What would Elvis say? Dawgs should just TCB!
Mark Richt knows there's only one thing the Bulldogs need to be concerned about right now: Georgia Tech. (Brant Sanderlin / AJC)
Back when Elvis died, the paper sent me to Memphis and Tupelo. One of the folks I encountered in Elvis’ hometown was a woman who had been close to the King and wore one of those lightning bolt TLC (Tender Loving Care) necklaces he gave his female friends. The equivalent for his male buddies was one that said TCB (Taking Care of Business).
TCB. Those initials stand for words to live by for the Georgia Bulldogs right now. In other words, they need to focus on one thing and one thing only: beating the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets.
Not the upcoming meeting with Alabama in the Georgia Dome.
Not the chances of playing for a BCS national championship if they manage to knock off the Crimson Tide.
Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech.
Mark Richt kept repeating that mantra in his Sunday night teleconference with laser-like focus despite the repeated efforts of reporters to get him to even acknowledge that he’d watched the Baylor-Kansas State or Stanford-Oregon games Saturday night that suddenly catapulted the winner of the SEC Championship back into contention for this year’s BCS showdown in Miami.
Richt refused to be lured off his single-minded conversational track because he recognizes what his team is facing this week.
The biggest challenge for the Dogs as the annual game with Tech approaches is not how to deal with the dreaded triple-option — having schemed for it already the past two years, Todd Grantham has a pretty good idea of what needs to be done there. And after facing the similar (though not identical) Georgia Southern attack, even his freshman players who haven’t gone up against Paul Johnson’s attack before have a much better feel for what they need to do.
No, the first — and, for the moment, the biggest — obstacle the Bulldogs must hurdle if they really want their dreams for this season to come true is shutting out all the SEC Championship and BCS chatter that will be tweeted at them from all sides and working up a full-blooded frenzy of hatred for the team from North Avenue.
Because you can bet the Jackets will come to town fired up even more than usual over the possibility of wrecking the Bulldogs’ postseason goals.
The theme of the week for the Jackets is already being recited by Tech fans on their Internet gathering sites: “WE CAN RUIN THEIR SEASON.”
That has them more excited than even the possibility of stumbling into a spot in the ACC championship game, because 365 days a year the thing that Tech players and fans think about more than anything else is beating Georgia. And if they can ruin a special season while they’re at it, even better.
Of course, you can’t expect Georgia’s players not to be excited by their team’s rise to No. 3 in the latest BCS standings, right behind Notre Dame and Alabama, or the prospect of playing their way into a chance at winning the crystal football.
They’re kids and it’s only natural if some of them come down with a bad case of BCS fever this week.
But what they need to keep foremost in their minds is the cold, hard reality that if they don’t beat Tech they’ll never get a chance at that dream rematch with the Fighting Irish for another national championship.
Sure, they could still win the SEC Championship even if the unthinkable somehow happened Between the Hedges this week, but a two-loss SEC champ isn’t going to play for the national title this year.
As Richt noted Sunday, “That’s the whole key to football is to be able to focus on the only thing that really matters and that’s this week’s game.”
Thankfully, some of the team elders have been quick to note what’s truly important this week. As Alec Ogletree put it after Saturday’s win over Georgia Southern: “We have to get back to practice and focus on this week’s game plan, and then the week after focus on Atlanta. It’s week by week, and we can’t get ahead of ourselves.”
Wide receiver Rhett McGowan probably summed it up best when he tweeted: “Let’s take care of business? Playoffs start now!”
And Georgia Tech is the first step.
FANS BACK IN BLACK?
A movement has started among UGA students to have fans stage a “blackout” at Sanford Stadium for the Tech game.
You can pretty much bet the house that the Georgia team will be in its familiar red home jerseys, but by early Sunday I’d already heard from the UGA Paintline (the guys who paint their torsos for each home game) and other students asking me to spread the word that they want fans to wear black for the game.
What do you think of that idea? A fun way to get everyone revved up, or a needless gimmick? I mean, do we really need any additional enticement to be ready to cheer on the Dogs against the hated insects from Atlanta?
Feel free to share your views in the comments.
Go Dawgs! Beat Tech!
Got some Hate Week thoughts on the upcoming game with Georgia Tech? Or a question you want the Junkyard Blawg to tackle? Send it to junkyardblawg@gmail.com.
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210 comments Add your comment
LKB
November 19th, 2012
9:33 am
I will be in BLACK!
