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
AltamahaDawg
November 19th, 2012
2:40 pm
I put it at about a 35% chance of winning it all, so you probably don’t have to sit there and worry so much that such a terrible thing as that would happen to you.
AltamahaDawg
November 19th, 2012
2:43 pm
NO, you call me out, because you get mad when I correct you, and you try to seek some childish revenge. And also, appearntly it really matter to you what I think, for some reason.
robodawg
November 19th, 2012
2:44 pm
Going back to the original blackout, when fans were asked to wear black but we hadn’t seen the black jerseys yet, I was hoping the fan blackout might become a thing. We don’t need to change the uniform except on rare occasions. But looking around and seeing all that black in the stands was pretty cool.
Patched Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
November 19th, 2012
2:47 pm
Altamaha
LOL
What has the Jedi master corrected me on, on this blog
AltamahaDawg
November 19th, 2012
2:48 pm
I just did. and you proved me correct.
AltamahaDawg
November 19th, 2012
2:56 pm
But asuming I was the biggest “apologizer”( whatever the heck thats means). Forgetting that there are a dozen of regular posters that are way more personally insulted by anything negative about Georgia, and are complete homers, (which is fine) than me. Forgetting that the real truth is, despite your constant attempts to lie about it it, I’ve only argued on behalf of the staffabout things that I factually disagree with the comment, tell a person why, and invite them to respond, and it’s never a blanket defence of “them”……..forgetting all that.
Why do you care so much what I think of the coaching staff?
AltamahaDawg
November 19th, 2012
3:06 pm
HMMM? Why do you care so much what I think about “coaching” , that anytime I post in here, you have to initiate a food fight with your childish name calling, and smarmy overexagerated comments, irrespective of what the topic is?
Have you never noticed when you engage me on an actual topic,however rare that is, I am more than glad to banter with the appropriate responce?
Patched Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
November 19th, 2012
3:08 pm
why I care; dont act like you dont know
but I guess I have to help you out
who has for years made some smurk remark when Ive questioned this coaching staffs ability
You…
with my favorite no substance response of well if you dont like what they are doing find another team…
or if you dont like paying for tickets cause of the results then dont buy them
yea but i guess you forgot those
Patched Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
November 19th, 2012
3:09 pm
oh and it was you who started the name calling so dont act all innocent
AltamahaDawg
November 19th, 2012
3:18 pm
sigh…….
yep
November 19th, 2012
3:19 pm
I’m fine with the fans black out as long the Dawgs come out and whoop the ever loving tar outta Tech!
Patched Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
November 19th, 2012
3:26 pm
yep
sigh…..
once again no decent response as usual
MDawg
November 19th, 2012
3:27 pm
Fans can wear pink for all I care – as long as the team wears Red Jerseys and Silver Britches, comes out pumped up and lays the wood to the Nerds.
Old Dawg
November 19th, 2012
3:29 pm
Just win baby. Just win!
MadDawg
November 19th, 2012
3:38 pm
i THINK IF THE FANS GENERATE THE BLACKOUT AND BACK IT UP WIT SOME LOUD LOUD LOUD NOISE AND EXCITEMENT IT WILL BE A GREAT THING.. AND TO FIRE UP OUR DEAD ASS FANS AS MUCH AS OUR TEAM.
YOU TALD ABOUT IT SHOULDNT TAKE GIMICKS TO FIRE UP THE TEAM FOR THIS WEEK….
WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO FIRE UP OUR SIT ON YOUR HANDS AND KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT FANS. I HAVE NOT SEEN A FAN BASE FIRED UP IN ATHENS THAT WOULD TOUCH A BAMA LSU ENVIRONMENTS SINCE WE DID A BLACK OUT!!!!
WHAT WILL IT TAKE FANS????? WILL IT FIRE YOUR AR$$ES UP?
MadDawg
November 19th, 2012
3:41 pm
A FIRED UP UGA STADIUM WILL DO WONDERS TO FIRE UP THE TEAM AND THEY DESERVE IT FROM US!!! WHAT DO YOU SAY!!!
GBALL
November 19th, 2012
4:06 pm
MadD – i gotta agree with you – these bloggers talk aout what it should or souldnt take to fire up the team!
Ga fans are as fickle as they come as a whole! It is funny that it took black jerseys to fire up the UGA fans to a point that will even touch an LSU or Bama environment. I have seen it one time since at a uga game … for one half at a GA dome.
