Georgia playing at level we haven’t seen under Richt
Dogs accept Governor's Cup after the win, but they're after something bigger. (Brant Sanderlin)
ATHENS – This is new ground. Or, more accurately, new air.
Georgia had never reached this elevation before under Mark Richt — not in BCS ranking at this point of the season, not in perception of championship potential.
It didn’t feel like this even during those two SEC titles early in Richt’s tenure, when Georgia already had been cropped out of the national pictured. It wasn’t this real when a Sugar Bowl win left the Bulldogs with a postseason ranking of No. 2, after they already had been leapfrogged in the BCS and left out of the national title game.
Never before in late November under Richt could we look at Georgia and legitimately think: That team can win it all.
Now we can.
Georgia didn’t just beat Georgia Tech on Saturday. It humiliated the Jackets 42-10. The tilt on the scoreboard would have been even greater if Richt hadn’t pulled starters with more than 10 minutes left in the game.
The Dogs led 7-0 after one minute, 14-0 after six minutes, 28-3 at halftime. They made touchdown drives look like wind sprints, ranging in elapsed time from 29 seconds to 2:42. They dominated the game physically. When is the last time Georgia played with that level of urgency?
Linebacker Alec Ogletree and Georgia's defense have had a lot of reasons to celebrate lately. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
This team is playing with an edge it hasn’t for years. It has beaten its last four opponents (Ole Miss, Auburn, Georgia Southern, Tech) by scores of 37-10, 38-0, 45-14 and 42-10. That’s a composite dismembering of 162-34, give or take a limb.
Please, don’t come back with: “But look who they’re playing?”
Georgia has seldom stepped on opponents like this, certainly not in November when everybody, fans and pollsters, are watching.
With the score 42-3 Saturday, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo still could be seen and heard screaming in the coach’s box when things didn’t go well, at one point yelling into his headset, “Get your [bleep] off the field!” after the offense went three-and-out and players walked (not ran) to the sideline.
“Yeah, my dad texted me,” Bobo said later, somewhat sheepishly. “I guess he heard it on radio or TV. But you’re playing in Sanford Stadium. You should at least run off the field.”
Does this seem like the same Georgia team to you?
It was apparent after the win over Auburn: The Dogs are good enough to beat Alabama for the SEC championship. They are good enough to win its first national championship since 1980. They can pass: Aaron Murray has 14 touchdown passes, zero interceptions since the fourth quarter against Florida. They can run: Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall combined for 163 yards, four touchdowns and no carries for losses against Tech, and continue to look more like veterans than freshmen.
Most important, the defense, which had been expected to carry the Dogs all season, only to struggle early with suspensions and injuries and maybe a little bit of day-dreaming about the NFL, now is playing up to expectations.
This isn’t the same team that suffered so many hiccups in the first eight games. It’s certainly not the same team that lost at South Carolina 35-7, which prompted an egg assault on the home of some players and attacks via social media.
“At the end of the season, we might say that game helped us,” Marshall said.
“It was definitely an eye-opener,” linebacker Jarvis Jones said.
“This team is different. This team has something to it,” linebacker Christian Robinson said.
And then this: “I’m just glad my house is safe right now.”
This is the not same defense that was called out as being “soft” by senior strong safety Shawn Williams. Most agree he was on target with his comments, even if he was wrong to throw selected teammates (like Robinson) under the bus.
Richt said his team’s defensive leaders, most of whom passed up the chance to enter the NFL after last season “had a vested interest in his this season went.” He then added, “When Shawn Williams saw it slipping away, he felt he had to say something about it. He challenged everybody. He couldn’t stand what he was seeing. But I think everybody respected him for what he did. They may have not liked what he did but I think they agreed with it.”
Last year, Georgia reached the SEC championship game against No. 1 LSU. They led 10-0 after the first quarter, then gave up the next 42 points.
“We’re a different team,” Jones said. “We feel like we can beat anybody.”
They certainly look the part.