THE Dixie Redcoat Band
November 19th, 2012
9:45 am
What about the uniforms UGA wore for the Boise State game!!!!
AltamahaDawg
November 19th, 2012
9:47 am
Kyle, it was FANS that proposed this, not players. PLayers had nothing to do with it. What is so hard to understand about this?
Are you CAP LOCKING the fans, if they can’t get fired up to watch the tech game?
joe jenkins
November 19th, 2012
9:48 am
Wear black jerseys and red pants..that sounds good to me…please dawgs win this game…i will never forget the terrible feeling i had when i sat in the rain in 08 and watched us get upset….please richt lets put a beat down on this team
AltamahaDawg
November 19th, 2012
9:54 am
Am I the only one that finds the thought of all the fans in thier favorite red pants and shirts, and officaial Bulldog logos belts, and lucky Dawg sneakers, And the Hat from that one time we beat so and so, eating thier tradition good luck snacks, and traditional beverages………sitting around scoffing at “gimmics” kinda comical?
NCDawg
November 19th, 2012
9:56 am
If the fans do it…it’s not a gimmick. It’s called fun. Just like tail-gating. Move along- nothing to see here…move along
Teck Sucks!
November 19th, 2012
10:00 am
I hate the idea of blackouts, but i thought the same thing this weekend. The fans should wear black. A 12:00 kickoff is somewhat uninspiring to most fans. The players feed off of emotion and the fans need to step it up this week. I could care less if the team wears black jerseys.
AltamahaDawg
November 19th, 2012
10:03 am
Black jerseys and red pants? Uh, no.
ugab
November 19th, 2012
10:31 am
I do not want to have a “Black out”. Just keep the sea of red going. The dawgs do not need to change anything right now. They are used to playing in red. BLACK IS OUT IS A BAD IDEA. DIFFERENT UNIFORMS ARE A BAD IDEA. STICK WITH WHAT IS WORKING. THIS IS NOT OREGON.
ugab
November 19th, 2012
10:34 am
BOISE STATE UNIFORMS WERE UGLY. CMR LIKES TO PLAY IN RED. LET’S KEEP IT THAT WAY. WE HAVE LEARNED OUR LESSON FROM THE PAST TO KEEP THE UNIFORMS
Blackout Again...
November 19th, 2012
10:39 am
@ugab…we have learned our lesson with uniforms??? Grow up dude. Uniforms have no impact on how players block, run routes, stick with their assignments, etc.
LawDawg
November 19th, 2012
10:43 am
Serious question: What the hell is with the “V for Vendetta” masks worn by one or two students a game? What on Earth does that have to do UGA? It annoys me every time I see them.
AltamahaDawg
November 19th, 2012
10:45 am
NOR did anybody suggest changing uniforms.
Fans.Fans, not coaches, not players, not equipment managers………… suggested they wanted to wear thier Black Columbia Fleece pullovers to sit in the stands and cheer. . Everybody relax.
LawDawg
November 19th, 2012
10:45 am
Tech Sucks!: “I could care less if the team wears black jerseys.”
Really? How much less could you care? A lot? A little?
ugab: WELL THE CONTENT OF YOUR POST MAKES NO SENSE, BUT AT LEAST THE FORMAT IS APPRECIATED.
35-7
November 19th, 2012
10:46 am
Wont matter anyway …The Beatdown by Bama awaits UGA at the Dome….. Go ahead and do the silly gimmicks …handsitters or players gimmicks… it aint gonna matter when Richt does his Big Time Choke!
AltamahaDawg
November 19th, 2012
10:52 am
Daddy lowered thier credit limits, so they are rebelling now.
AltamahaDawg
November 19th, 2012
10:57 am
The big question is: Will the students get there before the 2nd quarter wearing black?
joe jenkins
November 19th, 2012
11:02 am
@altamahadawg…what the hell is wrong with wearing black jerseys and red pants? noooooooooooooooooooooothing
Get Loud and Proud
November 19th, 2012
11:08 am
Fans need to get into a frenzy durring the whole game like the South Carolina fans did to us. We dont need a bunch of hans sitting fuddy duddy telling us to sit down, Be Loud and Be Proud or stay home!
joe jenkins
November 19th, 2012
11:12 am
I agree with you get loud…we dont need a bunch old and conserative people that are scared of a little noise….thanks
HendoDawg
November 19th, 2012
11:53 am
Altamaha, agree w/you. I really could care less what is worn by the fans, red or black. Personally, I am fine with either. Although I must admit the reflection of noon day sun off the sea of black is easier on the eyes. Regardless, the color has nothing to do with the outcome of the game or the performance of the players. What happened in the ‘08 blackout game against Bama is simple, they came out on fire and we were not focused and made a lot of mistakes, period.
