Richt: ‘We spent ourselves in a worthy cause…. You’ve got to kind of get over the heartbreak’
Georgia coach Mark Richt said his program is moving on from the “heartbreak” of Saturday’s SEC Championship game loss and “getting back to work.”
Mark Richt: "It was heartbreaking, no doubt." (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
“You know what? We spent ourselves in a worthy cause,” Richt said Sunday night. “We of course wanted to play for the national championship. We knew we were just a couple of yards away, maybe a couple of seconds away or a tipped ball away or however you want to say it. We were at least in position to win it.
“It was heartbreaking, no doubt. We were all highly, highly hurt by it. … We just came up short. It was one of those games where either team could have won. So you’ve got to kind of get over the heartbreak of that. And I’ve always had the ability to understand what the reality is and move on.
“We’re already out recruiting. We’re getting back to work.”
Despite the dashed dream of playing for the national championship, Richt said he expects his 11-2 team to be enthused about its trip to Orlando for the Jan. 1 Capital One Bowl against Nebraska.
“We’ve got a new goal in sight: We’re excited to try to get 12 wins,” Richt said.
Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity acknowledged that the day after the SEC title game was a difficult one in Bulldog Nation.
“I know we’re all still hurting a little bit right now,” McGarity said. “But the sun came up … and there’s nothing we can do about it but learn from it and move forward.”
How coaches ranked Dogs
After Georgia’s 32-28 loss to Alabama, voters in the USA Today coaches’ poll ranked the Bulldogs everywhere from No. 2 to No. 11.
The highest vote cast for Georgia was by Vanderbilt’s James Franklin, who had the Bulldogs No. 2 (behind Alabama and ahead of Notre Dame).
The lowest votes cast for Georgia were by Baylor’s Art Briles and Washington’s Steve Sarkisian, both of whom had the Bulldogs No. 11.
Richt and Alabama’s Nick Saban voted Georgia No. 3 — ahead of Florida, which both put No. 4.
Coaches’ individual ballots were released for the first time this season, per customary procedure on the final poll before the bowls.
Overall, Georgia was ranked No. 5 in the coaches’ poll. In the other two components of the BCS standings, Georgia was ranked No. 5 by the Harris Poll but an average of No. 11 by the computers. That added up to an overall BCS ranking of No. 7.
Conference limit to be eliminated
The rule that kept Georgia from playing in any of the four BCS bowls (Rose, Sugar, Fiesta and Orange) will be scrapped when college football goes to its new playoff system in the 2014 season.
The current rule is that no more than two teams from a conference can go to BCS games in a given season. Alabama, of course, got one of the SEC’s spots this season with its berth in the national title game. Florida moved up to No. 3 in the final BCS standings, clinching the SEC’s second spot because of a rule that stipulates a team ranked in the top four automatically gets a BCS invitation unless two other teams from its league are ranked higher. Georgia is the highest-ranked team not in a BCS game.
McGarity noted that the SEC has six of the top 10 teams in the BCS standings — but only two of the 10 spots in BCS games.
“It’s obviously being corrected in 2014, so a number of individuals thought that was not a fair way to treat conferences,” McGarity said. “I think the way it’s set in 2014 will reward those conferences that have the ability to place teams in the top 10.”
Under the 2014 model, there is no specific limit on how many teams from a conference can make the four-team playoff and the other top-tier bowls, although various arrangements between leagues and bowls will still be a factor.
ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit, who sharply criticized the inclusion of Northern Illinois in a BCS game (Orange Bowl), scoffed at the current two-per-league limit. “Who came up with this rule?” he asked on air Sunday night.
Herbstreit added: “To leave teams out like Georgia and … Texas A&M and Oklahoma, all of us want to see those teams in games that matter, and you’re going to give us Northern Illinois.”
‘They call themselves the CornDogs’
Georgia’s bowl opponent, Nebraska, brings back childhood memories for Richt.
“It’s kind of personal for me in that I was born in Omaha and my mom and dad grew up in Nebraska and all my cousins on that side of the family are big Husker fans,” Richt said.
