Isn’t UGA better than the Capital One Bowl? Why, sure it is
For the Bulldogs, getting over the Alabama game won't be easy. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
Athens – Depending on the index, Georgia is ranked No. 5 (USA Today coaches’ poll), No. 6 (Associated Press) or No. 7 (BCS) in the land. Counting the national championship game, the BCS fits 10 teams into five postseason games. Georgia, alas, is not among them.
The Bulldogs are bound for the Capital One Bowl, which is essentially the consolation game for losers of conference championships. (Georgia’s opponent is Nebraska, which lost to Wisconsin 70-31 in the Big Ten title tilt.) With three losses, the Cornhuskers probably belong in the Capital One. Georgia does not.
At worst, Georgia is the nation’s third-best team. It went 11-1 in the regular season and won the SEC Eastern Division, which this time around was no junior circuit. (Florida is ranked No. 3 in the BCS standings, South Carolina No. 10). But the Bulldogs were penalized for falling five yards short in one of the greatest games ever played, dropping from No. 3 to No. 7 and sliding below Florida.
Lest we forget, Georgia beat Florida 17-9 on Oct. 27. But the Gators finished with one loss to the Bulldogs’ two, and by virtue of being ranked in the top four Florida was guaranteed a BCS spot. For the second year running, we see the advantage of NOT playing for the SEC championship: In 2011 Alabama played for the BCS title without risking a loss in the Georgia Dome on the first Saturday in December, and now Florida gets to play in a BCS game ahead of the SEC loser.
This isn’t to say Florida is undeserving: At worst, the Gators are the nation’s fourth-best team. This is to say that the system – stop if you’ve heard this one – stinks. Northern Illinois (No. 16 in the BCS standings) and Louisville (No. 21) will grace BCS games, but Georgia will not. The Bulldogs are the highest-ranked team to be excluded from the Big Five postseason games.
And this sits with the Bulldogs … well, about the way you’d think. “Maybe a little bit robbed,” was quarterback Aaron Murray’s assessment. “We definitely feel like we’re a BCS-caliber team. I think we proved that all season long. I think we proved that in the SEC Championship Game — that we belong with the best.”
Tight end Arthur Lynch, speaking of the epic loss to Alabama: “We’ve proved ourselves worthy to be in that situation. Some people have said it was a de facto national championship game. In my opinion, those were the two best teams in the country.”
Then this: “I’m not unhappy with the Capital One, but the national championship was the only game I wanted to go to. If we were in New Orleans (for the BCS-level Sugar Bowl), that wouldn’t be where I wanted to be.”
Wide receiver Tavarres King, measuring his words: “I don’t really think anything. The system is OK. I really can’t say much more.”
But he did. He said this: “I’d love to see an eight-game playoff. If you go head-to-head with teams in this conference, you might slip up. We certainly deserve a BCS bid.”
The argument can be made that, if you’re not playing for the BCS title, it doesn’t matter where you land. Monetarily that’s not true, and psychically it isn’t, either. The BCS system – which will yield to a four-team playoff come to 2014 – has created a three-tier system: Tier 1 is the championship game; Tier 2 consists of the other four BCS bowls; Tier 3 is everything else.
The BCS allows a conference only two spots in its Big Five. (Unless two teams from the same league are matched in the BCS title game and neither is the conference champion, which could never happen.) But when the bigger leagues grow by the minute and the Big East descends to Sun Belt level, is such a provision fair? Would the New Year be lessened if the Sugar Bowl, say, featured a rematch of Georgia-Florida?
Said Mark Richt, Georgia’s coach: “Is Florida deserving of the (BCS) opportunity? I think they are. I think we are, too.”
For the record, Richt and many Bulldogs lauded the Capital One. “Everyone is exited to go to Disney World,” Murray said. “Everyone wants to use their (bowl-provided) Best Buy gift cards.”
But danger awaits in Orlando. Georgia is clearly the superior team – Nebraska is ranked No. 23 by AP – but Georgia mightn’t have the greater motivation. Asked if he feared his team might believe it’s too good for the Capital One, Richt said: “I don’t think anybody is thinking that. The Capital One is a great bowl. Nebraska is a great program.”
Those are nice words from a famously nice man, but the reality is rather different. Thirty days after losing a national semifinal by four points and five yards, Georgia will face a much lesser opponent in a more austere setting. Spend those Best Buy gift bucks wisely, guys.
