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
san diego steve
January 2nd, 2012
3:28 pm
booooooooooooooooooooo
DIT
January 2nd, 2012
3:28 pm
I guess someone told them
UGAKev
January 2nd, 2012
3:29 pm
Mike bobo got bailed out
dawg555
January 2nd, 2012
3:29 pm
Heck yeah!
Average Joe
January 2nd, 2012
3:29 pm
Boo is our best RB.
Mark Bradley
January 2nd, 2012
3:29 pm
Malcome! The next Herschel!
OK, I’m easily impressed
phil
January 2nd, 2012
3:29 pm
Another stupid run up the middle!!!
Idiots! Oh, wait….
Nevermind. Great call, Bobo!
The Grinch
January 2nd, 2012
3:29 pm
i’m from Columbus, GA
January 2nd, 2012
3:28 pm
You were saying?
Mobile Dawg
January 2nd, 2012
3:29 pm
BOOOOOOOOOOO, and the Oline.
Mark Bradley
January 2nd, 2012
3:29 pm
Unbelievable.
Murray is a woman
January 2nd, 2012
3:29 pm
HE”S A WOMAN
DawgNation2010
January 2nd, 2012
3:30 pm
Why is Georgia running it for.
STRETCH
January 2nd, 2012
3:30 pm
Malcome runs like a tight end!
Mark Bradley
January 2nd, 2012
3:30 pm
Just awful.
kerryb
January 2nd, 2012
3:30 pm
Just Damn!!!!!
san diego steve
January 2nd, 2012
3:30 pm
what a bad throw
Mobile Dawg
January 2nd, 2012
3:30 pm
Did anyone say “THREE” turnovers?
Average Joe
January 2nd, 2012
3:30 pm
Run game is working, Bobo calls a pass….pass game is clicking, Bobo calls the run.
The Grinch
January 2nd, 2012
3:30 pm
As I’ve said MANY time today, those flare/slant passes will come back to haunt us.
BingoBanjo
January 2nd, 2012
3:30 pm
love this series, hand off ball, run it, a la LSU…
KEEP BALL OUT OF TURNOVER MACHINE AARON MURRAY’S HANDS….
STRETCH
January 2nd, 2012
3:30 pm
Murray strikes again!!!!
phil
January 2nd, 2012
3:30 pm
Murray is such a disappointment.
Dumb redneck, hungover fool….
Oily Rags
January 2nd, 2012
3:30 pm
Yep, the wheels are coming off.
kerryb
January 2nd, 2012
3:30 pm
What the hell Murray!!!!!
DIT
January 2nd, 2012
3:30 pm
Wow, Murray just plays his role perfectly every big game………fumbles and throws INTS.
This game is over!
Dogs Smell
January 2nd, 2012
3:30 pm
Once again Who is UGA? MSU in the lead
Snoop Dawg
January 2nd, 2012
3:30 pm
What happens at halftime, folks? That is when the coaches actually analyze the first half and make adjustments for the second half. Guess what? How did UGA’s coaches do against LSU? Against Michigan State now?
This shows the true charachter of the qualty of Richt and his coaching staff. With the exception of Grantham, they are all imposters.
Before we give da Preacha Man a big contract extension, we really need to assess the long term potential of Richt’s program…
UPDATE: Murray just threw another interception that MS just ran back to tie it up…
How dumb can UGA be?
Mark Bradley
January 2nd, 2012
3:30 pm
But the defense holds the lead by stopping the conversion.
i'm from Columbus, GA
January 2nd, 2012
3:31 pm
im sayin touchdown haters. see when you treat somebody from cbus wrong, bad stuff gonna happen. hahahaha.
san diego steve
January 2nd, 2012
3:31 pm
still up by a safety
paint
January 2nd, 2012
3:31 pm
tipped….still bad read
Average Joe
January 2nd, 2012
3:31 pm
Murray is giving this game away.
Dogs Smell
January 2nd, 2012
3:31 pm
UGA , cant beat a ranked team !
Orange11
January 2nd, 2012
3:31 pm
I know who is going to get the Mich St MVP and he plays for UGA
Southside Jacket
January 2nd, 2012
3:31 pm
Not so much now huh…
80sDawg
January 2nd, 2012
3:31 pm
Just like in every game this year. Opposite team makes adjustments at the half and we don’t. If Bobo is still here next year, it will prove there is no commitment to win at UGA.
UGAKev
January 2nd, 2012
3:31 pm
I feel so sorry for our Defense
Arx Ferrum
January 2nd, 2012
3:31 pm
First, a hat tip to the MS defense. They are a stout squad. But that said, OC Bobo has no apparent game plan that isn’t apparently predictable.
Dawgs have their hands full today. been a great game.
BingoBanjo
January 2nd, 2012
3:31 pm
RICHT WON’T BENCH AARON MURRAY, HUTSON MASON WILL NOT PLAY.
Oily Rags
January 2nd, 2012
3:31 pm
Now, for some late hits.
Mobile Dawg
January 2nd, 2012
3:31 pm
Just saying katherine. What would the Old Ball Coach do now?
DawgNation2010
January 2nd, 2012
3:31 pm
Ken Malcolm is better the IC.
Jackets 2011
January 2nd, 2012
3:31 pm
Football is a strange game the way it can turn on a lucky turnover.
We’ll see what Murray is made of here.
Tough breaks Dawgs.
gmandog
January 2nd, 2012
3:31 pm
I revise my prediction. UGA will loose by at least 10 points. Any takers.
HENRY
January 2nd, 2012
3:31 pm
OH YES, STATE IS WHIPPIN’ THAT GEORGIA BUTT………………….GO SPARTINS
DIT
January 2nd, 2012
3:31 pm
Please don’t go anywhere mason……..
kerryb
January 2nd, 2012
3:31 pm
If Murray would have thrown that deep they would have been burned
BulldogBen
January 2nd, 2012
3:31 pm
Aaron Murray: Two steps forward, two steps back
ricker
January 2nd, 2012
3:32 pm
Yeah, that Murray kid is special–not every QB is able to wet the bed in every game, and play so consistently below expectations, as this guy…and that’s REALLY special. This guy SUCKS!!!
i'm from Columbus, GA
January 2nd, 2012
3:32 pm
maybe that defense coach need to punch is mouth again.