College Football
Owls Back To Sleep
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
GeorgiaSportsEdition.com news services
The Kennesaw State Owls football team saw their season come to an end earlier this month. The Owls finished the regular season 10-1 and ranked No. 2 in the FCS Coaches Poll. The only loss was to an FBS team, Georgia State.
KSU did not receive much respect for their great season because they were the No. 4 seed in the Playoffs. They lost to No. 5 South Dakota State (10-2) 27-17 in the quarterfinals.
The Owls have only been playing football since 2015 and they are becoming a powerhouse at the FCS level. Despite that, attendance has been declining since the program’s inception.
“I’m passionate about this school and I don’t know why you wouldn’t be. … We got 35,000 students,” coach Brian Bohannon said. “Let see if we can get a couple thousand to come to the game. Let’s raise some heck and have some fun. Let’s see if we can help the Owls win. We’ve got over a million people in this community. Let’s see if we can get a couple thousand to come to the game.”
While attendance was announced at 3,242, there were clearly no more than 1,000 fans actually in the stands.
The Owls lost the season opener to Georgia State 24-20. KSU held a three-point lead with 2 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter before the Panthers scored the winning touchdown.
After that game, they reeled off 10 consecutive wins against other FCS competition. They dominated their opponents and won their games by double digits except for the season finale.
The scores against non-conference competition were 49-10 at Tennessee Tech, 62-13 versus Alabama State, 70-13 versus Clarke Atlanta and 24-10 over Samford.
They also breezed through Big South conference opponents beating Presbyterian 56-0, Gardner-Webb 56-17, Charleston Southern 38-10, Campbell 49-0 and Monmouth 51-14. They won the conference title for the second year in a row.
The season finale was against No.6 Jacksonville State. The game was a classic, going to five overtimes. They defeated the Gamecocks 60-52.
Kennesaw State runs the triple option so they have a powerful rushing attack. The leader of the team is quarterback Chandler Burks. Burks rushed for 905 yards and 29 touchdowns. He also threw for 1,043 yards, 10 TD’s and completed 57% of his passes.
Senior running back Darnell Holland ran for 949 yards with an amazing 11.9 yards per carry average. He finished the season with 9 touchdowns. Shaquil Terry was the third leading rusher with 576 yards, 5 TD’s and averaged 7.4 ypc.
KSU had a bye in the opening round of the playoffs so their first game was in the second round against Wofford. They are two of the best rushing offenses in the country and it was a tough game. KSU beat the Terriers 13-10. The win put Kennesaw State at 24 wins in their last 26 games.
The season ended in the quarterfinals for the second year in a row. I really hoped they would win this game because they would have played North Dakota State in the next round.
The Bison have been a juggernaut for the last seven years. That would have been a good way to really see where the Owls stack up against elite competition.
The season was very successful and the goal in 2019 is to advance further in the playoffs.
Bitter Sweet Sugar Bowl
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It isn’t the big-name bowl game Georgia players and their fans were hoping for when the season began, but it is an opportunity to end an otherwise successful season on a high note.
On the surface, you don’t get much larger than Georgia and Texas, when it comes to football. Both programs are about as historic as you get and have some of the most devoted fans in the country.
However, as we all know, wins aren’t based on popularity, or how crazy one’s fan base can be, but what happens on the field.
In this particular case, the matchup on the field doesn’t live up to the hype with the names.
Texas is a good football team. Tom Herman has done a good job leading the Longhorns to their conference title game in only his second year. And yes, the Big 12 is a good conference. Texas is “good”; Georgia is excellent.
The obvious matchup where Georgia holds a sizable advantage is when the Bulldogs offense is on the field. Coming from the Big 12, Texas is as allergic to playing defense as Kevin Hart is to hosting the Oscars.
Outside of the LSU game, the only time they failed to put up at least 27 points, Georgia hasn’t had difficulty scoring.
I’m not saying Georgia should be licking their chops like me at a Chinese buffet, but they should be able to gorge themselves on as many points as I do pieces of General Tso’s chicken.
No, the interesting matchup- albeit it one that will probably have no bearing on the game’s actual outcome- is Texas’ offense against Georgia’s defense.
If there is any part of the Longhorns team that could be considered excellent, it’s their offense.
Sam Ehlinger is a legitimate college quarterback and Texas can score in bunches. They’ve had a rough few games, but they are a challenge to keep down.
