Live from the Outback: UGA should win this bloomin’ bowl
The press box food preparation table, shown after hungry scribes descended. (Photo by M. Bradley)
Tampa – The nice thing about covering the Outback Bowl is the sponsor. It’s the only bowl that serves steak and a bloomin’ onion as a pregame meal. I mention this so you’ll know not to expect much in the way of back-and-forth from this correspondent over the next half-hour.
As for the game … well, here’s what you need to know about Michigan State. The Spartans are 7-14 in bowls. They haven’t won won since Dec. 31, 2001. They’re 0-4 under Mark Dantonio. Even Nick Saban was 0-3 in bowls as MSU’s coach.
The Spartans are 0-3 in bowls against teams from Georgia. (Lost to the Bulldogs in Vince Dooley’s final game and in the Capital One in 2008, lost to Georgia Tech in the old Hall of Fame Bowl in Birmingham in 1985. Georgia fans will remember that as the game in which John Dewberry, who transferred from UGA and became Tech’s quarterback, did not partake — he’d been suspended for missing curfew in Birmingham, which isn’t easy to do.)
It’s possible Michigan State could win today, but recent history shows it’s not smart to bet against the SEC in a bowl against the Big Ten. (Example: The Spartans lost to Alabama 49-7 in the Capital One last January. Though Michigan State did beat Florida in the Citrus on the first day of this century.)
Enough. Georgia should win. I make it 27-17, but I’m often wrong. Sometimes even bloomin’ wrong, which reminds me …
Discuss among yourselves. I’ll be back in a few. And happy bloomin’ New Year.
By Mark Bradley
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3,667 comments Add your comment
i'm from Columbus, GA
January 2nd, 2012
2:12 pm
IC hurtin.
Mark Bradley
January 2nd, 2012
2:12 pm
Misread by somebody.
80sDawg
January 2nd, 2012
2:12 pm
Crowell is done at UGA. What a huge disappointment.
Hairy Dawg
January 2nd, 2012
2:12 pm
Dear AJC,
You’ll never have to write another story about Bean.
IC is a head case
January 2nd, 2012
2:12 pm
Crowell on sideline … hurt, again??
Guy’s a premaddona, head-case!
san diego steve
January 2nd, 2012
2:12 pm
unbelievable the amount of injuries for IC in one season
The Grinch
January 2nd, 2012
2:12 pm
I think Murray is getting shaky feet in the backfield.
DawgNation2010
January 2nd, 2012
2:12 pm
Did Crowell get hurt again?
DIT
January 2nd, 2012
2:13 pm
Defense is going to have to score because our offense won’t
huffsleeper
January 2nd, 2012
2:13 pm
Crowell made it to the 2nd quarter before being hurt and where was Murray throwing the ball. Georgia offense totally confused
80sDawg
January 2nd, 2012
2:13 pm
What ’s the record for punts in a bowl game?
Joe Dawg
January 2nd, 2012
2:13 pm
Pretty sad when ABC announcers say “UGA fans are used to that” in reference to Crowell limping off the field…
Average Joe
January 2nd, 2012
2:13 pm
I don’t like Crowell. He’s weak. Football is not for the weak.
The Grinch
January 2nd, 2012
2:13 pm
i’m from Columbus, GA
January 2nd, 2012
2:12 pm
Don’t worry, bro. IC da man. Just ask……you.
Buzzzzzzz
January 2nd, 2012
2:14 pm
Dawgs know this, but with their weak minds, they tend to forget, so here’s a reminder:
Georgia Tech is a very highly ranked academic school that has a football team. Its alumni and fans have real lives and careers that don’t depend on the football team for their happiness.
Georgia, on the other hand, is basically a sell-your-soul-to-the-devil football factory that also gives diplomas – worthless as they are. They have unholy coaches like Mark Richt who have no scruples or ethics, who recruit morons who barely got through high school, and collect huge paychecks for winning.
Now, can you remember all that?
short memories
January 2nd, 2012
2:14 pm
Crowell needs to go somewhere where the defense is very small
Go Spartans
January 2nd, 2012
2:14 pm
Crowell is a whiner
bill
January 2nd, 2012
2:14 pm
Everybody say a prayer that we win 2-0…and after the game Richt names Grantham as the new OC, adding to his DC duties.
