Bulldogs can punch their ticket to Georgia Dome with win over rival Auburn
Gene Chizik will coach Auburn against Georgia on Saturday amid reports that the school has already decided to dismiss him at the end of the season. (AP photo)
AUBURN, Ala. — The line of Georgia’s detractors could probably wrap around Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium this Saturday and Steve Spurrier would probably be at the front of it.
“They lost to us by four touchdowns,” the South Carolina coach would shout. “They didn’t have to play Alabama or LSU from the West; they got Florida the week after the Gamecocks had softened them up.” And so on.
But all the squawking won’t change this fact: No. 5 Georgia will be the Eastern Division representative in the SEC Championship game if it can get by a troubled Auburn team Saturday on The Plains. And for the Bulldogs, who would be playing in the Georgia Dome for the second year in a row, that accomplishment is not one to be diminished.
“I don’t think the average fan realizes how tough it is every game,” said Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray, who was sacked five times just last week against Ole Miss. “I’m not belittling other conferences, but this isn’t the Big 12 or Big Ten or Pac-12 or whatever they are now. This is SEC. It’s tough to win the East or the West.”
First things first. The Bulldogs can’t do anything until they’ve renewed their spot in the Deep South’s oldest rivalry. Georgia and Auburn will play a football game for the 116th time since 1892 Saturday at 7 p.m. in a game that will be nationally televised on ESPN2. And that’s not some minor obstacle.
The Bulldogs (8-1, 6-1 SEC) are two-touchdown favorites, understandable considering Auburn (2-7, 0-6 SEC) is winless in conference play and coach Gene Chizik’s dismissal reportedly already is being planned. But the series wouldn’t be as tight as it is – Auburn leads 54-53-8 – if the underdog didn’t trip up the favorite every once in a while.
In fact, the Georgia-Auburn rivalry has decided the conference fate of the respective teams, whether for a division crown or an overall title, 20 times since the first year of SEC football in 1933. The Bulldogs are 11-8-1 in those games, and the trail of heartbreak is well worn and littered with unclaimed hardware.
In all, the Tigers have denied Georgia an SEC title of some sort nine times. It started that very first year in 1933, when Auburn won 14-6 in Columbus to knock the Bulldogs’ out of the first-ever SEC championship.
It has gone the other way as well. As recent as 2006, Georgia brought a 6-4 team to Auburn to face the fifth-ranked Tigers (9-1), who were still in the national championship picture. But a freshman quarterback named Matthew Stafford and a defensive back named Tra Battle led the Bulldogs to a 37-15 victory and Auburn’s SEC hopes were ruined.
That’s why Richt laughed out loud when asked this week whether there was any danger his 8-win Bulldogs could overlook the 2-win Tigers.
“Oh, no,” he scoffed. “Are you kidding me? There’s no chance. No chance.”
Adding yet another wrinkle to this year’s proceedings is the behind-the-scenes maneuverings at Auburn. According to news reports citing high-level sources, Auburn president Jay Gogue has already made the decision to fire Chizik at the end of the season.
If that’s the case, it would be one of the fastest falls from grace we’ve seen in college football. Less than two years ago, Chizik was hoisting the crystal football symbolizing the BCS national championship. But on his radio show Thursday night, Tiger Talk, Chizik sounded resigned to that fate.
“Our team really feels a responsibility to go out there and play extremely hard for our fan base, the rivalry and for Auburn,” Chizik said on the air. “With the circumstances of the season, and us understanding we have three opportunities left and we’ll never be together again, I think that’s another case in point for our guys to go out there and have a blast.”
Therein lay the question: How will Auburn play amidst all its internal adversity? Richt and the Bulldogs think they know the answer.
“We don’t expect anything different,” Richt said. “We’ve been recruiting against Auburn for years; we know they’ve got great players. We know that they have outstanding coaches and we have a lot of respect for them. We know that the rivalry certainly brings the best out of both teams. So we’re expecting quite a challenge and quite a battle.”
If Georgia wins, there are many who will say it beat yet another bad team and “backed into” the league championship yet again. But you can be sure the Bulldogs won’t see it that way.
“I just don’t think people know the blood, sweat and tears that goes into it all year long,” junior defensive tackle Garrison Smith said. “All the practice hours, the meeting hours, the workouts, and you’ve got to balance all that with school. There’s just so much that goes into it behind the scenes. It’s not just showtime on Saturday. It’s hard.”
