Dawgs get a chance to ruin ESPN’s dreams and earn some R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Mark Richt’s Georgia Bulldogs aren’t just up against Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide in their bid to win an SEC Championship and a place in the BCS title game.
Outside the Peach State, UGA is widely, if unfairly, viewed as some sort of interloper that really ought not to be in the national championship discussion at this stage of the season.
That’s especially true with the national sports media. ESPN wants a ratings-powerhouse Notre Dame-Alabama matchup in the BCS national championship game so badly that it can barely contain itself.
The self-touted Worldwide Leader in Sports is flat-out in love with the Fighting Irish this season, even above and beyond Brent Musburger’s obvious man-crush on Manti Te’o. And the idea of matching two of college football’s major ratings generators in the game for the crystal football has them practically drooling.
It was pretty obvious Saturday night on “SportsCenter” that the hosts had to keep catching themselves from saying that Notre Dame’s win over USC had guaranteed it a spot against Alabama in the BCS game. Almost grudgingly, they noted that the winner of the SEC Championship Game — and therefore the team getting a shot at the Irish in Miami — could be Georgia.
But their preference for the Crimson Tide was pretty clear — never more so than in a brief film montage touting the BCS game that consisted entirely of Notre Dame and Alabama footage!
The sports network isn’t alone in its obsession with wanting to see Notre Dame and Bama paired up in the BCS game. Georgia is continually downplayed in national sports media coverage as somehow not really being deserving of a chance to go to Miami. The Dogs tend to choke in big games, they note — and while that’s been true, for the most part, it’s worth pointing out that the most recent such big game in which Georgia played resulted in a Dogs victory. Over the sexy Gators, who were the No. 2 team in the country at the time.
The nattering nabobs on ESPN also keep trotting out that “soft schedule” criticism, completely ignoring the fact that the Alabama and Georgia schedules this season were pretty comparable. Thanks to the way the revamped conference schedule worked out, Georgia avoided the three toughest teams in the SEC West and Bama avoided the three toughest teams in the SEC East. Each lost a game to a team in its division. And each played three cupcakes and one BCS conference team in its nonconference schedule.
Still, if the Dogs win in the Georgia Dome, they get the trip to Miami whether ESPN likes it or not.
Overall, though, it’s a bizarre situation Georgia finds itself in. If they beat Bama, they play for the national championship. If they don’t, they probably won’t even be in a BCS bowl, as the Sugar is likely to give its SEC spot to the “sexy” Florida Gators (to use the recent Will Muschamp meme that is on the verge of moving from embarrassing to just plain creepy).
While a Capitol One Bowl berth, likely against Michigan, is considered the most likely destination for Georgia if it loses to Alabama, the Dogs could wind up relegated to a return trip to the Dome in the Chick-fil-A game.
No, it doesn’t seem fair for the loser of the SEC title game to fall that far, whether it’s Georgia or Alabama, and it’s an issue the conference should take up.
As Saban said Sunday night, “For either one of these teams it’s not really a great scenario. You play your way into the championship game, which means you’re the best team in your division; they’re the best team in their division. They played their way into the game by a total body of work for the whole season. It doesn’t seem quite right.”
So the Bulldogs might not just be playing for an SEC title and a chance to meet the Irish in the national championship game, or even for the national respect that so often has seemed just out of their grasp.
They could be playing to stay out of a mid-level bowl game for which they’d be drastically overqualified.
It’s been 30 years since the old “control their own destiny” line has meant this much for UGA.
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139 comments Add your comment
reality check
November 26th, 2012
9:22 am
Florida’s opponent in the sugar bowl will be Kent State if they beat Northern Illinois this weekend. Spelling sugar bowl in lower case is intentional.
I wish this were a joke.
MattDawg
November 26th, 2012
9:30 am
My thing is if Georgia hasnt earned it… has Notre Dame? I mean what have they done the last 20 years? So they are undefeated this season so far, but Georgia is one bad game away from that themselves and have gotten themselves in position to play Notre Dame should they beat Bama. Beat Bama and get some respect.
