UGA-Bama winner gets Notre Dame in Miami
One-half of the BCS Championship game is set. No. 1 Notre Dame punched its ticket for Miami with a 22-13 win over Southern Cal Saturday night in Los Angeles.
The other half of the big game will be settled between No. 3 Georgia and No. 2 Alabama in the SEC Championship this Saturday in the Georgia Dome (4 p.m., CBS). The Bulldogs (11-1) beat Georgia Tech 42-10 in Athens on Saturday afternoon and the Crimson Tide (11-1) shut out Auburn 49-10 in Tuscaloosa Saturday evening. The day’s results left little mystery with regard to the sometimes complicated “BCS formula.”
“You don’t need a computer for this one,” ABC sportscaster Brent Musberger said after the Fighting Irish clinched their spot. “Notre Dame will play Alabama or Georgia for the national championship.”
The Irish (12-0) won like they have much of the season, with a stingy defense making stops in the red zone — they made a goal-line stand in the final minutes — and the offense putting together a steady and balanced attack. Quarterback Everett Golson passed for 217 yards, Theo Riddick rushed for 146 and Heisman Trophy candidate Manti Te’o had a key second-half interception.
Notre Dame does not have to play in a conference championship game. The Irish will now play for a national championship for the first time in 24 years. The BCS Championship game is Jan. 7 in Miami.
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129 comments Add your comment
Discount DoubleDawg
November 25th, 2012
4:54 pm
Depends on how you define national championship caliber… if you use facts and logic versus your opinion the argument is stronger that they are a national championship caliber team. There are 3 teams who control their own destiny out of 120. You can argue schedule until you are blue in the face but it won’t help. Today, UGA is a National Champion caliber team. That may change next week but today it is true, like it or not. If you say- based on what? its based on the fact that we are 1 game away from actually being in the game.
playmeortrademe
November 25th, 2012
4:58 pm
The BCS formula is not rocket science, and Georgia is going to get hosed by the computers. Florida will jump UGA in the standings tonight if the computer standings don’t change (Florida may even get some computer #1s for beating FSU), because they got enough of a gain in the human polls. Florida was well ahead of UGA in the computer rankings.
It’s basically down to this: Even if UGA wins, if it doesn’t widen the points/percentage gap between them and Florida in the human polls, then they would have to be a composite #3 in the computer rankings if Florida continues to average #2. to beat out Florida.
UGA is hurt because of Tech going to the ACC champ, while Florida will benefit from another FSU win. Ironically, Florida will also benefit from a UGA win in the SECCG.
Dawg Talk
November 25th, 2012
5:02 pm
GTBob……Leave it to a Co Tech fan to talk about a National Championship Calibur Team! By the way, the Dawgs did put a National Championship Butt-Whoopin display on this past Saturday, in case you missed it!
jalex49
November 25th, 2012
5:06 pm
HERE COMES THE CRIMSON TIDE!
That statement I hear often from my family members and I hope I can say, until they ran into Georgia !
It will be a very tough challenge for Georgia as Alabama is loaded ! I just hope the Dawgs remember the last visit they had to the Championship game and the outcome. I honestly believe that Georgia has an opportunity to win this game but they have to play “lights out defensively and offensively”.
Georgia cannot get gashed up the middle by the run and win this game? The Georgia team has a lot to be proud of and as a fan, I would like to say thanks for an outstanding year. Play your hearts out and stay focused and understand that everyone must be on the same sheet of music, no mistakes and protect Murray and the running backs must find any holes, if there are any!
I also want to thank everyone who chose to play for Georgia and especially to the seniors who came back for their senior year. May God bless all of you regardless of your future paths and we are so proud of all of you… THANKS!!
go dawgs!!
P.S. big “shout out to the Receivers”.
FBGUY
November 25th, 2012
5:21 pm
GA is a national championship caliber team because they are one of three teams eligible for the title at this point in the season. They may not win of course, but they have qualified on the basis of their record. Period.
Dawgstruttin
November 25th, 2012
5:33 pm
I just saw where Alabama is an 8 point favorite. Load up on the DAWGS!!!!!!
