Disparity on display in SEC East standings
ATHENS – In the top-heavy SEC East, the bottom has fallen out.
The division’s top three teams — Florida, South Carolina and Georgia — are a combined 12-2 in league games. The bottom four teams — Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri — are a combined 1-14 in the league.
The division’s disparities are displayed in Saturday’s Georgia-Kentucky matchup. The rested Bulldogs (5-1, 3-1 SEC) are a four-touchdown favorite on the road against the injury-ravaged Wildcats (1-6, 0-4).
The Wildcats are on a five-game losing streak. They trailed Arkansas 42-0 at halftime last week. Their top two quarterbacks are injured. Their coach’s job is in jeopardy. They’re facing a fourth game in five weeks against a ranked opponent.
And they’re playing a sport that has no room for compassion.
“We’ve got our own problems, you know,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “We’ve got enough problems of our own.”
Georgia’s problems stem from its 35-7 loss to South Carolina, a loss that reinforced the gap between the division’s upper and lower echelons. (The Bulldogs had rolled past Missouri, Vanderbilt and Tennessee before stumbling on South Carolina.) But Georgia’s problems pale in comparison to the plights of Kentucky and several other SEC teams.
The SEC gets much acclaim for its top teams — teams that have won the past six national championships and occupy the top two spots in this week’s BCS standings. But the league’s claim of top-to-bottom strength is thrown into question when four teams are winless in league play — one in the West (Auburn, two seasons removed from a national title) and three in the East (Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri).
Georgia vows to take nothing for granted against Kentucky, which, according to three computer rankings, has faced the nation’s toughest schedule.
UGA players note that Kentucky led South Carolina 17-7 at halftime three weeks ago (before losing 38-17) and gave the Dogs a tough game last year (losing 19-10). They don’t mention that the Cats have been outscored 152-38 in SEC play this season, lost to Western Kentucky and last won Sept. 8 (vs. Kent State).
“In the SEC … you really do have to have a good game, no matter who you are (playing), the best team or the worst team in the conference,” Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray said. “Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri — those are still very talented teams. If you don’t come with your ‘A’ game … any team has a chance to beat anyone.”
Florida coach Will Muschamp said that in his experience as a player, defensive coordinator and head coach in the SEC, “week in and week out there are no gimmes. That’s what I would say separates our conference from a lot of conferences.”
Yet the top three teams in the SEC East are 9-0 this season against the division’s other four.
Kentucky was picked to finish last in the East in a preseason media survey, and that was before injuries wrecked the team.
“That’s just football. We understand that. Our motto has been ‘next guy up,’” Kentucky coach Joker Phillips said. “A lot of times, the next guy has been a true freshman.”
Starting quarterback Maxwell Smith is out for the season with a torn ankle ligament suffered early in the South Carolina game. Another quarterback, freshman Patrick Towles, suffered a high ankle sprain the next week and hasn’t played since. Freshman Jalen Whitlow, seen as possibly a wide receiver when the Cats signed him, is expected to start at quarterback for a third consecutive game.
“You go through two or three quarterbacks — it’s got to be tough,” Richt said. “I can’t imagine what that would be like.”
Kentucky also lost two tailbacks and two safeties to season-ending injuries. Four other defensive backs have been injured, resulting in three freshmen starting in the secondary last week.
Asked if he has gotten to the point of wondering what else could go wrong, Phillips laughed. “We got to that point about a month ago.”
Richt was asked if part of him feels for Kentucky. The question sounded familiar to the Georgia coach, who was asked something similar a year ago when his team started 0-2 after going 6-7 the previous season.
“My answer was, ‘I don’t expect anybody to feel sorry for me. I expect everybody to hook it up and play the very best they can. I expect everybody to watch film and get the best plan possible and try to exploit whatever you think can be exploited,’” Richt said. “I’m sure that’s how all the coaches around the league feel.”
