SEC title would mean Georgia’s return to elite status (video added)
Mark Richt has Georgia in the SEC championship game for second straight year. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
(VIDEO ADDED BELOW)
This might stun starry-eyed middle-schoolers and high school players, who are otherwise oblivious to ancient history before 2006 in the SEC. But even the football Godzillas of this conference and, it follows, the globe, aren’t that far removed from humility (and Shreveport).
Before the last five seasons under Nick Saban, Alabama had an 11-year stretch (1997-2007) when it reached double digits in wins only three times, suffered through four losing seasons, four non-bowl years, lost to Auburn six straight years, went to the Music City Bowl twice and even was subjected to the Independence Bowl . . . three times! There’s your, “Roll Tide.”
Florida fans would like to forget the Ron Zook era of relative torment, sandwiched between Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer.
Auburn just fired a coach, Gene Chizik, who won a national championship two years ago.
LSU: You say Saban and Les Miles. I raise you Mike Archer, Curley Hallman and Gerry DiNardo.
The Dogs have given fans much to cheer about. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
It happened before, it can happened again. It happened to Georgia. Mark Richt won two SEC championships in his first five seasons (2002 and 2005). He is still waiting for a third.
So before anybody makes any grand declarations about what Georgia’s return to national relevancy this season means for the future of the Bulldogs’ program, place a ping-pong ball on the kitchen table, open the window and try to give assurances that it won’t roll off the edge at some point.
However, Georgia’s ascent this season — and actually it’s climb since the 0-2 start of 2011 — has significance. Credit to Richt, his staff and all associated with the Georgia program, because a team doesn’t go 21-1 in a stretch of regular season games, even it managed to avoid Alabama or LSU, without doing a lot of things right. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 3 in the BCS. They are back in the SEC title game again, facing No. 2 Alabama in Saturday’s SEC championship. The winner faces No. 1 for the national title.
It’s this simple: Georgia has an opportunity to affirm itself as a member of the SEC’s elite, and ranking among the SEC elite is synonymous with the national elite. Imagine how this feels for Richt, after seeing his program seemingly erode over several months, going 7-9 in consecutive SEC seasons, losing to the likes of Kentucky, Mississippi State, Colorado and Central Florida.
“It’s what you always hope for,” Richt said Sunday of the team’s position this week. “It’s what you want. We know pre‑season rankings are for the fans. Where you’re ranked at the end of the year is the most important. [But] it’s not about me. It’s about Georgia. It’s about this program, this team, these young men, this coaching staff. I don’t worry too much about all the personal stuff. But it is great to be in this position at this point. You fight like mad every year to get your team in this position.”
Georgia was in the SEC title game a year ago against then-No. 1 LSU, but there’s a greater sense of excitement and confidence in Athens now. The Dogs ranked only 14th in the BCS before last year’s SEC game. National title hopes were smothered in Week 1 (loss to Boise State). Respectability hopes were stomped on in Week 2 (loss to South Carolina).
If Richt wants to play the no-respect card with his players this week, it’s available. Most of the national commentary has focused on the potential of an Alabama-Notre Dame final. But that was expected. One doesn’t eclipse Alabama until one beats Alabama.
Even while acknowledging that Georgia and Alabama mirror each other in several areas this year, Richt said: “One thing they’ve done is they’ve been national champions and we’ve not. They’ve been SEC champions and we’ve not, during the time-frame of these kids’ careers.”
They are the measuring sticks all go by. Richt has won his share of games since 2006 but his accomplishments have paled compared to Saban, Miles and Meyer. Saban is 39-9 (.812) in the SEC with one conference and two BCS titles. Miles is 40-10 (.800) with two SEC and one BCS championship. In Meyer’s last five seasons at Florida (2006-10), he went 31-9 (.775) in the SEC, with two conference and two crystal trophies.
Georgia is back on the doorstep to both. The climb has been impressive.
– By Jeff Schultz
Video: Is Georgia’s defense more talented than Alabama’s?
A trip down blog Memory Lane
• Georgia playing at level we haven’t seen under Richt
• Short takes (UGA): Rambo’s ascent, Gurley’s comfort
• 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
• Georgia’s new reality: From on the brink to BCS title possibility
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502 comments Add your comment
Phil from Athens
November 26th, 2012
1:19 pm
@Thomas Brown
Did you graduate from UGA? Something, call it a hunch, tells me that you did not and you really need to stop lying about UGA. UGA has not won six national championships. UGA has only played for and won one national championship.