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269 comments Add your comment
joe jenkins
November 9th, 2012
7:29 pm
if aub wins…they will tear down the goal post….please jarvis jones…do not allow this to happen
Outer Banks Dawg
November 9th, 2012
7:37 pm
Joe Jenkins is a tool. No way the Dawgs come out flat and uninspired for this one. Auburn folds like a pup tent after getting smacked around by the junkyard Dawgs.
SauteeDawg
November 9th, 2012
7:42 pm
Buckeye
Got you one of those free tattoos yet? Whats it say? No Bowl! or Can’t Bowl?
Spurrier should quit whinning about what happens at UGA. He should learn to take care of his own teams business. Quit making UGA his Bowl game every year and start preparing for some of these other games on his schedule.
Why did Auburn hire Chiznik to begin with? He never had a winning season. Was he a coach that the Alumni and AD could manipulate? Where is the Money man Lowder in all these talks of firing? He stepped down after his bank failure but where’s he at and what about his opinion? He’s the person behind bringing Chiznik to Auburn. Pat Dye says Chiznik is a better coach than Saban, what’s he think about firing Chiznik? Lots of uncertainty at Auburn. What happens to Van Gorder and The new OC?
RealityCheck
November 9th, 2012
7:43 pm
@ Buckeye
GAC also put Brannan Southerland, as well hanger ons Christian Robinson, Banks Lee, and one each of the Harbers and Chapples. Not bad for a AA parochial school
jp
November 9th, 2012
7:45 pm
hey buckeye nice record vs sec teams in bowls 1 win ever oh no i forgot had to give that back .think about it jerfk 0 for all time vs sec in bowl games. go play the losers and laggards and run your mouth . bama 35-suckeyes 6 ,auburn 31 suckeyes 14 ,dawgs 21 suck 14,bama 24 suck 14 ,vols 20 suck 14,scar,24 suck 7 scar 31,suckeyes 28 gators 41 sucks 14, lsu 38 -14 now i must give it to ya that is very consistent. the big ten or 12 is a total joke but hey at least you ignorant jokes voted for obama . maybe he declare yawll the champs of the state of ohio
WestOfAthens
November 9th, 2012
8:31 pm
Another November, another game.
Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, stats and records are bye bye. The game dictates
HBTD
Rick James
November 9th, 2012
8:31 pm
Since we’re making excuses Tennesee softened Georgia prior to the South Carolina game.I wonder why nobody ever mentions that Alabama played none of the top 3 teams in the east..I guess because Spurrier’s team is in the east.Cry me a river.
Art silva UGA
November 9th, 2012
8:38 pm
Thought I was 120th meeting???
LowerAlabamaDawg
November 9th, 2012
9:31 pm
The Dawgs backing into the SEC East title? I heard a good joke by the talking heads on the sports radio show in Mobile today. Remember, in AL it’s all Tide all the time. They were talking about how the Dawgs will have backed into the East two straight years. This, one year after the Tide, not even the champion of their conference last year backed into a National Championship. Oh, how I would love for the Dawgs to shut these Bama folks up in the SEC championship game.
jp
November 9th, 2012
9:34 pm
joe jenkoff are you a georgia fan you did you complain when we beat fla because we only won by 8 or when we beat nd 17-10 to for the nc..You would complain if you won the lotto because you would have to pay tax. Richt is goin to win 5 sec titles in 12 years .he has won 114 games , 7 and 4 in bowls 3 and 3 vs saban 3 and 1 vs bama. 6 top 10 finishes 8 years of 10 plus wins after this year but he cant coach.go bitch to your ignorant friends and leave this page for the fans that like Ga . Hell get down on one knee and propose to Saban.It is idiots like you that boo 19 year olds and a coach that has the 4th best winning percentage in all of college ball for coaches that have been coaching for 10 years or more.hey i got an idea , instead oof watching ga tmrw when we win ,go to a pop warner game and cuss out some 7 year old offensive linemen and tell their coach he needs to be fired.it is fans like you that give uga fans a crappy rep. sweet dreams joe jerkoff
davidinloganville
November 9th, 2012
10:56 pm
joe jenkins
November 9th, 2012
6:24 pm
We had a great o-line in 02….since then we have struggled…why has richt let it get this bad???…..anybody know a good alcoholic beverage to drink when are getting pounded in the first half??
Do us all a favor and make it PRESTON…a double
Spurrier's an Idiot
November 9th, 2012
11:05 pm
Funny how Spurrier would complain. The Gators have had an off week before the UGA game, 18 of the last 22 years to rest, mend and game plan for the Dawgs while the Dawgs have been playing. This all started under Steve Spurrier in 1990. What a weasel. He would complain………
tom
November 9th, 2012
11:53 pm
would we fire mark richt?