However, there is something that has always bothered me about the patrons of Sanford (alum fyi). It is the fans inability to make that place loud and an advantage! Almost 93,000 people should be able to create quite an environment that is a true “home field advantage”. However, with the exception of some key games in the past, I’ve always been let down with the general noise factor in the stadium. People don’t need to scream insults and act like a bunch of rednecks…they just need to be LOUD!
Had to vent. Go Dawgs!
Dawg_Mike
November 19th, 2012
12:07 pm
I like CMR keeping everyones focus on the game at hand. One at a freaking time. Squash the bugs.
Joey
November 19th, 2012
12:10 pm
Some folks need to go back and re-read the story.
It’s a FAN BLACK OUT!
Ft.Worth dawg
November 19th, 2012
12:18 pm
My Black Georgia shirt has worked out well for me this season, there’s no reason to turn back Now!
However, I will have my Red big “G” shirt ready to come in the game if needed!
Adam
November 19th, 2012
12:24 pm
No Black Out! It’s not a night game. The team is playing well now and in a groove. The last thing we need is something to distract them. Remember what happened at the last black out? Team was not focused on the game. I was at the Auburn black out in 2007 and it was a surreal, magical game that will never be replicated. This week we just need to TCB like we’ve been doing. We need no extra motivation or gimmicks.
Joey
November 19th, 2012
12:28 pm
Who is old, joe?
And what is conserative?
Mike Bobo
November 19th, 2012
12:28 pm
We are calling for a red and black out for this game. All fans please wear either red or black or white with red
Mike Bobo
November 19th, 2012
12:32 pm
Did anyone see that we broke the school record for touchdowns in a season with 3 games left to play?
You wont have to fire me, because Im taking the UT job and Mark is hiring chizik/dooley as co-offensive coordinators.
Skokie Dog
November 19th, 2012
12:45 pm
As Richt noted Sunday, “That’s the whole key to football is to be able to focus on the only thing that really matters and that’s this week’s game.”
There you have it. Now we know that CMR HAS in fact been spending that extra time that McGarity freed up for him, working on that cutting edge coaching stuff.
AltamahaDawg
November 19th, 2012
1:03 pm
Old and conservative is code for: pays for everything.
AltamahaDawg
November 19th, 2012
1:12 pm
So, what about that quote, do you disagree with?
Patched Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
November 19th, 2012
1:18 pm
Altamaha
Good news; the staff that does no wrong in your eyes have an opportunity to make you look like the smartest guy in the blog; and an opportunity to not see any more posts from patched tire
North Georgia Dawg
November 19th, 2012
1:31 pm
The funny thing is that I have talked to a couple of my Tech friends and looked at some of the comments on the Georgia Tech board. Almost everyone expects them to lose too. Several comments said things like “I hope we beat them, but our sorry defense will cost us,” or “UGA will win, but we will make it a game (10-14 points).” The ones who come on this site and talk trash are either actually fans of another team (Florida, South Carolina, Auburn) or else they are Tech fans trying to stir the pot who actually don’t know how bad their team actually is.
North Georgia Dawg
November 19th, 2012
1:33 pm
What’s the good word? To hell with our lousy defense! – Tech fans
Joey
November 19th, 2012
1:39 pm
You think Richt and Co can pull this off, Patched Tire?
Patched Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
November 19th, 2012
1:44 pm
Joey
No I dont
Beat Bama yea; Im not going to be shocked
But beat Bama and Notre Dame; two good teams in a row; that is what will be shocking
When has the Coaching staff beaten two good teams in a row; Remind me cause I cant remember
Patched Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
November 19th, 2012
1:48 pm
and Joey
If they beat them both as promised many years ago; Patched Tire will no longer post on the ajc and like I told Altamaha and many of the other kool-aid drinkers on here
As I said many years ago if Richt wins a National Title for one week I will welcome all the told you so comments and name calling and blasting me and I will sit here and take it
Joey
November 19th, 2012
1:53 pm
I can’t come up wth 2 in a row either, but if (IF) we beat Tech and upset Bama, it would be over a month til the BCSCG – so that may not matter.
