Heat Check: UGA isn’t exactly the hot choice in Jacksonville
Mark Richt with the only Gator against whom he has a winning record. (AJC photo by Jason Getz)
The weekly Heat Check commences with a team that frankly didn’t look so hot Saturday night. But you’ve got to start somewhere.
GEORGIA: Picked in preseason to repeat as SEC East champs, the Bulldogs are a 6 1/2 point underdog to Florida on what is technically a neutral field. This tells us that the Gators have had the more impressive season to date, but you knew that already. Forecast: This doesn’t mean Georgia can’t win. On the contrary, how many times have the Bulldogs gone to Jacksonville with the better-looking team and lost?
FALCONS: Didn’t lose for the seventh consecutive Sunday. (Ha! Little joke!) But now the schedule gets intriguing, if not necessarily untenable. The next four opponents: Philadelphia (3-3), Dallas (3-3), New Orleans (2-4) and Arizona (4-3). Forecast: Win three of those four and the Falcons are looking at the NFC’s No. 1 seed come the playoffs. Win ‘em all and Don Shula and Nick Buoniconti and Mercury Morris get nervous.
GEORGIA TECH: So now we know. It was all Al Groh’s fault. (Kidding again.) Beating Boston College doesn’t prove much, but beats the heck out of not beating Boston College. Forecast: Not trying to get all pie-in-the-sky here, but it now seems the winner of the ACC Coastal will have at least three conference losses. If the Jackets run the conference table, they’ll have three conference losses.
GEORGIA STATE: Alas, the Panthers aren’t apt to run any tables. A week after beating Rhode Island, Georgia State lost to Villanova by 25 points. Of GSU’s seven losses, the closest has been by 21 points. Forecast: There’s a chance we’ve seen the final victory of Bill Curry’s coaching career.
BRAVES: Brian McCann had surgery, which complicates contractual things a bit. (But only a bit.) And the Cardinals, who have suddenly become the Braves’ nemeses, are on the brink of blowing a series in which they led 3-1. Forecast: If you’re the Braves, do you root for or against St. Louis tonight? I’m thinking against, but that might just be me.
HAWKS: They won two exhibition games at home. They’re 3-3 in games that don’t count. Forecast: The Hawks have only one exhibition game remaining — it’s Friday at Detroit — but the regular season doesn’t begin for 11 more days. And you thought the NBA playoffs lasted forever.
Further reading: Why Florida in Jax is a big game for Georgia — and an even bigger one for Georgia’s coach.
By Mark Bradley
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203 comments Add your comment
Ken Stallings
October 22nd, 2012
10:19 am
Mark Bradley,
This is where your Lance Armstrong column should have been published. UCI did what only they could do — stripped Armstrong of all his Tour de France titles and banned him from the sport for life. Had USADA done the right thing and quietly given their report to UCI, and let UCI do what they ultimately did do (quietly review the evidence and rule), then USADA would have looked a lot better.
I read the full 200 page USADA report. It was damning. Truth is that when you read the report it is logically impossible to conclude Armstrong was not leading a cheating conspiracy all those years. I had confidence that UCI would do the right thing, and they did.
Dizzy is Loco
October 22nd, 2012
10:20 am
Enough said.
Steve
October 22nd, 2012
10:22 am
Hairy Dawg I really hope you are kidding and that comes from a UGA fan. A romp???
tardawg
October 22nd, 2012
10:26 am
Herschel talker and replace with who? I was wondering Dooley had a winning 66% as the same time frame as Richt,who has a 77% would be saying the same about Vince as we do Mark? We rewarded Dooley with another 14 years.
Flat Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
October 22nd, 2012
10:26 am
Hair Dawg
Its about time to take that mask off and get some fresh air you are becoming delusional
what of it?
October 22nd, 2012
10:32 am
can anyone name the last time the dogs won as underdogs?
Herschel Talker
October 22nd, 2012
10:32 am
tardawg:
The next Nick Saban or Urban Meyer is out there. McGarity is a sharp guy. He will find him. Anyone with a pulse could get this team to 10-2 with this talent and schedule. We need someone to take us to the next level.
HT
Real DAWG FAN
October 22nd, 2012
10:34 am
Herschel Talker
Say something smart.
We all know you can do it!
I guess you are on the band wagon to fire CMR
Well genius who are you going to replace him with.
if you say Jon Gruden or Petrio or Smart then we really do know that you are a genius
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
October 22nd, 2012
10:34 am
After playing Pittsburg, Baltimore and New York Giants, the Eagles finally get an easy game……
HA HA
Ryan
October 22nd, 2012
10:35 am
“Forecast: This doesn’t mean Georgia can’t win. On the contrary, how many times have the Bulldogs gone to Jacksonville with the better-looking team and lost?”
