Which UGA home game are you looking forward to the most?
I wonder if Vince or Barbara Dooley will be sporting a tag like this on their car come Oct. 9.
I was checking out my newsfeed on Facebook last night and came across a poll being done by Georgiadogs.com’s fan page. The question: Which UGA home football game are you looking forward to the most?
Naturally, a couple of games immediately came to mind, but I decided to go game by game and look at why a Bulldogs fan might particularly look forward to each particular home date on the schedule.
OK, so we start with Louisiana-Lafayette on Sept. 4, a game that when I last checked had drawn zero votes in the poll. On the one hand, I can see that. It’s a minor opponent and a noontime kickoff in the summer heat. While games like this are a financial necessity — and more pleasing to Mark Richt than opening on the road against a major nonconference opponent like last year — nobody really gets excited about playing the likes of the Ragin’ Cajuns.
And yet … it is the first game of the season, always a date circled on my calendar. Watching the Dogs play in Athens has been one of my favorite pastimes my entire life, so I have to admit I am looking forward to this game. Plus it’ll be the first one in years that my wife has attended with me. She used to be a regular at UGA home games until she began working on weekends and ceded her seat to first our son and then our daughter. Now her schedule has changed and she decided she wanted to attend the first game of the season. So this will be a special game. But still not the one I’m looking forward to the most.
The next home game, Sept. 18 against Arkansas, has drawn 15 percent of the vote in the Facebook poll, putting it in third place. Last year’s game between the Dogs and Hogs was undeniably entertaining — if you like offense and not much defense — and the challenge Georgia faces trying to contain and/or keep up with Ryan Mallett in points production will certainly make this a closely watched match. If the Dogs beat South Carolina, both teams likely will come into this game ranked nationally.
But, let’s face it, there’s a reason that Arkansas is the Dogs’ only SEC home game for which single-game tickets are still available (along with Louisiana-Lafayette and Idaho State). The Razorbacks are still relative SEC newbies and don’t have that much history with UGA. So, no, this isn’t the game I’m looking forward to the most.
That distinction goes to the big SEC game against Tennessee on Oct. 9. Battles in Athens between the Dogs and Vols are usually hard-fought, and the Big Orange bring a lot of fans with them, so it’s always a terrific atmosphere. Add to that Georgia’s need to atone for last year’s dismal showing in Knoxville plus the Dooley factor introduced this year, and you’ve got the makings of a memorable Saturday Between the Hedges. In the Facebook poll, this game comes out on top, currently with 42 percent of the votes.
Vanderbilt on Oct. 16 is drawing negligible support in the poll, but I can see one big reason some fans might circle this game on the schedule: It’s homecoming. That means the parade through downtown Athens the night before, the alumni Redcoats and cheerleaders and some ramped up tailgating. But, still, it’s Vandy. And while they’ve embarrassed the Dogs at home before, it’s not the kind of rivalry that gets folks in red and black revved up.
Idaho State on Nov. 6? Well, it’s Georgia football and the weather should be pretty nice. But if UGA was still doing Band Day (which they unfortunately aren’t), this would be it. It’ll be a sell-out, no doubt, but I expect quite a few seats will go unfilled for this one.
And then there’s Georgia Tech on Nov. 27. The traditional Governor’s Cup game against the in-state rival is running second in the Facebook poll, with 36 percent of the vote. There are lots of reasons to look forward to this game, including wanting to re-establish dominance over the Jackets at home after the loss in 2008. If Tech were a conference opponent, this game undoubtedly would be the favorite for just about all Dogs fans. As it is, I’d rank it a close second to Tennessee.
How about you? Which Georgia home game are you looking forward to the most?
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152 comments Add your comment
drew
July 31st, 2010
3:35 pm
Idaho State. They have a decent chance to win that one.
killerj
July 31st, 2010
3:54 pm
Stoke the mange,4 to 1 baby where it counts! THWG!
Kharma2
July 31st, 2010
3:54 pm
Florida. It’s always soooo satisfying to see UGA get slaughtered like sheep being ripped apart when a pack of wolves attacks.
Ahhhhh….
Rhett
July 31st, 2010
3:56 pm
Did UGA ever replace the ugly, mangy mutt that croaked last year?