DONNAN OF A NEW ERA
November 26th, 2012
1:20 pm
Thomas Brown
Now you’re really looking foolish. You claimed six national championships and can not provide one link to prove it and now you’re posting crap about UGA and the NFL.
Stupid much?
Thomas Brown
November 26th, 2012
1:21 pm
So, you admit the URL Link I provided shows 6 ?
And, you admit Massey Ratings are certainly not on YOUR LISTS OF 5 for 1966, and you admit that that URL Link I provided you proves that one makes 6 ?
And, we’re fixing to get # 7.
Thomas Brown
November 26th, 2012
1:22 pm
You want another URL Link to 6 NC UGA ?
Just tell me what you want, child ?
Thomas Brown
November 26th, 2012
1:24 pm
________________________________________________________________
“You claimed six national championships and can not provide one link to prove it ”
________________________________________________________________
Liar. I did too. Want that 1 URL Link again ? You click it last time in this blog ? Don’t you bring your childish crudola into here telling I DID NOT, when it sits right there for you that I did. You click it child ?
DONNAN OF A NEW ERA
November 26th, 2012
1:24 pm
“So, you admit the URL Link I provided shows 6 ?”
Nope because it didn’t. You are making crap up because you’re a liar.
“And, you admit Massey Ratings ”
WTF is a massy rating? I look at the ACTUAL national titles and UGA only has one.
DONNAN OF A NEW ERA
November 26th, 2012
1:25 pm
“Liar. I did too.”
No, you did not. I provided THREE links that show UGA with one national title.
Thomas Brown
November 26th, 2012
1:26 pm
children click URL Links they do not believe, if they trust the person providing them the URL Link, or feel the site name is safe. So, I am presuming you clicked the URL Link I provided with 6 NC UGA on it, child.
DONNAN OF A NEW ERA
November 26th, 2012
1:27 pm
“You want another URL Link to 6 NC UGA ?
Sure, provide one link that shows UGA winning 6 national titles. I looked at ESPN, CBS SPORTS and CNNSI and none of them have UGA with 6 national titles.
Not one.
Thomas Brown
November 26th, 2012
1:28 pm
Go read the post then, URL Link ends in php
HUH?????
November 26th, 2012
1:28 pm
Thomas Brown
Either provide a real link that shows 6 titles or STFU. Your immaturity is laughable and sad.
HUH?????
November 26th, 2012
1:29 pm
“Go read the post then, URL Link ends in php”
There is nothing in that link that shows UGA winning 6 national titles. I’ve also looked it up from the links provided by Donnan and every one of them show UGA with only one title.
HUH?????
November 26th, 2012
1:32 pm
Here’s a list of complete college football champions list and UGA is only mentioned one time.
http://www.collegefootballpoll.com/champions_national.html
Thomas Brown is a liar.
After further review
November 26th, 2012
1:41 pm
Thomas Brown (7:45 this morning) “But….the AP…..does not want Florida to jump Notre Dame in the final BCS poll when Georgia beat Bama…..and they will keep Florida below Ohio State to make sure that does not happen. Maybe the coaches will be smarter…..but I doubt it.”
Please explain, Thomas, how Georgia beating Alabama (assuming that happens Saturday) allows Florida to Jump ND in the standings with neither of them playing.
Just FYI: http://www.collegefootballpoll.com/champions_national.html I don’t see all those Georgia Nationall Championships you speak about. For example, 1966 shows ND in that year. Only place I see Georgia is in 1980. Im just saying….
HUH?????
November 26th, 2012
1:45 pm
After further review
Thomas Brown is a moron plain and simple. First, he claimed that UGA won 6 national championships and then he posted some asinine link that didn’t show anything significant. After Donnan and I posted similar links, he then changed the subject to CMR and his record since being at UGA which had nothing to do with the topic he brought up.
