Fan talk: Which would you rather have, a win over Florida or the SEC East title?
Welcome to Saturday. Three weeks from today Mark Richt’s boys will tee it up in the Georgia Dome against the Broncos.
If you didn’t order tickets to that game before it sold out and didn’t sign up for the season tickets that arrived in mailboxes this week but you still hanker to see the Dawgs play this season, you’re in luck.
A limited number of tickets to three of Georgia’s home football games — Coastal Carolina on Sept. 17, New Mexico State on Nov. 5 and Kentucky on Nov. 19 — will go on sale to the general public beginning Monday, August 15, at 9 a.m. All tickets are $45 and can be purchased online or by calling the Athletic Association ticket office 1-877-542-1231.
All single-game tickets ordered will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis and mailed within 10 days of the order being submitted, the athletic association says.
Meanwhile, I went to the funeral for a longtime dear friend’s mom in Athens Friday, and it was a lovely service. It was, of course, a typical Athens funeral in that the first words I heard from one of the surviving sons were … “What about Richt?”
You gotta love Athenians and their 24/7 devotion to UGA.
Speaking of Athens, I’ll be over there a couple of days while I’m off on vacation next week (with my fingers crossed in hopes that by the time I return Georgia will have a healthy tailback in good standing). But before I go let’s clear out some Junkyard Mail. …
Our old pal Cuz wants me to ask Bulldog fans which they’d rather have, a win over Florida or winning the SEC East. Says Cuz: “Tough one for me because I, like you, remember the total domination we used to have over the Gators. I went to maybe seven JAX games before Florida won one. We were dumbfounded, then just started laughing at the Florida fans who went out of their gourds. Now I understand. But to me, winning the East has got to be the most important step for this team and for Coach Richt. Both would be wonderful, but if I have to choose one, it will be winning the East.”
I have to agree, Cuz. As much as I would love for Georgia to beat Florida this season (and if not this year, when?), I’d much rather have the Bulldogs returning to the Georgia Dome on Dec. 3. I hated the losses to the Gators in 2002 and 2005, but I wouldn’t have traded winning the East for a win in Jacksonville either year.
Dawgtired writes: I’m sending this in hopes that you will unveil the scam Boise State is trying to pull on America. Their plight has been well documented regarding the “little man” being denied a chance to win the national championship in the current BCS system. I despise the BCS system not because it keeps the “little man” down, but because it doesn’t allow more teams to settle it on the field of play. This brings me to the Boise scam. No one argues that BS is a good team. I feel they are talented and extremely well coached. Much has been said about their success recently against the “big boys.” No dispute from me. However, while many naysayers point out that BS would struggle in a major conference, the grind of a long season is only part of the explanation. You see, BS’ success should be credited to the genuis athletic director for scheduling these games with the big boys. Nothing to lose and everything to gain for the program. Much has also been made about BS really only having to win ONE tough game to go undefeated each year. But let’s look closer. Yes, they have beaten Oregon twice, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech and TCU. Each of those wins had the same thing in common. BS was smart enough to schedule these as opening games of the season or they were bowl wins. Each allowed at least 4 weeks to scheme and prepare. Some allowed 8 months prep time. This year UGA draws BS in the season opener. BS coaches and players know that their season and respectability depends on winning this game. Is there any doubt they have been preparing for 8 months? UGA on the other hand is more concerned about the SEC title. Please someone, ANYONE, schedule Boise in the middle of their season or late in the season when they can’t devote every hour of prep to you! May John Jenkins welcome Kellen Moore to his senior season. Thanks, Bill.
You make an interesting point, though I should note that Gene Bleymaier, Boise State’s “genius” athletic director and the father of the Smurf Turf, was fired this week in relation to the school’s NCAA troubles. But while I think, yes, Richt and his staff probably are (and should be) more concerned with the SEC schedule than anything else, UGA scheduled Boise State in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game for a reason … to regain the national football spotlight. I think the Dogs are taking the Broncos plenty seriously and certainly hope they’ve also put the past few months to good use.
Big Bad Brad writes: Bill, what’s your take on Texas A&M and SEC expansion? I don’t really see why everyone’s getting so excited about the prospect of the third- or fourth-best Texas program joining the best college football conference. I think the SEC is just fine as it is. You?
I think the SEC should add schools only if it can expand its footprint and add television markets and revenue. While the Aggies may not be the top program in their state, they’re the one that would fit best with the SEC West and adding A&M would get the conference into a key television market. So if they want to join up, I think the SEC should take them. Now, who else should be added to balance the league? A lot of folks like Florida State, and the Seminoles are certainly a marquee program, but I think a more valuable addition to the SEC would be Virginia Tech, which would get the conference into the D.C. TV market (where, my son notes, conference games currently aren’t available). I wrote about this subject last year when the SEC and A&M were flirting, and you can read those discussions here and here and here.