Red Pant (ies) on the Ground
July 31st, 2010
4:12 pm
Tech and only Tech. It’s the only game I’ll go to. In fact it’s the only great home game, and if we lose to Tech, it always seems to be at home. But what a great game to watch.
Dan
July 31st, 2010
4:13 pm
Which UGA home game are you looking forward to the most?
All of them!
UGA_Alum_93
July 31st, 2010
4:14 pm
UT of course…we need to get some payback for the last two trips to KnoxVegas and keep Dooley Junior out of our state in the area of recruiting.
Dawg 39
July 31st, 2010
4:14 pm
Are there rwally Dawg Fans that think CMR is a terrible coach? If so , I hope the next one they get does as well.
If the Dawgs go 9 & 4 or better this year, they will have just completed the best 10 year run (won-lost record / percentage) in the history of UGA football (all under the same HC – CMR) . That works for me.
1eyedJack
July 31st, 2010
4:29 pm
Hey Bill, tell your colleague Tim Tucker to quit blocking me. I’ve never did anything to him, and I surely never said anything close to what I read on his blog. Oh, and if he says no…tell him he needs to get a better toupee.
The Vols need a thrashing and the Nerds need to be reminded of their place, which is soon to be the third most popular team in their own city.
Cardinal Sin
July 31st, 2010
4:49 pm
None since we SUCK!
The Ghost of Wally Butts
July 31st, 2010
4:49 pm
I’ve stopped reading little Timmy Tucker’s scribblings until he lets all of us blog.
I’m most excited to see any game that we can manage to field a team using the guys who are not locked up or suspended.
ggs
July 31st, 2010
5:03 pm
The first one we lose and start looking for a new coach!!!!!!
Buckhead Bulldog
July 31st, 2010
5:14 pm
Sucky azz home schedule, so I will have to travel to the big ones, USC and AU. That Auburn game is gonna be a bruiser. Headed to Boulder just to see the Aspens turn golden…still will be a ton of fun to travel with the Dogs. Just like the ASU game in Tempe where took over their town.
No doubt the A#1 home game, in my opinion, is Georgia Tech. Should be good one!
Dawg Stephen
July 31st, 2010
5:17 pm
I am most looking forward to the Idaho State game when CMR wins his 100th game as UGA head coach.
PDawg
July 31st, 2010
5:27 pm
They all excite me cause I’m never sure if we will win.
scott
July 31st, 2010
5:37 pm
i would never attend a game thier at that redneck university amoung yahoo,s with a bulk of tobacco in thier mouth in that backwards hamlet called athens if its not my alma mater DUKE UNIVERSITY OR GEORGIA TECH ..i refuse to be bothered with racist backwards rednecks and tobacco spit in that country hamlet called athens
BobDog
July 31st, 2010
5:40 pm
Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana (1st game of season), Vandy, Idaho State, Georgia Tech in that order
benny
July 31st, 2010
6:09 pm
Any game that causes them to shut up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Whiney little girls/
gt
July 31st, 2010
6:36 pm
I agree with Budweiser Bob about the cheesy cardboard license plates. After making my contribution for the year and paying for the tickets, that’s the least they could do!
Red Pantayz
July 31st, 2010
6:40 pm
Plenty of tickets left folks. Remember to pick up your free uga diploma at the gate!
GatorOne
July 31st, 2010
6:47 pm
Get used to seeing red panties falling from the sky. In Jacksonville, they’ll have to stop the game to sweep them up off the field.
Red panties will be forever linked with The Cesspool of the South.
As will 42 arrests in three years.
UGA is everything that’s wrong with college football.
Ben
July 31st, 2010
6:50 pm
I love the hate in here. Only jealousy triggers this kind of hate. If UGA were irrelevant, it’d be a dead blog.
Andy
July 31st, 2010
6:52 pm
Remember to pick up your free uga diploma at the gate!
If My mommy won’t take me to the game, would they just mail me a diploma? Maybe two of them so my kid brother Bubby can have one too.
r.t.dewart
July 31st, 2010
7:28 pm
the 1st. game is always the one i look forward to the most. mainly because i have had to go so many months without uga football. also, we are always undefeated, untied and undenied going into the 1st. game. hopes are always high at this time of year!
