Even if Florida is ripe to be had, has UGA ripened yet?
In 2008 Florida scored at least 30 points in all nine games against SEC opposition, including the one it lost to Ole Miss. Its average margin of victory in those games was 30 points.
In 2009 Florida has scored 30 points against one SEC opponent, that being Kentucky. The Gators managed 23 against Tennessee, 13 against LSU, 23 against Arkansas and 29 against Mississippi State. Their average margin of victory in those five games was 13.4 points.
As silly as it sounds to say of the nation’s No. 1 team as led by the nation’s No. 1 player, Florida isn’t playing well. It was lucky to beat Arkansas in the Swamp — remember, Georgia scored 52 points against the Razorbacks on the road — and needed a phantom interception to escape Starkville with a 10-point victory. (Remember, Georgia Tech beat MSU by 11 points on the same field in a game that was only cosmetically close.)
Tim Tebow ranks 45th in the nation in total offense. By way of comparison, Joe Cox ranks 53rd. After the Mississippi State game Tebow didn’t meet the media, which was an utter shock. (He said later he wanted to spend time with MSU coach Dan Mullen, formerly Florida’s offensive coordinator, and family.) But Urban Meyer acknowledged this week: “Tim Tebow is not playing at his highest level.”
Tebow told reporters on Monday: “It’s kind of new and it is frustrating.”
Put simply, Florida is vulnerable. And looky who the Gators play this Saturday.
Georgia is coming off its most impressive game of 2009, albeit against Vanderbilt. It has had a week to rest and ready a new end-zone dance. (Sorry. Couldn’t resist.) When last the Bulldogs had a bye before Florida, they beat the Gators and Tebow in a performance so stunning it rankled Florida for the next calendar year.
But let’s get serious. Georgia is 4-3. It needed a last-gasp pass breakup to beat South Carolina and a last-second field goal to subdue Arizona State. It lost by 26 points — the second-worst defeat under Mark Richt, topped only by 49-10 in Jacksonville last season — to unranked Tennessee. It led Vandy only 17-10 after 40 minutes.
Some team is going to beat Florida. Georgia, sorry to say, is not that team. It doesn’t defend well enough, and it isn’t going to score many points against Charlie Strong’s inspired bunch. (Florida ranks No. 1 in the nation in total defense; Georgia ranks 70th.) The Bulldogs will play hard and keep it close for a half, and then superior forces will carry the day/night.
It’s weird. Georgia hasn’t beaten a No. 1 team since it stunned Florida 24-3 in 1985, and these Gators don’t look nearly as impregnable as those Gators did. But this isn’t a vintage Georgia team. In almost any other year it would be easy to pick the upset. Not this time.
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563 comments Add your comment
AthensBaby
October 27th, 2009
3:03 pm
I guess I’m “misarble” too, HBDT, cause I think we have no chance Saturday!
Party at Joe Cox's to watch SEC Title Game
October 27th, 2009
3:03 pm
Enter your comments here
SSI gator
October 27th, 2009
3:04 pm
The real question is after Saturday when the pups are 4-4 where do they go the reat of the year? Do they totally fold or go 6-6? Have fun in Boise guys.
Herschel Talker
October 27th, 2009
3:04 pm
HBTD @ 3:01:
YOU ARE RIGHT. THE LOCAL ALTERNATIVE SUX BIG TIME. BUT IT IS NOT FUN LOSING THIS GAME 80% OF THE TIME, AND IT IS VERY FRUSTRATING TO SEE RICHT TELL US TIME IN AND TIME OUT THAT HE’S WORKING ON THE PENALTIES AND THE LACK OF FUNDAMENTALS, AND THEN THEY KEEP REAPPEARING. HE’S NOT SHOWING ENOUGH FIRE, AND IT’S SHOWING IN THE TEAM’S PERFORMANCE.
OH, AND BY THE WAY, RAMBLE ON!!! LIKES MEN. LOTS OF THEM. BIG, SWEATY, HAIRY ONES ARE PREFERRED.
Dawgy-Stylin'
October 27th, 2009
3:05 pm
Oh yeah – SSI Gator just happens to have this ticket information at his finger tips… Bull… you’re a fraud!