Got a question for the Junkyard Blawg? Send it to junkyardblawg@gmail.com.
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375 comments Add your comment
This season for UGA is different than those past
August 15th, 2011
9:56 am
CMR is in his transition year. He either wins big this season or he will be gone. 11 years and nothing respectable in 4 or 5 years. Program will have become stale.
UGA in the past could rationalize a loss to BS by going on and having a decent year and winding up in the Chic Fil A or the Oouback Bowl. 9-3 maybe or 8-4 kind of year. Not in 2011 ………………we gave him 09 and 2010 for that “adjustment” period. No way a third.
Nope, this year, whether we have any O linemen or not, UGA and CMR are on the hot seat. They had better defeat BS on national TV at home ( Atl.) and then, handle SC in another home game in Athens. They tehn would be in a postion to reel off some wins.
Later on, UGA could stumble vs Ole Miss or UT or AU but they must defeat Florida AND at least compete to the end for the SEC East and possibly end up with two losses but head to head with SC and Florida they must prevail and win the East. . Otherwise?
We all know what is at stake. We alumni are restless.
UGA man,
Class of 71 & 73
shankit
August 15th, 2011
10:31 am
Say what you want, but the SEC championship goes through Jacksonville
and the Iron Bowl. Beat Florida first and the rest will take care of itself.
anotherdawg
August 15th, 2011
10:54 am
SEC title, of course. The winner of the “war” is always more important than one single “battle”. Congratulations to team “Georgia” from Warner Robins on their “Little League” victory over team “Florida”
Still@theBAR
August 15th, 2011
11:14 am
Scooter Accident AGAIN?
These guys can run fast, give and take hits until they get on a scooter.
Just Say No to Scooters!!
schmeckdawg
August 15th, 2011
11:15 am
I like what that spoiled little girl in Willie Wonka “Veruka Salt” or something like that said. “I want it all and I want it now!!!!!!!!!!!”
Go DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AceDawg
August 15th, 2011
11:19 am
The smaller programs like Boise St. do struggle to stay good once they get there largely because what the Boise fan on this post mentioned – the small schools have a hard time getting home games against the good ones. Home games are truly an advantage and would lead to far more upsets than we currently see if teams had to do home and aways with everyone. I don’t know that that should happen (perhaps there shouldn’t be 120 legit football teams), but I disagree with the BCS opinion by the same fan: The BCS is better than the old system, but it pales in comparison to what a playoff would be. There is no way to settle national championships without controversy unless there is a playoff that ensures all of the better teams must lose in the end to be eliminated.
harold
August 15th, 2011
11:34 am
Georgia still resorts to dreams while Florida wins SEC and National Championships. Georgia has not even been to the title game in six years. IT IS TIME FOR RICHT TO GO!
Matt
August 15th, 2011
11:41 am
A TITLE OR 1 GAME? GIMME THE TITLE SCREW UF.
Boise Dawg
August 15th, 2011
11:46 am
The first question is a no brainer. As much as I want to see Florida’s dominence end, I would take an east championship every year over beating Florida and I am sure they would feel the same.
As for the Boise State scheduling two things I will point out. In 2008 they traveled to Eugene and beat Oregon and it was not the first game of the season… I think it was the 3rd or 4th. Also, they orginally had Virginia Tech on the schedule the first weekend in October. It was VT, not BSU that insisted on moving the game to the 1st weekend of the season. Because of the lengthy travel distance BSU wanted a bye week following the game, so ESPN stepped in a reworked their schedule to ensure the game could be moved to the opening weekend.
Still@theBAR
August 15th, 2011
11:47 am
Look mama I can’t ride a Scooter with 2 hands.
Still@theBAR
August 15th, 2011
11:48 am
Winning the SEC East means noting if you can’t win the WHOLE conference. Take the Florida win and just be happy.
AltamahaDawg
August 15th, 2011
11:59 am
harold, looking for a new coach on August 15 might be a little difficult to do. But there is probably a much easier solution for you, hidden inside your own post.