“They like the Dogs, too,” he added. “They call themselves the CornDogs, actually — combination of Cornhuskers and Dogs.”
Richt said his family moved from Nebraska to Colorado when he was 7 or 8 and then to Boca Raton, Fla., when he was about 13. But “I still had Nebraska on my mind, really, up until the time I went to college at Miami.”
— Tim Tucker, AJC
Click here for full story on Georgia’s Capital One Bowl invitation
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781 comments Add your comment
Moist Dog - MBA
December 3rd, 2012
2:16 pm
Exactly what was your major in school. You sound a little off- campus !
IlliniDawg
December 3rd, 2012
2:17 pm
@He Hate Gator: referencing anything Jim Rome says is hilarious. The guy is a pathetic loser, a joke of a commentator, a sensationalist trash-talker, the Maury Povitch of sportscasting. No one takes this guy seriously.
moonbat betty (dawg for life)
December 3rd, 2012
2:17 pm
Moist,
You are a disgrace to Dawg fans everywhere.
I bet you are most likely a tech fan.
AltamahaDawg
December 3rd, 2012
2:17 pm
I am still waiting for the first person to give me a rationale answer as to why clocking the ball would have altered the outcome of the game. I’ve asked that in 3 blogs, and so far nobody has an answer, because there is not one.
2 plays is 2 plays anyway you slice it.
YeahC'mon
December 3rd, 2012
2:18 pm
WDE…Alabama stopped Jarvis Jones. Jones was rendered ineffective by bama. 350 yds. rushing….i think they ran out of steam. but i won’t stoop to a low class act and call you a moron, really only because i’m an AU fan.
yesthatismydog
December 3rd, 2012
2:18 pm
I with ya moist dawg! No mercy. Sweep the leg. you think I will pull for the Gators or Tide you’re nuts. these are our enemies. recruits see the tide and if going to bcs games, and say what you will, yes we beat florida this year, but deep down we know who the better team is, look at who we both played, we got lucky in jacksonville and a damn dawg man has those guys on a roll in only his 2nd year. and those are not even really his players yet, they are leftovers. folks, we are gettin’ left behind with you know who. you know and i know it.
douglas
December 3rd, 2012
2:19 pm
Shoot, I think Ogletree will be a #1 draft pick. You tell me how many other LB’s are as good as him not counting Jarvis Jones? Tree was throwing the Tech football players around like rag dolls. And I don’t think Jones would beat him in the 40 yard dash. I’m glad that both play for UGA.
atlnative
December 3rd, 2012
2:19 pm
UGA fans! Mark Richt is a great coach,a tremendous mentor to the young men who play football for the university. Get over the loss to Alabama and move on!
Tech Still Sux
December 3rd, 2012
2:19 pm
@ Moist Dawg.
FU Buddy.. Sit at home and pout.
Bama
December 3rd, 2012
2:21 pm
January 2042…….Georgia’s next shot at winning a national championship! How many next years is that?
Rick James
December 3rd, 2012
2:22 pm
@IlliniDawg
referencing anything Jim Rome says is hilarious. The guy is a pathetic loser, a joke of a commentator, a sensationalist trash-talker, the Maury Povitch of sportscasting. No one takes this guy seriously
——————————————————————————————————————————–
Well said..The white version of Stephen A.Smith
HPDawg
December 3rd, 2012
2:23 pm
Moist Dawg? That is a pathetic handle, just like your pathetic post. We played for right to be in NC game and just missed, losing to a team that will likely whip ND by 2+ touchdowns.
Go pull for Alabama, or whatever other fantasy land team that you want to, just get off the Dawgs back, jack. CMR and staff did a damn good job and I am damn proud of the effort. Now you go fxxx yourself, you moist pile of dung!!