Tuna
November 10th, 2012
12:39 am
As a Georgia fan (and alum), this game is ALWAYS circled on my calendar, ALWAYS!! Too big a rivalry to write off one team because they only have 2 wins. AU team is full of ex-Georgia highschool players, playing against old teammates and rivals on the Georgia side. A coach (Chizik) who is rumored to be losing his job, what else can they do but come out with an “us versus the world” mentality… I expect down to the wire and hope to the football Gods that the Dawgs escape with a victory! This game SCARES the hell out of me and something hasn’t felt right all week.
Fair n Balanced
November 10th, 2012
12:52 am
I don’t think Spurior is that dumb.
UGA Reporter
November 10th, 2012
1:39 am
Simply put, it is a “must win” for Mark Richt regardless of what happens if they lose the SECC game in the dome. Lose this one and Richt’s career at Georgia will end soon. Only a DA would believe otherwise. Georgia has very little chance of winning the East next season, and the boosters are restless for a title after seven looooong seasons.
SEC Reporter
November 10th, 2012
1:52 am
Georgia needs to run the ball a lot, not depend on tricky pass plays. This game sets up as a potential loss, especially if the team is flat like early last week. Very good chance Auburn wins. Very good. Been following this series for over 40 years. The freshman QB at Auburn will look like a senior by halftime…just watch and see. Georgia may win IF Auburn turns it over, but will not win by more than 7 points.
Fair n Balanced
November 10th, 2012
2:25 am
I don’t think Spurior thinks in this dumb of a fashion.
I Dog – obviously want a NC….duh, everybody does. Does Chizik deserve to be fired? 0fer is pretty bad. We are fortunate that we are not in Auburn shoes to feel what they feel but the problem is that once you experience top success, everything else is measured by that. The feeling you get in going from first to worst is rather strong.
At UGA we have mediocre, high level mediocre and good with a smidgin of great. We also have a clean program (except for dumb players acting out) with the toughest drug policy in the conference, and in the nation. Kids have opportunity on n off the field under CMR. we can’t do a lot better. CMR will get a NC. Just wait.
Fair n Balanced
November 10th, 2012
4:00 am
UGA Reporter – Friend, CMR has won 18 of the last 19 reg season games. His winning % is higher than ANY coach we have ever had. To ditch Richt any time soon is to postpone progress for 3 years. Let the boosters be restless. We are all restless to some degree. Dooley took 17 years to get 1 NC. yeah, we need to win an SEC championship. It isn’t for lack of trying. I’m assured of that. It will come.. But it’s the SEC. getting to Atl is a pretty good thing. Richt will get there this year for the 5 th time is it? Out of 12 tries with one tie in the East. That’s 6 East titles in 12 tries. How much better do we really want it?
Can't Wait
November 10th, 2012
5:28 am
B= Boring
U = underachiever
C = coping (having to admit you are a cheater is tough)
K = Kinda – (Kinda wish you had a better record vs the SEC in bowl games – 0 for 9)
E = envey – that’s why you post on this blog
Y= Yankie – just go home
E = egotistical – just ask you last coach and while your at it your current one too
gomdawg
November 10th, 2012
6:41 am
WHAT THE HELL IS A BUCKEYE, YOU GOT A COACH THAT LEAVES FLORIDA BECAUSE HE KNOWS IT WILL BE 2-3 BADS YEARS . IF HE’S A COACH MY BUTT IS A CHINESE TYPEWRITER
tell me again
November 10th, 2012
6:57 am
joe jenkins – you’re such a loser. If UGA wins tonight – Richt will have had the Dawgs in almost 50 % of the SEC title games since he has been in Athens. He lost two tough games to start last year and then did something that obviously Cheatzik and Spurrier cannot do – he rallied his team and won 10 straight and got to the big game. Spurrier beat UGA and then promptly laid 2 eggs in a row (including a total undressing against Florida) to promptly squash any hopes of going anywhere.
Mark Richt….just to name a few…..
One of only seven men in NCAA Division I-A history to record 90 or more wins in his first nine seasons
Two SEC titles, four SEC Championship Game appearances (not including this year)
Eleven straight bowl games
44-8 non-conference record, including 30-1 at home
Named the 2005 SEC Coach of the Year after a 10-3 season, SEC title and a No. 10 final Coaches poll ranking
Named the 2002 SEC Coach of the Year after directing the Bulldogs to their first SEC title in 20 years
Set a school record with a 13-win season in 2002
Posted Sugar Bowl wins over Florida State and Hawaii
In 2001, posted best record by a first year coach at Georgia since 1920 when Herman Stegeman went 8-0-1, Richt’s team went 8-4
I don’t think there are many coaches out there that could have done better than what CMR has done at UGA. He may not be the best coach in the country, but the truth is, he is one of the best and he plays in the best league in the country year in and year out. Not too shabby.