By Mark Bradley
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614 comments Add your comment
Brainiac(Dawg for life)(CMR fan for life)
December 12th, 2012
7:17 pm
@ Tcunningham:
I looked up “jealousy” in the dictionary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It had a picture of GT Bob beside the definition!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not just "no", but
December 12th, 2012
7:17 pm
hell no
BamaStan
December 12th, 2012
7:17 pm
Flo-ri-dah is an idiot. News flash brainiac, FloriDA beat LSU, South Carolina, Florida State, and Texas A&M. 5 great wins tops 1 good win any day. Plus they turned it over 6 times and beat themselves in Jax. Stop crying and say hi to Mickey for me.
Steve
December 12th, 2012
7:17 pm
Because you are an immature little kid “Donnan.”
Brainiac(Dawg for life)(CMR fan for life)
December 12th, 2012
7:21 pm
@ GT Bob:(7:10 pm post)
Yep, and all those teams(except mabe Auburn) would have demolished GT!!!!!!!!!!!!
Whining
December 12th, 2012
7:21 pm
Nope, sniffle…
Brainiac(Dawg for life)(CMR fan for life)
December 12th, 2012
7:25 pm
@ Bammy Stan:
It seems that a lot of teams “turned it over” against UGA. Saban ranks UGA ahead of everybody except Bama and ND but out of respect for your GENIUS IN ALL THINGS FOOTBALL I will concede that you are way ahead of Saban!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brainiac(Dawg for life)(CMR fan for life)
December 12th, 2012
7:28 pm
The BEST way to settle the MNC issue is for The SEC to send it’s top 6 teams against ANY other 6 teams picked by whoever and the last team standing will be MNC.
Tucker
December 12th, 2012
7:33 pm
UGA is the Cap One Bowl.
BamaStan
December 12th, 2012
7:33 pm
Hey Brainiac (perfect name), you played a 3 game schedule and here’s how it went.
1. Got hammered by South Carolina and I mean hammered.
2. Beat Florida on 6 turnovers, 4 of which were gift wrapped. Nearly anyone decent beats them on that day.
3. Lost to Bama and big boy teams/schools don’t chalk up moral victories.
You deserve exactly where you are going. Again, say hi to Mickey for me.
Get over it
December 12th, 2012
7:34 pm
They played three top 25 teams and lost to two of them. Get over it MB,
Footballrules
December 12th, 2012
7:34 pm
Of course, Brainiac….the Special Ed Conference is just an NFL training camp. Entrance exam @ typical SEC school….”Now, spell cat. Here…I’ll give ya the first letter….K.”
Footballrules
December 12th, 2012
7:39 pm
I need a hug
wooooo
December 12th, 2012
7:40 pm
Hey Braniac, A top 3 team does not get it’s a$$ kicked by 31 on national tv.
You can come up with all the lame excuses and do all the yeah, but’s you want.
For a big boy you look pretty small to me. Now how about you go away son before I turn you over my knee.
UCLA Man
December 12th, 2012
7:42 pm
Georgia should be in the Orange or Sugar no doubt . Why N Ill and Louisville get in is a joke.
This is coming from a Pac10 , UCLA man !
Beast from the East
December 12th, 2012
7:47 pm
UF beat 7 bowl-bound teams, including 4 that are in the top 15.
UGA beat 4 bowl-bound teams, including 1 that is in the top 15.
Also, 2 of the bowl bound teams that UGA beat have combined for 12 wins and 13 losses (Tech & Ole Miss).
Who has the better body of work?
Eddie Lacy 181 yards TJ Yeldon 152 yards
December 12th, 2012
7:48 pm
“At worst, Georgia is the nation’s third-best team.”
Now THAT is funny!
Matt the Brave
December 12th, 2012
7:49 pm
If Georgia wins huge against Nebraska, I’ll agree with this. If we lose, then we were in the right bowl. And I’m a UGA fan from the 80s!
Tide Rising
December 12th, 2012
7:52 pm
Florida’s body of work is simply superior to Georgia’s. They deserve the Sugar Bowl. And forget the head to head. Anyone who has a bad day and turns it over 6 times is going to lose. Dawgs were just plain lucky that day.
What I want to know is why the dawg fans so quickly forget 2007. Wasn’t it them that got to go to the sugar bowl ahead of a UT team that won the division but ended up losing to LSU in the seccg. And the dawgs went to a bcs bowl? How quickly they forget.
buck
December 12th, 2012
7:54 pm
GA beat two teams with a winning record
Tide Rising
December 12th, 2012
7:55 pm
“Hey Braniac, A top 3 team does not get it’s a$$ kicked by 31 on national tv.”