Bob
December 3rd, 2012
2:24 pm
My take on things for what it is worth. The defense ran out of gas in the second half, plain and simple. The defense was on the field because the offense could not sustain a drive because our line had trouble blocking. The line that we knew in August that was going to be an issue. How do you correct that? Oversign, grey shirt, and chew kids up and spit them out if they don’t perform. Just sell your soul and become a football factory. That way you are assured of always being fully loaded. From reading this post I am sure there are a lot of you that think that is the way to go. I don’t agree. As for spiking the ball at the end, it was a gutsy call that did not work. Just like the fake punt that did. High risk, high reward. We are a no-huddle team and have been doing that since the first of august. For one play that would give us the advantage. The player made a play. If their player makes a play on the fake punt that is a stupid call. It is a game. The coaches and players represented the University very well, just wish the fans could do the same.
Saturday night
December 3rd, 2012
2:25 pm
I was there and it was a great game. Either team could have won. You can play the “what if” game on either side. The UGA fans I sat around were great and very friendly. Granted they wanted to beat Bama like a drum but everyone (on both sides) handled themselves with class. I wish everyone on this blog would. Good luck with the cornhuskers.
Roll Tide
moonbat betty (dawg for life)
December 3rd, 2012
2:26 pm
“2 plays is 2 plays anyway you slice it.” ~AD
Exactly. It is silly to blame this game on not clocking it at the end.
Again, I was pissed at first, but after re-watching it on TV and looking at it without all the emotion, it didn’t really matter (unless you can see into the future and know what coulda/shoulda/woulda’ happened)
No regrets.
AltamahaDawg
December 3rd, 2012
2:28 pm
PLus, if the Dawgs would have pulled it off there in the end, how on earth would some of you have claimed yourselves so awesome in life this week? This gives you further chances to prove what big “winners” you are in comparison to the rest of us.
HARDYDOG
December 3rd, 2012
2:29 pm
Once again MR PROVED he can’t win the BIG game. He is a better than average Coach, but not a great Coach that can take a team to the next level. We will always be a almost team, never a National Champion under Richt’s weak leadership and guidance..
Moist Dawg
December 3rd, 2012
2:30 pm
Maybe if you loser “fans” showed as much passion for excellence as you do banging on me for expecting more out of my team we could win finally bring home a championship.
I’ve never seen passion in Richt. He’s a good guy but I threw my daughters doll across the room more times sat night than CMR has thrown his clipboard in all the time he has been coach.
Like I said, as long as we have loser fans that are completely fine with “trying our best” than we deserve what we get, and that’s the Cap1 bowl against a team that just gor 70 hung on them.
moonbat betty (dawg for life)
December 3rd, 2012
2:31 pm
Saturday Night – it was a great game and a great time at the Dome.
You have a great team and deserved the win.
We had a blast partying with the Bama fans before and during the game.
Now go and destroy Notre Dame!
SEC SEC SEC SEC!!
Mattlanta
December 3rd, 2012
2:31 pm
We all know that Joe Dawg is really Chuck Oliver.
Shep
December 3rd, 2012
2:32 pm
Joe Dawg. Why waste ur time complaining? Go the hell somewhere else like being a Saban sycophant on their blog. DOLT!
moonbat betty (dawg for life)
December 3rd, 2012
2:33 pm
Moist,
We can’t control the BcS’s stupid rules for who goes to what bowl game.
Was that your daughter’s doll or your own?
Tech BOY.
UGA91
December 3rd, 2012
2:33 pm
HPDawg WOW! You are nasty. Are you medicated? If not maybe you should be. I bet you’re about to pop a vein.
Tim
December 3rd, 2012
2:34 pm
To the Morons that Call for someone to be fired everytime we don’t get a first down get a life!….and that goes for the toilet paper crowd down in Florida that hit Murray’s home! Georgia was deep in the Hunt this year once again under CMR. So He had a couple of down years! Most of them do….Maybe you guys should go back and look at where we were under Goff and Donnan. Thanks Coach Richt and staff…
Moist Dawg
December 3rd, 2012
2:34 pm
HPDAWG? What kind of handle is that? Do you have warts? You keep being happy with losing. When we finally do win it all i hope you are not invited to the party.