Paul's Johnson
October 27th, 2009
3:05 pm
Dawgs lose but Florida sucks. Not the UF but the whole friggin state.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc-2EGPQNVM
SSI gator
October 27th, 2009
3:07 pm
Dawgy-Stylin’ -
Look for yourself idiot. What a tool.
AthensBaby
October 27th, 2009
3:08 pm
reasonable, it is unreasonable, at best, to think Coach Richt will ever get fired. He may resign if forced to fire his “boys”, because he is set for life financially.
UGA Fan - An RSVP
October 27th, 2009
3:09 pm
RSVP
Joe Cox, I accept your invitation to your party to watch the SEC Title Game on December 5th, 2009. Thank you and I will see you there.
Not Disappointed!
October 27th, 2009
3:11 pm
If the pups had 1/2 the enthusiasm of their fans it wouldn’t be a game. Georgia wins, but that isn’t the case. The pups can win. They have the receivers and maybe a qb but the running backs & defense has to show up big time. “Best of luck from a Die Hard Yellow Jacket.”
Ramblin Wreck!
Chris82Atl
October 27th, 2009
3:12 pm
if georgia gets blownout in j’ville dawgs might lose 3 more after that… its looking like a dowardspiral, but thats why the games are played?
SSI gator
October 27th, 2009
3:12 pm
You know things are bad when people like WTF?, AltamahaDawg and the rest of the Kool-Aid dispensers do not even bother to comment any more.
GATOR CHOMP
October 27th, 2009
3:13 pm
The Gators will win this one big “Book It”
Tebo's cousin's (3rd removed) girlfriend's brother
October 27th, 2009
3:14 pm
Uh….Tebo is scared. Georgia wins. Go MSU!
Chris82Atl
October 27th, 2009
3:14 pm
its funny when the SEC is down as a conference, though the NC will still come from the SEC.
cantondawg
October 27th, 2009
3:14 pm
Thank god the game is played on the field on not on paper. With all the negative loser dawg fans that have come out of the woodwork..We’d never have a chance
Steve
October 27th, 2009
3:15 pm
Ya’ll are drunk!! Dawgs win!!! Wait and see!!!
HBTD
October 27th, 2009
3:16 pm
Ok. Here’s some optimism for all my Dawg friends out there.
1. Dawgs are 2 – 6 against Florida since 2001 where the average margin of victory is less than 7 points a game even including last year’s blowout. 2 – 6 is not particularly good, but I can’t think of many teams who’ve done better and played them tighter than UGA.
2. Dawgs are coming off an OFF week where the record is a perfect 6 – 0 for the OFF week team when the other team plays.
3. No ones giving the dawgs a chance. Remember 1985? A win that year seemed less likely than 2009.
4. The dawgs finally had a chance to catch their breath. Think about it, it was the biggest game in OSU’s history and Joe’s playing with the flu, followed up by 4 nailbiters in a row – SC, Ark, ASU and LSU. Tennessee was the big letdown after getting screwed by the official in the LSU game and the boys gutted it out in Nashville last week. They’ve now had a chance to get well, circle the wagons, and get a little ticked off.
Chris82Atl
October 27th, 2009
3:17 pm
Let the Big Dawgs Eat!
cantondawg
October 27th, 2009
3:17 pm
Reasonable,
You’re an idiot..You saw you saw it first about WM and CMR…You DA…We’ve been seeing that stupid comment for about 5 weeks now..
Alphare
October 27th, 2009
3:18 pm
You guys are horrible by blaming Martinez: the tacklers cannot tackle, the coverers cannot cover. Don’t you think Martinez would tell them every time they have to tackle and they have to cover to defend? It’s not the coach, it’s the players! Wake up, people.
Dawgy-Stylin'
October 27th, 2009
3:19 pm
“You know things are bad when people like WTF?, AltamahaDawg and the rest of the Kool-Aid dispensers do not even bother to comment any more.”
You’re a legend in your own mind, you tool, SSI Gator-Jerker!
Blondie
October 27th, 2009
3:19 pm
Dear UGA Fans,
It’s just not your year. Please accept this gracefully and move on. There’s no sense in being delusional and setting yourselves up for further disappointment. Quit saying “We own (Florida, Georgia Tech, Auburn, and/or Kentucky)!!!” You don’t own anything with a 4-3 season except an unranked mediocre team at best. Beating Vandy is nothing… they lost to Army for crying out loud – and really, who loses to Army??