Average Joe
January 2nd, 2012
2:14 pm
He needs to go to the Big 10 or ACC. The SEC is too tough for him
Mark Bradley
January 2nd, 2012
2:14 pm
Wonder what the Spartan fans are saying about their offense?
Pago Pago DAWG
January 2nd, 2012
2:14 pm
Guess it depends on which coaching staff makes the best half-time adjustments? UGA looks awful, there are some MAC teams that can stay on the field with them.
Go Spartans
January 2nd, 2012
2:15 pm
Well put, Buzzzzzz
Average Joe
January 2nd, 2012
2:15 pm
Buzzz, sounds like an excuse when you can’t beat Georgia.
Joe Dawg
January 2nd, 2012
2:15 pm
Buzzzzzzz – Tell you Mom I said hello…
Jimmy Crack
January 2nd, 2012
2:15 pm
Some guys just don’t have the make up to be tough. In high school when nobody can catch them they feel invinsible, until they move up to college and finally someone catches up to them and lays the hammer on them…sometimes they can’t take it.
DIT
January 2nd, 2012
2:15 pm
Buzzzzzzzzzzzz you mother’s calling little girl. Go
Hairy Dawg
January 2nd, 2012
2:15 pm
Based on what we’ve seen so far, the Spartans might set the all-time NCAA FBS record for punts in a game. We’ll be second.
i'm from Columbus, GA
January 2nd, 2012
2:15 pm
hey gricn, hes wearin a georgia uniform. you wearin a mcdonalds uniform. not the same thing trick.
hunchdog
January 2nd, 2012
2:16 pm
Let’s hope MSU doesn’t win it on a special teams play. If so the UGA special teams coach needs to be run out of town
Go Spartans
January 2nd, 2012
2:16 pm
Mark, I wonder what the dawg fans are saying about THEIR offense
80sDawg
January 2nd, 2012
2:16 pm
Hey Buzzzzz, take a stroll around GT campus and get mugged jacka$$
Mark Bradley
January 2nd, 2012
2:16 pm
Mike Bobo: Genius.
Dawg '85
January 2nd, 2012
2:16 pm
T King = DGD
Hairy Dawg
January 2nd, 2012
2:16 pm
YES! There we go.
Go Spartans
January 2nd, 2012
2:16 pm
Oh, well, that shut me up. LOL
san diego steve
January 2nd, 2012
2:16 pm
finally
dawg555
January 2nd, 2012
2:16 pm
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
DIT
January 2nd, 2012
2:16 pm
How’s that Buzzzzz boy! Go away you tool!
sonofdawg
January 2nd, 2012
2:16 pm
THANK YOU, like I said, go down the field!
Mark Bradley
January 2nd, 2012
2:16 pm
Play-action on first-and-10. Throw deep. Good throw. Good catch. Georgia leads 9-0.
Jimmy Crack
January 2nd, 2012
2:16 pm
Air it out!!!
Hawkmaster
January 2nd, 2012
2:16 pm
Hell yeah
Mark Bradley
January 2nd, 2012
2:17 pm
Might have gone for two there.
Average Joe
January 2nd, 2012
2:17 pm
I’ll be damned! A touchdown!
Rilo
January 2nd, 2012
2:17 pm
Pure athleticism…..
sonofdawg
January 2nd, 2012
2:17 pm
Don’t get ahead of yourself Mark.
The Grinch
January 2nd, 2012
2:17 pm
Buzzzzzzz
January 2nd, 2012
2:14 pm
Two words: Joe Hamilton
DIT
January 2nd, 2012
2:17 pm
@Go Spartans
I have high respect for your defense!
Ray
January 2nd, 2012
2:17 pm
Maybe Richt is paid under the table by GT to keep Bobo as the OC?
Is there any other explanation for us continuing to WASTE great talent on the offensive side of the ball at UGA????????????????????
There are five high school classifications in GA. Taking the top 20 in each gives you 100 teams. Not a single one of those teams would trade their OC for Georgia’s.
We ought be up 3 TDs on this crap Big Ten team.
But then, we really should be in a better bowl…
Fire Bobo. The experiment has failed again.
Go Spartans
January 2nd, 2012
2:18 pm
Sure are a lot of empty seats for the so-called 5th highest ranked bowl game