True dat. Championship caliber and elite caliber teams may lose a game. But they don’t give the living crap beat out of them by 4 tds.
pb
December 12th, 2012
7:57 pm
Yes, maybe UGA better than Cap One Bowl, but they sure aren’t “nation’s third best team.” Someone hallucinating there ? Plus, didn’t we have this same question from the Bill King Bulldawg Nut, right after the SEC title game ?
Steve
December 12th, 2012
7:59 pm
Nor do they lost at home to an new SEC team : )
Tide Rising
December 12th, 2012
8:02 pm
Steve,
And you would be wrong. Go back and look at the history of 1 loss champions. Plenty of them have lost at home. What the hell does it matter if you lose a close game at home or on the road? The field is still the same size. Jeez.
Steve
December 12th, 2012
8:07 pm
Awww don’t be sad little boy.
Tide Rising
December 12th, 2012
8:10 pm
Steve,
Don’t worry. I’m not sad. After all my team is playing in the bcs title game and going for its 3rd bcs title in 4 years? And yours? Look on the bright side though. At least you’re not in your usual place the music city bowl.
Steve
December 12th, 2012
8:12 pm
HA HA. Shows how much you know about college football. Music City Bowl huh? Did not know that is where they are playing this year. Amazing that UGA has been to the Music City Bowl ONE time and that was in 2001. Yup, usual place for sure.
DawgNole
December 12th, 2012
8:14 pm
SlowBall
December 12th, 2012
4:25 pm
Why is anyone complaining about a bowl system that’s screwed up from the outset?
________________
You answered your own question. They’re complaining because it’s screwed up from the outset.
DawgNole
December 12th, 2012
8:21 pm
sarfdawg
December 12th, 2012
4:30 pm
GTBob, 42-10. I know you’ll have some excuse or clever remark that will make you feel better or try to seem smarter, but 42-10 is where it begins and ends for you.
_____________________
Don’t forget 51-7 and all the other lopsided UGA wins in the lopsided series.
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
December 12th, 2012
8:23 pm
http://www.coachhoover.blogspot.com/2012/12/how-georgia-lost-sec-championship-rb.html
Enjoy…
Smart like a fox
December 12th, 2012
8:25 pm
when will this crying ever stop !!! the water is over the banks on lake lanier and the hooch can’t take much more !! Please stop with the tears already…we get it you think UGA really won and should get Bama’s spot in the big game….UGA has the world’s largest cay baby fan base !!! Get over it !!
Flat Tire On Hwy 441 in Athens
December 12th, 2012
8:34 pm
we were 5 yds short
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
championship programs and their fans dont make excuses
if we were better prepared for that situation we would have won period instead we lost another big game stop the boo hoo cry me a river excuses
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
December 12th, 2012
8:38 pm
We do have a lot of fun talking trash but nobody is serious…right?
John Mcenroe…”You can’t be serious”.
The good news for the returning UGA defense….Eddie Lacey is going pro……..
Forest Gump..”I ran clear across Greenbow County”
Eddie Lacey..”I ran clear across Fulton County”…”then I ran back”
oh brother!
December 12th, 2012
8:40 pm
idiots…all of you.
pooh p
December 12th, 2012
8:42 pm
“Never before have we had in one place such a collection of dimwits and delusion, with the possible exception of when David Pollack dined alone.”
John F Kennedy
DawgNole
December 12th, 2012
8:50 pm
Homer Rice
December 12th, 2012
4:35 pm
Tcunningham, who cares about UGA?? If it weren’t for Hershal, that program would be looking NAIA right now! Tech has wayyyyyyyyyyy more tradition, more national titles, etc…
__________________
Way more tradition? You mean that traditon of losing to UGA?
PS
December 12th, 2012
8:51 pm
Here’s why the SB picked FL and why they’re ranked ahead of UGA.
Georgia’s 12 opponents: 72-72
Florida’s 12 opponents: 92-50
a. Georiga played 8 teams that finished with 6 or more losses (2 of the remaing 4 teams were GA SO and Vandy [both wins]. Against UF and USC, they got blown out and needed 6 turnovers to “hold on” at the end of regulation (Jarvis is a beast). All teams have a bad game. Does anyone really think USC is 4 TDs better than UGA. I don’t.
b. Florida played 8 teams headed to a bowl.
c. Geogia had 1 win better than the Vandy win.
d. Florida had 4 wins better than the Vandy win.
e. Remove USC and UF (21 wins) from UGA’s schedule, and the remaining 10 opponents finished 51-69 (18 games UNDER .500, and that includes 9 win GA SO and 8 win Vandy).
f. Florida played 5 teams in the top 12, and were 4-1 against. By any measure, Florida played arguably the most difficult schedule in college football.