– Tim Tucker
Staff writer Chip Towers contributed to this article.
MORE ON GEORGIA FOOTBALL
- Freshman Jordan Jenkins says he’s ready if Jarvis Jones can’t play
- Bobo: Bulldogs need to back to running back with Gurley, Marshall
- Georgia’s defense looking to stem tide of big plays
- Notebook: Defensive star Jarvis Jones ‘questionable’ for Kentucky
- Schultz: Does Bulldogs’ NFL talent have their heads somewhere else?
- A quick look at Georgia’s next opponent: Kentucky
- Bulldogs players and coaches talking about moving forward
- With ultimate goal still intact, Dogs focus on ‘winning every game’
- South Carolina loss boost Georgia’s chances in East
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156 comments Add your comment
funny...
October 19th, 2012
11:59 am
Tell me how Aaron Murray is any good?
Who has he beat? What big games has he risen to the occasion? Tell me his stats against big teams?
Take Richt’s junk out of your mouth “DawginLex” and see that you’re the idiot.
GTBob
October 19th, 2012
12:02 pm
Bob…i was mistaken earlier…with the rise of Carolina it is now the Big7 instead of 6.
It is still the big 2. Nobody really thinks the teams from the SEC East are that great. UGA, Florida, and SC fall into the above average category at best. You are right though. Arkansas without Petrino is now a nobody again.
Rick James
October 19th, 2012
12:08 pm
@I love biscuits and gravy
Here is what I see happening and sadly it has been wrote on the wall for a while.
1. UGA wins this weekend
2. We lose big to Florida next weekend (I do not want this but I feel it is going to happen)
3. That Monday Richt is being told he is not going to be brought back next year and can finish the year out.
4. Outback bowl against Michigan State.
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Can you give us this week’s winning lottery numbers too?
Cdpridg
October 19th, 2012
12:14 pm
Historically..6 teams make up the aura of the SEC…the programs that hold the Championships…Arky was nothing with Petrino…no hardware to prove otherwise. Carolina the same story but Spurrier now has many folks believing they have a chance.
Dwayne
October 19th, 2012
12:16 pm
I have never thought Aaron Murray was that good against good, above average or great teams. The proof is in the won/loss record. Does that mean pro scouts are not high on him?
Rick James
October 19th, 2012
12:18 pm
@GTBob
It is still the big 2. Nobody really thinks the teams from the SEC East are that great. UGA, Florida, and SC fall into the above average category at best. You are right though. Arkansas without Petrino is now a nobody again
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I beg to differ.How many SEC east teams are in the BCS top 15? Yes,we all know that polls mean nothing to you.Just like your opinion means nothing to us.Same arguments,bash the SEC and make excuses for Tech.Duke is gaining on you.David Cutcliff is ruining your argument that “academic institutions” like Tech cant recruit and comepete in football.I’m still wondering how Spurrier won that ACC champioship at Duke without being able to recruit.
7576DAWG
October 19th, 2012
12:21 pm
Kentucky needs a better head coach with his staff. The nutrition emphasis at Georgia plus the improved Strength and Conditioning program has really helped Georgia cut down on the injuries. Remember in 2008 we had 18 to 22 starters out before the season got started. Maybe Kentucky needs to take a page from Georgia’s playbook and I bet the injuries decline.
SEC Headlines – 10/19/12
October 19th, 2012
12:24 pm
[...] 20. There’s a pretty big gap between the best teams in the SEC East and the worst. [...]
GTBob
October 19th, 2012
12:27 pm
I beg to differ.How many SEC east teams are in the BCS top 15?
Yes, we all believe that Miss St, a team that was very close to losing to Troy is one of the 15 best teams in the country and that Oregon St would destroy FSU, Oklahoma, and USC. Yeah, the rankings are very meaningful.
David Cutcliff is ruining your argument that “academic institutions” like Tech cant recruit and comepete in football.