By Jeff Schultz
Post-Thanksgiving blog blowout sale
• Short takes (UGA): Rambo’s ascent, Gurley’s comfort
• LIVE: Bulldogs, Jackets vie for more than bragging rights
• Upsetting Georgia would give Tech needed boost for future
• Weekend Predictions: Georgia will win on Red-and-Black-Saturday
• Vince Dooley: Joy from Georgia’s resurgence, pain from son’s firing
• Wonder why SEC is on top? Look at other conference finals
• Falcons win — but run before somebody changes their mind
• Short takes: Ryan awful, defense great, win important
• Georgia’s new reality: From on the brink to BCS title possibility
• Upsets launch Georgia into BCS title picture (updated game column)
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
802 comments Add your comment
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
November 25th, 2012
10:51 am
Notre Dame is a good football team but both UGA or Bama will beat them in a very close game. This UGA thing has my attention and it bothers me so many good things are falling the Dawgs way in the last part of the year. I only hope the trash talking Dawgs will play like normal when something big is on the line. We need Murray to play the part of “Interception Man” which he does very well. Bama is 59-7 over the past 5 years so being in a big game is pretty much expected but we do fail every now and then! I just hope our poor little team can reach back and play over our head for 60 minutes. It will come down to which QB plays at a high level since everything else is pretty much the same other than the UGA team is head and shoulders above Bama at trash talking. I think we can count on Rambo for at least one 15 yard penalty.
To the auburn fans …suck it and wave your towel ! You bought it and now you get to eat it!
Bob Leblah
November 25th, 2012
10:51 am
Oregon hasn’t beaten anyone even close to South Carolina. When you went to the Natl championship, you struggled to move the ball against an average Auburn defense. You had your chance, you lost the wrong game.
Tampa Gator
November 25th, 2012
10:54 am
Corinna…..
Do you really think South Carolina would lose to Stanford in SC’s house????? That is what Oregon did….lost to Stanford in Oregon’s house.
Seriously Dawg Fans
November 25th, 2012
10:55 am
Enter your comments here
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
November 25th, 2012
10:55 am
@Falcon 228…the best QB is Johnny Football without a doubt. The little guy has taken an average team and made them a very good team. Murray is playing on a good team and when he plays well his team is even better.
CorrinaW
November 25th, 2012
10:55 am
Tampa Gator…agree Florida should be ranked above UGA too. Just saying UGA doesn’t deserve the #3 spot. I’m not a Bama or UGA fan but still would like to see UGA go down in flames Saturday because can’t stand Mark Richt.
Tampa Gator
November 25th, 2012
10:55 am
Leblah….
That Auburn defense vs. Oregon was hardly “average.” They were an excellent defense.
ShowMeYurTD's
November 25th, 2012
10:56 am
CMR thanks for showing up. Now stay away from tanning booths and ford truck commercials for two more games and UGA will be national champs. GO DAWGS. Keep focused….
Sierra Dawg
November 25th, 2012
10:57 am
So if the 2014 playoff were this year, 3 of the 4 teams would be SEC. The SEC-haters would go ballistic and everyone outside the region would become Irish fans PDQ. Pandora’s box has been opened – a playoff system designed to take an advantage away from the SEC, and it might just backfire.
Also, anyone recall Saban bringing a highly-ranked, heavily-favored squad to the SEC championship game a few years ago and getting slobber-knocked by Richt and Co.? Bama fans might want to consider that in between the hoots and hollers. Yes, CMR has had his off years – not coincidentally during a time his wife was battling cancer – but when he’s on he’s virtually unbeatable, especially at the end of a developing season (2002, 2007). Make no mistake, this Dawg team is very, very good – and highly motivated. If the O-line holds up and the D can fluster A.J., it could get very ugly for Bama.
Birdhair
November 25th, 2012
10:57 am
Set-up a round robin with FLA, UGA, Bama. The best team will be crowned national champion! In all seriousness, I think FLA, UGA, & Bama are the best 3 teams in the country. A&M right there. The fact is that the conference schedules differ every year and maybe UGA will land LSU and A&M in the same season. Or it’ll be Bama and A&M. You get the point. It’s part of playing in a conference. It’s exactly what ND should be required to do in order to be considered for a BCS bowl.
Tampa Gator
November 25th, 2012
10:58 am
Corinna……
Florida lost to Georgia….on the football field….not in a computer. Georgia should be #1 right now….with Florida #2…Notre Dame #3 and Bama #4. Florida….based on their schedule and Georgia’s ranking….should be playing over Notre Dame in the title game. But it will not happen.
