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
Justin
December 3rd, 2012
3:00 pm
AltamahaDawg…
The thought is they would have had 2 shots at winning, and a little more time to get the right play in there. It’s was a poorly thrown ball – not enough arch – hence it was tipped at the line of scrimmage.
The really bad play was the UGA receiver CATCHING the ball after it was tipped. He should have understood the situation, where he was in reference to the goal line, and swatted that ball to the turf. Then they could have had another shot.
moonbat betty (dawg for life)
December 3rd, 2012
3:00 pm
Moist and phil,
Luckily, you probably don’t go to UGA games (unless you are still students).
My guess is you are probably not affiliated with UGA at all.
Gator15
December 3rd, 2012
3:01 pm
Enjoy it darth! you beat us. damn, what is it with you guys and the gators? first it’s the bcs, hell we just play where we are told to play. then it’s the turnovers? I don’t hear any of my friends even talking about this game any longer. $ hit man, to us this year was totally unexpected.
UGGA STILL ON ICE
December 3rd, 2012
3:01 pm
All I can say is damn!! I hate BAMA and BAMA FANS but I cannot allow myself to be disrepectful to the game by not giving them their just due! BAMA beat that UGA defense from black to blue! Shawn Williams, Bacarri Rambo wanted nothing to do with what was taking place within those trenches by the 3rd quarter. UGA was out coached and could not dig deep enough to bury BAMA when they had the chance to. The BAMA kids also displayed great poise through the entire game that UGA players never seemed to grasp. In cricticle moments UGA players were making ignorant penalties! T.J. Stripling#44 really??? and UGA#2 pokes a BAMA kids in the eye???? and people wonder why we come up short! UGA does need a change and after 13yrs not one NC appearance, losing records to ranked teams and not spiking the football in that situation UGA is still on ice! Let MR go and take Bobo with him!!! Like he said lets move on because he has!
Rick James
December 3rd, 2012
3:02 pm
@Dawg Realist
Another thing about Bob it that seems to think the reason Georgia is not in a BCS bowl has to do with their record or schedule.He totally understands that only 2 teams from each conference get BCS bids.The SEC has six of the top 10 in the BCS and somebody had to get left out to make room for Loiusville and Northern Iillinios.He only pretend to be stupid to support he agurments.He’s really obssesed with Georgia football.
AltamahaDawg
December 3rd, 2012
3:02 pm
How silly spoton. Of COURCE Murray wsa asking if they wanted him to clock the ball. Clocking the ball was an option. Running the play was the other option. That Murray was asking, to make sure which way to go, proves to you he “should have”?
As I have asked before, can you explain what is right about that? Forget about what half the country says. Tell me in your words, why. Timeline and strategy please. Or just generally, if that’s easier.
carlos berenguer
December 3rd, 2012
3:03 pm
I am sick and tired of these morons that want Richt and the coaches fired. Don’t they realize that we came four points and/or five seconds to go and play for the national championship. I wonder what they have accomplished in their pathetic life. I have been watching Georgia football for forty years and I feel that even in a loss it was one of the proudest moments in their gloried history
Bob
December 3rd, 2012
3:03 pm
Hey Bob. There is no question that all big time football schools let kids in strictly because of their on-field ability. So yes, they could be considered football factories if that is how you look at it. My issue comes in how those kids are handled when they get there. Yes, over-signing is not illegal, but that does not mean it is not right. If a kid is going to commit his future to a school the the school needs to commit to that kids future also.
88Dawg
December 3rd, 2012
3:03 pm
I love my Dawgs and Coach Richt. We will be right back next year. And Bama will steam roll ND.
Moist Dawg
December 3rd, 2012
3:04 pm
Dawginduluth and yesthatsmydawg you are spot on! Unfortunately, we now seem to be outnumbered by the touchy feely, everyone is a winner & gets a trophy crowd like altamaha, gman, and moonbat.
Sickening
Moist Dawg
December 3rd, 2012
3:05 pm
add 88dawg to the list
AltamahaDawg
December 3rd, 2012
3:05 pm
Justin, everything you just told me, had nothing to do with clocking the ball. I am not questioning why we would try to run 2 plays, obviously we were going to do that no matter what. As far as the throw, well sure IF its knocked down, its always too low. But if the guys hand in 2 inches the other way, I thought it was a strike for a TD, from what I saw on replay.
GTBob
December 3rd, 2012
3:05 pm
GT will probably lose to USC by 40 or so but, we will have a new look on D next year.
Joey
December 3rd, 2012
3:06 pm
“…but just asking if we can have a discussion without the personal insults?”
**************************************
“Hey Dawg fans SUCK IT!!!!! You lost and SUCK! hahahahaha”
**************************************
MarineDog, did that answer your question?
DarthDawg
December 3rd, 2012
3:08 pm
Gator15,
A bunch of your less intelligent peers have been posting that UGA was lucky to beat Florida considering the 6 turnovers. I just felt the need to return the favor and show how fortunate Florida has been to win MANY of their games this year.
