Which game is bigger for the 2012 Dawgs: South Carolina or Florida?
Which is more important, beating Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks or winning two in a row over Florida? (Associated Press)
A recent SportsNation poll conducted by ESPN.com put this question to fans: If you could only watch one SEC game next season, the game that was absolutely the must-see game in the league, which one would it be?
The winner, not surprisingly, was again Alabama-LSU, same as last year, with 42 percent of the vote. But the No. 2 pick, drawing 27 percent of the 10,000 votes cast, was the Georgia-South Carolina game on Oct. 6 in Columbia.
There’s no doubt the game between the Dawgs and Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks is a big one, and probably the toughest on Georgia’s less-than-challenging 2012 schedule.
But is it the most important game for Mark Richt’s team this season?
ESPN’s Chris Low seems to think it is, saying the game in Columbia “has as much or more riding on it for Georgia as any season in recent memory, and it’s always a pivotal contest. Until last season, the loser of this game had never advanced to the SEC championship game. The Bulldogs were able to change that by winning 10 in a row after their loss to the Gamecocks the second week of the season. Georgia has lost two in a row in the series, and the Bulldogs would prefer to control their own destiny in the East race heading into the latter part of October as opposed to needing help. Winning in Columbia, S.C., is never easy, but the road to a second straight trip to the SEC championship game for the Bulldogs will almost certainly go through the Palmetto State. What’s more, Georgia has never lost three in a row to South Carolina since the teams first started playing back in 1894 (64 meetings).”
So South Carolina is Georgia’s most important game? Well, maybe not. After all, as was proved in 2011, with the right schedule Georgia can lose to the Cocks and still take the SEC East crown, and that scenario very well could happen again this year.
And as the Senator at Get the Picture notes, there’s always Jacksonville. Georgia won over Florida last year but hasn’t taken back-to-back games against the Gators since 1989. And winning two in a row would certainly be a major step toward getting that Jacksonville Jinx monkey off the Dawgs’ backs.
Here’s how Blutarsky puts it: “It’s not a game they should go to merely hoping to win. It’s a game they should believe they can win. But I don’t think you cement that attitude unless you can win again this fall.”
That’s why he believes Georgia-Florida is the Dawgs’ biggest game of the year. “True, South Carolina is the bigger short-term threat to a defense of the East title,” he writes. “However, Florida has too many resources at its disposal not to return eventually to the place it’s occupied over the past two decades. … It’s time to flip the series.”
It’s a tough call. On the one hand, winning two in a row in Jacksonville would seem like a dream come true for the Bulldog Nation after the past two decades of mostly frustration down there. But losing three in a row to South Carolina and the Prince of Darkness? I’m not sure we wouldn’t be exchanging one nightmare for another there.
One thing’s for sure: Georgia has to beat at least one of the two to win the SEC East.
And there’s no denying another division title and two wins in a row over Florida would go a long way toward making up for a third loss to Carolina.
What’s your view? Which do you think is the most important game for the Dawgs this year?
Got something you want to discuss concerning UGA athletics or a question for the Junkyard Blawg? Send it to junkyardblawg@gmail.com.
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250 comments Add your comment
LogicalUS
May 24th, 2012
3:27 pm
It would be the Florida game because the SC is a foregone conclusion so the Florida game becomes critical along with hoping that SC experiences losses vs. LSU\Arkansas.
Losing to UF would negate UGA from backing into the SEC East title again as the turmoil at Arkansas makes it less likely that they will rescue UGA again this season.
Of course the losses on the defense make the Missouri\UT other problem games as well.
Gary
May 24th, 2012
3:29 pm
It sounds cliche because its true, every game is important. No win counts more than any other. If they want to play for a title, it is important that they win every game, especially within their division. I think with an experienced defense, and quality playmakers on offense, they can do that but the OL and kicking game is a big question mark. SC may be our first test, but they all count the same.
Dirty Dawg
May 24th, 2012
3:50 pm
Gary’s right…why should we be asked to pick? Fact is the most important game is the ‘next one’…you know, that old ‘one game at a time’ thing. We could get ambushed in Missouri and forever be known as the SEC team that lost its first game to the newcomer…lose to South Carolina and we’ll never again be able to get ‘the ole ball coach’ to shutthehellup…lose to Tennessee and while it’ll help Derek keep his job it’ll mean my UT friends will never let me hear the end of it…lose to any of em and the naysayers will be yelping from now till forever.
