeks of the regular season, it was difficult not to notice what was scrolling on the Sanford Stadium video board before Saturday’s game.
First came the screen shot with large bold letters screaming: “BCS STANDINGS.” Then came the screen shot listing the nation’s top ranked teams, from No. 1 Kansas State to No. 5 Georgia.
The topic is impossible to ignore. It’s why, even in games with seemingly foregone conclusions like Saturday’s against Georgia Southern, some will look at the way things started for the Bulldogs on this day and think, “Uh-oh.”
But don’t overthink this.
Did Georgia come out a little flat, a bit sloppy and probably unfocused against an FCS opponent? Clearly. When a team is one of the nation’s top ranked clubs and just before halftime it is clinging to a 10-7 lead over an inferior opponent — which resides in a full neighborhood to the south of college football’s power structure — it’s a problem.
But after what the Bulldogs have overcome in the past few weeks, a letdown should not have come as a surprise. Most importantly, they recovered. Aaron Murray’s touchdown pass to Malcolm Mitchell with four seconds left in the first half keyed a 31-0 string and Georgia went on to bury Georgia Southern, 45-14.
And who could’ve expected this scenario? Hours after the Bulldogs’ win, the BCS’s No. 1 ranked team, Kansas State, was hammered by Baylor 52-24, and No. 2 Oregon lost at home in overtime to Stanford 17-14. This means No. 3 Notre Dame is certain to take over the No. 1 spot when the new BCS rankings come out Sunday night and, more importantly, the door to a potential seventh straight national title has swung back open for the SEC.
Simplifying this from Georgia’s viewpoint: If the Dogs win their next two games over Georgia Tech next week and Alabama in the SEC championship game, they likely will wind up in their first BCS championship game. Entering the week, Alabama ranked fourth in the BCS and Georgia was fifth.
ESPN’s Brad Edwards projects that the top five in the new BCS rankings will be: 1) Notre Dame; 2.) Alabama; 3.) Georgia, 4.) Florida, 5.) Oregon
After Stanford’s win in overtime, several Georgia players celebrated on Twitter, with Murray sending out the message: “Yesssssssssssss!!!!!! The Murray household just went crazyyyyy!!!!!!”
Christian Robinson and the defense got better as game went on against Georgia Southern's option offense. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
Richt has tried his best to steer the talk away from the BCS. Most of the first half of the Georgia Southern game showed us why. As Richt said of the first half, “We were fortunate to come out of there even with the lead.”
No kidding. With Georgia leading 10-7, a personal foul/chop block penalty by an Eagles’ lineman negated a first-and-goal situation from the Dogs’ five-yard-line. That set up a 39-yard field goal attempt that Georgia Southern missed. It set the backdrop for a touchdown drive going in the
BCS standings are shown on Sanford Stadium scoreboard before game.
other direction. Instead of facing a potent halftime deficit of 14-10, Georgia led 17-7.
“I feel like that swung the mood in the stadium and on the sideline,” wide receiver Tavarres King said.
From that point on, it was Aaron Murray-to-anybody. He threw touchdown passes on four straight possessions.
Should Georgia have let an FCS opponent hang around that long? No.
But in the end, poll voters and BCS computers will see the lopsided final score. This certainly isn’t the first time the Dogs have played to the level of their competition. But the objectives Saturday were to win and use the Eagles’ option offense as a scout team for next week’s game against Georgia Tech. In that sense, mission accomplished.
“I don’t know how the BCS does things,” nose guard John Jenkins said. “But if that (45-14) looks good on style points, hey, we’re styling.”
There was no stylin’ early. After an opening touchdown drive, Georgia scored three points on the next possessions (fumbling once) against a Georgia Southern defense that had given up 88 points to your basic non-BCS outfits: UT-Chattanooga, Appalachian State and Howard.
Pick your cliche:
“We were shooting ourselves in the foot,” Murray said.
“Self-inflicted wounds,” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said.
Georgia defensive linemen were getting upset by what they perceived as Georgia Southern’s intentional chop blocking. They were penalized only once, knocking down Georgia’s Kwame Geathers, but Jenkins said, “I felt like I was sliced and diced that game.”
But both the defense endured and Murray began shredding the Eagles’ secondary.
Actually, Murray has torn everybody apart lately. Since the fourth quarter of the Florida game, he has completed 62 of 88 for 1,005 yards, 12 touchdowns and zero interceptions. “Is he eating Wheaties or something?” King said.
