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
I can say this....
December 1st, 2012
8:20 pm
Tech fans are on here while their team is playing right now. Thanks for your support!!!
m
December 1st, 2012
8:20 pm
only a matter of time…
December 1st, 2012
8:16 pm
great game. please stop blaming refs and missed calls. there was a big holding call that didn’t get called on Gurley’s TD.
But the interference call on UGA was called and the holding by the CB on Mitchell on the last play of the game wasn’t. Nuff said.
dawginduluth
December 1st, 2012
8:20 pm
The ref crew will be under review for the Murray hit. Big deal. They should get pulled from any more post season work. I don’t who the Umpire was but it happened right in front of him. His ticket should be pulled.
Techster
December 1st, 2012
8:20 pm
Now dogs fans are blaming it on the officials. You got to love this!!
Gay Dawg
December 1st, 2012
8:20 pm
Bama soon will have as many titles as lance armstrong
THE Dixie Redcoat Band
December 1st, 2012
8:20 pm
Is it illegal now to have male sideline reporters..come on.
Bama14
December 1st, 2012
8:20 pm
BigDawg, how many yards rushing do you have to give up before your opponent gets some credit? We had 350 today…
Fools Gold
December 1st, 2012
8:20 pm
IM SICK of THE RICHT APOLOGISTS TOO….. KEEP DRINKING THE KOOL AID!!!
NCDawg
December 1st, 2012
8:20 pm
I’m very proud of our Dawgs! It sux to lose it that way. Conley should have dropped the ball. It was tipped for you idiots that think Conley was Murray’s target. It was not Aaron’s fault. Conley caught the ball instinctively. The Dawgs should have won but they didn’t. It was a heavyweight bout and they stood toe to toe with the champ and damned near won it.
All of you what ifers just drop it. The Dawgs played a great game and Bama played a great game. It was not because Saban out coached Richt. It was a bad bounce. If Conley had dropped the ball we would have had another play and I think we would have scored. It wasn’t a dropped ball, it wasn’t an interception, it was a tipped ball that should have been allowed to drop to stop the clock. The ball fell in Conley’s hands and he caught it. It is a really crappy way to lose.
Murray played well and HE DID NOT LOSE THE GAME. Bama made one more play than we did and that is just the way it is.
Shack
December 1st, 2012
8:20 pm
Uga is a joke…. No business in game at all….. RUN OVER ALL NIGHT… No heart on that defense at all….. Jarvis jones.. Hahaha… Chokers!!!
DekalbDawg
December 1st, 2012
8:20 pm
Jeez….cut’em some slack…it was a helluva game! He decided not to spike the ball so the defense could not make any substitutions. Murray was throwing the fade and the ball was tipped. The player that caught it was NOT the intended target. Just bad luck on that last play. You know the Bama fans had major pucker factor at the end. Not gonna give up on my Dawgs!
billydawg
December 1st, 2012
8:20 pm
It was a hell of a game. Richt had them ready. We got beat. Refs did not beat us. We lost a heartbreaker. If you cant accept it than cry your ass to sleep and go bowl tomorrow.
Black Reality(The Hardest of All)
December 1st, 2012
8:20 pm
Beat N.D. NOW!
Seadoggy
December 1st, 2012
8:21 pm
As for spiking the ball, I saw Murray looking at the sideline and moving his hand up and down to ask if he should spike the ball. Richt or Bobo obviously told him to proceed with the play. Obviously a brain freeze on the coaches’ part. The players should also have been instructed not to catch the ball outside the end zone when there are no timeouts, under 20 seconds to go and 3 more downs left to make throws to the end zone. If he had been properly coached, Conley would have known he shouldn’t have caught the ball in that situation, and we would have had one last chance to throw to the end zone. Tragic coaching breakdowns at the most critical moments of the game.
Rambo
December 1st, 2012
8:21 pm
GRANTHAM IS A THUG…NO WONDER UGA DEFENSE IS THE MOST PENALIZED IN THE SEC!
