LIVE: Bulldogs, Jackets vie for more than bragging rights
The early scene from Sanford Stadium, site for the final regular season game for Georgia and Tech.
ATHENS — Good morning. Before we get to the game, I have a small request: Let’s be civil.
I understand emotions (and beer) often cause sports fans to jump the rails a little bit. Because we will have both Georgia and Georgia Tech fans on this blog, the chance for a verbal inferno becomes even greater.
But the same rules apply: no profanity, no profanity that is cleverly disguised with punctuation marks, no racist comments, no sexual innuendo, no stealing of screen names to give the impression that somebody wrote something when they really didn’t, no … well, you get the idea. You can praise, mock, laud and criticize all you like. But let me share something an old editor of mine once told me: If you have to ask, “Can I write this?” the answer is probably no.
Fair enough?
OK, onto the game. Georgia and Georgia Tech is, first and foremost, always about 364 days of bragging rights. But it’s so much more than that today.
– Georgia needs a win to keep hopes alive for a berth in the BCS title. That’s also contingent on the Bulldogs upsetting Alabama in the SEC championship game next week. The Dogs would still play for the conference title even if they were to be upset by the Jackets. But obviously a lot of steam would come out of the game, and certainly it would deflate the fan base.
– Georgia Tech needs a win for a credibility boost and, in that sense. It also would give Jackets fans some hope for the ACC championship game against Florida State and/or a better bowl game. Tech has won three straight. But it has been a largely rocky season and they slipped into the Coastal Division title and a conference championship berth through the backdoor, benefiting from Miami’s decision to bow out in hopes of minimizing expected NCAA sanctions.
Georgia fans have reason to be concerned: Even though the Dogs have shown themselves to be the better and more talented team, there’s a possibility of players being distracted by all of the SEC and BCS talk.
Georgia Tech fans have reason to be concerned: Even with the late-season bounce back and the added skills that quarterback Vad Lee brings to the lineup, the Jackets’ defense hasn’t stopped anybody. Georgia has a balanced offense led by quarterback Aaron Murray (12 touchdowns, zero interceptions since the fourth quarter against Florida) and freshman running backs Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall.
Bottom line: This is a rivalry game, and strange things often occur in rivalry games. At the risk of sounding cliche, I suspect Tech’s best chance to win today will be based on turnovers and winning the special teams battle. Georgia probably also doesn’t want to get into a scoring battle (as was the case in 2008, when the Jackets won 45-42). Red zone production is key for both teams.
That’s it for now. Have fun all. I’m here to serve.
And with that, the cyber venting lines are open.
By Jeff Schultz
Post-Thanksgiving blog blowout sale
• 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)
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1,171 comments Add your comment
Will
November 24th, 2012
1:17 pm
Like I said, GT will finish the year 6-8.
Jeff Schultz
November 24th, 2012
1:18 pm
Another fast drive after turnover.
Will
November 24th, 2012
1:18 pm
28-3…this was easier than I expected.
GTBob
November 24th, 2012
1:18 pm
I knew you were an idiot. No true GT fan worth a damn wants to give up GT vs UGA. You sir are a moron………..
Can you name any reason to keep the game that benefits GT?
son's who?
November 24th, 2012
1:18 pm
Great concentration, Rhett.
JB
November 24th, 2012
1:18 pm
Can’t play basic defense
Amityville
November 24th, 2012
1:18 pm
Hey Jeff…any word on what time the Yellow Jackets defense will arrive in Athens?
Iluvnutella
November 24th, 2012
1:19 pm
@Dose….dont live through another team……turn the anger toward our program. CPJ was a bad hire. Drad was a bad AD. We need an athletic dept enema. And after last night, it looks like our BBall coach isnt much better.
The big question
November 24th, 2012
1:19 pm
How can you win with no passing game and no defense? Who cares how many yards you get. Stats don’t win games.
GTBob
November 24th, 2012
1:19 pm
28-3…this was easier than I expected.
Huh? Have you been watching the game?
Leghumpers, ahoy!
November 24th, 2012
1:19 pm
All leghumpers know this, but with their weak minds, they tend to forget, so here’s a reminder:
Georgia Tech is a very highly ranked academic school that has a football team. Its alumni and fans have real lives and careers that don’t depend on the football team for their happiness.