Tampa Gator
November 25th, 2012
5:36 pm
Dawg Talk….
I am sure Ohio State is not overly anxious to face the Florida Gators again……but I bet there are a lot of Florida Gators that would love to play Ohio State…….THIS YEAR. Florida was terrible last year….and still beat your Buckeyes. And….do you still remember the last time Ohio State faced a SEC team in the NC game…….I know….a game erased from most Buckeye fans minds.
Tampa Gator
November 25th, 2012
5:41 pm
If Georgia is able to run the ball early…..opening up the passing lanes……they will win vs. Bama. If Bama is able to stop the run with 4 on the line and get LB help in the secondary…..they will win. The first quarter will tell a lot. I think Georgia will cover and win.
Dawg Talk
November 25th, 2012
5:45 pm
Tampa Gator…….I’m not a Buckeye Fan! I was referring my message to someone else! I’m a”yes we beat Florida…again Dawg Fan!”
Realist
November 25th, 2012
5:50 pm
It’s an opportunity, and that alone is something to be proud of.
ARdawg
November 25th, 2012
6:14 pm
“The” game this year will be the SECCG. I see the dawgs winning it in a very close hard fought game. After that game ND is a mere formality
BILLY JACK
November 25th, 2012
6:33 pm
Dawg Talk I know the record they lose almost everytime they play any SEC team-Ohio State won 12 nailbiters this year-go tangle with GT Bob or some techie-your out of your league.
just sayin
November 25th, 2012
7:21 pm
The real National Championship will be between Alabama and Georgia, everyone know that. Notre Dame has no business playing for this title. If Notre Dame played an SEC schedule they would be no better than 5 and 6. Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, LSU, Florida, Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina would beat the socks of that bunch.Matt Barkley…if he could have played against them, would have picked them apart.
Kim Bassinger
November 25th, 2012
7:37 pm
The real national championship will be this Saturday. But, UGA needs to play ND and put a good whupping on them! Go Dawgs!!
Rudy
November 25th, 2012
7:48 pm
Georgia should worry about Alabama not Notre Dame…..The Dawgs played an incredibly weak schedule which is hard to do in the SEC. You played 2 legit teams in 12 games (getting crushed by one of them) and all you want to do is talk about how overrated another team is. STOP
jojo
November 25th, 2012
8:11 pm
Okay, forget the A&M game. Focus on the LSU game. Tigers should have won that one, they outplayed Bama. Les Miles made some critical mistakes on some calls. Study that game video and act in accordance. Go DAWGS!!!!
Dewayne
November 25th, 2012
9:21 pm
Why in the hell is the Big 10 an ACC Championship game on at 8pm? They must want people to fall asleep early.
Dewayne
November 25th, 2012
9:24 pm
Rudy go back to the practice squad and shut up!!!
jp
November 25th, 2012
11:18 pm
go lads you carpet bagger go back tio chigago you obama voter how about navy, wake, pitt purdue,mich 7-5 so cal with a fresh qb. the good thing here is we settle it on the field not in the voting booth chigago. Just because you can beat joke big 10 teams doesent mean you are the best team there is a reason the sec will hold up the 7th crystall ball in a row . 7th in a row .We you born ignorant or did they beat it into your head at a community oraganizing rally in chigago . go home and oh by the way dont tell us how you do it up there because no one here gives a damn. remember you moved down here . I hear Rahm could use some help with the gang bangers .
jp
November 25th, 2012
11:35 pm
tampa gator is correct fla beats ohio state by at least 20
The kid
November 26th, 2012
12:48 am
Agreed Go-Lads! There’s some dumb hillbillies postin on this site.
If the south had tanks
November 26th, 2012
12:51 am
GA blows. Always has. Got lucky with Herschel. AL wins.