At the end of the day, UGA was 1-2 against teams they have to beat to win a NC. Yes, the SECCG was one of the most-exciting games I’ve ever seen (1985), but GA fans seem to just be content to have competed with BAMA. CMR will likely never win a NC at UGA. Look at the last 10 NC teams, and most have won it in year 2-5. This is the closest CMR’s come, and he’s in like his 15th year? It’s rare to put together a team like UGA did this year (solid to outstanding on BOTH offense and defense) AND to get a favorable schedule. Need to capitalize when this occurs. UGA did not. And don’t look now, but look who has the #1 ranked recruiting class.
Sun Devil Dave
December 12th, 2012
9:07 pm
Georgia was 5 yards and ONE SPIKE away from winning the SEC least we forget. NOTE TO coaching staff, Richt/BooBoo SPIKE THE BALL NEXT TIME and you won’t have to grip about what bowl you got.
THE Dixie Redcoat Band
December 12th, 2012
9:11 pm
Some of you guys may not like having so many bowls. Try telling that to the team/coaches/bands/alumni/fans and the host city….everybody has a good time and they sure help the local economy.
WestOfAthens
December 12th, 2012
9:12 pm
A lot of people forget the simple fact.
UGA beat Florida, 2 years straight.
The system is what it is
daddo
December 12th, 2012
9:13 pm
You are exactly where u were last year: the sixth best team in the SEC.
1. Alabama
2. Fla
3. LSU
4. Texas A and M
5. South Carolina
6. Georgia
U lose to each of the Western leaders. U r lucky u aren’t in the Peach Bowl.
AdMan
December 12th, 2012
9:14 pm
Bama Stan is a prick plain and simple…. and he knows it!
Athens
December 12th, 2012
9:17 pm
Funny how Tide Rising comes here spouting s__t. I was at the SEC game and bama fans were very gracious and respectful leaving the dome. I suspect they were mostly alums as they don”t act like the wannna be fans of both schools…They knew how close they were to being in our position.
Footballrules
December 12th, 2012
9:18 pm
To the coward who said I needed a hug (and was too chicken to use his own screen name)….how’d ya like that last play in the SEC Championship game? That was a doosy, wasn’t it? Oh, well, as ole Frank Howard used to say: “Coming close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.”
DawgNole
December 12th, 2012
9:28 pm
Another Steve
December 12th, 2012
6:42 pm
The SEC is going to have to address the inequality in scheduling or our conference championship will lose its value. Both bama and georgia had very soft schedules. Is it too late to go back to 12 teams. A home and home schedule requiring 12 years to complete is too long.
____________________
Good points, but no need to return to 12 teams. Just play a 9-game SEC slate–and stop scheduling OOC marshmallows.
Gene
December 12th, 2012
9:29 pm
Nebraska is pushover. If UGA goes into that game whining about how they were cheated, they may leave whining.
intheknow
December 12th, 2012
9:29 pm
Funny I wached the Georgia / Florida game this year and I saw the Dawgs have more yards of offense,and thier defense created the gators six turn overs . …and if I’m not mistaken isn’t that what you’re supposed to do? Florida got their ass whipped by the Dawgs plain and simple. You idiots that that come on hear and try to make excuses are nothing more than trying to justify the loss. The gators have lost two years in a row to the Dawgs….I think they better get used to it….its gonna happen again next year….you can count on it!
James
December 12th, 2012
9:32 pm
3rd best? They have 2 losses and got blown out 35-7. Good greif stop your love affair with this school. Of course next year when they are back to 7-5, you’ll make excuses for all the losses. So much for dream team! Alabama lost it’s dream team players last year and uga with theirs can’t even beat them! Hysterical. Maybe in 2042 they will make it.
Dawg Fan
December 12th, 2012
9:32 pm
Florida beat SC by virtue of the turnover also. SC got behind so fast due to fumbles that Latimore only had 3 carries. Ga is better than Fla and should be ranked as such.
Hunker T
December 12th, 2012
9:33 pm
If uga played uf’s schedule, they would have lost at least 2 reg season games.