Mark Richt is a Hypocrite
November 26th, 2012
1:47 pm
They may win a game but with the poorcharacter of their coaches and players, thery will never be elite
Festus
November 26th, 2012
1:55 pm
Truth be known the best SEC team is the Florida Gators. They decisively beat South Carolina and the Gamecocks totally annihilated Dem Poochies. And they beat LSU. So if you rank the SEC teams from top to bottom: No. 1 Florida Gators, No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide, No. 3 LSU Tigers, No 4. Arkansas Razorbacks, No. 5 Mississippi State Bulldogs, No. 6 Texas A & M Aggies, and No. 7 The Georgia Fire Plug Humpers. But you’ve got to play by the rules. So it will be SEC Champion Alabama Crimson Tide versus Notre Dame for the National Championship. THuga will play Okie State in the Cowchip Bowl.
WDE
November 26th, 2012
1:58 pm
@Mark Richt is a Hypocrite, but he will NEVER be the ASSHAT that you are troll boy!
WDE
November 26th, 2012
2:00 pm
@Festus so I guess we beat hell out of the best team in the SEC two years in a row that right sonny?
WDE
November 26th, 2012
2:03 pm
Huh…..I think we have two championships here’s the link to 1942..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1942_college_football_season
Voyager Dawg
November 26th, 2012
2:08 pm
Tired of hearing people saying the Dawgs backed into the SECCG. We won the East straight up. We had one loss to SC. They lost twice. FL has one loss to us. Georgia wins the East, no backing in, no excuses, no way it turns out any other way. It is crazy to hear the FL fans on here saying that they beat SC and we didn’t. Are you kidding me? What bearing does that have on who should go to the SECCG? They also want to talk about the fact that they turned the ball over six times. I think Georgia’s defense had something to do with forcing those six turnovers, they weren’t just gifts from the Florida offense. Dawgs are in the SECCG and need to take care of business so we can hear the next line of excuses from the haters. Go Dawgs. Leave it on the field this year and play four quarters this year instead of just one. It’s the Orange Bowl or the Outback Bowl. Your Choice.
After further review
November 26th, 2012
2:12 pm
WDE: I know – I’ve read Thomas’ stuff before. I give him credit fro being a diehard Georgia fan. There’s nothing wring with that. However, I think he’s sometimes blinded by the Bulldogs, and by the SEC aura, that he loses perspective.
He will also ignore a direct question or challenge. For example: looking at the BCS top 5, what is the cumulative W-L record of their opponents?
Beast from the East
November 26th, 2012
2:12 pm
Festus
November 26th, 2012
1:55 pm
Truth be known the best SEC team is the Florida Gators. They decisively beat South Carolina and the Gamecocks totally annihilated Dem Poochies. And they beat LSU. So if you rank the SEC teams from top to bottom: No. 1 Florida Gators, No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide, No. 3 LSU Tigers, No 4. Arkansas Razorbacks, No. 5 Mississippi State Bulldogs, No. 6 Texas A & M Aggies, and No. 7 The Georgia Fire Plug Humpers. But you’ve got to play by the rules. So it will be SEC Champion Alabama Crimson Tide versus Notre Dame for the National Championship. THuga will play Okie State in the Cowchip Bowl.
———————
WTF? So Arkansas and Mississippi State are better than A&M, even though they both lost to A&M? And I guess you have South Carolina as no better than #8 in the conference? You have zero credibility with that lame post. Try again.
Voyager Dawg
November 26th, 2012
2:13 pm
@Festus the Dawgs beat the Gators straight up. Don’t really care what you guys did to the Gamecocks, you didn’t beat the Dawgs. You guys are the second best team in the east this year, which is a step up from where you were last year. We’ve beaten you guys two years in a row. Get used to it. Enjoy the Sugar Bowl and the whipping you guys will get from Stoops and Oklahoma.
WDE
November 26th, 2012
2:15 pm
After further review I have nothing to say about TB one way or the other, I try not to waste time infighting with other members of the Bull Dog nation. I do know we don’t have 6 NC’s but I’m hoping for a new SEC title and a chance at another one ! Go Dogs !
After further review
November 26th, 2012
2:16 pm
Actually, Voyager, I think the choice for Georgia is the national champinshop game or the Outback. The winner of the SECCG will go to the BCSNC game, and Florida, as a one-loss SEC team will get the Sugar over the SECCG loser, who will then have two losses. I don’t see it playing any other way.