Bob
December 1st, 2012
8:21 pm
No JD…it’s because we’re the most undisciplined team in the SEC. And that’s the coaches fault.
Tampa Gator
December 1st, 2012
8:21 pm
Time to go…..only idoits will be posting from this point on.
Gay Dawg
December 1st, 2012
8:21 pm
I yelled so much at the officials that my throat is wrecked tonight!
me
December 1st, 2012
8:21 pm
Will Quinton Dial be suspended by the SEC for the cheap shot on Murray? Probably not since they supplied the officials that favored AL the entire game.
Why no holding on AL cb on the last play of the game. He had both hands full of Mitchells jersey just holding him 10 yards from the line of scrimmage.
UGA walk up fan
December 1st, 2012
8:21 pm
Georgia has the worst fans ever. You had a week schedule. Why aren’t you smart enough to know that? And when you lose like you should then the coach sucks, the QB sucks, the refs suck. Why not just accept that the other team just plain beat you. Preseason #1 doesn’t get you a trophy. Would love to know how many of your even went to Georgia. I’ve personally heard from your graduates that wishes you fair weather fans would move on and pick another team. Either support your team or pick another one. Most of you should be “pullin” for Georgia Southern or your high school team. Wake up.. You played a good game against a good team and almost pulled it out. Stop whining. DAMMMMMNNNNN!!
Saban sucks
December 1st, 2012
8:21 pm
You fire richt fools need to get your head out of your butt. That was a great game and great effort by the Dawgs. Defensive depth was a problem but it is what it is. Proud of the Dawgs.
John Martin
December 1st, 2012
8:21 pm
I am done with this second tier coaching staff you can see the difference Sabin makes………….
go back to tampa
December 1st, 2012
8:22 pm
please Murray go pro. Hudson Mason in 2013 and 2014. Murray missed wide open tds twice, including one for int. Murray vs top 20 1-11.
btw: why was there never an interference called on Alabama, and multiple called on UGA.
LakeDawg
December 1st, 2012
8:22 pm
I see there are a lot of idiots on this board venting their frustration. UGA manned up and went toe to toe with the future national champions in a game that could have gone either way. I have ZERO complaints with Richt, Bobo, or Murray. It was a great game that someone had to lose. Unfortunately it was the Dawgs.
Russa
December 1st, 2012
8:22 pm
“please just go ahead and tell me how the Falcons are going to lose in the NFC Championship”
they probably won’t make it that far. Remember #1 Seed vs Green Bay a few years ago? They might make it past the first round this year (… I guess) but really, Atlanta team in the playoffs? They won’t make it to the NFC Championship
UGA walk up fan
December 1st, 2012
8:22 pm
weak .. .yeah yeah yeah
Under The Bleachers
December 1st, 2012
8:22 pm
BigDawg
December 1st, 2012
8:15 pm
Terrible officiating, all this talk about a great game is just BS because the officials decided the outcome of the game by failing to call an even game. The Bama fans are happy because they won a game they were clearly outplayed in. Some Daw3gs fans are just happy because the Dawgs acquitted themselves very nicely in hanging tough in this game but at the end of the day The Dawgs were robbed by this officiating crew.
Outplayed? What game did you watch, it was more Even Played, and UGA got a turnover in Alabama territory, and a blocked FG for a TD, outside of that it was Bama living in UGA territory.
Very Evenly played game, Outplayed? Sounds like you are a little too upset to be rational.
Tampa Gator
December 1st, 2012
8:23 pm
….and I will leave with this…..
GREAT GAME…..GEORGIA BULLDOGS….GREAT GAME TO WATCH. YOU ARE AN OUTSTANDING FOOTBALL TEAM. Now…..BAMA….go clobber Notre Dame…..and only because you will be representing the SEC.
Prometheus
December 1st, 2012
8:23 pm
LeMay to xfer to UNC.
ShowMeYurTD's
December 1st, 2012
8:23 pm
Why Conley anyway? Where was Rome?