Anti-Florida
November 26th, 2012
9:30 am
Who cares about where the loser will play. We (UGA) have a chance to play for everything. We will take that trade any day of the week and twice on Sunday. I would accept the music city bowl as consolation, just as long as we get a shot at the national title, which we clearly do. Nobody remembers second place.
JDW
November 26th, 2012
9:43 am
@TideRising…”ND is the biggest name in college football and Alabama is one of the biggest names and is the team that everyone has been chasing for the past 3-4 years. The UGA brand is simply not comparable to these 2.”
Maybe you should stick to growing cotton and leave the business thoughts to others. According to Forbes, who has a bit more creditability than you, ND ranks 2 in value at $112 million with $47 in profit, AL ranks 6 with $93 million and $45 in profit while GA ranks 7 with $90 million and $53 million in profit.
Seems pretty damn comparable to me…plus more profitable than either…which is how one measures “brands”.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissmith/2011/12/22/college-footballs-most-valuable-teams/
Dunwoody Dawg
November 26th, 2012
9:46 am
I echo the sentiment of the Dawgnation that its irritating that Alabama gets the nod over Georgia when it comes to the preferred NC matchup by the media. I was watching Squawk Box on CNBC this morning and they had the AD of Rutgers on talking about moving to the Big 10. They briefly talked about the NC and the Rutgers AD flat out said, presuming from the northeastern perspective, that the preferred matchup is Alabama. The reality is respect, prestige, etc. really doesn’t matter as it relates to winning on the field. Its all out there for the taking; if Alabama wins they get more prestige, ESPN coverage, etc. If UGA wins they can start to swing that sentiment. UGA’s brand is consistently a top 10 revenue generator and UGA has more than enough “history” for ESPN to pipe up a compelling lead-in to the game. Right now Alabama is the hot brand and deservingly so considering their performance over the last 5 years. I can’t remember who wrote it, but college football programs are like a ping pong ball on a flat table, that ball can move in any given way given a number of circumstances. Five or six years ago Alabama was fighting to get their respect back, Georgia is in that boat now and I hope that CMR is driving that into the heads of the players. Georgia has an opportunity, don’t let it slip through your fingers Dawgs!!
AltamahaDawg
November 26th, 2012
9:52 am
Lost in all of this media-driven, nothing else matters but a BCS MNC, is that we are playing for the SEC championship.
I understand the nature of the business these days, but I do miss the good ol’ days, sometimes.
And yes, the sugar bowl is dead to me now. Might as well renameit “BCS Bowl #X” I don’t blame them, what are they supposed to do..cling to “tradition” in a system where that was stripped away with the Bowl alliance?
dawg34
November 26th, 2012
9:53 am
pilron- I say the way the season has panned out… the SEC East does = SEC West….. If you listen to all the preseason hype the heads would lead you to believe the the West would be stronger… Thats is before the games were played… Look at the end of the season… 6 SEC teams ranked in the BCS top 10… 3 from the West – Bama, LSU, A&M … and 3 from the East UGA, FLA, SC… Pretty balanced dude….. And Strenght of schedule…. 39 & 42 for bama and uga.
Take a seat
Bill King
November 26th, 2012
9:56 am
Very nicely put, Dunwoody Dawg!
AltamahaDawg
November 26th, 2012
9:59 am
I thing that there is something far more obvious that some of your are overlooking, besides bias, and preference.
Alabama is the better team, and favored TO win the SEC game. Usually third parties don’t talk about (the next game) in term of who they don’t think will be in it.
Troup Co. Dawg
November 26th, 2012
10:02 am
This is it for these coaches, it may be 2 or 3 yrs before we get another shot at a NCS! And who’s to say our coordinators won’t look at other offers next year and beyond?
