LIVE: Georgia tries to forget SEC ending, close with win
Aaron Murray high-fives Xzavier Ward before the Capital One Bowl. (Brant Sanderlin)
ORLANDO — When asked the other day if he viewed this season as a missed opportunity to win SEC and BCS championships, Georgia coach Mark Richt said, “Every year is a missed opportunity, I think.” And that’s probably the right thing to say, even if it’s not every season the Bulldogs come within one tipped pass of winning the SEC title and going to the BCS championship game.
When Georgia faces Nebraska today in the Capital One Bowl, the question is whether we’ll witness any hangover from the last game. The Dogs (11-2, coming off a 32-28 loss to Alabama, No. 7 BCS) may be a more talented team than the Cornhuskers (10-3, coming off a 70-31 loss to Wisconsin, No. 16 BCS). But that doesn’t always mean anything in bowl games. Witness Georgia Tech vs. USC. Or witness Georgia’s last two bowl efforts — losses to Central Florida in the Liberty Bowl two years ago and Michigan State in the Outback last season.
I ran into this guy in the parking lot. Who's his dentist?
OK, a few quick things about today’s game and then I’ll open the cyber-venting lines:
– The Dogs’ defensive front will have to put up a better effort than it did against Alabama (350 yards rushing). Nebraska ranks ninth in the nation in rushing at 254.5 yards per game but only 81st passing, although quarterback Taylor Martinez has thrown 21 touchdown passes.
– The defensive line will be missing nose tackle John Jenkins, who is academically ineligible, and possibly end Abry Jones (ankle), who is questionable. Kwame Geathers will start for Jenkins.
– Nebraska’s defense ranks first against the pass, but that’s a little misleading. Opponents seldom have had to throw against the Huskers because they’re so weak against the run (97th, 194.8 per game). Also, the Big Ten is not full of wide open offenses. So expect a heavy dose of Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall today.
Final thought: I think Georgia wins today. Finishing the year with a win and losing the last two bowl games should be motivation enough. A victory also could leave the Dogs as one of the top five ranked teams in the nation.
But if Georgia players are thinking about the SEC championship or the NFL draft, everything goes out the window, and they’ll lose today.
What are your thoughts? The floor is yours.
– Jeff Schultz
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1,585 comments Add your comment
DawgNole
January 1st, 2013
5:47 pm
Jock Sniffer
January 1st, 2013
4:17 pm
This is great.
Talking sports while our country goes down the toilet.
Does anyone on this blog have an IQ above 60?
________________________
And what do you suggest we talk about on a sports blog, bicycle seat sniffer?
Buckeye
January 1st, 2013
5:52 pm
go falcons,
First, GO FALCONS!
Second, you lost 2. We lost none.
Buckeye
January 1st, 2013
5:53 pm
“Tub” Jenkins:
Tonight? Wings!
380 of them!
P.S. Plus cheese fries!
Buckeye
January 1st, 2013
5:53 pm
dogs,
Now football is over…
Got basketball?
DawgNole
January 1st, 2013
5:54 pm
Bama
January 1st, 2013
4:28 pm
We don’t have quite as much drama on our boards, see….we expect to win, we DO win big games, and so it’s rather boring.
______________________
Was Tex A&M a big game?
KJ
January 1st, 2013
5:55 pm
“how can anybody take Ohio state serious?”
You have to be drunk, self-deluded, or retarded…. or, like Buckeye, a combination of the three.
Buckeye
January 1st, 2013
5:55 pm
Prediction:
We will be higher pre-season ranking than the dogs.
dogs will start 1-3.
goFalcons
January 1st, 2013
5:56 pm
2nd half score UGA 22 Nebraska 7,,,,,,Why do you think that was a bad showing for the Dawgs? Could of been 29-7 and when Nebraska had the ball in the 4th Qtr……they had no chance of moving the ball….Dawgs owned them so where is this not a good showing for the Dawgs talk come into play?
Buckeye
January 1st, 2013
5:56 pm
kj,
Retarded? I’m calling the offended police.
Self-deluded? No, that;s the dogs gig.
Drunk? No yet.