Dawgma
November 10th, 2012
7:03 am
UGA backs into SEC east beating #2 Florida in Florida. Spurrier is his usual crybaby self. Cocks rode into the SEC east lead on the legs of Lattimore and was carried off on a gurney that day in Columbia.
Without the best back in the SEC to carry your coach – cocks need to sit down and watch the dawgs roll an SEC championship they chickens could not last year..
Bo
November 10th, 2012
7:04 am
I keep hearing “never would have won without Cam”. Do you really think UGA would have a championship without Walker!!! Every championship team has a great player on it or they wouldn’t be there.
BigDawg
November 10th, 2012
7:07 am
First off the rumors are a ploy- Chizik will get another 2 years if things don’t turn around next year then the voices will get louder to fire him. Dawgs just have to go into Auburn where they have always played rather well and win under tough circumstances once more. See in this series the home field has been a disadvantage over the years as Georgia has won more at Auburn and they have won more in Athens. I look for a close game until the second half when we wear them down and take over the game.
As for o-line I have to agree, Richt and his coaching staff have done a poor job in recruiting in this area as you need to bring in 5 to 6 O-linemen every year to stay strong and be able to compete consistently each and every year, the trenches is where a football game is generally won and lost and also where most injuries occur as well. Anyways I just hope the Dawgs that beat Florida show up tonight, not the team that showed up in Columbia, South Carolina.
Go Dawgs
Buckeye
November 10th, 2012
7:09 am
Then Bama will “punch” the dogs.
Just sayin’.
stonecoldjim
November 10th, 2012
7:17 am
steve spurrier is a crybaby
stonecoldjim
November 10th, 2012
7:19 am
Gamecocks and Stevie can’t win jit
stonecoldjim
November 10th, 2012
7:20 am
and the Dawgs wll “PUNCH” back
John
November 10th, 2012
7:31 am
Richt laughing out loud at the idea that the team could overlook Auburn? It is the hallmark of Richt’s teams to be mentally unprepared to play in games they should win. West Virginia, Oklahoma State, Boise State, South Carolina (every year), Alabama (blackout), Kentucky (red out), etc., etc. It took Sean Williams to light a fire under the team this year, not CMR. Whether he understands that Auburn HATES Georgia second only to Alabama is anyone’s guess. The only saving grace is Richt has a good record against Auburn.
Cdpridg
November 10th, 2012
7:39 am
Steve Spurrier crying..gator fans crying…tech fans crying…auburn fans soon to be crying…even have a sad little big 10 buckeye fan crying all the while the Dawgs just keep on winning and winning and winning. Dawgs will pick up more hardware tonight. Face it loseres the Dawgs are superior!
RunninWithTheDawgs
November 10th, 2012
7:40 am
We could be in trouble if BVG decides to coach his defense up for this game, but I don’t think so. GO DAWGS !
1980Dawgs
November 10th, 2012
7:42 am
I’m here today to thank “Steve Spurrier” For beating our Georgia Bulldogs once again, and sending us back to the SEC Championship for a second time!! Gotta love a coach that loves to see his team fall for a second year again to the Gators and watch the team he hates the most Go to the Championship!!! Keep up the good work Steve!!! LOL!!
Go Dawgs!!!!
dale morphy
November 10th, 2012
7:42 am
Don’t expect a high scoring affair. Georgia will try to establish the running game and dominate the lines of scrimmage. I truly don’t see the Dawgs throwing the ball all over the field in this one. 28-14.
Joey
November 10th, 2012
7:57 am
Danm is there anything worse than a dork whose team is on NCAA Probation for playing ineligible players, coming on a blog of a clean problem, yapping?
Its easier to tolerate the Techies on here than the moron buckeye.
Enjoy the bowl game, THE Free Tatts U.
dawg4life
November 10th, 2012
7:57 am
Delane, Steve doesn’t have a point, he is bitter. The fact of the matter is, UGA handled their business, USCe didn’t. Go cry somewhere else dude.
Speaking of crying, hey Buckeye, what powerhouse conference is it you play in in again??? How many times have you been smoked by a SEC team, including UGA???? Ask Mr. Herbstreet about UGA…. You are just as bitter as Mr. Spurrier. Come back when you are relevant…
dawg4life
November 10th, 2012
8:00 am
Bo, you are 100 % correct. It takes a lot of things to align to win a NC. I think the difference is, that Dooley didn’t fall off the map when Herschel left.