He is 20-35 at Duke and hasn’t even made a bowl game yet. Yeah, he is really showing how to create a powerhouse team at an academic school.
GTBob
October 19th, 2012
12:28 pm
Kentucky needs a better head coach with his staff.
Kentucky needs a new school if they are going to try to compete in football. It has nothing to do with the coaches. Mark Richt couldn’t win 4 games at Kentucky.
NKYDAWG
October 19th, 2012
12:35 pm
DawginLEX are you going to the game tomorrow?
Dawgs 73
October 19th, 2012
12:40 pm
It’s really sad that under this regime now, we have to “hope” other teams do what should be this staff’s job to do…win big games. The schedule has been quite favorable for Richt over the past two years and if he can’t get to the SEC championship this year, then I just don’t see anything changing in the very near future.
As much as I want to “buy in”, I just am pretty much over Mark’s inability to have his team prepared to compete at the highest level needed.
kingdaddy
October 19th, 2012
12:42 pm
NKYDAWG
He said he would be near the band NKY. He has an early Christmas present for that idiot topdog( who btw won’t show) Good luck at the game…
Raul
October 19th, 2012
12:43 pm
Gators are the most ever over-rated team in recent history!
old dog
October 19th, 2012
1:05 pm
7576DAWG,
Well said, but back in the day (I assume you were around in ‘76 like me) we might get beat, but we would not often get out-physicalled, if I may. Florida, even if we pull the game off, will out-pound us up front. I just hate it that we cannot see that we do not have an SEC line, and we have not done a frickin’ thing about it.
Neutral
October 19th, 2012
1:44 pm
@GT Bob @11:22 and other comments
Since you appear to be the expert on this issue, please explain how the SEC differs from the ACC. My take is the ACC has 0-1 teams at the top (possibly FSU), 1-2 teams in the middle (possibly FSU and/or Clemson) and all the rest are bottom feeders Of course there is a difference in being a bottom feeder in a weak conference vs. A tough conference like the SEC…..wouldn’t you agree?
GimmeAbreak
October 19th, 2012
1:46 pm
Unfortunately, SS…DY, you are spot on! The dawgs make the bottom-dwellers of the SEC look like they belong in the BCS top 5! I too expect that KY will drive on us all day (nothing new there)and the Dawgs get another close “W” against a non-ranked opponent. Then they travel (I said they because we are not going after 11-straight trips to Gainsville)to Gainsville to play a REAL team and OMG it ain’t gonna be pretty. Tell me again who and when was the last time we beat a ranked-opponent?
Rick James
October 19th, 2012
2:02 pm
@GTBob
He is 20-35 at Duke and hasn’t even made a bowl game yet. Yeah, he is really showing how to create a powerhouse team at an academic school
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How long did it take you to goole that information? He’s having a much better season than CPJ.Of course the overall record isnt great he’s building.CPJ has better overall record but he should get fired after this season.He wont becasue Tech cant afford to..
Miss St came close to losing to Troy which means what? South Carolina nearly lost to Vandy and Kentucky so what? Its not like they lost to Middle Tennesee St.
Rick James
October 19th, 2012
2:09 pm
@Neutral
@GT Bob @11:22 and other comments
Since you appear to be the expert on this issue, please explain how the SEC differs from the ACC. My take is the ACC has 0-1 teams at the top (possibly FSU), 1-2 teams in the middle (possibly FSU and/or Clemson) and all the rest are bottom feeders Of course there is a difference in being a bottom feeder in a weak conference vs. A tough conference like the SEC…..wouldn’t you agree?
———————————————————————————————————————–
Bob is a closet SEC/UGA fan he just shows his love by bashing both.He’s like a little boy with a crush on a little girl who shows his affection by pulling her hair.
GTBob
October 19th, 2012
2:18 pm
How long did it take you to goole that information? He’s having a much better season than CPJ.
The best team they have beaten is Wake Forest. Their next 6 games are against UNC, FSU, Clemson, GT, and Miami. They more than likely wont win another game this season.