Pray for some better recruitment for future seasons and grab another beer. It helps you swallow that humble pie you keep choking on. Florida and Tech… we’re both going to beat you. Shhh, it’s ok.
Chris82Atl
October 27th, 2009
3:19 pm
an if georgia pulls off the upset, UGA could run the table and get a decent bowl bid…. just sayin!
Jenzen
October 27th, 2009
3:20 pm
Read my lips: “When Hell freezes over!” I’m a DAWG lifer fan but let’s face reality here. Georgia would have a tough time beating Georgia Southern University let alone the GAYtors.
Old Fan
October 27th, 2009
3:21 pm
Just wait, all you skeptics. With Georgia down 41-0, Georgia kicks a field goal try through the uprights with 1 minute to go. Let the end-zone celebration begin!
Sanford Drive
October 27th, 2009
3:23 pm
Everyone keeps hinging on this bye-week like it’s magical or something.
*It’s not going to make a diffference.*
RAMBLE ON!!!
October 27th, 2009
3:23 pm
Chris82Atl, GT is going to run down hill on your fleabags, 500 yards rushing.
55-10 (Got to impress the voters at your expense), even if you do beat UF.
Just gimme the damn Jorts
October 27th, 2009
3:24 pm
ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE ON YOUR JORTS ON THE BEACH?? SSI GATOR DOUCHE???
Sanford Drive
October 27th, 2009
3:24 pm
Blondie,
Our recruits are good, our coaching is just terrible.
NavyDawg
October 27th, 2009
3:25 pm
I think most of yall posting should be ashamed to call yourself fans! I personally am an EXTREME fan, and I will support my dawgs no matter what!! Yes we are having an off year, and yes I am upset that we have played the way we have this year, but I’M A DAWG FAN TRUE AND TRUE!!! I hope we kick the crap out of the gators this weekend, and all you fair weather fans out there will eat your words! Let’s go dawgs….fry up some gator tails!!!! UGA wins 24-13!!!!
Just gimme the damn Jorts
October 27th, 2009
3:25 pm
RAMBLE ON!!!! WHY DONT YOU GO STIR UP SOME DRAMA ON THE TECH BLOGS?? OH IS IT BECAUSE THEYRE IRRELEVANT AND THEY DONT HAVE ANY???????? (((6-1))) and STILL IRRELEVANT!!!hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
Tom
October 27th, 2009
3:26 pm
Not a chance! The Georgia folks are going to Jax just to get smashed for 4 days, not to see a football game. Florida 48 Georgia 25 final score.
Dawgy-Stylin' Doing SSI Gator
October 27th, 2009
3:28 pm
This just in… two less tickets sold today than last year on this day… I know this useless information cause I’m a dork and have no life and think it means something – tells me something about the upcoming game.
- SSI GATOR-YANKER
South Carolina Dawg
October 27th, 2009
3:30 pm
Hire Kirby Smart
G8R GRAD
October 27th, 2009
3:30 pm
no
HBTD
October 27th, 2009
3:31 pm
Ramble On – love the confidence that breeds out of playing in the ACC. The fall for the NAE will be hard come Nov 28th. However, you and your breathern can take comfort that you’ll be able to play for the ACC championship assuming you get past those two ACC heavyweights – Duke and Wake Forest early next month. Best of luck against Vandy this weekend.
NCDawg
October 27th, 2009
3:31 pm
Alphare, the players problems are a result of poor coaching. If they can’t tackle, block, etc…then the coaches need to do something (extra practice, whatever) to get them to play better.
When is Georgia going to be the favorite? I am tired of hoping this team “upsets” Florida. It’s time this game is talked about in terms such as “Can Florida upset Georgia?”
can of beer
October 27th, 2009
3:31 pm
Hey Alphare Who do you think recrutes the players? who do you think
teaches the players? do you fire the team? no you fire the Coach.