That’s just dumb. The question should be, “How many times has Florida gone to Jax with the more impressive looking team and lost?” Maybe once. The fact that Georgia constantly chokes does not mean the Gators will choke. They don’t have a history of choking.
Dizzy
October 22nd, 2012
10:36 am
UGA winners if 16 of last 17 regular season games.
Wins include Florida, and 2 ranked teams.
UGA
THE HOTTEST TEAM IN THE NCAA!!!
Flat Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
October 22nd, 2012
10:38 am
Real Dawg Fan
Im still waiting on something smart from you
Dizzy
October 22nd, 2012
10:38 am
Is Aaron Murray
the hottest QB in the nation?
had a day where he had his CAREER HIGH IN PASSER YARDS.
Completed 78% of his passes Saturday.
4 td’s, no interceptions.
Murray is the hottest QB in the nation.
wreckmaniac
October 22nd, 2012
10:38 am
The game is meaningless for two reasons:
1. It’s not a game. Its actually a slaughter-laugher
2. It’s a drunkfest more than a game.
Dizzy
October 22nd, 2012
10:40 am
I believe Gurley and Marshall will go off against Florida.
Malcome ran all over Florida last year, just jammed it down their throats when we were running out the clock, they couldn’t stop us.
wreckmaniac
October 22nd, 2012
10:41 am
Face bags with eyeholes will be handed out to the first 10,000 dawg fans.
Get there early.
Gatorzone
October 22nd, 2012
10:41 am
Dizzy and Hairy Dawg are delusional and Childish at best…
Dogs, aren’t Mean enough to matchup with Muschomp!!!!
Joey
October 22nd, 2012
10:41 am
“Dawgs are so bi-polar, you never know what you are going to get,…”
**********************************************
I disagree. Since about ‘08, the record shows exactly “what you are going to get.”
If the opponent is a ranked team, we have about a 15% chance of winning.
If the opponent is a Top 10 team, we have a 0% of winning.
Lastly, if the opponent is a Top 10 team, we have about a 75% chance of getting blown-out.
Speaking of that, with every game SC plays, that 35-7 game gets more and more embarrassing.
wreckmaniac
October 22nd, 2012
10:43 am
Dizzy, you have certainly earned your name.
GTBob
October 22nd, 2012
10:43 am
Murray is the hottest QB in the nation.
I don’t think you can claim to be the hottest QB in the nation based on one game that you barely won against one of the worst teams in the FBS.
Gatorzone
October 22nd, 2012
10:43 am
Brent Pease knows the formula for beating UGA, just like last year when Boise put it on them in the dome… He will use the same recipe in Jax… Our defense can stop ANYONE, including Alabama!
Dizzy
October 22nd, 2012
10:44 am
UGA has the hottest offense
in 20 years at UGA
39 points per game average
486 yards per game average
Both top 20 in the nation
unheard of for an SEC East team
Florida’s offense doesn’t even register nationally in total offense or scoring
Gatorzone
October 22nd, 2012
10:45 am
UGA gets their will broken this weekend against a tougher, more physical Florida team…
Get ready to get punched in the mouth dogs, cause its coming!!!
Destin Dawg
October 22nd, 2012
10:45 am
several of our guys want to go pro next year… Grantham and Bo Bo like their jobs… Athens life style…. Richt may act ready to retire… but the need is great to beat the Gators.. we can’t shoot our selves in the foot early like S.C. did !!! hit the ground running.. Go Dawgs !!
Dizzy
October 22nd, 2012
10:46 am
Florida is ranked 102 in total offense
UGA #17
Florida is ranked #54 in offensive scoring
UGA #12
Joey
October 22nd, 2012
10:47 am
Dawgs is goning down to Jax to lay a beating on Gaytors. We’ll expose Judas Muschump as another Zookster. We just had a bad day against SCar. But that don’t happen twice. Dawgs in a cake walks. Dawgs 38 – Gaytors 13.
***************************************
Hairy Dawg, I’ve just got 2 words for that post:
Alcoholics Anonymous.
Dizzy
October 22nd, 2012
10:48 am
fLORIDA’S PASSING OFFENSE ranked #112
UGA #30
Dizzy Needs to Be Locked Up in a Mental Institution
October 22nd, 2012
10:49 am
Enter your comments here
SKB
October 22nd, 2012
10:49 am
IF you fire Mark Richt.. you have to replace him with:
Jim Donan
Ray Goff
Pick wisely
Not adding up......
October 22nd, 2012
10:50 am
Dawgs get very good (or even great) recruits year after year. What happens to them? They melt away or lose talent when they cross the Athens city limits? Let’s face it, if things don’t improve, we’ll be no better than Auburn or some other cutesy 2nd tier program.