GTBob
October 19th, 2012
2:21 pm
Since you appear to be the expert on this issue, please explain how the SEC differs from the ACC.
You were fairly accurate in your assessment. The ACC usually has 2 good teams, a few average teams and a few bad teams. The SEC usually has 1-2 great teams, 2-3 above average teams, and the rest bad teams. The SEC really leans on Alabama and LSU to carry on the SEC domination myth.
GTBob
October 19th, 2012
2:24 pm
Bob is a closet SEC/UGA fan he just shows his love by bashing both.
No, trust me. I hate both and wouldn’t be all that sad if every school in the SEC disbanded and shut down their athletic programs. Just about every team in the conference is a mockery of real collegiate athletics.
Mike S.
October 19th, 2012
2:37 pm
Missouri also beat Arizona St. Tennessee demolished N C St. Auburn was a play or two away from beating Clemson. Vandy nearly beat a good Northwestern team (2-1 in Big Ten, 6-1 overall) on the road.
Meanwhile, UGA, Miss St., SC, LSU, Bama, and UF all sit in the BCS top 12 with Texas A&M just on the outside of that. That’s half the league. No one outside of the top teams in other conferences are going to have a chance of beating these teams.
Kentucky is the only SEC team truly struggling. All the others would be mid-level teams at worse in another conference.
Mike S.
October 19th, 2012
2:41 pm
@GT Bob – SEC Champs since 2004…Auburn in 2004, UGA in 2005, UF in 2006, LSU in 2007, UF in 2008, Bama in 2009, Auburn in 2010, LSU in 2011. There hasn’t been a repeat SEC champ since the 90’s. All these teams have played multiple BCS ball games during that time frame + Arkansas was in the Sugar bowl in 2010. Keep telling yourself this league is just leaning on two teams.
DawgFaithful
October 19th, 2012
2:41 pm
GTbob,
F***ing clown as usual. It’s not a domination myth when you win the national championship every year. It’s just domination. Your school and its football program are a joke, your coach is an arrogant asshole that can’t recruit and runs a pop Warner offense. I’d be bitter too if I was a Tech fan. Bitterness, Delusions of grandeur and excuse after excuse. Such is the life of a Gtech fan/AJC blog troll. You think the genius Pj still thinks recruiting doesn’t matter? I’m not sure who’s more delusional, tech fans, mark Bradley or Paul Johnson. You guys are just one big happy family of failure and mediocrity. I suppose having your ass handed to you Georgia 17 of the last 20 years is mythical domination as well. Oh the delusional mind of a tech homer.
doug dawg
October 19th, 2012
2:44 pm
you know, i am sooooooooooooo tired of this. be a bulldog or not. none of you have any answers at all. just couch coaches. living your pitiful lives through a football team made up of 18-21 year olds. and hating, and condemning, and judging, and spewing venom at coaches and boys. this is NOT an nfl team, or any pro team. could you be a better coach? i seriously doubt it. i could not care less if we lose three more games, as long as we put up our best. hope that if we do it won’t wreck your trailer park,
GTBob
October 19th, 2012
2:45 pm
Missouri also beat Arizona St. Tennessee demolished N C St. Auburn was a play or two away from beating Clemson. Vandy nearly beat a good Northwestern team (2-1 in Big Ten, 6-1 overall) on the road.
Northwestern is not a good team. They lost to Penn St and barely beat Syracuse. NC St is not a good team either and Tennessee should have beaten them much worse then they did. Arizona St showed you how good they were last night. Oregon could have beaten them by a 100 if they wanted to. Missouri needed a miracle at the end of the game to beat them. As for Clemson/Auburn. It was closer then I expected but it was the first game of the season and Clemson didn’t have their best player so they get a bit of a pass for that horrible performance.