Gator Nation
October 27th, 2009
3:32 pm
I like that Florida hasn’t been playing well. We still have something to prove going into this game. Brandon Spikes has been walking the sidelines like a caged lion the past two games due to a nagging hamstring. He returns against UGA along with two other starters on D. For UGA to keep it close they are going to have to move the ball on us through the air. That puts a lot of burden on Cox/AJ/OLine to perform. Hopefully our offense figures something out by Saturday.
Paul's Johnson
October 27th, 2009
3:34 pm
Blondie:
“Pray for some better recruitment for future seasons”
The crap that you typed before this line shows that you are an idiot GT fan.
Your handle “Blondie” shows that you are either a girl and know nothing about football and should not be posting on a football site or you are some dudes boyfriend and get all of your football info from him.
If you think that recruiting is the reason why UGA is 4-3, then you need to go flush your head in the toilet.
JASon
October 27th, 2009
3:35 pm
I love the people who say “I don’t think Georgia wins.” Oh really? Tell us, how did you become so brilliant? You really are intelligent, and we should all feel privileged to be in your presence.
Besides, Mark is asking “can” it happen. The answer to that is clearly yes because this is college football, this is a huge rivalry game, and we’re not talking about Western Charleston University here. This is The University of F-ing Georgia, and unless the entire team gets swine flu and can’t play on Saturday, you can bet they are going to be pumped up for this game.
Pago Flyer
October 27th, 2009
3:36 pm
Half-time in JAX….FL 36 UGA 9
collegeballfan
October 27th, 2009
3:36 pm
I am saying that UGA beats UF. The UF offense is not playing well and the UGA defense is not playing well. I give it to the defense & UGA outscores the Gators. Say 31 to 28 UGA.
crazy dawg
October 27th, 2009
3:37 pm
I am sick and tired of these fair weather band wagon so called dawg fans pulling this team through the mud each and every week. These are the same fans that were screaming go dawgs at the 07 sugar bowl. No team can have great years every year but has fans we need to support this team each week of the season.This is a young team that had its heart broken by an officals bad call against Lsu and who knows how differently the Vols game might have been had we not had the Ref. not made that terrible call against AJ in the endzone vs the Tigers. The point I am trying to make is that this team can still finish strong and go 8 and 4 or 7 and 5 with a trip to a bowl game stranger things have happened that the Dawgs pulling the upset off against the Mighty Gators. As a true dawg fan I say get off the fence a support this team or just turn in to a Tech Fan they are all about jumping on a band wagon. Go dawgs whip them nasty reptiles on Halloween. To Hell With Ga. Tech
mcdaviddawg
October 27th, 2009
3:38 pm
Watch Richt on the sideline. He’ll not speak to a player or a coach. Great way to inspire the team.
Herschel Talker
October 27th, 2009
3:39 pm
can of beer at 3:31:
YOU TELL ‘EM!!! ENOUGH WITH THE NONSENSE THAT WILLIE ISN’T RESPONSIBLE FOR THE KIDS NOT TACKLING BECAUSE HE IS NOT ON THE FIELD. ALPHARE IS STUPID FOOL.
HBTD
October 27th, 2009
3:41 pm
mcdaviddawg – I guess you’re a trained professional in inspirational head coach sideline behavior??
Saint Simons
October 27th, 2009
3:42 pm
Florida 77 uga 0
Herschel Talker
October 27th, 2009
3:43 pm
ALL OF YOU WHO SAY THAT THE DAWGS WILL WIN JUST AREN’T LOOKING AT THE FACTS AND ARE GOING ON RIDICULOUS EMOTION.
HERE IS THE SIMPLE TRUTH:
UGA IS A FAIRLY TALENTED TEAM WITH HORRIBLE COACHING. UF IS A VERY TALENTED TEAM WITH EXCELLENT COACHING. AND THE DAWGS POOP IN THEIR PANTS PRETTY MUCH EVERYTIME THEY SEE THAT BLUE AND ORANGE ACROSS THE FIELD. SO WHOM ARE YOU PICKING IN THAT MATCHUP?
LET’S GROW SOME BRAINS, SHALL WE?
MARK RICHT = BOBBY COX
URBAN MEYER = JOE TORRE (WITH THE YANKEES)
THE SOONER WE ACCEPT THIS TRUTH, THE SOONER WE CAN RECTIFY THE PROBLEM.