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
BOY THAT DAWG IS UGLY
December 13th, 2012
10:47 am
Boy….more Dawg hype. Have you booked your hotel rooms to next years national championship game yet? Let’s cover the season before we answer. You played a weak schedule and saving Gator and Gamecocks the winning percentage of FBS schools the dawgs played was less than 40%, not exactly front page chatter. O.K. let’s turn to two key SEC East games. Gamecocks embarrassed the Dawgs on national television. Enough said, Dawgs didn’t even show up. Then Florida….Gators beat themselves but we won’t play the could’a, would’a, should’a card. Dawgs won so we’re at 1-1 in key SEC East games with Vols program in a state of disarray so no competition there. Florida takes care of a top ranked inter-state rival and Georgia takes care of unranked inter-state rival. Edge to Florida. Dawgs go to SEC Championship and plays #2 team in the nation in a hard fought and exciting game. There are no moral victories at this level and the Dawgs couldn’t get it done. So…..the answer is you’re lucky to be in the Capital Two bowl. Enjoy it and book the hotel room now for next years MNC game. Keep your confirmation number and remember the cancellation penalty is 24 hours prior to check-in.
BOY THAT DAWG IS UGLY
December 13th, 2012
10:51 am
Could’a, Would’a, Should’a………Book your hotel room for next year’s national championship game but save the confirmation number and be ready to cancel it at least 24 hours in advance.
old dog
December 13th, 2012
10:51 am
All of this is achient history. Games have all been played so move on. I was glad to see MCR out recruting the day after the SECC. No scores will change. Good luck to Bammer. Keep the NC in the SEC. The joke is the pairings in the Sugar and Orange Bowls. 14 & 15 pt spreads what a joke. A lot like when the Sugad Bowl took Hawai vs, UGA game was ___________. Fill in the blank I can’t think of a word to describe it.
Gator Mike
December 13th, 2012
11:00 am
Buckeye: I find it hilarious that you are crticizing the UGA fans about complaining. What about the OSU cry babies who are complaining. Had tressel and company been honest, your suckeye team would not be home this bowl season. Go back to ohio where you belong and leave my UGa friends alone. I can give them a hard time because I am a Gator, and they can give me a hard time because they are DAWGs. The SEC sticks together even though we fight like brothers. Go back to the little 10 with 14 teams.
greg mcgarity
December 13th, 2012
11:08 am
you people talking about our easy schedule, let me explain the reason we keep scheduling the likes of buffalo, ga southern etc. is becuase they are easy W’s and easy paydays and as long as you people are dumb enough to keep paying to see these games we’ll keep scheduling them, thanks greg mcgarity
ga gator
December 13th, 2012
11:10 am
Gator Mike, is it not hilarious that a team who has never beat an SEC team talk trash. I agree Butteye, go back to the SLOW 10.
Mutts lack brains
December 13th, 2012
11:14 am
You sound like a bunch of whiny little girls.. “We lost by a small margin, which means we should be given a moral victory”. If you want to dance with the big boys on a big stage, you have to earn it on the field. That means not losing 2 games, regardless of when or to whom. You can’t seriously argue that Ga had more quality wins or fewer losses than UF. Doing so immediately discards any credibility. If the tables were reversed and UF won the reg season matchup and Bama beat UF- thus putting Ga in the BCS- you mutt fans would be calling UF fans whiny babies. Don’t be hypoctritical
Brainiac(Dawg for life)(CMR fan for life)
December 13th, 2012
11:15 am
@ GT Bob:
The self-imposed punishment of voluntarily switching to the Ohio State(aka We B Tattoos) was a little overkill on your part ??????????????
ARdawg
December 13th, 2012
11:15 am
” Then you accept that Florida and Northern Illinois were better teams than UGA was?”
Don’t be silly GTBobby, of course they are not better. UGA is already proven to be better than FL. However, No IL and FL are more deserving of the bowls they are in because yes their record is better and they fit the established criteria. Wins and losses Bobby, wins and losses
Eddie Haskel
December 13th, 2012
11:21 am
Beat South Carolina and the Dogs would have been in the Sugar Bowl. Its that simple. Just more pandering by Bradley.