JC
October 19th, 2012
2:48 pm
Im sure as hell glad we figured out the nutrition thing to help prevent injuries.. Now if we could just figure out how to get our kids and coaching staff to compete in big games.
GTBob
October 19th, 2012
2:49 pm
F***ing clown as usual. It’s not a domination myth when you win the national championship every year. It’s just domination.
Winning a national championship only means that a conference had one really good team. It doesn’t say anything else about the conference. In fact, it is a bit of a slap in the face to the SEC that they seem to be the only conference that produces undefeated teams every year. It further proves the extremely top heavy nature of the conference.
Mike S.
October 19th, 2012
2:50 pm
@GTBob – NC St. just beat FSU didnt they? That’s not bad. Arizona St. getting whipped by Oregon just gives them something in common with all but maybe 10 teams in the nation. Oregon would blow the doors off pretty much anyone outside of the top 10. We are talking about 4 SEC teams that have combined for ONE conference win. They are beating teams that have had far better success in other conferences.
DawgFaithful
October 19th, 2012
2:54 pm
Bob,
You’re delusional. It’s not just one team. Have you seen the bowl win loss record for the SEC over the stretch of this run. We’re winning the vast majority of those too. We have 5 teams in the top 10. There is no other way to view it other than domination. Not even with twisted Tech fan reasoning
GTBob
October 19th, 2012
2:57 pm
@GTBob – NC St. just beat FSU didnt they? That’s not bad.
FSU has to lose to a terrible team every season. Its just what they do. Usually its Wake Forest. This year, NC State got their turn. If anybody needs to fire their coach more than UGA it is probably FSU.
JC
October 19th, 2012
3:00 pm
@DougDawg You have the right to accept mediocrity and getting humiliated in front of a national audience because the kids were not prepared to play.. I have the right to be pissed off about it and to voice my displeasure with it. FU
GTBob
October 19th, 2012
3:01 pm
Have you seen the bowl win loss record for the SEC over the stretch of this run. We’re winning the vast majority of those too.
Yes I have. Its about average. Since 2000 the MWC has a much better bowl record than any other conference. Should we just crown them the best?
GTBob
October 19th, 2012
3:03 pm
We have 5 teams in the top 10.
The SEC would have 5 teams in the top 10 no matter what happens on the field.
DawgFaithful
October 19th, 2012
3:19 pm
No you dumbass. We shouldn’t crown them anything. If you can’t see the difference between the 2 then you’re more delusional than I thought. They’re about average? What does that even mean? Average compared to what? The SEC has 12 more bowl wins over the last 10 years than any other conference. That’s a 49-31 record in which SEC teams had 32 wins over ranked teams. 13 more than the next closest conference which was the big 10. From 2000-2009 SEC was 12-3 in bcs games. 2 different SEC teams have won a national title since then. BTW the MWC is 2-1 in that same span. The proof is in the pudding dip shit
NoGaGator
October 19th, 2012
3:25 pm
Y’all just need to not even respond to GTBob – aka M. Circular Logic. He just bounces from one branch to the other spouting his specious blather, contradicting himself along the way.
It’s not worth it.
DawgFaithful
October 19th, 2012
3:31 pm
“The SEC would have 5 teams in the top 10 no matter what happens on the field.”
You are more delusional than I thought. That is the most ignorant thing you’ve said so far. So what you’re saying is no matter how many losses an SEC team has, they will still be in the top 10? the BCS uses the same formula for every team and conference. There is no extra SEC variable in the equation. A tech geek like yourself should be familiar with the concept of equations. I’m just going to chalk that last comment up to you trying to get a rise out of me. You can’t be that delusional but them again you are a Tech homer.
GTBob
October 19th, 2012
3:33 pm
The SEC has 12 more bowl wins over the last 10 years than any other conference.
They more teams playing bowl games every year because the SEC in general rarely schedules decent OOC games ensuring that just about the whole conference has 6 wins. Percentage wise they are rarely ever the best postseason conference.
