Live from the Dome: Favored Bama meets hungry Dogs!
That famous jokester Nick Saban leaves Mark Richt in stitches Friday. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
At the SEC Coaches’ Luncheon at the Hyatt on Friday, emcee Dave Neal asked Nick Saban if it was easier to keep a team motivated as a favorite, or if being an underdog was preferable. Whereupon Mark Richt said, “What does he know about being an underdog?”
Saban’s Crimson Tide is favored today by eight points over Richt’s Bulldogs, but an awful lot of folks — this correspondent included — are picking Georgia. Still, this matchup couldn’t have caught Saban unaware.
“Last summer I was at the lake (Burton, where every big-name college football coach has a summer house) and I was fooling around in the yard, and two guys rode up on JetSkis,” Saban told Richt at the luncheon. “One of them was your quarterback Aaron Murray and the other was your center (David Andrews). And they said, ‘We’ll see you in the SEC championship game.’ ”
And here both teams are, Alabama ranked No. 2 to Georgia’s No. 2, Alabama favored but not nearly a lock, Georgia trying to seize its biggest football moment in three decades. But you knew all that already. So enough of me talking.
I’ll be here until someone is the 2012 SEC champ, and I’d appreciate it if you’d join the fun and frolic. And I thank you, as ever, in advance.
By Mark Bradley
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2,729 comments Add your comment
CHDawg
December 1st, 2012
3:01 pm
One point worth making: the kid tweeting Bama is here every year was wrong. Most of their starters haven’t been to Atlanta. The last time they were here was back in ‘09. UGA was here last year. The Tidesters do have big stage experience, just not much SEC CG experience recently.
Roy
December 1st, 2012
3:03 pm
Bama has played 2 good teams this year, lost one, should have lost the other to LSU.
NCDawg
December 1st, 2012
3:03 pm
Roll Tide – pride goeth before the fall. It is a giant mistake to disregard UGA. The Dawgs have the best offense you have played all year. Yes, better than A&M’s and we know how that turned out. I’d start drinking now, because the Dawgs are going to win and you football worshiping, Saban\Bear idolators are going to be in shock.
ROLL TIDE
December 1st, 2012
3:05 pm
Chase, you may not want to hear it but you got it wrong. Michigan was #11 in the country when we opened up the season against them and we broke their spirt and ruined Denard Robinson’s chance for the Heisman before it even really got going. Also, Mississippi State was undefeated when they can into Tuscaloosa. LSU had two weeks to get ready for Bama and we played them there at night. When is the last time Georgia has gone to LSU at night and beat them? We beat LSU on their home turf two games in row. Last year’s National Championship game then then this year. We lost to TAMU becaue AJ was under so much pressure and he was playing so tight. Since then he has been focused and on point just like he was during the NC game. That loss was a great loss for us and we needed it to let the pressure off of very young players. Georgia will see the result of that today. Here are Georgia’s wins this year: Buffalo, Missouri, Forida Atlantic, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Kentucky (barely), Forida, Ole Miss, Auburn, Georgia Southern and Georgia Tech. Dude really? And you think you want some of Bama? All season long all I’ve heard from Georgia fans is that they want Bama. How that you have Bama, I wonder why so many of you so called Georgia fans are so quiet this week???? Hmmmmmm RMFTB
NCDawg
December 1st, 2012
3:05 pm
Roy – true. The Dawgs did the same. Difference is we BEAT UF and the Tide escaped LSU because Chavis went soft on that last drive.
Mark Bradley
December 1st, 2012
3:07 pm
Roy Kramer, who invented this game, used to wax rhapsodic about the vibe in the Georgia Dome “the hour before kickoff.”
Well, here we are.
Mark Bradley
December 1st, 2012
3:09 pm
The Georgia Bulldogs — a few of them, at least — take the field for warmups. Bama guys are out there as well.
Mark Bradley
December 1st, 2012
3:11 pm
Bama already trails by seven points.
In a basketball tilt against Cincinnati.
Cranky Old Codger
December 1st, 2012
3:11 pm
Can somebody explain what it is about headsets on players as they enter a stadium? It is at least annoying and at least rude for fans to wait, worshipfully, outside a venue and cheer and offer congratulations to the team only to have them glide by and acting like they could care less to even acknowledge the fans who are wishing them well. Can you imagine a guest speaker showing up at a school and entering an arena wearing a headset? Pretty conceited to me. They should at least have the courtesy to hear the fans when they get off the bus to the locker room door. Sportsmanship and sportsmen ain’t what they used to be.