That said, they haven’t played a defense nearly as physical and quick as Georgia’s. I’m sure Texas will put some points on the board, but I can’t imagine them scoring anywhere close to enough to make this a game.
I know there has been a lot of chatter about whether or not Georgia will be mentally prepared, since they’re not in the playoffs; a sure sign that nobody truly thinks Texas is the better team.
In some cases, I could see that taking place, but I just don’t see that happening here. There may be a little bit of an emotional letdown, but there is enough experience on this team to manage those emotions. I don’t think it’ll be an issue.
It’s a fun talking point for shows that have copious amounts of time to fill between now and New Year’s Day, but that’s about all.
One thing I will point out before I end this nauseating tribute to everything good about Georgia football, is while this isn’t a playoff matchup this year, don’t be surprised if it is one within the next few.
Georgia is obviously up there as one of the strongest programs in the country and playoffs appearances are now expected. Texas isn’t quite there yet, but they’re on the right track and showing signs that they will be, sooner rather than later.
It may not be the game either team wanted, or the exciting matchup we all were hoping for. It just might be a preview of things to come; one where our expectations meet reality.
Luck Of The Irish
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Championship Saturday in College Football started and ended with questions regarding who would be in the top four when the college football playoff starts on December 29th. The semi-final matchups would in the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl to determine who will play for the National Championship the following week.
Going into Championship Saturday you had Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, and Georgia holding the top four spots. Alabama, Clemson, and Georgia all had to participate in conference championship games.
Notre Dame got to sit on the couch with a bye while everyone else in contention for a playoff spot Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Oklahoma, Ohio State, and even UCF had to win to stay alive in the playoff hunt.
Are conference championship games even needed anymore is the question? Alabama didn’t win the SEC in 2017 or even make the SEC championship game, but got selected as a playoff team and ended up winning the national championship.
The goal of the playoff is to select the best four teams correct? At least I thought it was. I just don’t think we are talking apples to apples unless Notre Dame is made to join a football conference.
Yes, the Irish play basketball in the ACC, but get the easy way out during football season by being an independent. Do you think an undefeated BYU playing Notre Dame’s schedule would have been selected as one of the top four teams in the country? Let me answer that for you, absolutely not.
Championship Saturday looked like this:
Clemson played a five loss Pitt team in the ACC title game and blew them out while Notre Dame sat home and was given a playoff spot. Now we get an ACC title game in Dallas with ND and Clemson in the Cotton Bowl. Clemson will beat ND by three TD’s.
Oklahoma played a three loss Texas team in the Big 12 title game and won by 12.
Ohio State played a four loss Northwestern team in the Big 10 title game and won by 21.
Then you had #1 Alabama and #4 Georgia in an epic SEC title game that Alabama, who was regarded by many as the greatest college football team ever, had to rally to overcome a 4th quarter deficit to pull out the game 35-28.
All of this went down as Notre Dame sits at the house with a bye and punches a ticket into the playoff.
Oklahoma, Georgia, and Ohio State are all better football teams than Notre Dame, but yet Georgia and Ohio State get left out all because Notre Dame gets the easy way out because they beat a six loss Vandy team 22-17, six loss Pitt team 19-14, and a seven loss USC team 24-17.
Don’t forget the Irish beat Michigan 24-17, a team Ohio State hung 62 points on the last week of the regular season. Georgia beat Vanderbilt 41-13, and Clemson beat Pitt 42-10.
The solutions are simple:
- Make Notre Dame commit to joining the ACC in football and win a conference championship game.
- Do away with conference title games all together and level the playing field with Notre Dame.
- Have an 8, 16, or 32 team playoff like all other college football divisions, and crown a real champion.
Georgia and Ohio State would be undefeated playing Notre Dame’s 2018 schedule. The playoff committee always says the goal is to get the four best teams, but it failed miserably in 2018. Notre Dame may not even be the best football team in Indiana.
So, we are stuck with Notre Dame with their weak slate. So, in 2018 we have the top 3 and Notre Dame.
Address the Notre Dame elephant in the room. The football playoff committee needs scrap this system for a true playoff like everyone else does or make Notre Dame join a conference.
There may be 3-4 teams in the SEC that would beat Notre Dame. Politics won the day on the playoff selection committee.
Georgia Southern Eagles Bowl Preview
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia Southern will make a return to bowl season for the first time since 2015 as the Eagles found out they are headed to the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl in Montgomery, Ala.
The Eagles (9-3) will face another group of Eagles in the Dec. 15 contest as their opponent will be Eastern Michigan (7-5) out of the Mid-American Conference.