Moist Dawg Plays With Dolls
December 3rd, 2012
3:09 pm
Why do you play w/ your daughters dolls????????
Moist Dawg
December 3rd, 2012
3:10 pm
I know that I am being a little girl about this but when I asked nana to grab me some smokes this morning as she was leaving for work I meant for her to grab a carton and what does do, she gets one pack.
moonbat betty (dawg for life)
December 3rd, 2012
3:11 pm
Moist,
I was and am disappointed about the loss…more than you could know.
but I don’t go around whining and making excuses like a little b!tch.
AltamahaDawg
December 3rd, 2012
3:11 pm
Nope, moist. We get no trophy. We lost, and most of us are man enough to just take that and move on. My team loses, I lose. But Some of you are such woosies that you think if you fake outrage and howl loud enough you can convince everybody how awesome you are, rather than just admitting your college footbal team lost a ballgame. Yea, we get it, you are a big winner, right? Not like us, or the team, or the coach. Big tough guy.
You are just acting like a child., and that’s obvious.
moonbat betty (dawg for life)
December 3rd, 2012
3:12 pm
Please don’t jack Moist’s handle, let’s see what he has to say.
Metfan Lou
December 3rd, 2012
3:12 pm
As a baseball fan I occassionally watch football. I must say that Alabama/Gorgia game was the most excitig game I ever saw. What won the game for Alabama was the brilliant move by Saban to go for two points in the first half. The Bulldogs had no choice but to score on the last drive rather than the option of a field goal to tie. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. The sign of a coach playing out the entire game in his head on every play.
MusaBiss
December 3rd, 2012
3:12 pm
Very proud of our Dawgs Saturday night. Almost gave us a big celebration. Truly feel we are back on track and heading in the right direction. Kudos to the players and coaches. Only one question…..were we misaligned on D in the third qtr or what. They ran through us like crap through a goose.
crimson 1
December 3rd, 2012
3:14 pm
You would think by my 4th divorce I would quit marrying that same cousin.
Built Ford Tough
December 3rd, 2012
3:14 pm
WTF is a moist dawg anyway????? Seriously???????????
Lonnie
December 3rd, 2012
3:14 pm
Yeahcmon. Jarvis had 6 tackles 3 for loss and 2 sacks in a game with only 21 passes! Bama did what teams did to LT back in the day run @ him. Trust me the NFL scouts were Pleased and saw what they need! Now as far as giving up the yards on the ground the dagger fell because we sold out to stop the run and they threw the TD pass to Cooper! We still could have won because all game long Coach Richt and staff showed up with plays that kept Bama off-balance.
UGA Rocks
December 3rd, 2012
3:15 pm
Keep your head up DAWG NATION!
DarthDawg
December 3rd, 2012
3:17 pm
AltamahaDawg,
Perhaps not stopping the clock hurts the UGA OL more than the Bama defense. Maybe if the OL had time to catch a breath a slightly more effective pass block *could* have changed that defender’s ability to get his hands on the ball. We don’t know but the point is rushing is rushing and mistakes or ineffective little details are more likely when rushing.
I look at it from a different angle. Bama wasn’t able to shutdown the UGA offense all night. Instead of trying to steal the game why not just line up and take it? Teams usually try to steal games when they feel inferior to the opponent. I think UGA played well enough that they should have shown a little more self respect by lining up and just beating Bama.
The decision making is right up with with Mike Smith’s decision to go for it on 4th and short in their own territory against the Saints last year in a game where the Falcons defense had stopped the Saints many times. The Falcons were afraid to let the Saints offense have the ball back and wanted to steal the game. The Dawgs appeared afraid to let Bama’s defense line up and wanted to steal the game.
Sometimes it works but Saturday it did not.
The thing is, Bama’s defense appeared to be setup just fine as they rushed into position the same as UGA’s offense. I would have rather tried to catch them offsides and if they got set go ahead and spike it.
He Hate Gator
December 3rd, 2012
3:18 pm
Dear Illini….I can’t stand Jim Rome,…happened to be on the radio station that was on during lunch and was brought up to show what the impression of Richt is outside of the area and what is being broadcast across the nation…that was why I said “WOW”
He Hate Gator
December 3rd, 2012
3:20 pm
Good comment Metfan
My Farts Stink
December 3rd, 2012
3:20 pm
Lou stick with baseball. Go NIU!
Moist Dawg
December 3rd, 2012
3:22 pm
I’m sick of the personal attacks. For the record, I was throwing my DAUGHTER’S doll across the room, NOT mine.
And excuuuse me for expecting a little more out of our team and not celebrating our conference like moonbat “Hanoi Jane” Betty.
My point the entire time is that we need to get rid of this “good try” nonsense and start demanding more. Tennessee won a BCS title, TENNEfriigginSSEE!