SickandTired
July 31st, 2010
7:30 pm
I personally am looking forward to Derek coming home to whip the over rated Mark Richt. When is Mark Richt gonna actually earn his salary?
Bill King
July 31st, 2010
7:39 pm
Jon:
bking@ajc.com
Roy D. Mercer
July 31st, 2010
7:42 pm
Sick and Tired – Maybe you will go pull for somebody else because the Bulldawg Nation is sick and tired of you. You and GatorOne need to get together and talk about your old playing days.
take them der red panties off too boy
July 31st, 2010
7:45 pm
nice home schedule. how much for each ticket plus the donation to the school?
POSER
July 31st, 2010
7:46 pm
If the jackets don’t have alot of key injuries that game could be a good one. However they never have a large supply of capable players ready if injuries happen. I would love to see a more competetive series between the two state rivals.
Pope UGA XXIII
July 31st, 2010
7:50 pm
Somebody beat me to it.
A cardboard tag and two decals for $ 2500 +.
Wow – where’s my checkbook ???
Delbert D.
July 31st, 2010
7:57 pm
Arkansas is the most likely loss.
UGASlobberknocker
July 31st, 2010
7:57 pm
Any one that doesnt start at noon or 1230.
Delbert D.
July 31st, 2010
8:03 pm
Tennessee should top Vandy on the list, but are the Vols really going to be competitive this year? May be a blowout, if that’s considered satisfying.
Roy D. Mercer
July 31st, 2010
8:55 pm
Tennessee will be competitive, too many athletes. QB will be big question as it is in most programs. They will be prepared and compete well. I don’t believe they have enough playmakers to win more than they lose.
bugsquacher
August 1st, 2010
1:20 am
No doubt….. GT…….. I want to crush the bugs……..send them home whipped and beaten…….
12-2
August 1st, 2010
3:43 am
Coach Richt does not have more wins than
ALL THESE TEAMS over the last 4 years :
Boise State
Florida
Texas
Ohio State
BYU
Southern California
Oklahoma
TCU
Cincinnati
Virginia Tech
LSU
Penn State
Utah
West Virginia
Central Michigan
Boston College
Missouri
Wisconsin
Pretty LONG LIST here of teams the last 4 years that Coach Richt does not have more wins than.
# 19 wins last 4 years
# 11 wins All-Time vs 1-A Georgia Bulldogs
Hobbs
August 1st, 2010
7:42 am
It’s kind of sad to see all the Dawg fans getting so excited this year (just like the year before, the year before that, etc.). How long is it going to take for UGA fans to realize that UGA is simply no longer relevant in the SEC? In the national picture, UGA isn’t even a blip on the radar, and hasn’t
been since the preseason #1 ranking two years ago.
Sit back and be grateful for the seven or eight wins you’ll get every year. Coaching genius Mark Richt may take you to 10-2 or even 11-1 occasionally, but Florida will still win the SEC, meaning no BCS bowls and no top 10 final ranking. Most years, UGA will be very lucky to finish in the top 25, and only after a big bowl win over a nobody opponent.
It’s a different world now, and Dawg fans, like Miami and Ole Miss fans, need to adjust their expectations downward to reflect reality.
Unfortunately nothing is going to change until UGA changes its mediocre coaching. That’s where the difference is, and that’s why everyone outside Bulldog Nation just laughs at Dawg fans getting so excited year after year about what a great recruiting class UGA gets. It doesn’t matter how many
blue chip high school players go to UGA, they simply don’t get the coaching they would get at Florida or Alabama, to name two schools whose programs are far ahead of UGA. And that’s not going to change as long as Mark Richt is in
Athens.
Get your heads out of the sand and face reality. And mediocrity and irrelevance.
Okay, I’ll play the game and pick the Florida game as my fave. No suspense, just the usual beatdown, with red panties falling from the sky. Say Florida 45, Georgia 13.
