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
MURPHY
October 7th, 2010
8:10 am
JB,
I dont see us being able to out physical UT
DawginLex
October 7th, 2010
8:10 am
Mark, we Dawgs appreciate the thought but I would stick to my original prediction of UGA as 3rd in the East.
If we get to 4-4 and 7-5 overall, THAT will be a miracle. That means we win Saturday, beat Vandy, go to Lexington and win and beat either Florida or Aubie and beat ISU and GT.
SOUTH GA DAWG FAN
October 7th, 2010
8:12 am
Thank you for this article Mark , I came into work all down and read this first thing and I can now laugh all day this is great !!!
thanks again
Phil
October 7th, 2010
8:14 am
Another scenario would be the SEC does a re-alignment at mid-season and throws Georgia State, Kennesaw State, Ft. Valley State, Gwinnett Tech and Emory University into the East with Georgia. THEN we might have a chance.
innocent bystander
October 7th, 2010
8:14 am
A great column which has already provoked some classic responses. Don’t think this possibility has not been tossed around already by the shrinking band of True Believers.It would be beyond wonderful if it happened.If we don’t lose to Auburn AND Florida it will be a miracle enough considering the current trajectory. .
10-1 lead after 3
October 7th, 2010
8:15 am
First, why no coffee?
Second, somewhere in the middle of Tennessee there’s a local sportwriter parsing the various ways that Vanderbilt can win the division.
Gen Neyland
October 7th, 2010
8:15 am
MB : Have the ajc’s Physics and Psychics Dept crunch the possibilities for UGA to make the BCSNCG…Thanks. GBO
DAWGS need CPR
October 7th, 2010
8:15 am
Hey Georgia is in the top 10 of something…..the bottom ten that is….
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?page=bottom10101006
m
October 7th, 2010
8:17 am
The sec is so weak (besides Alabama) that it is certainly plausible that ugag could win it.
MURPHY
October 7th, 2010
8:17 am
Gen Neyland,
Whats your score for the game this week?
Enus Stokesberry
October 7th, 2010
8:17 am
Mark,
I think i could really see that happening…
Wait a sec…did CMR have you at gunpoint as you wrote that?
George P Burdell
October 7th, 2010
8:18 am
Thank you, Mr. Bradley, for covering all sides of a tough situation.
That is all I think that your readers can reasonably expect.
Personally, I don’t agree that Richt is the problem, but that is my opinion.
In the Colorado game, it was obvious that the UGA players were different when AJ Green was on the field vs. when he was off the field.
No coach can control that; it happens too fast in a game.
First the players are trying to step up their game when Green is not available, then he steps on the field and the players unconsciously relax.
It happens at all levels in every sport; when a great talent steps on the field, the other players have to make room for him to make a play.
When he is unavailable, the lesser talents try beyond their capability.
we (UF) own UGA
October 7th, 2010
8:19 am
Bark Madley,
Give it up already! Are you still upset at the fact the overrated hype machine from Athens only has 1 National Championship in their overrated pathetic history? Or are you still crying about the 2008 season where you actually believed UGA was better than my Gators, USCW, etc?
When are you going to learn that UGA is nothing more than a bunch of Atlanta media hype? No one outside of the South even cares or thinks about UGA on the national landscape.
But hey Bark Madley, keep up the faith! Maybe in 2080 UGA can win their 2nd ever National Championship….I doubt it though! hahahaha
How bout them 1-4 Dawgs!
dawgerbrown
October 7th, 2010
8:22 am
Really Mark? As a UGA graduate and fan, I’m much more concerned about Mark Richt getting this program back than facing Alabama in the SEC Championship game.
MURPHY
October 7th, 2010
8:23 am
We are not very talented,we play with no fire,and we have supspect coaching. I dont see us being able to out physical UT. I would love to see us turn this thing around starting this week but I sure think we have way to many issues to overcome this year.
Left Foot
October 7th, 2010
8:24 am
Even if it happens it’s still an inexcusable season from the coaches in Athens.
howard
October 7th, 2010
8:24 am
dream on…
Might be the funniest column you have ever written
October 7th, 2010
8:25 am
Not only is it funny, it is cruel to the humping faithful.
Douglas
October 7th, 2010
8:34 am
As I have said before, I hope we lose the rest of our games so we can get rid of Richt and his staff. How can I have sympathy for a bunch of coaches who get paid a lot of money to perform this poorly. In the business world, they would have already been fired.
BFD
October 7th, 2010
8:34 am
Mark, you are a funny man. Makes me think of that ole saying. “When monkeys start flying out of my……………”
How does...
October 7th, 2010
8:36 am
…0 for the conference win the title?
Andy in Blairsville
October 7th, 2010
8:37 am
TN is going to throttle GA Saturday.