ARdawg
December 13th, 2012
11:26 am
There is a reason the regular season games are played
Quality Wins vs Losses
December 13th, 2012
11:28 am
UF:
Quality Wins- A&M, LSU, SC, FSU
Loss (singular)- Ga
Ga:
Quality Wins- UF
losses (plural)- SC, Bama
The head-to-head matchup won Ga the tiebreaker to get into the SECCG, UF’s overall resume won them a BCS game. Stop whining and start winning instead. Don’t worry, we’ll hold down New Orleans for the SEC, y’all go take care in Orlando
GTBob
December 13th, 2012
11:29 am
Don’t be silly GTBobby, of course they are not better. UGA is already proven to be better than FL.
You proved my point for me. A team having a good record does not really mean they are better than other teams that had worse records. Therefore this notion that UGA deserves greatness bestowed upon them when all they did was beat up on a bunch of really bad teams is a little silly. I also would question whether UGA is better than Florida. Sometimes the better team plays a bad game.
GTBob
December 13th, 2012
11:31 am
The self-imposed punishment of voluntarily switching to the Ohio State(aka We B Tattoos) was a little overkill on your part ??????????????
Ohio State vs Michigan is the best rivalry in college football. Its fun to watch, especially when its close.
Skeptic
December 13th, 2012
11:36 am
Another cardboard-tasting, stir-the-pot-to-get-hits filler column. Nothing to see here, move along.
Bisher continues to roll over. And over.
The Beaver
December 13th, 2012
11:38 am
ARdawg then by that logic South Carolina is a hell of a lot better than Jawja.
Brainiac(Dawg for life)(CMR fan for life)
December 13th, 2012
11:42 am
Mutts Lack Brains:
Make up your mind GENIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The first most of us heard about “We didn’t lose to UGA by much” was after the Jacksonville Gator beatdown (A moral victory for the Gators I’m sure). It was only 17-9 but as you said “Itt doesn’t matter where or to whom”. I guess if UF had lost 2 games you, a complete, fullblown, batsh- – crazy Nincompoop would have said “If you lose More than 2 games”
Nother thang. If it doesn’t matter where or to whom why do you harp on who beat who and what was the strength of schedule??? Can you say HYPOCRIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nother Thang, Jr: If CMR had not prayed to GOD for devine intervention and allowed UF to block a punt after they trailed We B Patsies Junior College for 99.44% of the game you couldn’t find a loudmouth Gator like you and your ilk on here. Y’all owe Richt BIGTIME!!!!!!!!!!!
It would have been worse than the BamaNation silence after their loss tp Texas A&M.!!!!!!!!!!
ARdawg
December 13th, 2012
11:42 am
GTBob,
You are talking out of both sides of your mouth. UGA is better than FL, that was proven on the field of play. According to your warped logic, UGA is better than Alabama
Brainiac(Dawg for life)(CMR fan for life)
December 13th, 2012
11:51 am
@ GT Bob:
Using your logic the regular season records should be thrown out and EVERYBODY placed in a pot similar to the College Basketball Tournament. Sounds reasonable. Then we could have College Football 52 weeks of the year kinda like the NBA.!!!!!!!!!!
Buzz 2011
December 13th, 2012
11:52 am
Dawgs lost Bradley!! They don’t do well in big games
and deserve only the bowl assignrd them. In order to
” be great” you beat great teams . They can’t and they
aren’t, sorry Mark get over it…
kingdaddy
December 13th, 2012
11:52 am
Bradley
Your filters are crazy…
Pitbull
December 13th, 2012
11:53 am
As Mr College Football said the BCS was intended to match the two best teams in to the championship game.
Not just Georgia got cheated. Oklahoma, Texas A&M, South Carolina, Clemson and other were cheated too.
It was not intended to place the top 10 teams into the five BCS bowls, and of course it has not done that.
Unfortunately it has resulted in the remaining four BCS bowl games for the most part having having inferior matchups.
The Fiesta Bowl is a great matchup.
Louisville does not belong in the Sugar Bowl.
Wisconson does not belong in the Rose Bowl.
NIU does not belong in the Orange Bowl. Could you imagine an Orange Bowl if NIU played a 7-6 Georgia Tech. That is an Independence Bowl matchup at best.
Ideally the 5 BCS bowls should be 1 vs 2, 3 vs 4, 5 vs 6, 7 vs 8 and 9 vs 10. Makes too much sense for the BCS folks though.
Thus the Capital One Bowl, the Peach Bowl, and the Cotton Bowl will be better matchups than the 3 messes in New Orleans. Pasadena, and Miami.
The bowl season has become a joke due to the BCS. Time for it to go. Get ESPN and USA Today out of the mix, trash the BCS and let the big bowls extend their own invitations again.