Bill King
November 26th, 2012
10:04 am
Speed Racer:
Yeah, Musburger calling ND “destiny’s darling” pretty much sums up ESPN’s stance on the BCS this year.
gbal
November 26th, 2012
10:11 am
COMMENTS:
It erks me too that all the talk is BAMA ND by ESPN as well, but in the end, if we win the SEC game that will change.
The bad part of the ESPN bias is that the voters listen to it and their votes are influenced.
The schedule talk is complete BS…. Bama and UGA had amazingly comparable schedules. (39-42 SOS rankings)
In spite of the ESPN predictions, the East and West were (are) very comparable this year as well. 3 teams each in the BCS top 10.
Fla should not be an automatic for the other BCS over the Bama UGA loser (but ESPN is steering it that way. If the SECCG is a tight good game, the loser should get the nod over FLA in my opinion, or the loser should remain at #4 which gives the SEC a 3rd team in the BCS. If a convincing win I have no problem with FLA skipping over UGA or BAMA.
What would the 4 team playoff field be looking like right now????
ND
UGA/Bama winner
Fla ???
????? as the 4th
Whoever, it would sure make for some much more interesting post season games. The bowl schedule this year is going to be awful. The auto tie-in’s have ruined the bowls.
maddawg
November 26th, 2012
10:19 am
On playoff…. I really dont see “the committee” allowing 3 SEC teams, baybe not even 2 if they apply the “must win your confrence” train of thought. It should be the top 4 in, in my opinion, but thet top 10 is too SEC heavy for this to happen and be FAIR….
gbal
November 26th, 2012
10:31 am
Hate that the media has this type of influence in everything in our world today. ESPN is the mainstream sports media…. Has the same influence as the major networks do in our political decisions in this country….. BUT … WIN OUT AND UGA WILL GET THE RESPECT!
AltamahaDawg
November 26th, 2012
10:35 am
ON playoff……..Not sure if the conference winner was the “rule” but you know its part of the subjective train of thought, if its not. Even so, probably not going to be 2) undefeated team playing for the SEC title, so the loser is going to have 2 losses. (thus probably not in the top 4 rankings). especially since there is usualy a SEC team ranked in the top 5 that is not in the SECCG.
NC Dawg
November 26th, 2012
10:48 am
ESPN changing their name to ESND. Everything Sports Notre Dame. Wait, I think NBC Sports beat them to it.
rick
November 26th, 2012
10:50 am
Goes to show that if you are a football fan, the NFL is your best option.
College football is a sick joke as sport for the fans. Georgia in the Chick-fil-a….
ESPN abd Brat Edwards loves it. ESPN has ruined college football.
If UGA ends up in the Chick-fil-a bowl, the fans should simply not watch and stay home.
In fact if that happens, I will not be involved in college football in any way again.
Go Falcons!!!!
Dunwoody Dawg
November 26th, 2012
10:51 am
Completely agree with peoples comments on the national media bias and influence on people’s votes. Going into the BCS show last night I was worried that it might hurt us. Rumors were flowing that Oregon was going to jump us into the #3 slot setting up the conspiracy theorists worst nightmare…ESPN creating the perfect hedge, i.e. Alabama wins the SECCG and ESPN gets their preferred matchup, however if Georgia wins Oregon can conveniently slip into the #2 slot and go to the NC game over Georgia (particularly considering the precedent set last year with Alabama going despite not qualifying to play for their conference title). Fortunately that didn’t happen and without some blatant manipulation it’s pretty cut and dry that the SECCG winner will face ND.
Bama Man
November 26th, 2012
10:54 am
I feel that UGA is being mistreated here. It is obvious that Bama is in a rebuilding mode this year and this is not the best team that Saban has had here.. UGA is full of seniors and easily the most talented team here.
I think UGA will win. ESPN is simply a bunch of creepy people with nothing to do except discredit young mens hard work.
Jim
November 26th, 2012
10:54 am
Anybody but “Bama” Georga fans should have to live in Alabama awhile with the inbreds then they would understand how insufferable they really are…. “Go Dawgs”!!!!