Jojoba
November 26th, 2012
8:32 am
I fear a repeat of what happened to colt McCoy when he faced bama
Ken
November 26th, 2012
9:10 am
Since every team doesn’t have to play for a conference championship (big 12, Notre Dame, etc.), I believe that the conference championship games should be eliminated. We should have an 8 team playoff using the top 8 teams in the BCS polls, we can use the four tier bowls to accompany these final seven games, rotate as usual. This would mean only 2 teams (BCS Championship) would have to play an extra game. The other bowls would not be disturbed. This would also eliminate some of these present BCS match ups that are not very intriguing. Now, if we wanted to go further and we could discontinue the 12th game that we play (usually a cup cake opponent) and have a 16 team playoff. Our present system and the one we are going to have next year is not the answer.
Holy Guacamole
November 26th, 2012
9:38 am
Watched the ND/USC game and near the end after the outcome was decided, Brent Musberger fawned all over himself exclaiming “Notre Dame is Destiny’s Darling”. Are you kidding me? Why bother to play the game in Miami? The national press is peeing in their pants annointing ND as the National Champs. Makes me want to puke.
Mike
November 26th, 2012
11:27 am
Wow lots of SEC Kool-aid being drank on this site. I will give the SEC credit for the past, but not 2012. The SEC is weak beyond belief. Bama schedule is awful. No wonder they keep winning. Throw three cream puffs and some awful teams like Auburn, Tennesssee, Miss. State….dear lord. Not even an ND fan but say they win by 20. Bama could be the most overrated team in the last 10 years.
Best freshman tailback? Georgia’s Todd Gurley or Alabama’s T.J. Yeldon | UGA sports blog
November 26th, 2012
11:11 pm
[...] UGA-Bama winner gets Miami for BCS Championship [...]
Jsonic
November 27th, 2012
11:34 am
“….Let’s say this up front: The Southeastern Conference has earned its towering superiority complex.
The smugness is based on fact, the arrogance grounded in truth. The proof is in the hardware, and six consecutive crystal footballs don’t lie. It is the best college football conference in the land.
Manti Te’o and the Irish will face either Alabama or Georgia in the Jan. 7 BCS title game. (AP)But occasionally arrogance leads to blindness, or at least severe myopia. And for all the SEC elitists guaranteeing a blowout by whoever wins its league against Notre Dame in the BCS championship game, I’m here to offer an eye test.
Look at the facts, get over the regional bias and acknowledge that someone outside of Dixie might actually be good at football.
My friend Clay Travis, who runs the excellent SEC blog, “Outkick the Coverage,” was the voice of SEC arrogance Sunday morning on Twitter. Quoth Clay: “Notre Dame will be destroyed by either Alabama or Georgia. Seventh best team in SEC. At best.”
Let me repeat that I’m a fan of Clay’s and enjoy his work, but this is ridiculous. Notre Dame may indeed lose the national title game, but I don’t foresee a blowout and an Irish victory would not be an outlandish outcome (especially if the opponent is Georgia).
And anyone who believes Notre Dame would be the seventh-best team in the SEC needs to get out more.
[Related: Irish complete rise to prominence]
The gist of this argument is that the Irish could not have played anywhere near the schedule of an SEC team. Unfortunately, it’s completely false. Here’s the reality, stacking all 12 games on the Irish ledger alongside Alabama’s and Georgia’s and using the Sagarin Ratings as a measuring stick:
Best opponent played: Notre Dame hosted Stanford (eighth in Sagarin), Alabama hosted Texas A&M (seventh), Georgia played Florida (fourth) at a neutral site. The Irish and Bulldogs both won close games. The Crimson Tide lost at home. Most impressive of the three: Georgia.
Second-best opponent: Notre Dame visited Oklahoma (ninth). Alabama visited LSU (11th). Georgia visited South Carolina (10th). The Irish won by 17 points, the Tide won by four in the final minute, the Bulldogs lost by four touchdowns. Most impressive of the three: Notre Dame.
Third-best opponent: Notre Dame played USC (16th) on the road, never trailed and won by nine. Alabama played Michigan (20th) at a neutral site, never trailed and won by 27. Georgia hosted Vanderbilt (29th) and won by 45. Most impressive of the three: Alabama.
Fourth-best opponent: Notre Dame played Michigan (20th) at home and won by a touchdown. Alabama played Mississippi (33rd) on the road and won by 19. Georgia hosted Mississippi (33rd) and won by 27. All three won. Most impressive of the three: Notre Dame.
