Glass-half-full dept.: How UGA might still win the SEC East
"Over? Nothing's over until we SAY it's over! Who's with me?" (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
Having spent the week hammering Mark Richt and Georgia, doing everything from crunching numbers to imagining the worst that could happen, it seems only fair to offer a corresponding best-case-scenario. Here goes:
The Bulldogs could win the SEC East.
I know, I know. They haven’t yet won a conference game, and they surely won’t be favored to beat either Florida or Auburn. (And Kentucky looks like a toss-up.) But it’s conceivable Georgia could finish 5-3 in the SEC, and that might — might, I said — enable them to take the division. Here’s how it would work:
Step 1: Georgia wins out. (Duh.)
Step 2: South Carolina, which has already beaten Georgia and lost to Auburn, loses to Alabama on Saturday, to Arkansas on Nov. 6 and to Florida the week after.
Step 3: Florida, which has lost to Alabama, loses to LSU on Saturday and to Georgia on Oct. 30.
That would leave Georgia and Florida at 5-3 in league play, with Georgia holding the tiebreaker because of its head-to-head victory, and South Carolina at 4-4. (At this early date there seems no sense in discussing how a three-way tie might be broken. Nor does there seem a need to assume any of the above will lose to Vanderbilt.)
Among the things Georgia had going for it this season was this basic bit of logistics: It wasn’t scheduled to play Alabama, and both Florida and South Carolina were. That still holds. And Georgia does get the three Eastern lesser lights — Tennessee, Vandy and Kentucky — in a row. (So does South Carolina, but two of those games are on the road. The Bulldogs get both the Vols and Commodores in Athens.)
There’s a chance Georgia could go to Jacksonville at 3-3 in league play, and if you get to 3-3 there’s at least a mathematical possibility of finishing 5-3. And 5-3 might just win the division, provided South Carolina finishes 4-4. Which could yet happen.
Understand: I didn’t pick Georgia to win the East — I picked UGA third, behind Florida and being shaded for second by South Carolina — and I’m not picking it now. But if I’m going to imagine the horror that might be unleashed if the Bulldogs lose to Derek Dooley’s team, I might as well be even-handed. As lousy as this season has been, there’s still a chance something really good could come of it.
A chance, I said. A chance.
(Oh, and if Georgia loses Saturday, forget I mentioned this.)
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647 comments Add your comment
washon
October 7th, 2010
6:47 pm
to hell with uga everyday and always. GO VOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and anybody else who plays you bunch of half wit, inbred rednecks
CGA
October 7th, 2010
6:50 pm
UGA”s current record is the same as Duke! So, I guess the next MB article will point out all the possible scenarios that will make them the ACC champs!
JacketFan
October 7th, 2010
6:53 pm
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
wait. oh. wait. whew.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!
Snellville GT
October 7th, 2010
6:54 pm
On the other hand, UGA may lose every game they play this season.
Snellville GT
October 7th, 2010
6:55 pm
Sorry, I meant every S.E.C. game. They’ve already won that 55-7 game with, who was it ????
Nan
October 7th, 2010
6:56 pm
Someone please explain why Saint Mark continues to allow the thugs who have been put on probation by UGA to play on the football team.
Snellville GT
October 7th, 2010
7:02 pm
DawgFaceBlues, you’re saying the only reason the Gators have “owned” the Dawgs for 20 years is that they had the “bye” week prior to 85% of those games. Is that the reason UGA has owned Tech? You always have a bye week before Tech, and the Jackets have a game.
Admittedly Delusional
October 7th, 2010
7:11 pm
I can no longer ever pretend like I have the capability of being objective. When I read this article, I said to myself, “Yeah, that could happen.”
Bluto
October 7th, 2010
7:14 pm
http://www.moviesoundscentral.com/sounds/animal_house/nothing_is_over.wav
Bluto’s right. Psychotic…but absolutely right.
We’ve got to take these bastards. We could fight them with conventional weapons.
That could take years…cost millions of lives. No, in this case…I think we have to go all out.
I think this situation absolutely requires…a really futile and stupid gesture…
be done on somebody’s part.
We’re just the guys to do it.
Let’s do iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.moviesoundscentral.com/sounds/animal_house/work_on_game.wav
Snellville GT
October 7th, 2010
7:17 pm
Nan, you’ve asked the key question. Why DOES Richt keep playing those thugs of his? Way to get arrests stopped: Cancel his $2,500-a-year
scholarship whenever a player is arrested.
Glenn
October 7th, 2010
7:27 pm
All I know is UGA will win a game that there are suppose to lose. Which one that will be only time will tell, I still dont understand why they are favored so much this weekend. Tenn is better the Colorado for sure CU will lose 5 of next 7 they play starting this weekend at Missouri. I want be surprised if they win or if they lose. At least they will beat Tech and that’s always good.
dawgfan
October 7th, 2010
7:44 pm
There’s nothing dumber than a Georgia Bulldog.