Tampa Gator
November 25th, 2012
11:02 am
……and should not happen since Florida did not win the SEC title this year…..like Bama last year.
Falcon 228
November 25th, 2012
11:02 am
That Stanford team is always a PAC 10 nightmare. You have to give em their due. They play a complete game, Offense, Defense, Special Teams and a great coaching staff. Oregon needs to go to a bowl game and play West Virginia. Neither one plays defense.
New to Georgia
November 25th, 2012
11:03 am
I just moved to Georgia from Rhode Island and Ive been keeping up with UGA football all season. Ive been reading up on the history of this obvious great program and had a question for you guys. Who was, or is, the best quarterback to ever play “Between The Hedges” ? I must say I have come to admit I have become Bulldog. I love the fan base and love seeing all the automobiles with the “G ” on the tags and flags flying. Its great. There is nothing like this up north.
Tampa Gator
November 25th, 2012
11:03 am
I think Notre Dame will eventually be forced to join one of the Super Conferences in the future….as those conference champions will determine which teams play for the national title. It is coming.
UGADAWGS
November 25th, 2012
11:04 am
@CorrinaW
Florida is good…..they were just not good enough when they played UGA.
Bama and UGA are playing for the SEC title…..Not Florida…..So get used to it you cheap harlot!
Bob Leblah
November 25th, 2012
11:04 am
That Auburn defense vs. Oregon was hardly “average.” They were an excellent defense.
Really? Gave up 26 to Ark st., 24 to Clemson, 27 to South Carolina, 34 to Kentucky, 43 to Arkansas, 31 to Ole miss, 24 to UTC, 31 to UGA, 27 to Bama…
Excellent?
Birdhair
November 25th, 2012
11:07 am
Tampa, I think we can both agree that the winner of the S.E.C champ game usually produces the best team. This team has won the past 6 national championships! Yes, UGA did not have to face LSU & A&M or Bama in the west. But, that’s just the natural rotation of the schedule. If Bama wins then they proved to to be the best team in the S.E.C and are the rightful team to play for the NC game.
air of mendacity
November 25th, 2012
11:10 am
ACC has been exposed – it is just not a very good football conference. Clemson, the titular cream of the crop could not handle a hurt Gamecock team. Tech got spanked and FSU just could not hang with Gators. Go back to basketball guys.
UGADAWGS
November 25th, 2012
11:11 am
@ New to Georgia
The first thing you have to understand is that football is a game up north. In the south it’s a religion.
christophorm
November 25th, 2012
11:11 am
UGA is as good as Texas A&M..better running backs.
Sambo 4 Rambo
November 25th, 2012
11:11 am
Its a damn shame we have the top 5 or 6 teams in the country (Ga, Bama, Fla, Lsu, A&M, SC) and we have to slay one another to only send one to the show when any one of the six would beat Notre Dame by 3 TD’s! As a die hard dawg fan just want to send respect to the entire SEC! We run college football!
air of mendacity
November 25th, 2012
11:15 am
Sambo – you are right – I was not impressed with Notre Dame. No way they could hang with our receivers and if they put no pass rush on Murray it would be granny bar the door.
air of mendacity
November 25th, 2012
11:16 am
you watch and see what happens in bowl games – SEC will win most, if all all, the games they are playing.
christophorm
November 25th, 2012
11:17 am
yeah they punish teams for makeing the SEC championship game and loseing..yet BAMA did’nt make it last year…. BUT yet ,played in the BCS game SMH !!
treaddawg
November 25th, 2012
11:17 am
Kudos to the coaches and players for apparently transcending themselves and getting things turned around. Very difficult to to that but they did what they needed to come to games prepared and to execute the plays . Richt has sat the doubters down, including me, so I look forward to see what this team, gelling and hitting on all cylinders, can do against Alabama.
Tampa Gator
November 25th, 2012
11:22 am
That Auburn defense pushed Oregon all over the field. Compared to the Pac 10…..Auburn’s defense was excellent. And I am sure Auburn’s 2nd and 3rd string defenses played a bunch in those games you mentioned. Fairly dominated every team he played against that year.