Fifth-best opponent: Notre Dame hosted BYU (37th) and won by three. Alabama hosted Mississippi State (36th) and won by 31. Georgia visited Missouri (43rd) and won by 21. All three won. Most impressive of the three: Alabama.
[Watch: Highlights from Notre Dame's victory over USC]
Sixth-best opponent: Notre Dame visited Michigan State (39th) and won by 17. Alabama visited Missouri (43rd) and won by 32. Georgia visited Tennessee (54th) and won by seven. Most impressive of the three: Notre Dame.
Seventh-best opponent: Notre Dame played Miami (52nd) on a neutral field and won by 38. Alabama visited Tennessee (54th) and won by 31. Georgia hosted Georgia Tech (63rd) and won by 32. Most impressive of the three: Notre Dame.
Alabama coach Nick Saban has won two of the SEC’s six straight national titles. (Getty Images)Eighth-best opponent: Notre Dame hosted Purdue (62nd) and won by three. Alabama visited Arkansas (65th) and won by 49. Georgia visited Auburn (84th) and won by 38. Most impressive of the three: Alabama.
Ninth-best opponent: Notre Dame hosted Pittsburgh (66th) and won by three in triple overtime. Alabama hosted Western Kentucky (82nd) and won by 35. Georgia visited Kentucky (92nd) and won by five. Most impressive of the three: Notre Dame.
Tenth-best opponent: Notre Dame played Navy (73rd) at a neutral site and won by 40. Alabama hosted Auburn (84th) and won by 49. Georgia hosted Georgia Southern (99th) and won by 31. Most impressive of the three: Notre Dame.
Eleventh-best opponent: Notre Dame hosted Wake Forest (113th) and won by 38. Alabama hosted Florida Atlantic (127th) and won by 33. Georgia hosted Florida Atlantic (127th) and won by 36. Most impressive of the three: Notre Dame.
Worst opponent: Notre Dame visited Boston College (121st) and won by 15. Alabama hosted Western Carolina (204th) and won by 49. Georgia hosted Buffalo (135th) and won by 22. Most impressive of the three: Notre Dame.
Eight times out of 12, the Irish have had the most impressive performance when assessing comparable opponents. Notre Dame is 2-0 against the Sagarin top 10, whereas Alabama is 0-1 and Georgia is 1-1. Notre Dame is 4-0 against the Sagarin top 20, whereas Alabama is 2-1 and Georgia is 1-1.
So don’t say the Irish haven’t been seasoned by a schedule every bit as difficult – no, more difficult – than the SEC top dogs. And they’ve had far fewer games where they just had to show up to win.
[Related: Florida beatdown of FSU reinforces SEC dominance]
Five of Georgia’s 11 victories are over objectively terrible opponents – teams ranked 80th or lower nationally by Sagarin. Alabama has four victories over teams ranked 80th or lower. Notre Dame only two.
A lot of people point to the Irish vulnerability against the likes of Purdue and Pittsburgh as evidence they are Not SEC Tough. But Georgia fans who white-knuckled through scary wins over Tennessee or Kentucky – two teams so disappointing they fired their coaches – know that a good team can struggle on a given Saturday. Alabama is the only one of the three to dispatch overmatched opponents without a peep of protest.
The myth perpetuated by SEC fans is that every week is such a bloodbath, nobody from outside the league could withstand the grind. Yet in the month of November, the average Sagarin rating of Georgia’s opponents was 70th. After opening against Michigan, Alabama didn’t play anyone in Sagarin’s top 30 for the next seven games.
Notre Dame didn’t go more than three straight games without playing a Sagarin top 20 team.
It’s easy to say the Irish can’t match up with the SEC, not as easy to prove. The ultimate proof will be on the field Jan. 7, but until then SEC fans would be wise to tone down the towering arrogance. ”
Pat Forde
8387DAWG
November 27th, 2012
4:40 pm
Yea, it will all come down to Belue and Scott. If Buck can get the ball to Lindsay, and Rex has a great day with his foot, Herschel is doing his thang, then it’s “bring on Notre Dame” time!!!!