Big Al
November 26th, 2012
11:06 am
Rammer Jammer!!! Should be a great game but love heading out on the road to your state and taking number 23!!! Roll Tide
El-toro GATA
November 26th, 2012
11:27 am
Bill, I was glued to the TV all the weekend and I didnt feel they discriminated against Georgia! few of them favored Bama to win the SEC but few experts pointed that Georgia will be better for rating.
Kiris Herbstreit and Jessie Palmer said the Irish have a better match with Bama than Georgia!! they said that Notre Dame should root for Bama because they have a better chance to beat the tide than the dawgs.
with all that said, I think the dawgs will go suicidal and pull the win !!! we are so so much hungrier for this opportunity than Bama. Its now or never. go dawgs
historydog
November 26th, 2012
11:49 am
” If an SEC team played that schedule with as lackluster results as ND has, they would be no higher than 5th ..even if undefeated.”
Was just 2 years ago that an Auburn team (granted with alot of claims of cheating – paying for play to Cam Newton) was able to navigate their schedule undefeated. A number of their wins were narrow victories and there were comeback wins.
I disagree that winning close somehow taints a team’s record. Winning is winning, and it’s not easy unless you are running score up on inferior opponent.
Old Dawg
November 26th, 2012
11:50 am
The lack of professionalism and unbiased reporting/commentary by ESPN is well documented.
If it isn’t Alabama, Southern Cal, Notre Dame, Ohio State or Michigan, they just don’t respect them.
Their lovefest with Tim Tebow was sickening, even to fans from schools in other parts of the country. Yes, Tebow was a great college player. Yes, he performed all sorts of ministry work. But so do many other college athletes and students.
I haven’t watched their preview, half time and post game shows in years. Doubt I ever will in the future!
Big Crimson 75
November 26th, 2012
12:06 pm
This is far & away the weakest Bama Team under Saban since year 1.
If your gonna get us, this is the Year.
It’s a miracle were in this spot.
Saban’s most impressive coaching job at Bama, by far.
Chuck J
November 26th, 2012
12:16 pm
Hey big crimson, go back to your auburn boards. I hear you need a new coach.
Big Crimson 75
November 26th, 2012
12:24 pm
Aubie boards?!
Chuck J — I, myself am a Bama Grad.
I doubt you attended UGA.
Tech alum,
November 26th, 2012
12:50 pm
Hey Bill I am a Tech man but really enjoy reading your columns and the blog reactions my question is do you have a list of all the dummies that called for Richt and Bobo to be fired all year long after the Carolina loss.Pretty good coaching stats I believe.They sure jumped back on that band wagon pretty fast.
Desert Fox
November 26th, 2012
12:51 pm
The dawgs have not endeared themselves to the national media reference the way the dawgs played D early in the season and the big loss to SC. While AL didn’t have these defensive let downs until it lost to TAM which you hardly hear about on the media. Its GA’s curse to carry that defensive baggage even though they’ve played very well on D after SW called the team out after the KY game. The media chastizes the dawgs and arguaby so as you never know what GA team is going to show up on game day. AL doesn’t seem to have that label attached to their game. A ND vs AL NC matchup is a admans dream (two storied programs) while ND-GA matchup doesn’t have that pizzazz except for the 1980 game between the two when GA won the NC. This should hopefully play out in the dawgs favor as underdogs in both games. Sort of a cinderilla story. I hope it lights a fire in the bellies of all the GA players and win decisively in the dome then on to Miami w/the same intensity and show the media and the nation the dawgs are/were for real all along. Like Clint Eastwood said in Josie Wales “when things look bad you gotta get dog mean”. Dawgs can do it. They just have to want it real bad.
SSIgator
November 26th, 2012
1:09 pm
Don’t understand all of the unrest in the UGA tent. This is not that complicated. Currently UGA is 1-1 against ranked teams. This weekend they have a chance to be either 1-2 or 2-1. Respect is earned – not grandfathered in. Beat Alabama and don’t worry about what ESPN has to say.