GTBob
October 19th, 2012
3:37 pm
the BCS uses the same formula for every team and conference.
The BCS is almost completely derived from the human polls which are controlled by ESPN and its pundits. As long as ESPN has a huge interest in pushing the SEC the longer the SEC will continue to get overrated.
Rick James
October 19th, 2012
3:38 pm
@GTBob
No, trust me. I hate both and wouldn’t be all that sad if every school in the SEC disbanded and shut down their athletic programs. Just about every team in the conference is a mockery of real collegiate athletics.
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I look away from things that I dont like not keep up with every stat on every team.You cant believe any of the things post.I think you’re just a glutton for punishment.I the SEC disbanding is the wet dream of every ACC fan.Tech stinks and you hate everybody that doesnt.
GTBob
October 19th, 2012
3:45 pm
I the SEC disbanding is the wet dream of every ACC fan.Tech stinks and you hate everybody that doesnt.
If the SEC disbanded and the athletic programs of the schools involved were dissolved then it would benefit the students of those institutions greatly. Schools like UGA, Mississippi, and Alabama would be forced to form some identity other than a minor league football team. That combined with the way the conference in general treats players, would be a good case for starting over and trying to remember the real reason their colleges exist.
JC
October 19th, 2012
3:52 pm
@GTBob
If Im understanding your arguement correctly, the SEC has a few really good teams at the top but overall the conference is over-hyped and not that good?
Just out of curiosity.. who do you think is the best conference year in and year out?
DawgFaithful
October 19th, 2012
3:53 pm
God you’re an idiot. You’re not overrated when you continually beat the best teams from other conferences.
Espn currently has a first tier tv deal with the big 12 worth 2.6 billion, acc 3.6 billion, big 10 1 billion. CBS has first tier rights with the SEC. The SEc is te only major conference that does not have a first tier deal with ESPN. The second tier deal they have is worth 2.25 million. Which is still less than the big 12 and acc deal.
What interest does ESPn have in pushing the SeC harder than its other bigger partners that give them first rights to broadcast their games?
kingdaddy
October 19th, 2012
4:02 pm
What a bunch of sad comments fromthe bug-faithful. We have our own problems hete at UGA we need to address. We can’t fix your problems too, but we can add to them. I don’t want the Dawg fans becoming anything like you techies. We have a lot of things to improve, but at least we aren’t GT…
GTBob
October 19th, 2012
4:07 pm
We have a lot of things to improve, but at least we aren’t GT…
Yeah, it would be terrible if your school was relevant in something besides football. Oh wait, you aren’t relevant in that either.
DawgFaithful
October 19th, 2012
4:10 pm
Kingdaddy,
Theyre Bitter, angry and delusional. That’s what a life of mediocrity does to these people. Sad group of people. I actually have good friends that are tech fans and they actually see things for what they are. This GTbob is the worst kind. Gives them a bad name. F***ing geeks, dweebs and losers
NKYDawg
October 19th, 2012
4:10 pm
@kingdaddy
Didnt understand if you were joking earlier or not… trying to find some dawg fans to tailgate with tomorrow who are coming up for the game…
GTBob
October 19th, 2012
4:15 pm
God you’re an idiot. You’re not overrated when you continually beat the best teams from other conferences.
Quick question. Who is the best OOC team that the SEC has beaten this year?
DawgFaithful
October 19th, 2012
4:16 pm
Hey Bob,
You haven’t responded to my tv deal question. Is it because you know you look like a big f***ing idiot? Why would espn push the SEC over your Acc when the acc has a much bigger deal with top priority to show games of their picking? You’re a loser, your program is almost non existent, your athletic department is a joke, so is your coach. Your fan base doesn’t even come to your tiny little stadium. Probably for the best since you’re getting blown out by D2 schools. The came to town, pockets $800,000 and kicked the shit out of you. Keep up the delusion buddy. It’ll get better… Probably not