Win em all dammit, then well see just how many of these kids decide they really want to go to a three-loss Alabama come National Signing Day.
Pitbull
May 24th, 2012
3:55 pm
South Carolina will be more difficult, but Florida will be bigger.
We owe the Gators a LOT of payback.
Bama=home of the T-bag special
May 24th, 2012
3:57 pm
SC is the biggest game the Gators will lose at least 4 this year so they won’t even be in the running for SEC East.
Wilson Pickett
May 24th, 2012
3:58 pm
Bama will not lose 3 games but UGA will. The truth is your team isn’t that good regardless to how many players return! The only way you get to SECCG is if you buy a ticket.
WDE
May 24th, 2012
3:59 pm
Let’s just beat them both and add a Auburn,Bug and Vol chaser to the season…
Still@theKool-aidBAR
May 24th, 2012
4:01 pm
Dirty Dawg……..WHO was the first SEC team to lose to USCe when they joined in 92?
Nobody remembers but the Ole Miss Fans that rub it in Miss States Fans Faces MSU and the USCe fans
UGa losing to Mizzou would be remembered by the fans for a few years and the TECH fans that will rub it in for the rest of your lives and Mizzou Fans.
Pitbull
May 24th, 2012
4:03 pm
If Florida has the Swamp, then why doesn’t Auburn have the Barnyard and South Carolina have the Chicken Coop?
We could play the chicken poop in the chicken coop!
intheknow
May 24th, 2012
4:07 pm
Hey Wilson Pickett….Bama will lose three games …take it to the bank.Regardless of how good you Bama fans think they’ll be you CANNOT lose ten starters,with most of them on the defensive side of the ball and keep your level of play consistant. Better get yout tickets now to the Outback Bowl cause thats where Bamas headed this year……and remember Bama fans…don’t pick your nose…let Wilson Pickett !
SC News, Politics, Personalities, Newsmakers, Warren Lasch
May 24th, 2012
4:14 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
DIT
May 24th, 2012
4:18 pm
Neither! Mizzou will be the biggest, because it’s the 1st SEC game. Worry about the other one’s when they get to them.
Dewey
May 24th, 2012
4:26 pm
Mark Richt and his henchman Grantham are the two biggest sleazebags in the SEC. No school with any integrity would hire these bozos.
UGA hasn’t had a qualified, ethical head football coach since Harry Mehre, and that was many decades ago. There’s a reason why UGA is known far and wide as The Cesspool of the South.
Florida and USC will put Richt’s goons back where they belong this year.
intheknow
May 24th, 2012
4:27 pm
For the idiot that posted at 1:41pm….what are you smoking…the over all won loss record between Georgia and Florida is 47-39-2 in Georgias favor. Funny, as good as Florida was when Spurrier was there Florida still trails the Dawgs in the all time series record. Man the gators sure did suck for a looong time didn’t they? Too bad their on the way down right now….that over all series record is gonna get a lot better in Georigias favor over the next few years…..Can’t wait!
BCS Tiger
May 24th, 2012
4:28 pm
JOEjuh is so insignificant. They’ll get plastered in both.
Guess hot seat forever underachieving Richt won’t benefit from those intriguing perks he’ll never receive on that new contract. We can all only hope he’s there for life!
intheknow
May 24th, 2012
4:30 pm
oooooh..Dewey….you’re so bad! What a badass you are!You’re named after a duck aren’t you? Dewey…are you related to Donald?
Still@theKool-aidBAR
May 24th, 2012
4:31 pm
pitbull……………but UGa does have the Dwag Grave Yard in the End Zone. It is also where Dwag fans go to cry away their National Championship dreams every fall. UGa doesn’t have the Dwag Pound cause ACC Jail already took that name.
YO
May 24th, 2012
4:37 pm
From Florida’s point of view,… Georgia! But,… I believe Florida from Georgia. Coach Spurrier can’t stand the Dogs, knowing this when he was coaching for us and as a player. Its always Florida-Georgia. South Carolina has not been good year in and year out. GO GATORS!
uh.....missouri
May 24th, 2012
4:39 pm
its may….cub fans still have hope and dawg fans are still dreaming of championships.
that will all change in october. as it does every year.
the most important sec game? missouri.
st. mark can’t count on the hawgs to take care of business for him this year….so he better win all he can.