Georgia, on the other hand, is a sell-your-soul-to-the-devil football factory that also gives diplomas – worthless as they are. They have scumbag coaches like Mark Richt who have no scruples or ethics, who recruit morons who barely got through high school, and collect huge paychecks, but still can’t win big games.
Now, can you remember all that?
phil
November 24th, 2012
1:19 pm
Piney Woods….
Ignoring the fact that you’re clearly just a jealous doof, we don’t care anymore about all that stuff.
Understand? We want to win games. We don’t care about academics on Saturday. That’s for you Tech fools to worry with.
Josh Chapman
November 24th, 2012
1:19 pm
Time to fire Turkey Neck
juice sourcer
November 24th, 2012
1:20 pm
As a long time ACC fan….Georgia Tech is a complete embarrassment.
JB
November 24th, 2012
1:20 pm
We need to drop Tech. They have given up competitive football
Junior Samples
November 24th, 2012
1:20 pm
At this point we need to avoid injuries for next week
USMC DAWG
November 24th, 2012
1:21 pm
“It should be noted here that Georgia doesn’t have a dominating offensive line but they’re just blowing GT front off the ball.”–Jeff
Great point, Jeff. I think our Offensive Line is the WEAKEST part of our game. They absolutely drive me crazy; except for today of course!
I LOVE GURSHALL! Both of those men are class acts!
Go Dawgs!
Jefferson Davis Hogg
November 24th, 2012
1:21 pm
Nice rant Piney Woods Peter. Hope you feel better now.
GTBob
November 24th, 2012
1:21 pm
As a long time ACC fan….Georgia Tech is a complete embarrassment.
You might be the first person I have ever seen say they are an ACC fan.
Yella Britches
November 24th, 2012
1:21 pm
Will- It’s because we suck……. Only GT homers like GT Bob and ULoad try to deny that and say that everything is fine and CPJ is God…..
EastCobbRick
November 24th, 2012
1:21 pm
@GTBob –
“What exactly would change if we got a new coach? There is no coach in the history of football that could elevate GT recruiting to the level of UGA.”
History would teach us that Bobby Dodd did just that, right? Yeah, it was a long time ago, but his tenure falls well within the limits of “history of football”.
JB
November 24th, 2012
1:21 pm
Humper. Really?
kingdaddy
November 24th, 2012
1:21 pm
Dawgs making it look too easy, 28-3. Pour it on Richt. Looks like 75-6…ummmm-ummmmm-ummmmmm…
Turkeyneck
November 24th, 2012
1:21 pm
Leg jumpers Ahoy:
I make 4x as much as you, have a much prettier girlfriend, and I have a great football team to root for. How’s your life?
Hahhahahahahahahaha
Andy
November 24th, 2012
1:22 pm
UGA embarrassing the ACC Coastal Division champs. The ACC… two pretty good teams and the rest are terrible.
son's who?
November 24th, 2012
1:22 pm
“Georgia, on the other hand, is a sell-your-soul-to-the-devil football factory that also gives diplomas – worthless as they are. They have scumbag coaches like Mark Richt who have no scruples or ethics, who recruit morons who barely got through high school, and collect huge paychecks, but still can’t win big games.”
Stephon Marbury
Lil' Barry Bailout
November 24th, 2012
1:22 pm
I don’t think our coach gives a crap about anything other than showing everyone what an offensive genius he is. Defense? Special teams? Boring!
GTBob
November 24th, 2012
1:22 pm
We need to drop Tech. They have given up competitive football
If you get a petition together I think I can get some signatures.
Patrick
November 24th, 2012
1:23 pm
Total domination as expected. Question is when JB and GTRoberta will just go away. Punks.
phil
November 24th, 2012
1:23 pm
Leghumpers, ahoy!
November 24th, 2012
1:19 pm
All leghumpers know this, but with their weak minds, they tend to forget, so here’s a reminder:
Georgia Tech is a very highly ranked academic school that has a football team. Its alumni and fans have real lives and careers that don’t depend on the football team for their happiness.
Georgia, on the other hand, is a sell-your-soul-to-the-devil football factory that also gives diplomas – worthless as they are. They have scumbag coaches like Mark Richt who have no scruples or ethics, who recruit morons who barely got through high school, and collect huge paychecks, but still can’t win big games.