AltamahaDawg
November 19th, 2012
4:53 pm
Well I doubt there have been many, if any, normal regular games that haved matched the intensity of the 2007 Blackout, for any number of SEC teams.
But I thought it was very loud (to start) at the Bama 2008, and I recall the tech game being a pretty loud event.
SC 2009, very loud game, as was the LSU game.
Not much to cheer about in 2010, but the fans were very engaged when tech came to town.
SC 2011.
Auburn, Tn, and one of those games over the past several years have been good fan participation.
AltamahaDawg
November 19th, 2012
5:00 pm
The 2007 Black Out was the perfect storm, But that was going to be a great game no matter. And nobody “needed” the black out to get fired up for that one. What made it great was that they used an already sky-high mood to launch the idea in the first place. . Just beat UF, rising in the national scene, playing great, Moreno…….night game……..Auburn. I don’t think anybody would have been able to critisize the Georgia fans that night, had the black out not occured.
NCDawg
November 19th, 2012
5:14 pm
It will be loud Sat. Tech is still Tech. The Dawgs will be ready. Nuff said on that subject.
For those that opt to call themselves fans and chose to NOT support the team because they want the coaching staff fired… you are not true Bulldogs. You can bluster all you want but by choosing to continue to wish the team ill in the hopes that the coaches will be fired you have proven yourselves to be nothing but traitors. You are more Tech fans than Georgia fans.
If you really are Bulldogs then you would rally behind this team with all of your heart and soul. Do I agree with every call? Certainly not. But I bleed red and black win, lose or draw. You can call me a kool-aid drinker or whatever stupid epithet you can muster but I support my Bulldogs regardless of who is coaching.
This team has a more legitimate shot at winning it all than any team since 1982. The 2002 team had a great defense and an OK offense. This team is as good as the 2007 team was at the end. We can beat ANYBODY, if we play with intensity. So for you “fire Mark Richt” so called fans, I hope you will have honor enough to abstain from the celebrations after the Dawgs win out because you had nothing to do with it at all. The whole lot of you are nothing but imposters.
NCDawg
November 19th, 2012
5:19 pm
Yellow jackets in Bulldog clothing. If is makes you angry then maybe you need to do some soul searching.
Texas Dawg
November 19th, 2012
5:48 pm
If the Dogs lose to either GT or Alabama, Im switching back to cheering for the Longhorns.
MadDawg
November 19th, 2012
5:50 pm
ate fans that only come on our site and pretend to be real Bulldogs fans, Especially now that we;ew a great team Bunch of front runners .
MDawg
November 19th, 2012
5:52 pm
I totally agree with you Mad, I had a dream last night we lost to Ga Tech, my husband told me I was yelling in my sleep/
Go Irish
November 19th, 2012
5:54 pm
Wonder what the fans here think, Alabama loses last, and the Dogs watch them still ahead in the polls.No National Champiobship game for you lol.
The Gator
November 19th, 2012
6:24 pm
How many National Championships do the Gators have this last decade, How many do the Puppies have Thank you.
NCDawg
November 19th, 2012
6:40 pm
Pretty sad that someone steals my nick and posts that load of BS. I guess someone was too cowardly to reply directly to my post.
NCDawg
November 19th, 2012
6:42 pm
The Gator.. why even come on this board? The Dawgs beat you straight up… live with it.
RealityDawg
November 19th, 2012
8:07 pm
Have you seen Tech’s defense? Didn’t thinks so. It doesn’t exist. UGA will score everytime they have the ball. This game is going to get real ugly real quick.
1969 Graduate
November 19th, 2012
8:17 pm
I’ve been in the stadium for games where Tech shouldn’t have beaten us, but they did. It’s a horrible sight. I never want to see it again, particularly not this year.
Anyone who thinks the NATS don’t have a chance is dreaming. If we don’t show up, or don’t play our best we can lose this game.
If we show up we should kill the bugs. That’s what I’m looking for. Where’s the bug spray?
Go, Dawgs!
NCDawg
November 19th, 2012
8:33 pm
When was the last time Tech genuinely had a team that was better than UGA? 1990? We should never lose to the garbage can scavengers. But, just like ANY team in FBS, they can embarrass you if you don’t come to play. I know it’s hard to take them seriously but there is too much riding on these games to take even a quarter off.
Go Dawgs! Stomp some bugs! It’s fun!
jambee3
November 19th, 2012
8:36 pm
Who have the puppies beat of significance? Florida? See what FSU does to them. After that, maybe Tennessee? Kentucky? Auburn? Missouri, maybe. Ole Miss? Oh yeah, Vandy.