Quality Wins vs Losses
December 13th, 2012
11:54 am
Pick apart my statements any way you’d like. You forgot to address the Quality Wins vs Loss(es) part. How many quality wins did Ga have? Desperation and Underachieving are stinky colognes. New Orleans- here we come
GTBob
December 13th, 2012
11:55 am
Using your logic the regular season records should be thrown out and EVERYBODY placed in a pot similar to the College Basketball Tournament.
There is a good reason why every other sport in the country has a playoff at the end of the season.
kingdaddy
December 13th, 2012
11:58 am
Buzz
I have no problems with us at Cap 1…
Does UNI deserve a BCS BOWL?
How about Louisville?
How about Tech even going to a bowl, lol…
GTBob
December 13th, 2012
11:59 am
You are talking out of both sides of your mouth. UGA is better than FL, that was proven on the field of play.
LSU beat Alabama on the field of play last year. Was LSU the better team? The better team doesn’t always win. Sometimes the better team has a bad game and turns the ball over 6 times and gives the game away. If UGA would have lost to Kentucky which they came close to doing then would you have said Kentucky is a better team?
DawgNole
December 13th, 2012
11:59 am
Brainiac(Dawg for life)(CMR fan for life)
December 12th, 2012
10:36 pm
@ Techster:
Got your Bowl Game tickets for your 6-7 team???
First time ever to have to ask for a waiver from the NCAA to break the rules to back into a bowl game for which GT obviously DID NOT qualify!
______________________
NOT the first time, as I’ve told you before. UCLA set the precendent following the 2011 season.
Football Guy
December 13th, 2012
12:01 pm
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahahahahahahahahaha
hahahahahaha…………………..
……………
Big Gator
December 13th, 2012
12:11 pm
Mark bias Bradley failed to mention puppies lost by 28 to SC could have been 50, other then Florida who had the dogs played with over 6 victories?
Mark Bradley is one of the reason UGA has not won anything in 30 years, instead of questioning why Mark R. with all the talent in the last 15 years has not won anything, you blame the system, typical loser, bias, sportswriter, team, state.
ARdawg
December 13th, 2012
12:14 pm
Beaver
A hellva lot better? No hardly but better. They beat Georgia on the field where it counts
ARdawg
December 13th, 2012
12:18 pm
” If UGA would have lost to Kentucky which they came close to doing then would you have said Kentucky is a better team?”
You’re living in a world of “what if’s” Bob? That answer is yes. If Kentucky had beaten UGA, KY would be the better team. Proven on the field of play, the only place it counts Bobby. Wins and losses
DawgNole
December 13th, 2012
12:19 pm
wooooo
December 12th, 2012
10:36 pm
DogNole, I’m sorry. Georgia only got housed by 28. Sorry, I quit watching when the game was over in the 2nd quarter.
Maybe you should drink some warm milk and change your diaper.
_______________________
You’re sorry alright. You finally posted something true.
If you quit watching in the 2Q, how did you “know” UGA had lost by “31″? Liar.
And I see you still don’t know the difference between “housed” and “hosed.” Better stop sleeping through those classes.
Coward of Bulldawg County
December 13th, 2012
12:19 pm
LSU, not Georgia, should have been sent to a better bowl game…played a tougher schedule (who doesn’t!) than Georgia…3-2 vs latest BCS top 25, while the dummydawgs were an impressive 1-2…both lost twice, LSU is better…
GTBob
December 13th, 2012
12:26 pm
LSU, not Georgia, should have been sent to a better bowl game
Honestly, UGA should have gone to the 6th best bowl game for the SEC. Does anyone really think they had a better season than LSU, FL, SC, or Texas A&M or that they were a better team than any of them?
GTBob
December 13th, 2012
12:28 pm
Proven on the field of play, the only place it counts Bobby.
So in your opinion, at no point in the history of college football has the better team just played a bad game and lost?
UGA Fan
December 13th, 2012
12:30 pm
I still think it’s wrong to count the win/loss from a championship game in BCS selections. Only 2 teams out of however many in the conference get to play that extra game…..so why is the loser punished so harshly?
Yes, UGA BEAT UF & prevented the Gators from Game 13. But that loss in #13 BOOSTED them? Very FLAWED system!!!
dawg tired
December 13th, 2012
12:32 pm
Who cares what bowl the Dawgs play in! Under the current system, only one game matters. All the rest are just exihibition games for the fanbases.