But have no fear, Richt isn’t going anywhere because the school knows its the best HC they can get.
Sharkman
October 7th, 2010
8:37 am
Stop sucking up to us you carpetbagging skunk. You know we suck this year, so the WORST thing you can do is give us false hope! Screw you Bradley! Go back to Kentucky!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Big Red
October 7th, 2010
8:38 am
It not only could happen , it’s gonna happen!
Bud
October 7th, 2010
8:39 am
DAWGS WIN OUT FOR 2010!!!
Bud
October 7th, 2010
8:40 am
DAWGS UNBEATABLE REST OF YEAR!!!
calvin
October 7th, 2010
8:41 am
In the AJC’s dreams.
DAWGS LICK BALLS!
October 7th, 2010
8:41 am
Mark, you’re always good for a laugh in the morning, and alot of “readers” give you crap for your ability of writing crap just for the sake of hundreds of pointless comments. Now i am actually starting to see where they are coming from. But still hilarious!
Bud
October 7th, 2010
8:42 am
DAWGS SAY 10/09/10 “PLAY US AT YOUR OWN RISK”
Big Dawg
October 7th, 2010
8:43 am
Mathmatically possible, realistically no chance. In order for this to be accomplished, our coaching staff and players would have to make radical changes and adjustments. Question: how likely is this group going to do that? And there unfortunately is your likely answer. Most all of us have heard the definition of insanity by now…..to keep on doing the same things over and over expecting different results. Sound like any team we know around here?
Slim
October 7th, 2010
8:43 am
Keep dreaming…ain’t going to happen.
DAWGS LICK BALLS!
October 7th, 2010
8:43 am
Bud, you must be smoking alitlle ” bud ” this a.m.!!!! HAHAHA!
Jay
October 7th, 2010
8:44 am
u picked ga to go 9-3 also. why would you write something this retarded.
it’s like saying the braves will beat the giants and phils. everyone knows there’s a 0% chance of that happening.
DAWGS LICK BALLS!
October 7th, 2010
8:44 am
Wake and Bake!!!!! HAHAHA!
What champions are made of
October 7th, 2010
8:44 am
Thanks Mark, throw these mutts a BONE they need one.
EARL
October 7th, 2010
8:46 am
BFD….. How did those monkey’s that are going to fly out of your a–, get in there to start with?
Johnson
October 7th, 2010
8:47 am
Haha Schlabach has uga in his bottom 10 in the country. That is Funny.
Roll Tide!
DAWGS LICK BALLS!
October 7th, 2010
8:49 am
Bud, where did you go? Changing the water in your bong??
Cobb Dawg
October 7th, 2010
8:50 am
We just lost to mighty Miss St. and powerhouse Colorado. We’re gonna beat Florida now?!?!
Yellow Fuzz
October 7th, 2010
8:52 am
4 Wins
4 Hot dogs
4 Cokes
Smokey
October 7th, 2010
8:52 am
Hey Mark when you were driving in this morning did you see that huge flock of pigs fly over you?
Smokey
October 7th, 2010
8:53 am
Yellow Fuzz’s wife is a natural blonde.
JB
October 7th, 2010
8:53 am
I would love to hear the pre game speech’s from both these head coach’s before the game……THAT would be telling……
Mark Bradley's Friend
October 7th, 2010
8:54 am
Mark
Can you share some of that kool-aid.
Im parched of all the beat downs we have recieved and would love to share in your delusion that we could possibly beat FL this yr
chiefdawg
October 7th, 2010
8:54 am
They also might have a chance to win if the Taliban attacked Gainsville and Columbia and destroyed the campuses.Please, UGA has no chance.
Georgia Homers
October 7th, 2010
8:55 am
More homerism from the dawg lovers at the AJC: Mark, Tony & Jeff—they love those bulldogs!!!!! YES–Ga can win the East and will win the east—says the AJC!!!!!
Reality Stinks
October 7th, 2010
8:55 am
Yellow Fuzz
Hows that middle school option veer looking along with Nesbitty’s heisman hopes
Tider222
October 7th, 2010
8:55 am
I think Georgia would lose to Auburn on purpose to avoid a severe arse beating at the hands of BIG BAD BAMA
Gen Neyland
October 7th, 2010
8:55 am
MURPHY : First of all, I’m taking every game on the light side this year. No illusions of grandeur. The stat CDD gave on his show Sunday said that 33 players he took to LSU went on their 1st ever road trip. 33… I haven’t picked UT to lose yet this year and will not again this coming Saturday. At this point, the over/under looks like 55, say roughly, UT 23 UGA 22…Subject to editing.
Gen Neyland
October 7th, 2010
8:56 am
MURPHY : As you can see, I clearly have no clue…