Eric C.
December 1st, 2012
3:12 pm
Roll Tide, it wasn’t at night…but UGA beat LSU 52-38 the last time they played there. Enough of the comparisons…GATA!
JB
December 1st, 2012
3:12 pm
Said a prayer for Richt and the Dawgs this morning. Lot’s of pain and misery in the world, but I had to ask. Hello Munson and Lewis on a shout out also.
ROLL TIDE
December 1st, 2012
3:12 pm
NCDAWG-First of all, your offense is no where near as good at TAMU and neither is your QB. Secondly, as I stated before, Alabama needed that loss to TAMU becasue McCarron was so tight he was starting to play very bad. Now that he has that loss under his belt, the pressure is off and he has be on every since. You Dawg fans will see that this year. We may have squeeked by LSU, but when is the last time Georgia went into LSU’s stadium at night and beat them after LSU had a full two weeks to get ready for them??????? That’s what I thought. That is what Bama did, not only did we beat them on their own turf, we also did it the year prior and won the National Championship. When was theh last time Georgia won a National Championship? 1980? C’MON MAN!! Bama is about to win their third NC in 4 years.
JB
December 1st, 2012
3:13 pm
Munson would of said this week……” Do you guys know how big this is”.
ROLL TIDE
December 1st, 2012
3:14 pm
And let me just say this to you dawg fans….If Bama does stumble today and lose (which is possible, no doubt), I will pull just as hard from Georgia to beat the hell outta Notre Dame in the National Championship game. Any team that beats Florida is good in my book. I’M A TRUE GATOR HATER!!!
Beeeeg Boy
December 1st, 2012
3:14 pm
Dreamed last night that we missed a PAT in overtime. Nightmare really!!!
SatillaDawg
December 1st, 2012
3:15 pm
NEWSFLASH …
David Pollack is a TRAITOR, nothing more, nothing less.
Win or lose, Bulldawg Nation won’t forget his gutless and traitorous prediction.
GO DAWGS!
CHDawg
December 1st, 2012
3:17 pm
Satilla, I think that is unfair. Pollack said his heart was with the Dawgs.
RunninWithTheDawgs
December 1st, 2012
3:19 pm
Steak Shapiro SUCKS ! GO DAWGS !
T-Dawg
December 1st, 2012
3:20 pm
Must hit AJ in the mouth on the first or second possession. If we can’t get pressure, forget about it.
chase
December 1st, 2012
3:20 pm
ROLL TIDE
Sorry but if you get credit for beating teams when they are “ranked” or “ranked high”.then so should Georgia..BUT NO…ESPN and everyone else only wants to give UGA credit for beating teams that “finished ranked”
I’m still trying to figure out where the whole “Arron Murray is 1-10 vs Ranked teams” comes from….I believe he at least beat Florida the past 2 years and 2 years ago the Dawgs and Murray beat #7 ranked Tech….and other teams that were ranked when we beat them….
Keep sticking your head in the sand and believe what you want to
Roy
December 1st, 2012
3:21 pm
Check this out…only 3 players, THREE on Alabama’s current roster played in the SEC title game before. Wow! People talking Bama has been on the big stage and probably so, but they haven’t been to the SEC title game since 2009. UGA was here last year.
chase
December 1st, 2012
3:22 pm
Roll Tide
in 2008, the last time UGA played LSU during the season they beat them and scored 51 points in Death Valley
ZTP
December 1st, 2012
3:23 pm
D. Howard always pick Michigan even if they’re have an awful season.. Was it a shocker that the once great #47 picked Bama????
ROLL TIDE
December 1st, 2012
3:24 pm
Chase, really? Stick my head in the sand? I think what Alabama has done in the previous 3 years speaks for itself. And now, in about 35 minutes, Bama’s pads will do the talking. Murry is overrated and you will see that in a few minutes when he sees a real defense
chase
December 1st, 2012
3:25 pm
ROLL TIDE
what happened the last 3 years with mostly completely different player has no bearing on today’s game…that could be a painful lesson for Bama and their fans to learn
Joe Bob Thibodaux
December 1st, 2012
3:25 pm
Mark, I look forward to a real good football game.
I am4LSU, and I hate Bama and the Texas Aggies. THEREFORE: I am pulling for Georgia.
I think either LSU, Georgia, and Alabama, and perhaps a couple of other SEC teams could
all beat Notre Dame.