WDE
November 26th, 2012
2:18 pm
@Beast from the East congrats on the win over FSU I love the way your bunch ran the ball on them, I’m almost feeling sorry for Tech this week as FSU will be truly P.Oed now.
Voyager Dawg
November 26th, 2012
2:20 pm
Thanks After Further Review. I had my mind on Miami where the BCSNC is. You are absolutely correct. It’s BCS or Bust! Thanks again for the assist. Go Dawgs!
After further review
November 26th, 2012
2:22 pm
WDE: An admirable trait.
My own alma mater plays in D3, so I don’t get to follow them much on the local sports pages. They, unfortunately, lost their second round playoff game, to finish 9-3 after winning their, admittedly fairly weak, conference for the third straight year and fifth out of the last six.
Voyager Dawg
November 26th, 2012
2:24 pm
Oh yeah Festus. Since you seem to believe body of work is more important than head-to-head competition, you guys may have hammered the Gamecocks, but you also struggled to beat Western Kentucky, ULL, and it took a last minute blocked punt to beat that powerhouse from Jacksonville State.
Beast from the East
November 26th, 2012
2:25 pm
Voyager Dawg
November 26th, 2012
2:08 pm
Tired of hearing people saying the Dawgs backed into the SECCG. We won the East straight up. We had one loss to SC. They lost twice. FL has one loss to us. Georgia wins the East, no backing in, no excuses, no way it turns out any other way. It is crazy to hear the FL fans on here saying that they beat SC and we didn’t. Are you kidding me? What bearing does that have on who should go to the SECCG? They also want to talk about the fact that they turned the ball over six times. I think Georgia’s defense had something to do with forcing those six turnovers, they weren’t just gifts from the Florida offense. Dawgs are in the SECCG and need to take care of business so we can hear the next line of excuses from the haters. Go Dawgs. Leave it on the field this year and play four quarters this year instead of just one. It’s the Orange Bowl or the Outback Bowl. Your Choice.
——————-
Voyager,
There are maybe one or two people that claim to be Gators saying that. UGA beat my Gators fair and square. Was it UF’s worst performance of the year? Absolutely. We had several starting o-linemen out and we fumbled the ball 6 times, losing 4 of them. Of the 6 turnovers, 3 were forced and 3 we just laid the ball on the ground. That said, we did not step up and play with who we had. We would have been fortunate to beat anyone that day. Truth be told, it was probably UGA’s worst offensive showing of the year, as well. I would love for UF to be playing in Atlanta this weekend, but they didn’t get the job done in Jacksonville. Found a way the other 11 games, but not that one. Don’t worry about what a few whiners are saying. Just take care of business this coming Saturday and shut them all up.
Voyager Dawg
November 26th, 2012
2:48 pm
@Beast From the East, I live in Florida and probably a little thin skinned. Most of my friends are Gator fans and were actually gracious in defeat and called to congratulate me on the Dawgs victory. You are right on in that if the Dawgs want some legitimacy they need to get it this weekend against Alabama. Despite what I said to Festus, good luck to you guys in the Sugar Bowl against Oklahoma. Should be a great game and a blast in the French Quarter. Have Fun and Be Safe!
gdawginkalamazoo
November 26th, 2012
3:03 pm
I was just curious about that ACC CG anybody know where I can find any articles on it? Should I look on ESPN under “More Sports”?
Buckeye
November 26th, 2012
3:04 pm
Mandel’s latest Bowl prediction.
Sorry, dogs, no BCS for you
Capital One: dogs vs. Michigan
Ha!
kingdaddy
November 26th, 2012
3:21 pm
Since when did Mandel get crowned King of NCAA, LMAOFF…
Somebody tell me this…You got us going to the Outback if we lose to Bama, but where does Bama go if they lose to us, the Outback??? LOL. PROBABLY SUGAR, SUGAR…
After further review
November 26th, 2012
3:32 pm
kingdaddy – the Sugar will take Florida no matter who wins the SEC Championship game. It’s real simple arithmetic: a one loss SEC team is better than a two loss SEC team. AAfter this weekend there will only be two one Loss SEC teams, Florida, and the team theat wins the SECCG and goes to the BCSNCG. All other SEC teams will go to non-BCS bowls
just sayin
November 26th, 2012
3:34 pm
I was going to submit something, but dawg fans are so out of touch with reality, it’s just not worth my effort.
gdawginkalamazoo
November 26th, 2012
3:38 pm
Buckey, bowl predictions are in for Ohio State……….. Buffalo Wild Wings! To watch ALL the bowl games that you cheaters won’t be going to.