If Richt pulls it off, wins out, I think he will retire – on top.
Just my opinion.
Skokie Dog
November 19th, 2012
1:57 pm
Altamaha: I don’t disagree with any part of CMR’s quote. It’s nothing more or less than a statement of the obvious. The “cutting edge coaching stuff” was sarcasm, which I thought anyone reading my comment would realize.
And Patched Tire: I think you’re safe in your assumptions about the likelihood of U.Ga. winning the national title this season.
And I even expect to be blasted for writing such statements well before the Tech game is played, but I prefer Dr. Pepper to Kool-Aid. (By the way, don’t forget that Dr. Pepper is an SEC sponsor.)
Skokie Dog
November 19th, 2012
1:58 pm
Joey: If U.Ga. does win the mythical national championship, do you think we might also expect to see Murray ride off into the sunset?
IF AM does so and so, he will win the .....
November 19th, 2012
2:00 pm
Murray will not win a Heisman this year. ANY MAJOR bowl or BCS bowl game, will be AFTER the trophy awards ceremony.
Go Dogs
AltamahaDawg
November 19th, 2012
2:04 pm
No, I got that it was sarcasm. Obviously. I just wondered what the point was. Usually sarcasm is effective is there is some underlying truth there. I just didnt get the reference.
Joey
November 19th, 2012
2:12 pm
Unless he gets a 1st round draft status, I think he comes back and eclipses SEC passing records and finishes his PHD.
His “big game troubles” notwithstanding, he will get drafted. He has a big arm and performs great at the bigtime QB camps – the Mannings even Archie were really impressed with him – so he can wow the NFL guys at the Combine.
I really hope Richt gets this done – this is the best opportunity he will get – what with losing 4 or 5 first round D-players, and the schedules rotating back to being more difficult for a few seasons.
Just my opinion, Skokie . . .
Skokie Dog
November 19th, 2012
2:13 pm
Altamaha: Surely, you recall that after Greg McGarity took over the AD’s job in Athens, he and CMR made a big production of taking several time-consuming, unworthy tasks off CMR’s plate, so that the coach could spend more time studying the craft of coaching. I recall that he was planning to dedicate himself to studying some cutting edge practices. I guess that if you forgot all about that episode, then the joke would pass by you.
AltamahaDawg
November 19th, 2012
2:13 pm
Hm. Flat Tire calls me out by name, (with same worn out pretence) even when I try my best to ignore him. What a shock. That what 37 times in a row?
AltamahaDawg
November 19th, 2012
2:16 pm
Yes, I remember it well…….what does that have to do with this comment in the least.
As I said, I get sarcasm. But its called sarcasm for a reason.
Skokie Dog
November 19th, 2012
2:27 pm
Yes, it’s called sarcasm partly for pointing out the absurdity of some of the statements that we hear. I guess not every person who reads the Blawg recognizes it when he or she encounters it.
And it’s clearly pointless to discuss this with you any further.
AltamahaDawg
November 19th, 2012
2:31 pm
BTW, if Georgia won the National Championship, You would be the last person in here that I would even bother to give 1 second of thought about your reaction. So don’t be bragging that “you told Altamaha” anything. I never asked you to leave, stay, or stand on your head. I don’t give a rats. It’s been clear to me from a long time ago that you are just playing out some made up character in here, and I doubt very seriously that the record of this team would matter one bit.
Jax Dawg
November 19th, 2012
2:35 pm
Wreck tech!
Patched Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
November 19th, 2012
2:39 pm
Altamaha
I call you out cause you are the have been the biggest and have been the biggest Appologist for this inept coaching staff on this blog
Again Ive argued with you for years that this coaching staff will never win a national title cause they arent national title level coaches and Ive stated they should not be a top 10 paid salaried coaching staff
Now its right in front of them; no more if’s and buts here it is
If this coaching staff is elite like you and the rest of kool-aid drinkers think they are due to your constant defense of them; then they will win the National title cause in my opinion talent wise; ND and AL do not have the talent that UGA has this year
So to you and others on hear that have claimed Richts greatness compared to Dooley’s well nows hears his chance
Can he win the big games Dooley did Richt hasnt;
I dont want to hear about Richts 100 wins against nobody or comparing him to Dooley
I guess we are about to find out