Delbert D.
May 24th, 2012
4:44 pm
The most important one is Missouri.
Delbert D.
May 24th, 2012
4:51 pm
I expect Missouri to have some plays highlighting the new kid, Dorial Green-Beckham to test Georgia’s secondary.
JumpDawg
May 24th, 2012
5:32 pm
If UGA AD Greg McG goes winless against ranked teams, for the 3rd straight year, in other words, loses to South Carolina, won’t he be released from his duties?
Still@theKool-aidBAR
May 24th, 2012
5:37 pm
Suzzanne Yoculan is looking for a Coaching Job. She has more balz than anybody on the UGa Football staff and she isn’t afraid of ANY TEAM.
kingdaddy
May 24th, 2012
5:37 pm
Enter your comments here
jsmooth
May 24th, 2012
5:43 pm
Dewey:
Man, Your shorts are a little tight today. Get a grip on reality, Richt, a sleazebag, what is your proof? He is a solid, eithical Christian man who has a great family with 2 adopted kids and does mission work around the world. Tell me, what are you doing to enrich others lives? When was the last time you gave a tithe to your church (if you go to one) or to mission work? Probably never. Get a life!
Dirty Dawg
May 24th, 2012
5:43 pm
Dewey, of Cheatum and Howe fame, yet another fine Alabama law firm, can call our guys sleazy if he wants…don’t know what he bases that on but then crooked law firms ought to know. I’ll take our guys…at least they’ve never picked up hookers at Flora-Bama.
Augusta DAWG
May 24th, 2012
5:46 pm
BEAT THEM BOTH!
kingdaddy
May 24th, 2012
5:49 pm
This is what looking ahead will get you, LOUISIANA, MONROE! I don’t want to lose period…
Still@theKool-aidBAR
May 24th, 2012
6:10 pm
Dewey Cheatum & Howe got their Law Degrees from UGa.
johnny
May 24th, 2012
6:17 pm
Both….
7576DAWG
May 24th, 2012
6:19 pm
Win the Missouri game with some to spare and Georgia will show that Murray has learned how not to lose a game . It will also establish the fact that the running game will do its part this year. And , last it will prove the defense was not a fluke last year and will give them the confidence to be dominate this year.
They will need all the confidence in the world if South Carolina is undefeated going into our game with them. That will mean that Shaw will be a good one, that Lattimore is going to be okay in his come back, and their defense is as good as advertised. It has two top ten teams playing each other written all over it.
kingdaddy
May 24th, 2012
6:24 pm
So, what if it happened like this, God comes up to Kingdaddy and says, “Kingdaddy, you’ve been pretty bad here lately, so I’m gonna make UGA lose One game this year, but seeing how youve been a DGD, I’m gonna let you choose which game between Fla. or S.C.” Well God, I apoligze for most of the bad things, but if I have to choose, I want to beat S.C., cause I hate that Son Of A Bit*h, Spurrier! And God said, “See Kingdaddy, that’s why you had to choose! “…
TheTruthHurts
May 24th, 2012
6:30 pm
After Richt loses to Mizzou, it won’t make a damn bit of difference. The season will already be over. 8-4 for Richt in 2012.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
May 24th, 2012
6:32 pm
KingDaddy then God add a 2nd loss to UGa because you called Spurrier’s Mom a B..ch. LOL and that loss will be to TECH.
kingdaddy
May 24th, 2012
6:36 pm
Kool
Look at TECH and tell me God doesn’t stay mad at the bumble bees.LOL…
intheknow
May 24th, 2012
6:45 pm
A Bama fans idea of a good time is poisoning a rival teams trees and taking a picture of themselves laying thier genitals on the face of a passed out rival fan after a game…..All I can say is CLASS….real Class…..got to love those trailer boys from Bama…they sure know how to have a good time…..Riiight!
kingdaddy
May 24th, 2012
6:45 pm
Kool
Every game is a must win because of jokers like you. You spin them all for whatever laughs you can get, but I enjoy humor. I’ll bet you had to stand out in the hall a lot in high-school, I know I did! It wouldn’t matter who we lost to. You will still have a field day.lol, Now go stand out in the hall until you can act like a grown-up…
GtDawg
May 24th, 2012
6:54 pm
South Carolina because the Ole Ball Coach talkn noise.