Gorilla Biscuit
November 26th, 2012
3:39 pm
This just in. Georgia Tech sucks, and so does calculus.
kingdaddy
November 26th, 2012
3:41 pm
The Facts: The winner of the SEC-CG is the #1 team in the SEC. The other Divisional winner is the #2 in the SEC.
Don’t care if you like it or not, that’s the way it is. Then you can argue about who is #s 3,4,5…It doesn’t matter about the politics of bowls, that’s all window-dressing. Nothing more, nothing less.
And to you losers who claim to “own” UGA for the last 20 years, what was your 20 year record? Why not 30 yrs.? Why are you so secretive and vague? You have no credibility and are nothing but a sore loser. Grow-up…
Buckeye
November 26th, 2012
3:42 pm
kalamazoo,
That’s funny. Yep, Buffalo Wild Wings it shall be. Watch out for the sprinkler system going off at the wrong time.
Oh, the Dome doesn’t have a sprinkler system.
Lewis Tatman
November 26th, 2012
3:44 pm
For all of the GT & Florida Gators fans that are whinning about UGA winning the S.E.C. East, and having a shot at the National Championship, just remember one thing. UGA beat BOTH GT & Florida this year. GO DAWGS!!!
kingdaddy
November 26th, 2012
3:52 pm
If we beat Bama and its a close game, I don’t see them getting kicked to the curb. The media loves Bama. They lost against A&M and only dropped to #4. Its politics by the sports media, not math. It always has been. The Media never wanted a K St./ UO matchup…They always wanted BAMA/ND…They steered it this way from mid-season…
Bad Dawg, Bad Dawg
November 26th, 2012
4:01 pm
Will……Tech still owns 4 national championships to Dawgs “one and done”. If Dawgs are so elite then why has LSU, Bama, Gators, Tigers and Vols ALL won national champtionships since your “one and done” in ‘80? I’ll take Tech with it’s reputation anyday over 6 Saturdays a year in Athens. Mention Tech and there’s instant respect because it’s earned. Mention Georgia and all you really think about is SEC football school and not even that consistent. Central Florida beat you a couple years back in the Liberty Bowl. Elite?
Bad Dawg, Bad Dawg
November 26th, 2012
4:04 pm
Lewis Tatman….play somebody. Florida should be playing in Atlanta. Your FBS opponents winning percentage (save Gators and Gamecocks) was only slightly higher than 30%.
Tide Rising
November 26th, 2012
4:26 pm
Georgia’s return to elite status??? Huh??? Other than 1980-82 when in the hell has Georgia been elite status for anything more than possibly a year here or there?
Tide Rising
November 26th, 2012
4:31 pm
“They lost against A&M and only dropped to #4.”
Yep. And we only dropped to no. 4 because we are in fact the best one loss team out there. I don’t see too many people arguing otherwise.
“Its politics by the sports media, not math. It always has been. The Media never wanted a K St./ UO matchup…They always wanted BAMA/ND…They steered it this way from mid-season…”
Conspiracy theories are the hobgoblins of little minds. So “they” steered it this way from mid season? Sure buddy. Have another sip of koolaide there buddy.
I'm a Georgia fan. It's a license to be stupid.
November 26th, 2012
4:47 pm
can’t wait until Sunday morning…the fire Richt crowd will be raising cane…ESPN didn’t want us to win anyway…gonna be sweet…43-16 Tide…Bama ain’t Buffalo dawg dumbazzes…
drad
November 26th, 2012
4:52 pm
Media did not want the SEC to work their way back in … When O, K, and ND were the top 3 they were all puling for the SEC to finally be out of the picture. Only when O & K lost which was so unlikely per the media…… now the media back on the A train….. I really hope to see UGA knock Bama out, and a rematch of the 1980 “NC game”
I'm a Georgia fan. It's a license to be stupid.
November 26th, 2012
4:56 pm
if uga beats Bama, Oregon should face ND; uga to sugar bowl vs Kent State…