The Dogs continued attacking to the final minutes, even after putting in the second-string defense. The last touchdown pass came by Parker Welch with 3:13 left. The thought occurred that they were trying to impress voters and computers. But Richt and Bobo both denied that.
“We had three runs called but they kept bringing both safeties on blitzes,” Bobo said. “On third down I was like, ‘OK, we’ve got to throw it. We have to protect our backs, too.’”
Richt never has been a pour-it-on coach. If anything, he has been accused of being just the opposite. So nobody is going to complain. And by next week people will only remember the score.
By Jeff Schultz
Recent ramblings from the digital jukebox
• Short takes: Murray wakes up the offense
• Live: Georgia hopes for easy day against Georgia Southern
• Weekend Predictions: Dogs, Jackets, Falcons and the lust triangles
• Falcons’ flaws aren’t worse than any other NFL team
• College hoop kings provide rare thrills for Atlanta
• Falcons’ startling admission: Ray Edwards was a blunder
• Will SEC get team to BCS championship (answer below) (with video)
• Short takes: Murray, Georgia defense and angry Auburn fans
• Georgia wins SEC East, and looks like threat to Alabama
• Richt is coaching through pain (because he fell off a swing … honest)
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495 comments Add your comment
Dawg Whisperer
November 18th, 2012
12:48 am
Ralph, I’m guessing from your remarks that you could use some of that toilet paper.
kerryb
November 18th, 2012
12:48 am
Anyone see Les Miles press conference today? He acted like he had been smoking some of the Honey Badgers dope.
kerryb
November 18th, 2012
12:49 am
What a joke
November 18th, 2012
12:47 am
kerryb,
No everything is not back in order. You think the SEC’s dominance of the NC game is good for football. Travel man, travel. Watch how many people around the nation, cept the south, are turned off by it. Advertisers know that too.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Well, they have a chance every year to do something about it.
Ralph Kramden
November 18th, 2012
12:50 am
It really gives toliet paper a bad name….
Dawg Whisperer
November 18th, 2012
12:51 am
Since my eyes are getting bleary, I’ll depart with a semi-serious comment. GT will be a tough opponent. (I do plan, however, to keep my UGA diploma on the wall instead of in the bathroom.)
Not So Fast
November 18th, 2012
12:51 am
What’s Sabans record against Richt in the SECCG? I believe it’s 1-1.
What a joke
November 18th, 2012
12:52 am
kerryb,
A&M lost 2 close games. You’ll be impressed after the SEC championship. Saban said the LSU was the most physical game he has ever coached. Bama was beat and over confident against A&M. Not anymore….Game Over…..SAW.
kerryb
November 18th, 2012
12:53 am
Joke, Bama is about to get another physical game. Ask Florida.
Aaron Murray
November 18th, 2012
12:53 am
Romney dominated the south.
Barack will make sure SEC gets shunned.
What a joke
November 18th, 2012
12:54 am
No So Fast…but the last one was 31-0 before GA scored correct?
Not So Fast
November 18th, 2012
12:55 am
Joke is a cry baby. Tell me again, who has Bama beaten?
rufus
November 18th, 2012
12:55 am
r was it 80-1981? In any event, barring a big surprise, SEC will again be NC. Gotta like that.
Dog Island Gator
November 18th, 2012
12:55 am
Go SEC and go SEC EAST! The upsets had to come and boy did they with a bang. Not only is the SEC back in the championship game but the winner could be from the EAST. Favorable schedule and a little luck and the Bulldogs may pull it off. And my Gators are sitting pretty too. Damn if we only had an offense. Anyway, this is college football and its not over yet. GA has Tech and Fl has FSU. Can’t wait for AL vs GA. And don’t think Ga can’t beat AL. GO GATORS
kerryb
November 18th, 2012
12:55 am
Bama was beaten by A&M because they are not as good as last season. They lost too many players on defense. They barely beat an LSU team that barely beat a Ole Miss team tonight that Georgia destroyed.
Greg
November 18th, 2012
12:56 am
Tech has no defense. Murray will torch them and Gurley will truck them in tune of 38 points.
Not So Fast
November 18th, 2012
12:57 am
Joke I said SECCG not regular season. That was the black out game in Athens. Right there just showed your lack of football knowledge.