JB
May 24th, 2012
6:58 pm
Dawgs run the table this year and will only have LSU to beat to get to the title game.
tony
May 24th, 2012
7:07 pm
SC and Arkansas join the SEC in 1992
SC
L UGA………. 6-28
L ARK………..7-45
L ECU……….18-20
L KY………….9-13
L ALB………..7-48
W MSU……..21-6
W Vandy……21-17
W TENN……24-23
W L.TECH….14-13
L FLA…………9-14
W CLEM…….24-13
Arkansas
L CITADEL….3-10
W SC………….7-45
L ALB…………11-38
L MEMPHIS…6-22
L UGA…………3-27
W TENN………25-24
L OLE MISS…3-17
T AUBURN…..24-24
L MSU…………3-10
L SMU………..19-24
W LSU………..30-6
I don’t think GA nor FLA will be the first sec teams to fall victim to the new sec members.
kingdaddy
May 24th, 2012
7:12 pm
JB
OK, so God comes up to you and says, “JB, you’ve been bad, sorry but UGAs got to lose a….”
I’m with you, I think UGA gets better as the year goes on, and runs the table. That’s why I think Buffalo is the most important, then Missouri and so on…
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
May 24th, 2012
7:33 pm
The FL game is the most important; USC is not going to be a decent team year in and year out; thats why beating FL several times in a row is the most important
Hopefully the new contract states a loss to FL means a loss of %40 of each of the coach’s salary
North Ga Dawg
May 24th, 2012
7:35 pm
I’ve been reading these posts, and I don’t think the Gator fans understand how bad their team is this year. Not even trying to talk smack here, they are just bad. I don’t really think they can win 5 games with Brissett, Gillislee, and Frankie Hammon Jr.
Fair n Balanced
May 24th, 2012
7:40 pm
I would predict GA to win one of these two big games but not both. I still think the schedule is tougher than everyone thinks.
MO – First SEC game…at home….wants to prove something
Vandy – Tougher than everyone thinks and now considers GA a rival of sorts.
TN – they hate us and want to prove they have come back from the dead.
GA will go 9-3 or 10-2. 9-3 is just about unacceptable and 10-2 will be frustrating. If GA goes 8-4 then heads roll and I would think there would be talk about CMR again. Justifiably so.
The only think that will content the Bulldog Nation is 11-1 or better.
kingdaddy
May 24th, 2012
7:42 pm
Bill (the real) King
What were you thinking??? If we lose to S.C., then we can’t beat a top 25! If we lose to Fla. that late in the year, we’ll lose 13 spots in the polls and never recover our standings in the polls. Neither outcome is very tasteful. The only way to keep The ol, tired ball-coach from gloating is to beat him. I say let’s help him put a sock in it…
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
May 24th, 2012
7:43 pm
Ive watched UGA lose to many times to half decent FL teams;
yea FL might end up being bad but that means nothing since we havent had a coach in 23 years that took the FL game seriously
kingdaddy
May 24th, 2012
7:49 pm
Bill (the real) King
Judging from the picture you used of the evil one, I think you agree with me…
North Ga Dawg
May 24th, 2012
7:50 pm
No, Ga wins that game easy. Fla is bad. Ya’ll need to grasp that.
I can’t understand why people don’t get that. They had -20 yards rushing in that game against UGA last year. That was with Rainy and Demps.
I don’t see that getting any better for them since we will field the same D against them this year.
kingdaddy
May 24th, 2012
7:52 pm
Flat tire
even when we seem to hahe a better team, we do seem to find a way to lose!!!
North Ga Dawg
May 24th, 2012
8:01 pm
No UGA will destroy FLA. They are terrible. Open your ears and listen to what I am saying.
They won’t win the Vandy game.
They are way behind Tenn this year.
They are not good.
Georgia will Kill them.
We will score on them until they freakin die!!!!
Their backs are terrible.
Their recievers stink.
They are not good.
They have a new OC.
He stinks.
Their QB’s are right out of High school
Ours will throw 40 TD’s
We will win easy this year.