Mark (another one)
November 26th, 2012
1:14 pm
I don’t have an issue with Alabama getting all the play. They are the reigning national champs, and they have strung together some great seasons. It is up to us to knock them off and until we do, they’re the best.
Notre Dame is a soon to be ACC power house that has not had a great record since Lou Holtz left in 1996. The rumors about him being forced out are not supported by his love for ND. However, it is still the situation that Weiss, Willingham and Davie did nothing to enhance the ND brand.
Kelly has turned things around but that is only in the last three years. However, I don’t believe 2+ years is deserving of all the gushing. They and Georgia both need to prove it on the field.
Going into last weekend, the number one defense in the country was supposed to be FL State. They allowed 24 points in one quarter to FL, and now people are annointing ND as the best. The question is who have they played? Two top 20 teams and one of those games went to OT. No doubt they are a good team but they need to play some real competition.
Texas Dawg
November 26th, 2012
1:24 pm
UGA does have something to prove and it’s true over the last three seasons we have won ONE big ballgame. Folks Fla doesn’t turn the ball over 6 times we loose that game. The key to beating Bamma is MURRY………..if he comes out with the deer in the headlights look that he usally has against top teams……we loose. I could care less how many records he sets he needs to define his legacy with UGA fans over with these next two football games or he will aways be known as the one that couldn’t get it done when it mattered most. Man I can’t wait to see this game just hope uga doesn’t disappoint!
Vance
November 26th, 2012
1:26 pm
The SEC title game could not be bigger for Richt and his legacy of “almost but not quite there.” A victory would put that to rest forever. I agree with the lack of respect on ESPN–it was disgusting; however, our Dawgs have to earn it by winning the SEC title and defeating Notre Dame. Then the critics will shut up. Go Dawgs, beat the Tide!
Texas Dawg
November 26th, 2012
1:28 pm
Bama has earned Respect because they have gotten it done! I’m a die hard UGA fan but how in the world can a UGA fan disrespect Bama……………THey have earned it and we have not!!!!!!!!!
Let see if we can earn it this weeked!!!!!!!!!!! GO DAWGS!
Whining L E G H U M P E R Reality
November 26th, 2012
2:09 pm
Quit whining about the treatment you have been getting from ESPN and everyone outside of this state; YOU HAVE BEEN IRRELEVANT SINCE HERSHEL WALKER ON A NATIONAL LEVEL!!!
YOU HAVE LOST TO VANDY AND KENTUCKY AND UCF UNDER THIS STAFF AND BLEW A BIG LEAD IN TAMPA LAST YEAR. 2012 DAWGS step up and finish and everyone will quit doubting you. It is the same with the FALCONS they have only recently had back to back winning seasons and people complain about no respect. TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AND YOU WILL GET RESPECT!!!
yarddawg
November 26th, 2012
2:17 pm
Love it up here at college moma, send us some damn money!
AltamahaDawg
November 26th, 2012
3:06 pm
You folks keep throwing around that term “respect”.
None of this has anything to do with respect. You are mistaking that with: positioning, ratings, fan interest, story lines, and pop culture.
slobodan
November 26th, 2012
4:18 pm
TV college football “experts” (ESPN, CBS, ABC etc) are not just dissing UGA. Every chance they get, they disparage the entire SEC. That guy for Sports Illustrated that writes comprehensive stories about college football, Stewart Mandel (Howie’s brother), cannot be be more smug in his insistence that the entire country is tired of the SEC winning national titles. He practically rejoiced in an article after Alabama was beaten; He was pretting sure that the SEC would not be involved in the national title game when that happened.
Ed
November 26th, 2012
5:45 pm
I agree with Hairy Dawg. Beat Bama and we’re SEC champs and playing for the national championship, just like in ‘76, ‘80 and ‘82. Lose and we’re not champions of anything (I don’t consider winning the division a “championship” so much as earning the right to go play for one). So Capital One Bowl, Chik Fil A Bowl, who cares? It’s a consolation prize either way.