Coffee Bluff DAWG
October 7th, 2010
7:53 pm
Mark, I see that you are being overly optimistic. I’d take a win any way I could get one at this point.
Herschel
October 7th, 2010
8:17 pm
Everybody got your red panties ready for the game on Saturday?
patrick
October 7th, 2010
8:26 pm
ummm not only have I been saying that but step 2 does not tneed to happen. SC could finish 5=3 if SC loses to 2 eastern teams
.
at 5-3 with a loss to Fla then all three will be tied. SC cvant go because it lost to Fla, Fla cant go because they lost to UGA, UGA cant go because it lost to SC. So division record breaks the tie leaving SC out of the race and only Fla and UGA in it. Since UGA beat Fla head to head UGA would get in.n (as long as SC loses to 2 eastern teams)
patrick
October 7th, 2010
8:36 pm
so to recap…
.
UGA finsihes 5-3 with lose to UGA but only one eastern lose
.
SC finsihes 5-3 with lose to Fla but with 2 eastern loses
.
Fla 5-3 with a lose to UGA (does not matter who in the SEC they lose to)
.
UGA would get in due to division records.
.
Step 2 is NOT necessary.
.
patrick
October 7th, 2010
8:38 pm
darn it …that first line should read
.
“UGA finsihes 5-3 with lose to SC but only one eastern lose”
10 Arrests 1 Win
October 7th, 2010
8:51 pm
WWWWWWHHHAAATTT???? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! OOOOhhh HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA!!!!! hhhhhhhuuuu….HHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!OOoooooohhh…you’re KILLIN’ ME!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! ooooH GOOOOSSHH I CAN’T BREATH….HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
We HIT AND RUN
October 7th, 2010
8:54 pm
AND FUMBLE!
Party school
October 7th, 2010
8:54 pm
Patrick, it’s “loss”, 4 letters, not that hard to get right.
Barbara's Pandora Box
October 7th, 2010
8:58 pm
Babs Dooley has never been known to hush up. She is lovely and is loved by billions of us old UGA lovers. UGA class of 71 and 73 for me and the Mrs. Now, if Barbara’s baby pistol whips Richt and the Dogs, she will be politicking for him to move back home to coach them Dogs. His sister and other bro or bro(s) did graduate from UGA. He is a UVA man.
How Dr. Adams would respond? I have not a clue. Just a thought but for Mark Richt it will create un believablly negative vibes though out the UGA Nation if he is wiped out by Vince Dooley’s son and appears to also be out coached by a neophyte. Not good that will be.
The UT game is when we all are looking and watching. We all recall last year ( that WAS Richt’s rebuilding year ) and how UT just abused UGA in Knoxville. They just abused us twice in the last 3 games.
Alumni will be watching and so with Greg McGarity.
Gooooooooooooooo Dogs. Sic em.
patrick
October 7th, 2010
9:00 pm
my bad…..loss, shall I repost it. I kinda did it in a hurry. Thanks for pointing it out.
DAWG DRUNK
October 7th, 2010
9:01 pm
Bradley, your have lost your mind and your editor should be shot for letting this make it to print!! They’ve lost 4 in a row moran and the best teams on their schedule are in front of them. This is the last time I’ll ever even wast time looking at a headline to a column you pen.
Say hello to Terrance Moore-on.
patrick
October 7th, 2010
9:01 pm
But you get the idea…and that was the point of the post….right?
Jim 007
October 7th, 2010
9:01 pm
With all the Thugs being finally diciplined…..
Sounds like either Adams or McGarity have taken control
And Richt will soon be gone
patrick
October 7th, 2010
9:02 pm
so to recap…
.
UGA finsihes 5-3 with loss to SC but only one eastern lose
.
SC finsihes 5-3 with loss to Fla but with 2 eastern loses
.
Fla 5-3 with a loss to UGA (does not matter who in the SEC they lose to)
.
UGA would get in due to division records.
.
Step 2 is NOT necessary.
patrick
October 7th, 2010
9:02 pm
Better?
reality check
October 7th, 2010
9:08 pm
I’m a huge DAWG fan and I can’t see them running the table.
I do recognize there is a fine line between winning and loosing. A play here or there determines far more than given credit. Each game change 1 play, maybe a fumble or penalty and we win them all.
But nothing is indicating we will not keep that trend up as a theme for the last few years….. injuries, penalties and turn overs.
Here is one that hopes you are right Mark for Marks sake. That would be the HC Richt. Go DAWGS
Buckhead Bulldog
October 7th, 2010
9:11 pm
Easy to be at Sanford when the Dogs are winning. I will be in my seats to show my support on Saturday, as will others who truly, truly bleed Red and Black. The Wal-DAWG fans can stay at home….one positive in all of this, is that there will a lot less bourboned up, red neck, “D A W G” fans there. I wonder if the bald headed moron will be? Hope not!
Sic’ ‘em DOGS!
harold
October 7th, 2010
9:24 pm
HAVE WE BEEN DRINKING HERE?