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
November 25th, 2012
11:23 am
so a Bama team that lost on the final play from the 2 yardline is 4 behind UGA that got the shat beatout of them by USCe and behind a UF team that lost to the same bunch? Right sport. Don’t the little lady have some chores for you today.
Tampa Gator
November 25th, 2012
11:23 am
air….
Bowl games do not measure how good a conference is anymore……especially today when only one bowl game really matters.
Bebann
November 25th, 2012
11:24 am
I fear Dawg fans are in for another disappointment. Bama will be the best team GA. has played this year. They have been there and finished the job before. They play well as a team and have excellent coaching. I just hope it doesn’t end in another blowout. Georgia has a lot of individual talent but matching up against and elite team they have all to often not played well as a team. Murray and the O line have yet to play well against a top opponent even though they managed a win over FLA.. I just hope the team and coaching staff don’t choke again; remember S.C.. Bama can be beat but it will take a herculean relatively mistake free effort, especially from Murray and the offense. Are they really up for this task?
Enough already......
November 25th, 2012
11:24 am
with the schedule crap!!!!! I PROMISE YOU IF ALABAMA HAD PLAYED UGA, FLA AND SOUTH CAROLINA this year they WOULD NOT be where they are right now. They barely got by OLE MISS and UGA clobbered Ole miss! Get a life you idiots. The same goes for Notre Dame. Agreeing to play ACC teams says it all . If youre scared say youre scared!
Tampa Gator
November 25th, 2012
11:25 am
Wet Willie….
Bama lost to A&M…..who lost to Florida……who lost to Georgia. By the way…..Justin wants to meet you.
Tampa Gator
November 25th, 2012
11:25 am
…….but….Wet Willie….the above post is based on logic…..something you know little about.
Birdhair
November 25th, 2012
11:33 am
Congrats to Florida on their likely sugar bowl destination. UGA did what they had to do to and earned a right at the S.E.C title and a chance to play in the BCS champ game. The cards were in our hands this year and I don’t think there should be any “if this,” and “if that talk.”
The S.E.C needs to support each other when we are playing other conferences and the east should support UGA in the conference title game.
George
November 25th, 2012
11:33 am
Bring on Bama, we could use a competitive game, Dawgs are playing like champions
George
November 25th, 2012
11:38 am
I think that ND is going to get spanked by a SEC team, they didn’t impress me last night beating USC, ND is slow, corners can’t cover receivers. ND was lucky that a freshman QB was starting the game,the Dawgs would of killed them and would of put 40 points on their defense
Thogwummpy
November 25th, 2012
11:38 am
Defending against the triple/spread option for two weeks in a row, also helps the Bulldogs. Cut blocking causes quicker feet to defend; and options cause defenders to make faster decisive read and recongnitions. Consider the last two games as Defensive Skill Bootcamps. The GA-So and Tech games brought about a new level of confidence as well….as it’s tough to shut down the most feared scheme offenses have—-everyone hates playing against the dreaded option. By the second half, those ferocious tackles we saw may reflect an attitude growing on defense that they can stop anybody. Maybe. Maybe not. But I hope the last two weeks have been effective in fine tuning the Georgia defense and training them up into their potential. We’ll see!
Professor
November 25th, 2012
11:39 am
I think it is a compliment to UGA how many people are just seething with hate for the dawgs. Isn’t it great that so many other fans like to come on the blog and vent their frustration over Georgia’s success. UGA has great facilities, great spirit, and a great athletic program. Oh and by the way it has a great comprehensive academic program and that is a FACT – look it up!!
Ed
November 25th, 2012
11:40 am
It’s amusing listening to ethics lectures from Tech fans. How many championships have been stripped from UGA for NCAA violations? None that I can recall. Clean up your own house, Nerds.
Ellijay
November 25th, 2012
11:41 am
Go Dawgs. Had to beat the refs yesterday too.
Birdhair
November 25th, 2012
11:42 am
The unfair part of the S.E.C title game is that the loser of the game is normally over penalized for losing to what is usually the top team in the country…..
