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
phil
January 2nd, 2012
2:55 pm
What a wretched halftime show….worse than tech playing basketball.
GTBob
January 2nd, 2012
2:56 pm
They are going to make up every excuse possible to downplay what UGA has done.
UGA hasn’t done anything. There isn’t anything to downplay. Sorry, winning a bad bowl game when the other team doesn’t care isn’t really an accomplishment.
Ooltewahdawg
January 2nd, 2012
2:56 pm
I said to a friend who is a Tech grad, “Utah? Are you kidding me? He said “I was thinking the same thing.”
GTBob, your comment, “your defense is playing good” is the classiest statement you have made on the Ga blogs this year.Keep it up.
The Grinch
January 2nd, 2012
2:56 pm
GTBob
January 2nd, 2012
2:54 pm
“Why would they care about win number 11?”
Coming from a tech fan, I cannot argue with your brand of “logic”.
BingoBanjo
January 2nd, 2012
2:56 pm
thank God for Boykin, 8 points there.
padre
January 2nd, 2012
2:56 pm
check the half-time score-nay sayers
BingoBanjo
January 2nd, 2012
2:57 pm
Would a win today be UGA’s biggest? Too funny.
david
January 2nd, 2012
2:57 pm
crowell is a wuz big baby
phil
January 2nd, 2012
2:57 pm
Come on, bob….you’re not this dumb.
Starring Kam Fong as Chin Ho
January 2nd, 2012
2:58 pm
@ GTBob, Maybe it would be less painful to you if the Jackets would turn down any bowl invites they receive. When is the last time they showed up in a bowl game? In the nineties? You are a troll of the first degree.
sparks
January 2nd, 2012
2:58 pm
After the season they had? You mean winning 10 straight? SEC East Champions? GTBob, you got cajones man….just damn.
Columbus_dawg
January 2nd, 2012
2:58 pm
Suprise, Suprise…..IC out. Sissy……..Go Dawgs!
The Grinch
January 2nd, 2012
2:58 pm
Crowell not coming back in this game. Real shock, right?
BingoBanjo
January 2nd, 2012
2:58 pm
Think Murray knows Orson Charles is on his team?
Reminds me of last Bowl game, where Murray forget to throw it to AJ Green….
Dosta Dawg
January 2nd, 2012
2:58 pm
Crowell out for rest of game. Imagine that.
kerryb
January 2nd, 2012
2:59 pm
Boykin making him some money today.
Mark Bradley
January 2nd, 2012
2:59 pm
Michigan State halftime adjustments result in first play of half only losing three yards, as opposed to two points.
Josh Smith for 3
January 2nd, 2012
2:59 pm
LOL @ the haters. If UGA loses, they suck. If UGA wins, they just played a bad team. That Utah come-from-behind win gets sweeter by the minute.
"Chef" Tim Dix
January 2nd, 2012
2:59 pm
BB MVP!
Average Joe
January 2nd, 2012
2:59 pm
Crowell is an afterthought in my mind. I’m ready to roll with the guys we have.
Heath
January 2nd, 2012
2:59 pm
Ic will not return. Richt says not to worry, we’ll find a walk on to fill that lose a yard and limp off void.
Mark Bradley
January 2nd, 2012
3:00 pm
Fourth and one. Going for it?
Nah.
i'm from Columbus, GA
January 2nd, 2012
3:00 pm
he wouldnt get hurt if them punks would block for him.
"Chef" Tim Dix
January 2nd, 2012
3:01 pm
Too bad Falcons won’t have a pick where BB goes…
Joe Dawg
January 2nd, 2012
3:01 pm
@Heith – Right on, brother. Pick a kid standing at the SLC bus stop.
The Grinch
January 2nd, 2012
3:01 pm
Heath
January 2nd, 2012
2:59 pm
LOL. Good one.
Mark Bradley
January 2nd, 2012
3:01 pm
I thought this might be a good game. Michigan State hasn’t held up its end.
DIT
January 2nd, 2012
3:01 pm
MSU is not a bad team for crying out loud. It just goes to show how bitter the trolls are!
Average Joe
January 2nd, 2012
3:01 pm
@ Columbus, GA, I bet you won’t say that to Ben Jones’ face. Or Cordy Glenn’s
Bobo is Not the Problem
January 2nd, 2012
3:01 pm
Gruden sucks. He has used the acronym “NFL” 35 times in this broadcast. Is this Monday Night Football or college football?
kerryb
January 2nd, 2012
3:02 pm
I hope this shows Mike Davis that he has as good a shot as anybody.
ARdawg
January 2nd, 2012
3:02 pm
““Why would they care about win number 11?”
Coming from a tech fan, I cannot argue with your brand of “logic”.”
Classic
Pago Pago DAWG
January 2nd, 2012
3:02 pm
So is the great isabella coming back for another year. And who in the world recruited this sissy/thug?
Bobo is Not the Problem
January 2nd, 2012
3:02 pm
I remember DUIBerry. Fun to make fun of.
The Grinch
January 2nd, 2012
3:03 pm
i’m from Columbus, GA
January 2nd, 2012
3:00 pm
If I remember correctly, the play IC got “hurt” on was the one where the line opened a hole and he ran for 6 yards.
Mark Bradley
January 2nd, 2012
3:03 pm
Crowell got hurt on a middle screen, I believe.
BobDog
January 2nd, 2012
3:04 pm
@GT Bob
I apologize for the childishness of some of these bloggers, e.g., Average Joe and AR Dog. Your comments were reasonable and added to the discussion.
Mobile Dawg
January 2nd, 2012
3:04 pm
Dawgs up by two TD’s, one a punt return. Defense has played lights out. O, a couple of big plays, nothing else. Don’t beat yur chest yet….
i'm from Columbus, GA
January 2nd, 2012
3:04 pm
they aint nothin. just like you aint nothin. check that mouth. i’ll punk you out for a pack of cigarettes. an i dont even smoke.
Average Joe
January 2nd, 2012
3:04 pm
At least we didn’t lose to Utah in the Sun Bowl! Wow. GTBob said the Outback bowl is a bad bowl game? Are you serious? That’s a top bowl. Closer to being a BCS bowl than the Sun Bowl. I can guarantee you that.
DIT
January 2nd, 2012
3:04 pm
No one wants to be hurt. I think it’s more of a case of bad luck. We need him next year. Still, so glad Marshall is coming on board.
Erk Russell's Dog
January 2nd, 2012
3:05 pm
GT Bob
I guess this is better than losing a bowl game against a team that does not want to be there like Tech did on Saturday.
The Grinch
January 2nd, 2012
3:05 pm
Mark Bradley
January 2nd, 2012
3:03 pm
My bad.
katherine
January 2nd, 2012
3:05 pm
UGA will lose
January 2nd, 2012
1:04 pm
UGA doesnt’ beat good teams. Today won’t be any different.
Well hello fellow dawg fans…..just one of the many tech trolls on here making trouble I see
Good first half…hopefully they will keep it up!
Mark Bradley
January 2nd, 2012
3:06 pm
Now THAT was bad. No way Murray can throw an interception there.
katherine
January 2nd, 2012
3:06 pm
oh no…interception boo
san diego steve
January 2nd, 2012
3:06 pm
ouch
buzzDawg
January 2nd, 2012
3:06 pm
Murray is streaky but this game he seems to be hitting his passes. Oops, spoke to soon. Interception.
Mobile Dawg
January 2nd, 2012
3:06 pm
Our big game, heisman candidate. Where’s Mason?
kerryb
January 2nd, 2012
3:06 pm
King messed that up