Joey
December 3rd, 2012
2:35 pm
Ohh – gottcha, AD.
AltamahaDawg
December 3rd, 2012
2:35 pm
BTW, if Saban doesn’t completely and totally blunder the TO situation , ending the first half, he could have probably scored 7there , which would have made our shot there at the end pointless.
Hey Bob
December 3rd, 2012
2:39 pm
Seriously? Most of the free world already believes Georgia and the entire SEC are football factory schools. Maybe not a bad thing but if you are trying to accuse others of over-doing college football then you are technically “the pot calling the kettle black”.
Cooter Brown
December 3rd, 2012
2:41 pm
Moist Dawg,
Quit playing w/ dolls. You give Dawg fans a bad name.
DarthDawg
December 3rd, 2012
2:41 pm
Why is it that when UGA frequently benefits from teams turning the ball over (Rambo has been an INT snagging machine the past 2 seasons despite 2 huge misses this season and Jones has cause many fumbles) it’s always because the opponent simply screwed up but when Murray throws INTs or fumbles along with other players then the opponent gets credit beating UGA?
Florida is the last team that needs to come on here and play the “we had a bad day” card considering the 5 Days of Christmas FSU provided last week.
Gator15
December 3rd, 2012
2:41 pm
yesthatismydog
December 3rd, 2012
2:03 pm
those punks at Florida come 1st.
Our “punks” will be ready for you Boss. But i really don’t even understand why you are talking about us? But you can bet the house bud we will bring it next year! Powell is back on D and we will have better WR’s and Jeff will be able to throw. Hopefully Taylor will add some punch to our running game.
Dawg Realist
December 3rd, 2012
2:42 pm
GTBob, you wrote that Georgia played “the easiest schedule in the history of the SEC and still couldn’t get into a BCS bowl.” Really? the “easiest” scheduled in the “history” of the SEC? Being a tech fan, I’m sure you base this scientific opinion on some empirical analytical data that has escaped everyone else on planet Earth? In any event, UGA played the teams currently ranked 2,3 and 10.
It is also mind boggling that you really think Duke would have beaten “most all the teams” on UGA’s shedule. In all seriousness, UGA beat tech worse than it beat any other team all season. I would honestly rather play tech than Georgia Southern, Vandy, Kentucky or Missouri.
Y’all were a joke against us, and I actually found myself feeling sorry for Tech and embarrassed for their players. UGA could have beaten Tech 80-3 if it had set out to do so. Tech then stands toe-to-toe with the best team (FSU) in the ACC the very next week? How can anyone affiliated with an ACC team talk about ANYONE ELSE’S schedule, much less an SEC team’s schedule? It truly is laughable and pathetic. and now you’re talking about how the “real” USC is better than UGA and will beat Tech worse than UGA did? Didn’t you also say last week that FSU was “much better” than UGA on defense and would pound Tech worse than UGA did? Bob, you’re a pathetic loser; it’s time to give it up.
Archie
December 3rd, 2012
2:42 pm
In regards to some of the comments I have read so far, I only have one word; SHEESH!
AltamahaDawg
December 3rd, 2012
2:42 pm
Moist, any one of those coaches could walk in your real life office and be kicking your butt at your own job in about 2 weeks. Probably 90% of these “loser” fan could.
Spare us your lectures on excellence. You are not fooling anybody. We can all read your stuff.
Saturday night
December 3rd, 2012
2:42 pm
Moonbat betty
It was a total rollcoaster ride and we were lucky time ran out. You’ll be back next year.
SEC
Moist Dawg
December 3rd, 2012
2:42 pm
Moonbat Betty, you are worse than Benedict Arnold, or should I say Hanoi Jane? Maybe you should root for tech, they seem to be totally fine with losing like you.
NotYou
December 3rd, 2012
2:42 pm
“We” did this and “we” didn’t do that. What’s your number so I can look for you next time
phil
December 3rd, 2012
2:43 pm
moonbat is a doof…
it was the fault of the coaches….