I have the same take on the SECCG as I had on the Florida game: I want to see the Dawgs fight like hell, win or lose. If we give it our best and Bama wins by 7 or 10 or 13 just because they are the better team, so be it.
But a big-game collapse and a blowout loss like last year’s game…that would be a bitter pill to swallow.
Just give us your best, boys. That’s all anyone can ask.
mark
November 26th, 2012
7:58 pm
Well said Ed. Brawl like hell and leave it all on the field. Again, tell the gate keeper to lock the gate, cause we are here to fight like hell for 60 min. What happens we will live with if all is given.
ARdawg
November 26th, 2012
8:30 pm
for crying out loud Bill King, your filters are much too tight
kybodawg
November 26th, 2012
8:56 pm
i dont know who is going to win, but i do know this with the way tree and robinson are playing right now i have never seen 2 inside lbs with that kind of speed, and garrison smith is an upgrade at de and when jenkins is at de with gathers and smith that is the best front seven in fbs. if they get pressure on mccaron rambo will have a big day. come on murrary get youre head in the game early, remember a sack sometimes is not a bad play, dont throw it like trying to thread a needle. go dawgs.
Mobile Dawg
November 26th, 2012
9:15 pm
Can’t take the the pop culture, positioning, etc. away from you Altamaha, but respect is pertinent here. Richt teams have laid an egg on numerous occasions the last few years, the latest being South Carolina. I’m as happy as probably 99% of Dawg Nation that we’re where we are. Richt and the Dawgs will earn the respect like they lost it, over time and with performance, consistency, and titles. You don’t take three years off coaching in the SEC and maintain respect.
takedowndawg
November 26th, 2012
9:21 pm
Bi
takedowndawg
November 26th, 2012
9:33 pm
bigcrimson75,
How is it going to feel deep down in your gut when your beloved,highly to be worshiped, nicky “highest pd college football coach” saban loses to the lowly, weak of character, non-charismatic Mark Richt and his DAWGS.? We all know you pray really good, and a just God would never let that happen, would He? And, it would actually be , “UN-AMERICAN” for alabama not to win! God surely must know this? By the way, you may want to put on hold the new golden 20 ft high saban statue, and God, last time I checked, was not too happy with his people worshipping statuees and idols, was he? Just kidding crim. go, DAWGS, SICCUUUUU!!!!!!!!
AltamahaDawg
November 26th, 2012
9:40 pm
I think you are missing my point, Mobile.
Respect is what you give people who work hard and do the right thing. It’s NOT what you give folks based on the final score of a ball game.
Mobile Dawg
November 26th, 2012
9:47 pm
I see your point Altamaha, but respect can also be relative to the subject matter being discussed. Here we’re talking about football, and results are directly proportional to respect received.
AltamahaDawg
November 26th, 2012
9:48 pm
BTW, I think Richt worked just as hard going 6-7 as he (would have) going 13-1.
Obviously he has chosen a profession where accomplishments and trophies are the standards , but this is already the same program right now, today……as it would be (if) it won 2 more games.
AltamahaDawg
November 26th, 2012
9:55 pm
No I get the simple truth here. And obviouslyIi am spliting hairs with the wording. Win a trophy, get some (respect).
Just making the point, Its an accomplishment, but it really doesnt change anything. A trophy Speaks for itself. Not sure why we need to project that further. to what it “means”.
Mobile Dawg
November 26th, 2012
9:58 pm
It’s going to be an interesting game to watch. Bama is the favorite, they have the tradition, along with the expectations. What I’m looking for are the in game adjustments reacting to what the offense and defense are doing. I don’t think there is any doubt that we have the atheletes to compete with Alabama. My question is do we have the preparation, game plan, can Bobo think on his feet, can we escape the jitters. I hope we come out conservative, don’t take early chances, and allow our guys to settle into the rhythm of the game. In other words, if we don’t lose the game in the first five minutes, our chances to win go up considerably.