GTBob
November 10th, 2012
8:03 am
I called myself Buckeye today! Ha ha ha! Fooled you dumb dawgs !
Kool-Aid Dreamz
November 10th, 2012
8:05 am
Auburn wins a close one, 24-20.
The end of the Kool-Aid dreams.
Kool-Aid Dreamz
November 10th, 2012
8:07 am
“Fooled you dumb dawgs!”
@GTBob: Bob, calling them “dumb dawgs” is redundant.
NCDawg
November 10th, 2012
8:25 am
Joe – do you need a medication check up? What is with all the Gloomy Gus stuff? The Dawgs have more talent than we did in 2002. A bunch more. You started on this depressive cycle right after Marlon went down. We have WR’s to put in place. David Greene would have loved to have had the WR’s we have right now. Our line has always had a history of injuries. I can’t think of a year that we weren’t pushing the envelope as far as depth. Our current line issues are due to the Great Purge, the NCAA being complete weenies about Kolton Houston, and guys opting to quit or transfer. Only injuries can you foresee. They are working on getting more linemen with this recruiting class. Our line is not that bad. Sure they had trouble with SC’s double trouble ends but everybody has that problem.
Doom and gloom does nothing but make YOU feel bad dude. It doesn’t soften the blow when you expect to be upset. It just prolongs it.
legionaire
November 10th, 2012
8:28 am
If UGA goes for the kill early to take out the crowd and take the steam out of a 2 win turkey buzzards it will get ugly. The turkey buzzards are a bad team. You won’t see a Kentucky effort in this one. The turkey buzzards have it coming. Pour it on.
Cdpridg
November 10th, 2012
8:32 am
Gt bob..it really doesnt matter…a loser is a loser…tune in around 7 tonight if you want to watch winning football
NCDawg
November 10th, 2012
8:36 am
The potential for a blow out is there… it depends on how the Dawgs handle business. If they don’t encourage Auburn this gets ugly quickly. If we encourage them then it is a battle. Take care of biz and we are talking about an epic beatdown tomorrow. Come out flat or bumbling and it could be a nail biter. We shall see which it is.
BTW for Auburn to win they will have to score more than 24 points or the Dawgs will have to bumble their way to less than 17.
RunninWithTheDawgs
November 10th, 2012
8:46 am
Look for a ballanced attack tonight from the Dawgs. We’ll be running and throwing. I expect Murray to go deep for at least one td , and I see a long run for a score coming from Gurley and maybe Marshall and maybe even Malcome. We’ve got a stable of good running backs and they’ll all get a good workout tonight…….poor Tigers. GO DAWGS !
observer
November 10th, 2012
8:56 am
UGA should win comfortably tonight. Maybe not a blowout, but 14 or so. That will put UGA in ATL and a shot at something really big. Now back to CMR and UGA’s place in the SEC. CMR stats have been discussed to no end. Wonderful winning records and 2 SEC champs. Those are hard facts. However since SEC divisional play, ALL the SEC powers have at LEAST 2 SEC champs and at a LEAST 1 NC. Yes, even poor lil AU and UT. This is CMRs last chance to bring some hardware home. At least in the foreseable future. If not, at the end of the BCS era, UGA as a program, history will say was no better than 6 during the BCS era. AL, LSU, UF are top 3 (you can argue the order), AU would check in at 4 (1 NC, 2 SEC, 2 undefeated seasons, UT 5 and UGA would check in at 6 in a conf that includes UK and Vandy and Ole Miss. Nothing to brag about.
disaster in Columbia
November 10th, 2012
8:57 am
why is this a night game?…this snoozer has 12:30 start time all over it…two teams going nowhere fast
Destin Dawg
November 10th, 2012
9:04 am
Dawgs 42 Auburn 17… close in the 1st half.. then Murray lights ‘em up… shocker Texas A&M 24 Alabama 21
joe jenkins
November 10th, 2012
9:05 am
Your right nc dawg…….i’m very disapointed that brown and bennett have went down…..I want our offense to get back to form…the way they were in september!!! If we stayed healthy at key positions and didn’t turn the ball over…i felt like we would win the mnc….yeah we did have more talent than the 2002 team before losing these starters…..Wooten has dropped alot of passes this year….so i dont have much confidence in him….we will be lucky if we dont get upset today
Joey
November 10th, 2012
9:09 am
Speaking of Bulldogs, here’s a quick item on one of UGA’s greats now in the NFL:
http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/5_nfl_players_on_the_verge_of_greatness/12150898?linksrc=home_x_back_head_12150898
Just click on “SLIDESHOW.”