Now, can you remember all that?
*********
look, fool.
Engineers have the personalities of pizza boxes. You doofs can’t carry on an intelligent conversation with a brick. You know it, I know it. So give up with your absurd efforts to be cute.
You aren’t.
The big question
November 24th, 2012
1:23 pm
Here we go with the we sux at football but we are smarter. That’s the argument for losers
The Grinch
November 24th, 2012
1:23 pm
Wow, I didn’t fully appreciate just how bad GT’s defense really was.
billyho55
November 24th, 2012
1:23 pm
…AND THE VODKA CONTINUES TO POUR! GONNA RIDE IT OUT TIL THE END…VERY PAINFUL END! CAN’T BELIEVE I’M GONNA SAY THIS BUT YOU GUYS HAVE ALL MY RESPECT! GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE! YOU GUYS HAVE A LEGITIMATE SHOT AT NC!
phil
November 24th, 2012
1:24 pm
Rambo crushes another one! Lol
GTBob
November 24th, 2012
1:24 pm
Rambo being a thug like normal.
YankeeDawg
November 24th, 2012
1:24 pm
Dear LAhoy, thanks for the reminder, your reason to live on this planet has been validated, thanks for commenting on a football game live stream… Now go solve Cold Fusion.
River, didn’t see that your CFB agnostic… then why are you here? Those seemed like veiled UGA slams to me. DawgNation or Die.
I'm a Georgia fan. It's a license to be stupid.
November 24th, 2012
1:24 pm
Andy, alot of people say the same about the SEC…Bama, LSU, and everyone else…
Amityville
November 24th, 2012
1:24 pm
How can you tell the difference between a Jawja player, and a Georgie Tek player? Check their book bags!
Jawja player book bag: Axe body spray and a coloring book.
Georgie Tek player book bag: Quantum physics book, and a box of raisins.
Will
November 24th, 2012
1:24 pm
Georgia is trying to hurt Tech will this tackling! lmao….wow…
blamegame
November 24th, 2012
1:25 pm
Hello
phil
November 24th, 2012
1:25 pm
You Tech doofs need to go back to high school ball! Pitiful!
USMC DAWG
November 24th, 2012
1:25 pm
We need to keep GT out if the end zone before Halftime!
Go Dawgs!
Buh bye to the dwags
November 24th, 2012
1:25 pm
Bammer 52, Dwags 10
A RTR Hit-N-Run from ATL
November 24th, 2012
1:25 pm
So, this is a 6-5 team you’re playing? They look it with a silly hail marry pass and no defense.
So sorry, I have not seen anything from UGA that makes me think you’ll keep it close against us. not a thing. besides, this is a team you said sucks, but they’ve had the ball for 18 minutes? They don’t seem to have a problem moving the ball until they screw up.
I don’t know. I think you guys are as overrated as I thought, and a bit more thugish than I imagined.
I’m still going with Alabama winning by no less than 3-4 TDs.
GTBob
November 24th, 2012
1:25 pm
History would teach us that Bobby Dodd did just that, right?
Yes, before there were black players and a team could have 140 players on scholarship we were pretty good. That was a while ago.
Peadawg
November 24th, 2012
1:25 pm
First Rambo, then Ogletree
THAT is a freakin’ tackle.
Sorry nerds, no ring for beating GA this year.
Supersize that order, mutt
November 24th, 2012
1:25 pm
That was a horse collar
playmeortrademe
November 24th, 2012
1:25 pm
@leghumpers. Maybe Tech’s alumni should petition to play in Division III if that’s the excuse. Oh, and I’m sure Tech’ s players are racking up the credits in areospace engineering and advanced physics….
Iluvnutella
November 24th, 2012
1:25 pm
@Leghumpers……not-so-fast my friend. I HATE UGA athletics. But their academics have become VERY sound under Adams. That being said, MOST of the football team, other than their QB are partial qualifiers who can barely spell their own names. The disparity between their student body and their fottball team academically is as wide as the Miss. River.
Will
November 24th, 2012
1:25 pm
@GtBob, Rambo being a thug? Didn’t know tackling in football is being thuggish. Your team should try it.