NCDawg
November 19th, 2012
8:39 pm
Speaking of which… it was slightly warm a week or so ago and a yellow jacket had made it’s way out and was skimming the sidewalk. I saw it and instinctively stomped on it before it could fly away. There was a certain glee in snuffing out it’s useless existence, I must say. Another one bites the dust. Here’s to the giant Dawg paw squishing Buzz!
NCDawg
November 19th, 2012
8:42 pm
Jambee – we beat them… which is more than the garbage can scavengers could manage to to do. You might have been able to outlast Auburn and Kentucky. If Tech and UGA swapped conferences, the Dawgs would be undefeated and the question would be if an undefeated ACC team should be #1. That is FACT.
working on #15 RTR
November 19th, 2012
8:44 pm
Ohhh please, please, do another Blackout for the Title game with Bama. We loved the last one!
jambee3
November 19th, 2012
8:45 pm
NCdawg, you didn’t answer the question. Is it Missouri or Vandy?
Ghost of Sinkwich
November 19th, 2012
8:51 pm
The TEAM and FAN’s should just come fired up, to BEAT Tech. We shouldn’t need a color scheme to be JACKED UP OFF THE CHARTS, for this game.
jambee3
November 19th, 2012
8:56 pm
One decent win does not make a national champion.
Mudafihi
November 19th, 2012
8:59 pm
Tech could ruin Georgia’s season but Tech has already ruined their season!
Mobile Dawg
November 19th, 2012
9:00 pm
Interesting thought Joey, that Richt would retire on top but he has openly talked about coaching next year.
Bulldogs for Muschamp Lifetime Contract
November 19th, 2012
9:13 pm
Set up is there. Beat Tech 1st or nothing else matters
NCDawg
November 19th, 2012
9:23 pm
Jambee I answered the question. It doesn’t matter. To get to the BCS we have to beat Tech and Bama. Beating Bama would be a significant victory. So to get there we will have beaten the #2 team in the country 2X in half a season. That is better than any other resume out there. If they lose in the dome then it is all hot air.
Don’t be surprised if UF beats FSU BTW.
GT GRAD
November 19th, 2012
9:35 pm
I wonder if an SEC team even plays for the NC if GT beats UGA and then UGA beats Alabama……..I would REALLY like to see that scenario play out!!
That would be sooooooo freakn funny!!!
Lacey
November 19th, 2012
10:36 pm
TCB!!!!!! GA fans – let’s get to Sanford early and start cheering the DAWGS on! They are not used to real crowds since their stadium REMOVED seats a few years back!!!!
cmac
November 19th, 2012
11:02 pm
Didn’t the dumb masses learn anything from the last time the dawgs worried more about their uniforms than they did playing their game? The fans just need to show up early & be loud.
AND, thank you Kyle at 9:22!!
cmac
November 19th, 2012
11:04 pm
GT GRAD … Florida is ranked # 4 …. you idiot!!!
RED. NOT BLACK
November 19th, 2012
11:39 pm
Not the dreaded “back to black” I was there. Georgia vs Alabama 2008 blackout. It was 31-0 Tide by by halftime.
We don’t need no stinkin’ gimmicks. The fans are pumped up every time we play the bees. Focus, beat the Jackets, Go to the dome in red and roll OVER the Tide.
Electric shaver
November 19th, 2012
11:42 pm
Bill, gt doesn’t think of beating you 365 days a year. We’re way too busy ordering you around in jobs. Our lives and moods aren’t dictated through football like yours. What a hilarious existence.
ND_Grad 2006
November 19th, 2012
11:44 pm
If UGA is worried this much about beating some 6-5 team, what will happen when they have to face no.2 Alabama and no.1 Notre Dame?
Blake
November 19th, 2012
11:45 pm
The color jersey we wear has no bearing on the game. The reason Bama beat us in ‘08 had nothing to do with the blackout. It was all to do about our preparation versus theirs and the fact that we had Willie Martinez at defensive coordinator. If they wanna wear black, let them wear black. Heck I don’t care if they wear green as long as we come focused and play our tails off. It’s all about focus and preperation. We come to play, we’ll absolutely CRUSH Tech. If not it will be a close game. By the way, lay off the team and coaching staff, this was the STUDENTS idea, not the coaching staff. I’m all for it. Just win baby and GO DAWGS!!!