DP
November 25th, 2012
11:47 am
Tampa Gator, enough with the knocking Notre Dame, who I dislike as much as anybody else does. Your team had a great season, but let’s not forget that they scored one offensive touchdown against Jax State and needed a blocked punt in the last 20 seconds a week ago to beat a directional Louisiana school. I see 6 very good, not great, teams in the SEC, with very little to separate them other than the luck of the draw on schedules. Alabama and Georgia only played 2 of the other top 5 teams while the other 4 had to play 4 each.
Notre Dame has won at Oklahoma and USC, also beaten Stanford, Michigan and Michigan State among others. They’ve played a tough enough schedule and are the only team to win them all. No question they deserve to be in the BCS championship game and if Alabama or Georgia shows up thinking they’ve already passed their toughest tests they will get beat. This is not the slow, plodding Notre Dame of the last 10+ years. They could be like the 1992 Alabama or 2006 Florida national championship teams that struggled on offense through much of the season but had dominant defenses.
Jborodawg
November 25th, 2012
11:48 am
@Vladimir, Todos and Meg … all three of your are fairly pitiful. Vlad…a compelling argument can be made that Bama only played one good team this year; A&M. How’d they do?
@Todos and Meg (et al)…just like a woman to bring up stuff from 30 years ago. You fail to mention GTs NCAA infractions/penalties. How many current Rhodes Scholars does GT have vs UGA? How many Academic All Americans has Tech had in the last, let’s say five years; vs UGA? Do your own research then come back for some tasty crow.
@ShowMeYurTD’s…Saban and Myers have way better tans than CMR. Matter of fact, I’ve seen quite
a few lately on TV with way better tans; even Ol Miss’ Hugh Freeze has a better tan.
@New to Georgia…there’ve been quite a few great QBs. To try to name the ‘best QB ever’ would be quite the exercise. Tarkenton would be top five. David Green set quite a few NCAA records. Then you have QBs like Belue and even Bobo who pulled out great victories. And how about Zier with all his passing records? Or Murray, who’s setting records this year? Or Stafford who’s presently a pretty good NFL QB. Near impossible to say who was the greatest. But, welcome to Dawg Country and Dawgnation.
DP
November 25th, 2012
11:49 am
I sure hope the SEC doesn’t assign Penn Wagers to the championship game because if he’s there and Georgia loses we’ll hear it as an excuse for the next 30 years.
CorrinaW
November 25th, 2012
11:50 am
@UGADAWGS….typical redneck UGA classless response calling names – did you have to look up the definition of a harlot? You’re so stupid you ASS-UMED I’m femaile. But I know one thing…you’re a douchebag.
playmeortrademe
November 25th, 2012
11:50 am
It’s really not improbable that Florida jumps UGA in the BCS and stays there even if UGA wins the SEC, thanks to the computers. If UGA and Florida sit #2 and #3 in the polls after the SECCG, the computers may put Florida over. Don’t be surprised if Florida jumps Oregon and is #4 in both human polls today. They will at least be #5 in both. This is why the BCS can’t go away fast enough.
Sierra Dawg
November 25th, 2012
11:53 am
Interesting tidbit: the Vegas betting line isn’t out yet on the SECCG, but at the start of the season UGA was a 20-1 bet to win the BCS, even with that “soft” schedule. It’s now running about 5-1. The bookies see it coming.
playmeortrademe
November 25th, 2012
11:54 am
And don’t think ESPN won’t cry and whine for a Florida /Notre Dame matchup if the SECCG is a close win by UGA.
Jborodawg
November 25th, 2012
11:55 am
Lotsa ‘ifs’ with the Bama game. If Murray isn’t sacked five times and if he doesn’t throw INTs and if he completes at least 60% of his passes…we can beat Bama. And, concomitantly, If the D plays lights out…we can beat Bama.
There’s not a whole lotta difference between any of the top 10 teams; any one of em could beat the others on any given Saturday; with perhaps the exception being ND. I’m just not convinced that ND could be any of the top SEC teams right now.
Go Dawgs! GATA and beat the Tide!
Ed
November 25th, 2012
11:57 am
Wow what a puff piece. UGA has exactly one quality win and that was a close game Murrey almost blew. Wait till UGA beats Bama before getting this excited.