Chili Dog
October 7th, 2010
9:35 pm
I give you a 10 for all time dawg suck up.
hot err
October 7th, 2010
9:54 pm
Mark, when you said “Nor does there seem a need to assume any of the above will lose to Vanderbilt”, does that include UGA? Because the Georgia team I’ve seen this season is totally capable of losing to Vandy.
Bad Dawg, Bad Dawg
October 7th, 2010
9:55 pm
You’re kidding! Have your not watched the Dawgs? The only thing worse is their off the field behavior!
Skyler
October 7th, 2010
10:08 pm
The East has never been won by a 3 loss team. Geez. When did Tennessee become a lesser light? When they hired Derek Dooley perhaps? Is that your insinuation? May not have 68 players, but they are still Tennessee. I also remember a Vanderbilt team coming into Athens and pulling an upset a couple years ago.
ugadawg2005
October 7th, 2010
10:14 pm
Patrick, in order for South Carolina to lose to Florida, another SEC East team, and finish 5-3 would require them to beat Bama and Arky. while not impossible, it is more likely that UGA will win out than it is that South Carolina will beat both Bama and Arky and then lose to Kentucky or Tennessee (although they have a history of trouble with Vandy)
Flying pig
October 7th, 2010
10:40 pm
If Georgia wins out and every body in front of them losses out then UGA will win.
Flying pig
October 7th, 2010
10:41 pm
If Georgia wins out and every body in front of them losses out then UGA will win….
builder dawg
October 7th, 2010
10:51 pm
if that happens, I will shave my entire body, paint it red and black and run nekked in Athens all night long.(That will be in Nov mind you)
srcdawg1
October 7th, 2010
10:51 pm
speaking of team support. is gt finished with down sizing it’s famous grant field? the only time you sellout is every other year when the DAWGS come to town. great fan support.
Party school
October 7th, 2010
10:52 pm
Patrick, yes, better but you still missed about half of them.
Flying pig
October 7th, 2010
10:53 pm
when pigs fly!
patrick
October 7th, 2010
10:59 pm
ugadawg2005
October 7th, 2010
10:14 pm
Patrick, in order for South Carolina to lose to Florida, another SEC East team, and finish 5-3 would require them to beat Bama and Arky. while not impossible, it is more likely that UGA will win out than it is that South Carolina will beat both Bama and Arky and then lose to Kentucky or Tennessee (although they have a history of trouble with Vandy)
======================================
Oh my God is that retarded. If they lose to ALA and an SEC esat team THERE WILL BE NO TIE AND IT WILL NOT MATTER.
Jayson
October 7th, 2010
11:19 pm
You have to be careful who you listen to.
Writers are trying to sell newspapers, they generlly don’t care about turht as much as fans.
ABout 12% of the surveyed say Richt should be fired.
Not much.
88% suggest other changes.
Here’s one survey below, but I’ll try and finds another survey I saw today and post too:
http://www.dawgsports.com/2010/10/7/1736102/poll-question-how-do-the-georgia-bulldogs-fix-what-ails-them
Jayson
October 7th, 2010
11:25 pm
Phil Steele sees Murray throwing for over 300 yards this week, and the defense having a huge day in a big win against Tenn.
Steele’s been a huge supporter of Mark Richt. Hopefully Richt will step up and win one to make these guys look good.
Here’s what Steele wrote, look for the section on Quartebacks & Defense:
http://blog.philsteele.com/2010/10/07/week-6-college-football-fantasy/
Half full indeed folks.
Jayson
October 7th, 2010
11:30 pm
Phil Steele also says, Georgia’s defense is #25 in the country right now, depsite the 1-4 record. Grantham doing a pretty jam up job folks.
Read it under the section called “Defense”:
http://blog.philsteele.com/2010/10/07/week-6-college-football-fantasy/
Defense #25 ranked in the nation specials teams #6, if offense can get in sync with AJ Green back, look out folks.
Tech Buzz
October 7th, 2010
11:32 pm
Tech’s going to beat this crummy Ga team like a rented mule—-book it! I’ll be winning some easy money on that game, since Ga will be favored as usual.
puppies
October 7th, 2010
11:39 pm
Just speaking the truth, Georgia sucks! THWG!!!
Jayson
October 7th, 2010
11:39 pm
Here’s another poll I read earlier today, I think 76% of fans think Richt will coach through 2010:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/485079-georgia-football-despite-bad-start-mark-richt-will-be-coach-for-rest-of-2010
Again, if you just read the AJC, you’d probaby think it’s 88% want Richt gone.
Just not even close to 12%.
Miles
October 7th, 2010
11:46 pm
Too many drugs Bradley?
Party school
October 8th, 2010
12:07 am
Bradley know his audience. Last week it was 5 reasons they’re better than you think. This week it’s “UGA can still win the SEC east”. He knows that once it looks like a wasted season, most of the fans will lose interest till next year.