JB
January 1st, 2013
5:57 pm
Lot’s of young talent coming to Athens for next year. A class of 35. I would say 4-6 defensive signees see the field a lot next year
JB
January 1st, 2013
5:59 pm
1-3 is a real possibility. Clemson,SC and LSU are pretty tough games with an all new defense
phil
January 1st, 2013
6:00 pm
Buckeye
January 1st, 2013
5:52 pm
go falcons,
First, GO FALCONS!
Second, you lost 2. We lost none.
********
pathetic, cheating, stinkin program that it is.
KJ
January 1st, 2013
6:00 pm
Buckeye,
Sorry, I’m already on the phone with the offended police, with the complaint that your mom was dumb enough to carry you to term. Hilarious how you still don’t get it. Have another one.
DawgNole
January 1st, 2013
6:00 pm
Snoop Dawg
January 1st, 2013
4:31 pm
Steve, are you stupid or what?
Bama is about to play for its third national championship in four years.
You are an embecile.
___________________
It’s Imbecile, you imbecile.
Dawg Patrol
January 1st, 2013
6:01 pm
It appears that Bama has left the building. Now we can talk about him like he’s a Dawg.
phil
January 1st, 2013
6:02 pm
Clemson is a joke….
Speaking of cheaters and scum.
phil
January 1st, 2013
6:03 pm
Did i just see Barry Alvarez coaching the Rose Bowl? Huh?
DawgNole
January 1st, 2013
6:04 pm
Flat Tire doesnt live in Delusionalville Ga.
January 1st, 2013
4:49 pm
Yea we won not surprised and we still give up 30 with all the talent on D
Next year not looking as good since we dont have the easy schedule and we lose almost the entire D
_______________________
Not sure losing almost the entire D is such a bad thing.
JB
January 1st, 2013
6:05 pm
And I think Alvaraz is mostly by himself. 6 assit coach’s have left already to other jobs.
phil
January 1st, 2013
6:05 pm
Agreed….
Good riddance, our “defense”.
Buckeye
January 1st, 2013
6:06 pm
kj,
My mom died in 1975.
Try something else.
phil
January 1st, 2013
6:07 pm
Nothing more pathetic than coachs who quit on their teams….
I wouldn’t want the dirty bastar*s.
Jeff Schultz
January 1st, 2013
6:08 pm
Just posted three “short takes” on game. Column coming soon:
http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/2013/01/01/short-takes-murray-defense-rebound-freshmen-shine/
Buckeye
January 1st, 2013
6:08 pm
We’re undefeated. You’re not.
We have a basketball program. You don’t.
Urban has three time outs left.
TIME OUT!
TIME OUT!
TIME OUT!
goFalcons
January 1st, 2013
6:09 pm
College football is so much different then Pro football……..I wish UGA would simplify the D and play real basic coverage D………Take advantage of the Dawgs great players on D with one on one match ups.
tony
January 1st, 2013
6:10 pm
FIRE GRANTHAM!! Hire Van Gorder!
UGA89
January 1st, 2013
6:13 pm
I feel sorry for Buckeye.
Buckeye
January 1st, 2013
6:13 pm
dogs lost the SEC! SEC! championship.
Have another popsicle dogs.
Buckeye
January 1st, 2013
6:14 pm
89,
Thanks for the sympathy.
NCAA UPDATE
January 1st, 2013
6:18 pm
Since 1990, The Ohio State Suckeyes have been in 22 bowl games.Lost 13 and won 9.
NCAA UPDATE
January 1st, 2013
6:20 pm
What does pot and Ohio State have in common? They both get smoked on bowls!
UGA89
January 1st, 2013
6:21 pm
Buckeye, I feel sorry for you because you have no life.
NCAA UPDATE
January 1st, 2013
6:21 pm
Ohio State lost this year to Probation!
UGA89
January 1st, 2013
6:23 pm
Buckeye, at least we were in our championship game. Can’t say the same for OSU.
Steve
January 1st, 2013
6:36 pm
Buckeye……41-14 remember that score? A hint……. National Championship game. 2006
24-17……….2012 Gatorbowl score. Ohio State lost both of those games. Enjoy Meyer. He will have you back on probation if he doesn’t have another nervous breakdown before then.