John Martin
December 1st, 2012
8:23 pm
I am not whining I am just stating our Qb has NEVER won a big game.
I can say this....
December 1st, 2012
8:23 pm
I dont care who he was throwing too you moron. Even my 8 year old son knows with 10 seconds left no time outs, you get a first down you SPIKE THE DAMN BALL MORON!!!!
Al Bundy
December 1st, 2012
8:23 pm
Great game! Best SEC Championship game I’ve seen. Now if GT beats FSU it will be a perfect night for me!
MR is a hypocrite
December 1st, 2012
8:23 pm
The comments of the classy georgia fans always amaze me
HOSSdawg
December 1st, 2012
8:23 pm
I’m sick and tired of all the candy asses who are cowards, who have never done anything in their life but tell u what you did wrong. Go rub your clarinet or flute like you did in high school and go to bed.
Lof of heroes on here who have been losers there whole lives, never done anything but cry.
GO BAND! or if you were a male cheerleader.
Gay Dawg
December 1st, 2012
8:24 pm
I think the difern e was the way bama ran it all over our players. Just up and down the field. Up and down and up and down and in and out.
NCDawg
December 1st, 2012
8:24 pm
The Dawgs left it on the field. Bama has to admit that they barely escaped. I am not ashamed of the outcome. GO Dawgs! We might lose the seniors and Ogletree but I think we will be better offensively next year. Perhaps the offense will carry the team until the young pups are up to speed. I’m not convinced next year will be as down as everyone says.
Shack
December 1st, 2012
8:24 pm
COACHING 101: stop the run and don’t make penalties. Georgia was outplayed, out coached, and outclassed again. That flimsy schedule hid what we all new, georgia didn’t belong in the game…. Second tier team, second tier school
UGA walk up fan
December 1st, 2012
8:24 pm
what LakeDawg said…
Jimmy
December 1st, 2012
8:24 pm
Where we lost was on the lines.
Had our line been able to stand toe to toe with Bama’s
We would have won.
Sooooooo close...
December 1st, 2012
8:24 pm
Cheer up, dwag fans. Maybe in another 32 years, you can get this close to it again.
But probably not.
VinceVanGo
December 1st, 2012
8:24 pm
A three year starting quarterback should know without being told by the coaches that with 15 seconds to go you throw into the end zone twice, nothing short of the end zone to end the game if it’s caught. I certainly hope Murray goes to the pros now(if they’ll have him, which I doubt). He’s piled up statistics sure, but he’s lost almost all of the big games. Many folks would call that a glorified loser. Sorry to be so blunt.
Bob
December 1st, 2012
8:24 pm
Conley was trouble all night…could not catch anything except that last pass. Who is coaching our receivers? And, are they getting paid?
td
December 1st, 2012
8:24 pm
For you people that think CMR should be fired for not spiking the football and think that Murry intentionally threw the ball to Conley, then you are a bunch of morons.
1: Alabama is the number one defense in the country so why spike the ball and give them a chance to set their defense.
2: If the ball is not tipped or it might have been a TD or at least an incomplete pass and they get another play.
ShowMeYurTD's
December 1st, 2012
8:24 pm
Go Murray…and take CMR with you.
John Martin
December 1st, 2012
8:25 pm
Exactly I can say this…. Murray collapses under pressure……….
Anj
December 1st, 2012
8:25 pm
Any idiot knows to spike the ball
Turd Ferguson
December 1st, 2012
8:25 pm
just wait till next year, HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA ,refs called to many penalties on Ga, Murry should have spiked the ball, same as it ever was. LOSERS LOSERS LOSERS., now got TP Murrays house again you loyal Dawg Fans. quit your whining .you sound like Puppies.at least you aint 1 and 11.
bud
December 1st, 2012
8:25 pm
you Richt apologists need to STFU…. Its the same ole crap…. Tired of the moral Victories…. WE WANT Trophies!
HOSSdawg
December 1st, 2012
8:25 pm
Vince you are crazzy as hell.