DarthDawg
December 3rd, 2012
2:43 pm
Maryland just left the ACC for greener pastures…Maryland!
BIG MIKE
December 3rd, 2012
2:45 pm
Nothing would have been gained from clocking the ball, the follow on play was already called. BAMA is the only team that would have benefited from a clock play. If they had clocked it, the same result is possible. That could happen anytime you pass the ball. It’s just pis poor luck that it was tipped.
dawginduluth
December 3rd, 2012
2:46 pm
Forget. Move on.
What crap.
Of course, he wants you to feel good about the losing effort. He wants you to forget about his $3 million that he gets, win or lose. What a nice guy. This is what all you Richt suck ups deserve, another wait ’til next year moment.
No NC with Richt. Never.
Lonnie
December 3rd, 2012
2:49 pm
Columbus dawg we are returning the entire offense except 3. Receivers + a huge recruiting class. Gurley and Marshall will only be better and more importantly our line grew up and will all be better with some new depth!!!! But the biggest thing is that games like this make teams grow up! We will be better because the confidence and belief in the system is there! Yes we will have to out score some teams but based on the way we moved against Alabama I think we can!!!! Now let’s beat Nebraska and finish in the top 5!
Gman
December 3rd, 2012
2:49 pm
Really good game to watch – would have been heaven for UGA if they had one timeout left there at the end – I remember they had to use two on defense to stop the clock but couldnt remember when they used their 1st timeout in the 2nd half? U have that timeout, Murray spikes the ball on 1st down, u are likely looking at 3 chances to score then – also, nice decision Saban made going for two – if AL doesnt convert that, UGA is kicking a field goal to win that game at the end – great game though -
DarthDawg
December 3rd, 2012
2:50 pm
Back to Florida…
Let’s not forget that Murray threw 3 INTs and Florida still could not reach the endzone!
But wait, there’s more! South Carolina turned it over 4 times to the Gators’ 0! Wow, the gifts keep coming!
It seems that a trend is developing where teams who significantly win the turnover battle win the game.
What sorcery is this???
MarineDog
December 3rd, 2012
2:50 pm
It is very hard to stomach some of the comments on this site. It’s impossible to even have a respectful conversation without personal insults. It’s fine to have a disagreement, but it would be nice every once in awhile to have a civilized conversation. I understand the frustration of not winning the big game/games, but no AD is going to get rid of a coach that averages 10 wins a year. I’m not here for an argument, but just asking if we can have a discussion without the personal insults?
spoton
December 3rd, 2012
2:52 pm
dawginduluth! no spiking the ball would not have helped? please, half of the nation disagrees. our own qb was running down the field giving that sign (watch the replay) that was his first instinct and he knew it was RIGHT thing to do! Sorry AM, you should have just done it and never looked over to ask what to do cause you would have been right.
Silly Mutts
December 3rd, 2012
2:52 pm
Hey Dawg fans SUCK IT!!!!! You lost and SUCK! hahahahaha
DarthDawg
December 3rd, 2012
2:54 pm
This just it! A research team made up of a coalition of AAU schools has determined that Missouri turned the ball over 4 times to the Gators’ 1 yet lost by 7. How can this be? The Gators received gifts in so many games. Is there a conspiracy? How can a dominant BCS team require so many gifts to win games?
Next you’ll tell me that LSU turned ball over more than the Gators in their game…
AltamahaDawg
December 3rd, 2012
2:54 pm
And I astill waiting on the explanation of how clocking the ball would have been better. This is NOT a trick question, and I am not looking to jump anybody. I am just frankly surprised how many folks are still talking that, after it has been clearly understood to have not be a factor now.
bamaguy
December 3rd, 2012
2:58 pm
From reading the comments here it looks like the “Dawg Nation” is turning on its coach, players and each other. I saw nothing but total all out effort at the Dome on both sides of the ball. Gee, keep this up and pretty soon you will be right down there with the ‘Auburn Family.”