Shaking up Dawgs’ football schedule a great idea
With the release Wednesday via Sicemdawgs.com of Georgia’s tentative football schedules for 2013 and 2014, it looks like we’re starting to see Greg McGarity’s influence, and he isn’t afraid to shake things up.
Both schedules feature two open dates (though, unfortunately, neither is the week before the Florida game) and the nonconference games are spread throughout the season (both seasons open with the latest home-and-home with Clemson). The Dogs do have an open date before Georgia Tech in 2013, and they tune up for the Jackets the next year with Charleston Southern.
But the most noticeable change is that South Carolina no longer occupies the traditional (since 1991) spot as the Dogs’ SEC season-opener, with a trip to Vanderbilt (!) being the first conference game in 2013 and the Dogs opening the SEC wars on the road against Arkansas the next year.
The 2013 plan is a bit unusual in that the Dawgs are on the road for the first two games, but overall it’s a very attractive home schedule: at Clemson (Aug. 31), at Vandy (Sept. 7), South Carolina (Sept. 14), North Texas (Sept. 21), at LSU (Sept. 28), at Tennessee (Oct. 5), Alabama (Oct. 12), Kentucky (Oct. 26), Florida in Jacksonville (Nov. 2), Appalachian State (Nov. 9), Auburn (Nov. 16), at Georgia Tech (Nov. 30).
In 2014, it goes like this: Clemson (Aug. 30), at Arkansas (Sept. 6), at South Carolina (Sept. 13), Vandy (Sept. 27), Tennessee (Oct. 4), LSU (Oct. 11), at Kentucky (Oct. 25), Florida in Jacksonville (Nov. 1), South Alabama (Oct. 8), at Auburn (Nov. 15), Charleston Southern (Nov. 22), Georgia Tech (Nov. 20).
I don’t know about you, but I like mixing the schedule up a bit. I’m as big a traditionalist as you’ll find, but aside from the Jacksonville game being in the vicinity of Halloween and the Dogs closing with rivals Auburn and Tech I don’t see any reason for Georgia to be locked into playing the same teams at the same point in the schedule each year. And I particularly like having the less challenging games sprinkled throughout the schedule instead of all bunched up in the first few weeks like it used to be.
What do you think of this scheduling approach?
Got a question for the Junkyard Blawg? Send it to junkyardblawg@gmail.com.
Find me on Facebook.
Follow me on Twitter.
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
108 comments Add your comment
Wes
July 22nd, 2011
10:02 am
Alabama in 2009 played 6 ranked teams, opened against #7 Virginia Tech. played #1 Florida, #2 Texas, #7 VTech, #9 LSU, #20 Ole Miss, #22 South Carolina. And they played Auburn, Miss St and Arkansas.
Went 14-0.
If the coaches can coach, the schedule doesn’t matter.
ugaclassof2004
July 22nd, 2011
10:38 am
@Wes
Yeah that powerhouse Georgia State program that Bama played last year. That was a real nailbiter! LOL.
I think you’re right about good teams wining regardless of the schedule. However, you must admit that playing primarily in the southeast is different than going out west to play Arizona State then turning around to play Bama in a primetime matchup. Even NFL teams struggle with jet lag. That 2008 schedule in no way shape or form favored UGA to win a National Title. It was all about Damon Evans trying to market the UGA brand instead of trying to be a legit National Title contender.
DawginTX
July 22nd, 2011
10:55 am
@Wes, the only one Bama had control over scheduling was Va Tech. And the two top ranked teams (FU and Tex) you played in 09 weren’t in your regular season schedule. What we are talking about is regular season OOC schedule, which is the only thing a school has control over.
hgrady
July 22nd, 2011
11:41 am
I like the scheduling approach…now if my minority position of putting JAX in a rotation would just gain some traction. I like the idea of either rotating b/w the Dome and JAX each year or a 4 year rotation of home-home-Jax-Dome.
beebee
July 22nd, 2011
12:22 pm
Wes, you’re a god!
Thank you!
beebee
July 22nd, 2011
12:29 pm
my god ugaclass of 2004.
if your blind coaches had paid attention to making a solid defense you might have had your national title in 2008 even with that schedule.
no, they were more concerned with perfecting their dives.
RedPantsDawg
July 22nd, 2011
12:36 pm
at LSU (Sept. 28), at Tennessee (Oct. 5), Alabama (Oct. 12)
That’s a very tough stretch.
RedandBlackDAWG
July 23rd, 2011
10:04 am
Do I detect, that Bee Bee is a yellow jacket? Somebody get the can of raid out please. No wait, let’s be EPA correct. Get the fly swatter instead.