Hate GT and Tide too
December 3rd, 2012
3:28 pm
John Galt, MBA, CPA
It is a very hard not to agree with Joe Dawg.
I do not but he has every right to state his opinion as you do.
My question to you is this – What would have you done with 15 seconds and 1st and goal.
99.9% would have spiked the ball. We toss our chances going to the NCG because our coaches (god bless CMR) forgot about football fundemetals.
Hell my 7 year-old was scereaming spike the ball before I did.
Very sad not to at least had one maybe two plays
bamaguy
December 3rd, 2012
3:29 pm
In fact, every elite team in the SEC had held a crystal football over their head except Georgia. Three of them twice. It is a legitimate question to ask, given the former Bulldogs in the NFL. And if Alabama beats Notre Dame, that will be four straight in the State of Alabama. The State of Florida has has three different schools win.
moonbat betty (dawg for life)
December 3rd, 2012
3:30 pm
Moist, I always demand more.
However, I’m not going to come on a UGA board and start calling everyone “losers” who doesn’t cry and b!tch because one play did not go our way at the end.
You are going to feel like and idiot if we win the title next year.
But of course, you probably don’t think we have a shot next year do you?
Benedict Arnold indeed….
Knoxville Dawg
December 3rd, 2012
3:31 pm
Best offensive line that I have ever seen! Pro or college–Played the whole game without being called for holding. I thought thar the flag was stiched in the Ref’s paints for a while,but he got it out to call holding on Ga. Have you ever seen a game where holding could be called on every play, not thrown even once.
Built Ford Tough
December 3rd, 2012
3:32 pm
How silly to throw a child’s doll.. grow up ya “moist” one….
Hate GT and Tide too
December 3rd, 2012
3:32 pm
Joey
Go back to the crack house and smoke some more
ALABAMA FOOTBALL
December 3rd, 2012
3:35 pm
U cant compare this game to other big uga games. Dawgs played like champions and could easily be going to miami.
Hate GT and Tide too
December 3rd, 2012
3:37 pm
Justin
Thank YOU!
Why did he catch it? Poor coaching of basic football fundemetals and situation awareness.
phil
December 3rd, 2012
3:37 pm
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…
***********
Another in a long list of loser fans that don’t get it….
Paul 91
December 3rd, 2012
3:37 pm
Sorry gang but I think Moist has valid point.
bamaguy
December 3rd, 2012
3:38 pm
Betty: Alabama lost a similar SECCG game to Tebow-led Florida in 2008 then came back and beat Florida the following year then went on to win the National Championship. You can either learn from it and put it behind you or give up.
ARdawg
December 3rd, 2012
3:38 pm
GTBobby
GT will probably lose to USC by 40 or so but, we will have a new look on D next year.
Wow Bob, you mean some different chicken wire unis?
Alabama Alum (1997)
December 3rd, 2012
3:38 pm
Bulldogs played spectacular, as did Bama. I know I would have hated to lose that game. I think both teams gave their all. the nation saw a great football game………..
phil
December 3rd, 2012
3:39 pm
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.
************
Please tell me you’re kidding? I guess you aren’t. If you need an explanation, then just go back to watching tennis or whatever other pansy sport you like to follow. Leave the football to the real pros here.
ARdawg
December 3rd, 2012
3:39 pm
The only point Moist has is what happens when you post on a blog with your head squarely in your rectum
DarthDawg
December 3rd, 2012
3:40 pm
bamaguy,
UGA needs to recruit metro Atlanta better. We seem to get our share of studs from South GA and out-of-state but a lot of Atlanta area top talent still ends up in other programs. Most of the metro Atlanta talent we grab tends to be 2nd tier.
David Pollack, David Greene, and DJ Shockley were all solid and we can hope that Hutson Mason will be better than the 2 latter plus Murray but that might be the difference.
It’s hard for Richt to have a 4 year plan for a kid when he only stays 3 and that seems to be the problem when we have studs like Stafford, Moreno, and Green coming from out-of-state. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with Gurshall after the 2014 season and Murray after this season as those are all out-of-state players too.
I want to see how UGA’s OL matures this offseason because the way the Dawgs ran the ball this year sets up nice for at least the next 2 seasons.
Moist Dawg
December 3rd, 2012
3:40 pm
That’s right Phil. And make fun of me for throwing my daughters toys against the wall all you want, at least I have some passion for my team, unlike the traitors who support the Dawgs with a Tech mentality.
phil
December 3rd, 2012
3:41 pm
88Dawg
December 3rd, 2012
3:03 pm
I love my Dawgs and Coach Richt. We will be right back next year. And Bama will steam roll ND.
************
Another pathetic loser happy that we lost.
moonbat betty (dawg for life)
December 3rd, 2012
3:42 pm
thanks, bamaguy,
You are correct and most people that know football will understand this as well.