Flat Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
October 22nd, 2012
10:50 am
Dizzy
aka
Sammy or Columbus is on their 4 hr morning break at Arkham Asylum
The nurse will be by to give him his “”"Reality Meds”"”" shortly
gtt
October 22nd, 2012
10:51 am
I root against the Cardinals and for the Bulldogs.
Dizzy
October 22nd, 2012
10:51 am
iF uga SCORES 30 POINTS (offense avwerages 39 pts per game)
and doesn’t turn the ball over more than once
UGA wins
dagadawgs
October 22nd, 2012
10:51 am
See bad dawg’s post 9:55 AM. Awesome
GTBob
October 22nd, 2012
10:52 am
Grantham and Bo Bo like their jobs… Athens life style….
Why would a grown man under the age of 60 want to live in Athens?
Flat Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
October 22nd, 2012
10:52 am
Hairy Dawg
“That doesnt happen twice”"
Evidently you missed the Boise ST game and LSU game last year
Dizzy
October 22nd, 2012
10:53 am
Florida’s offense isn’t good enough to beat you.
They rely on turnovers, got 7 in last 2 games.
Protect the ball, get a nice lead, and force Florida’s offense to win a game for them.
Florida is too agressive, burn them (trick plays, double moves, snap count variations, presnap movement on defense, etc.).
murfdawg
October 22nd, 2012
10:53 am
Kudos to Bad Dawg. That was funny.
When UGA used to go to Jax with teams that were not as talented as Fl, we always had better coaching. Dooley had the team prepared to play and Erk always had them fired up. That is the difference between the “old Dawgs” and the “new Dawgs”.
I was in Columbia and watched the team come onto the field, and said we looked business like. USC came onto the field like their hair was on fire and looked like rabid dogs attacking a meat wagon. I may be wrong, but football has to be played with a lot of emotion and fire. I know it doesn’t last all game, but maybe for more than two plays. I would rather lose playing with a lot of fire than look like I was buying a truck. You make make a few mistakes because of being too emotionally high, but what the he##, make the mistakes going 100 mph.
I have never felt so bad about being 6-1 going into the fl game as I do this one. Someone tell me why and how we have a chance.
Flat Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
October 22nd, 2012
10:54 am
Dizzy
UGA couldnt score a point on SC’s defense
what makes you think they will score 30 points
Dizzy
October 22nd, 2012
10:54 am
Florida ranks #95 in penalities.
Take advantage of their over-aggression.
Dizzy Needs to Be Locked Up in a Mental Institution
October 22nd, 2012
10:55 am
Dizzy, the offensive statistics you cite are when UGA played St. Mary’s Women’s colleged. In your lone game against a decent team (USCe), you were DESTROYED and had NO offense.
Dizzy
October 22nd, 2012
10:56 am
How can anyone explain this:
Fla-Vandy 28-14
UGA-Vandy 45-3
Dizzy
October 22nd, 2012
10:57 am
UGA 24, UF 20. IN 2011.
All naysayers said wouldn’t happen.
Oops.
Uncle Tom
October 22nd, 2012
10:58 am
Having Richt as coach has lately been like having the stomach virus. You’re sick, you know it, but you try very hard not to throw up and clean out your system so you can start to recover. But if we really stink up Jacksonville on Saturday, maybe McGarity will cleanse the system and we can start to get back to where we should be with all these top recruiting classes. So let’s go find a good toilet and do what needs to be done!
Flat Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
October 22nd, 2012
10:58 am
“I believe Gurley and Marshall will go off against FL”"
Really where did they go against a 1 Win KY team
Dizzy
October 22nd, 2012
10:59 am
If Florida’s so much better,
why arn’t they favored by 21 over UGA?
Flat Tire On I-95 in Jacksonville
October 22nd, 2012
11:01 am
Dizzy
How can anyone explain
SC 17 Vandy 13
SC 35 UGA 7
Dizzy
October 22nd, 2012
11:07 am
I can’t figure this out…
If Gators are so much better than UGA….
Why arn’t they favored by at least 2 touchdowns?
4 pt favorties, doesn’t sound dominant to me.
Why doesn’t Vegas agree with the lone blogger here that says UF wins in a blowout?
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing can stop it
October 22nd, 2012
11:07 am
Looks like things are getting back to normal.
The teams that have to wait on the big boys to have down years and finally having to face reality
kevin
October 22nd, 2012
11:08 am
I’m convinced that Dizzy is just playing. He can’t really believe all those inflated offensive numbers against sub-par opponents actually MEAN anything. The only good team we played destroyed us. I expect another dose of destruction on Saturday and I don’t even want to watch it. Never in my life have I not wanted to watch. But this is what it’s come to.
And Bad Dawg, your stuff is awesome. Keep it coming. Helps me deal with the reality of the Georgia mess.