GaDawg
August 1st, 2010
8:20 am
Before the 2008 season began, I told many of my Dawg brothers and sisters that the UT game would be the perfect time for a Blackout. If I could have gotten that message to Coach Richt, and he had taken the advice, The Black Jersey would still be undefeated. We lost to UT in “07″ we needed, and got revenge in “08″. Why Alabama? We defeated them in “07″. Oh Well, My favorite game to see between the hedges this year would be a total beat down of the Vols, and I’d love to see the Dawgs do it in black! No fanfare, No hype, just come out in the black shirts and Kick AZZ!!!
tony purvis
August 1st, 2010
8:26 am
@Hobbs – You need a UGA boot nailed to your face!
Atticus
August 1st, 2010
8:28 am
Home schedule sucks
Big time?? Not
August 1st, 2010
9:26 am
Four tickets, four hot dogs, four cokes
SAMMY DAVIS, JR
August 1st, 2010
10:01 am
Honestly, I’m looking forward to the GA/FL game! I’m ready to see what we truely have…coaches,players,game plan,talent,etc. Usually this is a dreaded game because GA, regardless of telent,rank or expectations seems to either give this game away or just plan get beat. I believe GA loses some of them because FL is better –especially as of late because of our poor Defenses & lack of well-rounded talent (if not like everyone else was beating FL). But there have been the other 50% of games, especially during the Zook era, where GA was the better team & found a way to lose. Anyway, Richt has been here 10 yrs –he KNOWS what’s expected, and with a new Defensive staff I expect GA to either win or keep it very close this yr, and start at least going 50/50 in the GA/FL series (If not we may be looking for an entire new coaching staff in another 3-4 yrs). I want to look at the glass as half full though & hope for the best. GO DAWGS!!!!!!!
12-2 =BuLLdawg
August 1st, 2010
10:04 am
What a doofus. I suspect some of those teams would have won a lot less playing an SEC schedule.
Beast from the East
August 1st, 2010
10:14 am
I didn’t realize how weak UGA’s home schedule was this year. I hate those years when the best games are on the road. Oh well, if I was a Dawg fan, I’d porbably have to say the Tech game. It’s for anuual bragging rights and I’m sure you Dawgs don’t want to have to listen to another year of crap from the likes of Saint Simons, Stinger, etc.
Hope you guys win ‘em all except for your trip to Jax! Good luck!
anybody but GT
August 1st, 2010
10:36 am
GO DOGS
Fair and Balanced
August 1st, 2010
12:40 pm
“The traditional Governor’s Cup game” – Who really knows this game is about the governor’s cup? What does that cup look like? When is it awarded? Where is it kept? Anybody ever seen this cup?
Angie Daddy 2
August 1st, 2010
1:11 pm
Sammy Davis… Here is what UGA truly has… 3 – 17…. will be 3 – 18 in favor of the Gators after this years beat down. Cant Wait huh?
SAMMY DAVIS, JR
August 1st, 2010
1:58 pm
Angie Daddy 2 — Hhhhmmmmm….SO, why is that you start with 3-17?? If you’re gonna go back 2 decades, why not go back another 20 yrs??? Or another 40 or 50 yrs?? OH, that’s right, GEORGIA still has a WINNING record against FLORIDA. You conveniently left that out. UGA handed FLA so many loses, including beat-downs on Spurrier that he made it a personal vendetta to repay UGA. Enjoy while you can –it’s just a matter of time before the Tide (no pun intended) changes & GA is back on top for another 50+ yrs. Besides, Meyer will probably quit a couple more times this yr. Rumor has it that Meyer has actually added a Kleenex Girl to the staff. See YOU in JACKSONVILLE!!!!!!!!
SAMMY DAVIS, JR
August 1st, 2010
2:02 pm
Fair and Balanced….they’re kept by the coffee pot at the ajc……
Opelika
August 1st, 2010
3:48 pm
It’s going to be another loooonnnngggg season for the dawgtards, with the usual beatdown in Jax, plus a couple of losses to grossly inferior teams. The best they can look forward to is a 7-5 record, 2nd place in the division, and another nothing bowl game.
Depressing, isn’t it. Maybe the mutt won’t croak on you this year, and maybe you can sell some of the red panties that are falling from the sky. So it’s not all bad.
Hot Tip #1: Green is lying.
Hot Tip #2: Murray is just plain bad. Richt will be begging Zach to come back.