Greg
November 18th, 2012
12:57 am
Georgia will be the best defense Tech has seen all year by far. Georgia has already played a triple option offense which will only help them get adjusted quickly to what Tech is doing. Tech doesn’t run the option as well as Southern though.
Cry Baby Romney
November 18th, 2012
12:58 am
Jeff, SEC and BCS are not acronyms.
Not So Fast
November 18th, 2012
12:59 am
On another note does anyone know what Les Miles did today? Espn was talking about him going off but I stepped out and didn’t see.
What a joke
November 18th, 2012
1:00 am
Not So Fast, are you that stupid? Who has Bama lost to by 28 points.
Closest SEC win. Let’s laugh.
Bama beat LSU by 4.
GA beat KY by 5.
kerryb
November 18th, 2012
1:02 am
Not So Fast
November 18th, 2012
12:59 am
On another note does anyone know what Les Miles did today? Espn was talking about him going off but I stepped out and didn’t see.
______________________________________________________________
He was acting kind of crazy. Like he had been smoking the Honey Badgers dope.
kerryb
November 18th, 2012
1:03 am
Georgia’s defense will be the best Bama has faced all year. LSU’s is good along the front line but they are not as good at LB and secondary as UGA is.
What a joke
November 18th, 2012
1:04 am
How in the hell can KSU lose to a 4-5 Baylor team by 28 points (24 in the 3rd after the coaches tear you a new one). Parity reeks, but that just does not make sense.
kerryb
November 18th, 2012
1:06 am
Baylor has been pretty good on offense all year. Their defense was not that good. That was the best game Baylor played all year on defense.
What a joke
November 18th, 2012
1:06 am
kerryb, what are you drinking? Athens is not Death Valley and probably never has been. LSU would beat GA 7/10 times in Baaaattooon Rouuuggee.
Not So Fast
November 18th, 2012
1:07 am
Joke is that the same LSU team who lost to Florida and who barely beat an Ole Miss team? Alabama avoided Florida, UGA, and South Carolina. That schedule is a joke. But you won’t point that out because what a joke is right, the joke is you.
j
November 18th, 2012
1:07 am
@What a joke- LSU is out of the picture. Also, what’s a joke? That the SEC actually is the best conference? Because if nothing else, that’s what tonight proved.
kerryb
November 18th, 2012
1:08 am
LSU didn’t beat UGA the last time they played in Baaattoon Rouuuuggee
ylojkt
November 18th, 2012
1:08 am
Some of you may not want to crow so loudly just yet, a Tech win next week takes you out of contention. Tech has been playing really good ball lately, the offense is looking crisp. You better pin your ears, because this game could be a track meet.
Or it could be a scenario like today, where the ball control and a td method limits your time on the field, fail in back to back possessions and the game’s over.
I’m not predicting a win, but it wouldn’t surprise me. Maybe dog fans should be prepared so that it doesn’t devastate you.
What a joke
November 18th, 2012
1:09 am
T-shirts for sale, T-shirts for sale.
………………Bama wins 15 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP destroys FL by 24…………
I hope it reads ND, but USC Barkley or not will beat them.
kerryb
November 18th, 2012
1:10 am
LSU this year wouldn’t beat UGA in Athens or Baaattoon Rouuuuggee. What about them this year impresses you? They beat a bunch of cream puffs to start the season, struggled against Auburn, and lost to Florida. Yes, they beat A&M and SC. That’s it.
kerryb
November 18th, 2012
1:13 am
ylojkt
November 18th, 2012
1:08 am
Some of you may not want to crow so loudly just yet, a Tech win next week takes you out of contention. Tech has been playing really good ball lately, the offense is looking crisp. You better pin your ears, because this game could be a track meet.
Or it could be a scenario like today, where the ball control and a td method limits your time on the field, fail in back to back possessions and the game’s over.
I’m not predicting a win, but it wouldn’t surprise me. Maybe dog fans should be prepared so that it doesn’t devastate you.
____________________________________________________________
Georgia will beat Tech just like they did Southern today. Like I pointed out earlier. Southern runs the triple option better than Tech and see what happened to them. Tech’s defense will not stop Georgia’s offense. Georgia 42-14
What a joke
November 18th, 2012
1:14 am
Not that LSU impresses. GA has played and beat nobody. FL scored 16 offensive points against whom today?