JBT
Joey
December 1st, 2012
3:25 pm
That Saban-lake story is a hoot MB.
As was the one yesterday about superstitions – Saban’s “no fresh chewing gum if he’s ahead,” and Richt’s “no bathroom break if he’s ahead” quirks.
Roy
December 1st, 2012
3:27 pm
Another key fact…last year UGA had no semblance of a running game. Crowell took himself out of the game after he got hit..and Carlton Thomas was too small to run against LSU’s defense last year. Murray had tons of pressure on him to move the ball on offense by himself. This year, we have Gurshall. Gurley will not come off the field unless he’s letting Marshall get carries. Gurley is tough and he’s going to carry the rock a lot in this one. The Dawgs running game will be the difference IMO.
Mark Bradley
December 1st, 2012
3:30 pm
Bands playing. Full squads on the turf. Getting serious.
I'm 1-10 against ranked opponents...and you think I will beat Bama?
December 1st, 2012
3:30 pm
43-16 Tide…to think UGA will win this game is sheer stupidity…my name says it all…
Joey
December 1st, 2012
3:31 pm
We will know soon enough who is besting who.
I just hope Murray is ready to carve up Bama’s D like I did that turkey last week.
Go Aaron Murray.
Go Dawgs!
Joey
December 1st, 2012
3:32 pm
…..and to hell with techies (3:30).
Put in Timeout by Ken Sugiura,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
December 1st, 2012
3:32 pm
MARK BRADLEY….you going to let me talk LIVE today?
Beeeeg Boy
December 1st, 2012
3:34 pm
As Munson would say “Get The Picture Now”
Real Deal
December 1st, 2012
3:34 pm
I suppose when the dogs lose today it will be Nick Fairley’s fault? Huh, dawg fans? The soldier boyz will be out of it by half time.
Phar71
December 1st, 2012
3:35 pm
help! I’m out of the country and espn here is not showing the game, does anyone know where to watch the game online?
Put in Timeout by Ken Sugiura,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
December 1st, 2012
3:35 pm
Come on MARK let me post LIvE and not have to Wait to get in the conversation.
Joe Bob Thibodaux
December 1st, 2012
3:36 pm
Phar71
CBS
john r smith HTTR !
December 1st, 2012
3:37 pm
Paher—-Its a CBS game—good luck–
ARdawg
December 1st, 2012
3:37 pm
Dawgs win this one
Let the Big Dawg eat!!!
john r smith HTTR !
December 1st, 2012
3:37 pm
*Phar
polskidawg
December 1st, 2012
3:38 pm
“SatillaDawg” you’re trying WAY too hard to incite an anti-Pollack riot. Makes me think you are not a Dawg, or a typical Dawg “fan” who needs a life.
Pollack has more Dawg loyalty and general football knowledge in his little toe than you have in your entire pathetic body. He WANTS the Dawgs to win – his football mind says otherwise. He also has a job to do, which he handles just like he handled his football career, with great preparation and drive.
Enjoy the game.
DP
December 1st, 2012
3:38 pm
“Dawgs have more talent at almost every position or position group on the field….”
They certainly have the most Delusional fan base.
ARdawg
December 1st, 2012
3:39 pm
Phar71
cbssports.com
Put in Timeout by Ken Sugiura,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned by Bill King, Chip Towers & only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
December 1st, 2012
3:40 pm
MARK BRADLEY……Let EVERYBODY post LIVE today.
Jimmy Crack
December 1st, 2012
3:40 pm
Holy Clash of the Titans, Batman!
Murray = Self-Hypnosis = 4 TDs
McCarron = Grits = Nice Guy
buzzDawg
December 1st, 2012
3:40 pm
Roy – good points. But more important is the Bulldawgs didn’t keep their focus against LSU. They didn’t against South Carolina either but I think they learned their lesson there and have been playing with intensity and purpose since then. Jarvis Jones had a chance to go to the NFL last year – this is what he came back for.
35 - 7
December 1st, 2012
3:40 pm
Its gonna get UGALY….. See ya at the Crapital One Bowl Dawg fans!
Roy
December 1st, 2012
3:41 pm
Chance Warmack [#65 Alabama] needs to pull his shirt down. Fat boy.
Phar71
December 1st, 2012
3:41 pm
Thanks fellas, the crapy part is only have my iPad no flash, CPU is in the office. Poor planning damnit.