PMC
August 15th, 2011
11:59 am
What good is beating Florida if they lose the east? That would likely mean they just fell on thier faces in other games they needed to win and just got up for Florida. Beating Florida and losing the east would make the season pointless…. and generally worthless.
matt
August 15th, 2011
12:38 pm
Scheduling the game to get “back into the national spotlight” only pays off if UGA wins. Right now the perception with most is that UGA is in a downward spiral and that Richt could be on his way out (fired). If UGA goes into that game looking confused, out of shape, undisciplined, poorly coached, overmatched, etc. It will only throw a gas grenade on the fire.
Richt had better be dedicating alot of time to this Boise game becaue it could set the tone for his season.
Still@theBAR
August 15th, 2011
12:44 pm
Are there some UGA fans on here saying, “We Have Bigger Fish To Fry” than just beating the Gators? really? REALLY?
AltamahaDawg
August 15th, 2011
1:00 pm
I think there was a lot to gain from just preparing for a game of that caliber. It served to energize the offseason which should help every game thereafter. Winning reaps the biggest reward of course, but there is a lot of room between the two scenarios you mention.
258DAWG
August 15th, 2011
1:00 pm
Take Oklahoma and A&M and put them in the west and take FSU & VT and put them in the East.\
Beat UF and we probably win the East; 11-1 or 10-2 sounds good to me.
Get Ready folks It’s officially GATA time!
GO DAWGS!!!
Still@theBAR
August 15th, 2011
1:06 pm
258
You think will just walk on FSU and VT?
HAHHAHA
That is rich for sure.
USC and Kentucky are giving the Dawgs a hard time, but FSU and VT will be easy?
I want some of what you are smoking.
Vince Dooley
August 15th, 2011
1:44 pm
How about neither? Another mediocre season in Athens.
Decisions decisions
August 15th, 2011
2:00 pm
The smart thing would be for a dawg fan to want to beat Florida. 2 reasons why 1- the gators have owned the dawgs winning something like 19 of the last 22. Just OWN the dawgs. OWN EM! Dawg fans have got to be sick and tired of it.
2- Why would you want to win the east anyway? You would just face a severe beatdown at the hands of Bama. Does anyone really think the dawgs want another humiliation at the hands of the bammers. You would thought the blackout beatdown woulda been enough.
If I were a dawg fan I would much rather beat Florida then lose to Florida and win the division only to get humiliated in the SECCG by Bama with the whole nation watching.
The rest of the SEC
August 15th, 2011
2:07 pm
I see that the dawg fans are up to their usual delusions again. Some things never change and one of them is the summer optimism of dawg fans shorty before fall and football starts. And then reality sets in….
NOLES
August 15th, 2011
2:11 pm
CANEDAWG WHEN YOU FINISH IN THE TOP 5 14 YEARS IN A ROW
GIVE US A CALL AND YOU BETTER PRAY WE NEVER GO INTO
THE SEC MY FRIEND. YOUR POST ON BOWDEN IS A JOKE.
YOU ARE CLUELESS
Top Dawg
August 15th, 2011
2:24 pm
Bill King, where are the new columns……football is here man, much to talk about….
SEC expansion (Jeez, we don’t need that…Taking too long to play the all the teams in the west as it is now)
Players need to stay off scooters if they can’t handle it….Treating scooters too lightly because it’s not a car, yet can be very dangerous.
Top Dawg
August 15th, 2011
2:30 pm
RAY DREW—-God may be telling you to stay off scooters.
?
August 15th, 2011
2:38 pm
Last column midnight friday, sat. am….what’s up with that?
Atlanta87
August 15th, 2011
2:43 pm
@ Decisions decisions — You’re ASS-uming a lot when you say that Bama is going to win the West to play UGA in the championship game if they won the east.
Atlanta87
August 15th, 2011
2:45 pm
This article is a joke though right? Of course you’d rather win the East if you had to do one or the other. No wonder will troll off topic so much in these blogs.
?
August 15th, 2011
2:45 pm
ride bikes at school….coaches would like additional workouts.
AltamahaDawg
August 15th, 2011
2:48 pm
On the other hand, losing control going downhill on a scooter and escaped with nothing serious, God might have been saying it’s all good.
DawginLex
August 15th, 2011
2:50 pm
decisions
Last year, you were GUARANTEEING alabama would be playing florida for the SEC title.
somebody forgot to tell your defense during the SC beatdown, the LSU blowup and the Auburn comeback-the embarrassment in T-Town
Be careful what you predict. Could make you bammers look foolish 2 years in a row
Atlanta87
August 15th, 2011
2:50 pm
@ NOLES FSU should be praying they get into the SEC so they have a chance to win the BCS. It probably won’t happen anymore playing in the ACC. Been a long time since 1999 hasn’t it?!?!