Coward of Bulldawg County
December 13th, 2012
12:33 pm
UGA fans are STILL celebrating that loss in the SECCG…and you wonder why football fans around the conference laugh at you people? Perhaps they should have had a parade in Baton Rouge after their last minute loss to Bama? Or a bonfire in South Carolina after their beatdown in Gainsville…there cannot possibly be a more delusional program than UGA..oh wait, didn’t someone at a major magazine say the same thing? GO DAWGS!…losers….
kingdaddy
December 13th, 2012
12:34 pm
Yes bob,
Everyone involved in rankings and polls thinks so. They have more pull than your little hurt feelings whiney self. Pollsters have had many weeks to change their minds, but they didn’t. Why is that, because they hate LSU, TA&M & SC??? LOL, try to get in line with everybody else bob…
Coward of Bulldawg County
December 13th, 2012
12:36 pm
so why is the loser punished so harshly?
____________________
just win the damn game…
DawgNole
December 13th, 2012
12:36 pm
Tampa Gator
December 12th, 2012
10:47 pm
Dawgnole……
Still mad at me because my Gators bombarded your Noles this year.
___________________
Not mad as much as disappointed that you came on here after UGA stuffed you and blamed it on bad calls. I had thought you were one of those rare gators with class–like Beast–but you showed your azz with that disgraceful whining. I should’ve known better.
And then you followed that up by coming on after beating the Noles and claiming that I’d “guaranteed” an FSU victory. That was a lie, and you know it.
You showed your true gator colors after those two games, tg, and it was shameful.
By the way, you’ve won one of your past three vs FSU now. Not sure there’s a whole lot there for you to brag about, but you just keep running that yapper.
kingdaddy
December 13th, 2012
12:41 pm
Speaking of a Coward (at least you admit it) keep on taking your cheapshots at a team that owns you, lol. Can’t do it on the field but y’all are mighty blog warriors, bwaaaaahaaaahaaaaahaaaaa…
ARdawg
December 13th, 2012
12:45 pm
GTBobby
” So in your opinion, at no point in the history of college football has the better team just played a bad game and lost?”
C’mon Bob, are you really that dense? It doesn’t matter if a team just has an off day, just happens to play bad or well beyond their normal play. There is a reason they play the game rather than just sit around and talk about who is or should be the better team. Don’t you think?
GTBob
December 13th, 2012
12:47 pm
Everyone involved in rankings and polls thinks so.
Everyone in the polls thinks UGA would beat Texas A&M? I guess they also think Alabama would beat Texas A&M, and that UGA would beat SC and that Florida would beat UGA. They also think Oregon would beat Stanford. Rankings don’t mean much.
UGA = Yawn
December 13th, 2012
12:48 pm
Actually, their bowl game is right on the mark if you ask me. They got to the SEC Championship by NOT having to play Bama, LSU or A&M during the regualr season. Johnny Football would have smashed them just like Spurrier Football smashes them every year. So Car is better. Florida probably is too – minus 6 turnovers. UGA was about the the 5th or 6th best team overall in the SEC. Why is this bowl not the proper place for them?
ARdawg
December 13th, 2012
12:48 pm
The better team on the field that given day, wins the game. No if’s, and’s or but’s. Who’s better the next week or the next time is all conjecture. That doesn’t mean the winning team is going to be the better team the next time they play either. You’re trying your best to complicate something that isn’t complicated at all
kingdaddy
December 13th, 2012
12:49 pm
Bradley was questioning wheather it was right for crappy teams to get automatic bids reguardless of rankings. Makes perfect sense to meand most others, but gives you “butthurt” losers another reason to cry like babies. Good job Mark, you hit one out of the park…
kingdaddy
December 13th, 2012
12:51 pm
Bob
They also thought Ga. Tech would have beaten Middle Tn. St. LoL…
zeke
December 13th, 2012
12:53 pm
Yes Fl did benefit from the S.C. turnovers! They had 21 points at the half, on a total of 29 yards total offense! Even thoug the score did not indicate it, S.C. totally dominated Florida! They also beat UGA like a wet paper bag, and, if Ace Sanders had not slipped late in the game allowing an interception by LSU, they would have beaten LSU at Baton Rouge! S.C. is and will be the “beast of the East” !!
Coward of Bulldawg County
December 13th, 2012
12:53 pm
Georgia doesn’t own my team..in fact, my team has an all-time winning record vs. your precious dawgs…42-10 ring any bells boy?…wait, that was another loss celebration…yall won the first half!!!…pathetic…