Not So Fast
November 18th, 2012
1:16 am
Alabama overrated…. They did not play UGA, UF, or USC. So what makes anyone think UGA can’t beat them? By the way I think Manziel just got the Heisman after Kleins choke job tonight.
kerryb
November 18th, 2012
1:16 am
Joke, who has Bama beaten? They played a softer schedule than UGA. I believe beating Florida who beat LSU equals what Bama has done. Georgia lost to SC who was the #6 team in the polls at the time. Bama lost to the #15 team.
What a joke
November 18th, 2012
1:17 am
Not right that GA gets GT as the last game. Gives them competitive advantage in polls. That’s a game they win most of the time.
Another example. TN always plays KY and Vandy at the end of the year. Games they very seldom lose. Result: Their assured their rankings won’t go down year in and year out.
kerryb
November 18th, 2012
1:18 am
Georgia should be #2 and Bama #3 but that will be settled on Dec 1st.
ylojkt
November 18th, 2012
1:18 am
I feel like this is going to be a 45 – 42 type of game. This one won’t be a cakewalk, it will be a back and forth type of game. Last possession should determine this game.
kerryb
November 18th, 2012
1:18 am
Vandy destroyed TN tonight.
kerryb
November 18th, 2012
1:21 am
ylojkt
November 18th, 2012
1:18 am
I feel like this is going to be a 45 – 42 type of game. This one won’t be a cakewalk, it will be a back and forth type of game. Last possession should determine this game.
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Won’t be that close. Tech’s defense gave up 50 points to a lesser team than UGA last week. They will give up more than that. Also, UGA’s defense just got a tune up for them this weekend so they got a lot of practice stopping the option.
What a joke
November 18th, 2012
1:21 am
kerryb, stop with your games. Its where you end up, correct.
SC is ranked 9th, A&M 8th in BCS right now, hince the better team.
Besides Bama lost by 5, GA by 28 and surely you now humans and computers evaluate margin of victory.
kerryb
November 18th, 2012
1:23 am
On Dec 1st Bama won’t be dealing with a wide eyed Georgia team that hasn’t played in an SECCG in 6 years. They will be playing a more experienced team that played their last year.
What a joke
November 18th, 2012
1:23 am
Kerryb,
Wouldn’t you know. TN really, really reeks. And Ga beat them by how many?
kerryb
November 18th, 2012
1:26 am
Joke, the teams are where they are when you played them. Does anyone think a SC minus Lattimore is the same team UGA played? No. Does anyone think that A&M would be ranked #8 if they hadn’t beaten Bama? No.
What a joke
November 18th, 2012
1:26 am
Only way GA wins is if Murray has career night. LSU and Johnny football exploited Alabama’s pass defense.
and pigs fly too.
kerryb
November 18th, 2012
1:27 am
What a joke
November 18th, 2012
1:23 am
Kerryb,
Wouldn’t you know. TN really, really reeks. And Ga beat them by how many?
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TN was playing pretty good football when UGA played them. They have just collapsed over the last several weeks.
kerryb
November 18th, 2012
1:29 am
Murray will pick Bama apart. They do not have an edge rusher that can pressure Murray like Florida did. They are also not that good in the secondary except for one player.
What a joke
November 18th, 2012
1:30 am
kerryb,
So Roddick beats Federer in the first. Match over (in your world), correct? NBA, NFL, NCAAB, anything decided early on, correct. No. It is over the balance of the season or match or whatever.
Those rankings mean nothing when you play a team as enough evidence is not in to evaluate how good the team is over the course of the season. Over 10 game A&M is better than SC, right now.
Not So Fast
November 18th, 2012
1:31 am
Kerryb I just saw the clip of Miles post game he just if been on something dude went slap crazy. And joke it’s football you can’t look at head to head scores. That’s a pointless endeavor. I can play that game to. UGA beat Florida who beat Texas A & M and LSU. Bama lost to A&m and barely beat LSU. So clearly UGA is better than Bama using your reasoning. You my sir are a joke. Common opponents are pointless to look at. Different teams match up differently against each other.
What a joke
November 18th, 2012
1:34 am
kerryb,
this is pretty good TN football?
Fri, Aug 31 at North Carolina State W 35-21 –
Sat, Sep 8 Georgia State W 51-13 –
Sat, Sep 15 (18) Florida L 20-37 –
Sat, Sep 22 Akron W 47-26
Sat, Sep 29 at (5) Georgia L 44-51