AltamahaDawg
August 15th, 2011
2:52 pm
Alabama is offically on the downward spiral based on last year.
joe
August 15th, 2011
3:38 pm
Win over Florida for sure.
?
August 15th, 2011
3:38 pm
The teflon redneck coach has been dead 28 years…He aint coming back to bamalama.
It’s almost time for Saban to pack up and boot on his current employer…him and Petrino. About to hit over/under on years at same place.
?
August 15th, 2011
3:42 pm
Auburn can send a plane for both of them and have them both quit at the same time, thinking they both have a job at Auburn….About that time for Auburn to undermine its coach….where’s charles barkley to complain about their coaching hires now..
right
August 15th, 2011
3:43 pm
when it’s all about race, Sir Charles, you get pie in the face.
right
August 15th, 2011
3:46 pm
bet they’re glad Barkley’s not doing the hiring at aub….wonder what kind of hires he would have made if the morons in that state voted him for governor.
Still@theBAR
August 15th, 2011
4:36 pm
right
Look at the UGA morons that voted in Deal, Purdue, and Barnes. Like the state of Alabama could worse voting in an Auburn guy than the state of Georgia did with MUTT GRADS?
CondorDawg
August 15th, 2011
6:48 pm
UGA beat Florida? Hilarious? Sure. Richt’s done it what? Twice in 10 seasons? Richt beating ANY ranked team? Hilarious. None in 2010, 2 in 2009. 2-9 in last 11 matchups. Boise & SC will cruise to easy wins. Richt gets outworked by any ranked coach and his knowledge isn’t current.
Ben
August 15th, 2011
6:49 pm
Condor,
You’re messing up the Kool aid drinkers. Come on, they don’t want to hear the truth.
CondorDawg
August 15th, 2011
6:51 pm
Ben,
Ha Ha. So true, sure, Richt will drink a magical potion and magically go from being a winless coach against ranked teams in 2010 to abracadabra, beating 2 top 10 ranked teams to open the season. Hilarious!!! Could it happen. Sure, 2 of 11 chance, what 18%?
Ben
August 15th, 2011
6:52 pm
Exactly. Chris P at Boise is only 6-1 against ranked teams. No problem….
CondorDawg
August 15th, 2011
6:53 pm
Ha Ha! If Richt couldn’t beat Florida last year, after they had lost 3 or 4 in a row, without any offense, with AJ Green, just no hope.
Ben
August 15th, 2011
6:55 pm
Condor,
For real. Fans have no idea just how bad of a downspin Richt is in. 3 seasons in a row now of less wins and less points against ranked teams. It’s such a mess. And it won’t get fixed.
CondorDawg
August 15th, 2011
6:57 pm
No kidding–Ha! Scoring has gone down from 35 a game against ranked teams in 07′ with Stafford to 15 a game with Murray. T-R-O-U-B-L-E. Offense didn’t score on 2nd string defense in last scrimmage. Go Figure!
DVilleCity
August 15th, 2011
7:00 pm
Attn Billie K, Blog Guru,
Get that guy who poses as celebrities off this blog. He was Les Miles, now he’s ‘Vince Dooley’, come on.
Identity theft is a CRIME.
gRINdAWG
August 15th, 2011
7:08 pm
GOOD CALL. VINCE DOOLEY. SURE VINCE HAS NOTHING ELSE BETTER TO DO. OR LES MILES.
HERE’S THE THING:
RICHT HAS AVERAGED 3-4 TURONOVERS A GAME AGAINST FLORIDA, LAST 3 YEARS, TEND TO LOSE WHEN YOU DO THAT.
ALSO HAS FINISHED 12TH, LAST, IN THE SEC, IN BOTH 09 AND 10 IN TURNOVER MARGIN AGAINST GOOD TEAMS. BACKS FUMBLE, QB’S THROW PICKS, DEFENSE CAN’T RECOVER FUMBLES OR FORCE TURNOVERS IN BIG GAMES.
gRINdAWG
August 15th, 2011
7:11 pm
SNED OLE VINCE DOOLEY AN E-MAIL AT BARBARAANDVINCEDOOLEY DOT COM. LET EM KNOW ABOUT THIS GUY. SINCE BIIL K WON’T STOP IT. ALSO CIOMPLAIN TO AJ C EDITORS.
auburnsux
August 15th, 2011
7:52 pm
I would be happy with a freaking scooter ban for uga athletes.
Fla > SEC East
August 15th, 2011
10:09 pm
beat uf and everything will take care of itself–usc is overrated and Ga can beat them in athens. Fla should be down–Ga can finally beat them this year.