Georgia Southern’s only previous bowl appearance also came against a MAC team as the Eagles stormed past 2015 MAC champion Bowling Green in the GoDaddy Bowl.
“It’s an honor and a blessing to be able to play in the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl,” Georgia Southern coach Chad Lunsford said. “A bowl game is hard to get to and it’s a reward for our players, staff and fans. We’ve had a great season, but to be able to have the opportunity to pick up a 10th win against a great opponent in Eastern Michigan is something we won’t take lightly.”
Georgia Southern is one of five Sun Belt Conference teams heading to the postseason.
An official statement by the conference on Sunday placed Sun Belt champion Appalachian State in the New Orleans Bowl against Middle Tennessee State (Conference USA), Louisiana in the Cure Bowl against Tulane (American), Troy in the Dollar General Bowl against Buffalo (MAC) and Arkansas State in the Arizona Bowl against Nevada (Mountain West).
Georgia Southern didn’t learn of its exact postseason location or opponent until Sunday, but had spent the last week on the practice field in preparation for whatever bowl season had in store for it.
It served as an extra week of learning and scrimmaging for younger players while offering some banged up regular contributors a few much-needed days of taking things easy.
“Honestly, I would have rather had it not been an off week,” GSU quarterback Shai Werts said. “I think we would have all rather been playing Saturday (in the Sun Belt championship game). But it was good for some guys to get some rest. Now we just ramp it back up and get ready for Eastern Michigan.”
The ‘other’ Eagles from Ypsilanti, Michigan don’t have quite the record as Georgia Southern, but have had plenty of highlights that make them deserving of a bowl game and a tough opponent for Southern.
Eastern Michigan beat a Purdue squad that handed Ohio State its only loss of the season and dropped tough overtime contests to a then-ranked San Diego State and MAC champion Northern Illinois.
EMU is similar to Georgia Southern in that much of its success has come when a sometimes-shaky offense has shown up to compliment what is usually a very steady defense.
One bright spot for Georgia Southern — EMU’s roughest day on defense all season came at the hands of option-heavy Army as the Black Knights ran for 289 yards in a 37-22 victory.
Georgia Southern will ship out to Montgomery on Tuesday, Dec. 11 where the team will continue to practice while also taking part in multiple events hosted by the Camellia Bowl and the city of Montgomery.
Odd Dawg Out
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
“If you don’t want to be left out, don’t give those who makes the decisions a reason to leave you out.”
I was 14 years old and had been left off the 14-15 year old baseball all-star team I felt I deserved to make, when my Dad uttered those words. It’s a lesson that is as pertinent today as it was on that long drive home all those years ago. It’s a lesson that Georgia fans are currently finding themselves being thrust into learning.
Over the course of the season Georgia accomplished enough to justify their inclusion into the playoffs. Besides having an excellent overall record, they played a tremendous game against Alabama, and if you go by the ever popular “eye test”, you’d be hard pressed to find four teams you would place above the Bulldogs.
On the flip side, Georgia also showed enough to validate the committee’s hesitation to put them into the playoffs.
One of the main arguments being made to include Georgia in the playoffs is the Alabama game. And yes, for the first thirty-five minutes Georgia looked like the superior team.
But, what about the other twenty-five minutes, when the Tide outscored them 21-0? If we’re going to credit Georgia for the beginning of the game, we have to hold them accountable for the end.
As for the eye test, I’ll be the first to admit they played like one of the best four teams throughout the year, but how many times have we seen games and tournaments where the best team didn’t win. I mean, that’s kind of why they play the game, right?
If we judged winners simply by who the better team was, there’d be no reason to keep score. We’d just watch the game and declare the winner based on who we thought was the more complete team. Outcomes are important, win or lose.
Plus, the eye test really only matters when you have two equally accomplished teams, which wasn’t the case. Oklahoma finished their season with a better record than Georgia and was able to avenge their only loss on their way to winning their conference championship; basically, identical to what the Bulldogs did last year.
As great as Georgia may have looked against Alabama, and as great of an impression as they left on those who watched the game, they still didn’t do the most important thing, which is win.
I know people want to knock Notre Dame and their schedule too, but they did play four Top 25 teams, plus two other teams that played in their conference championship games.
I’m not saying their schedule was the most difficult, but they didn’t play schools like “Napoleon Dynamite’s School for Dance” or the “University of Underwater Basket Weaving” either.
It’s been twenty-five years since I learned that difficult lesson, but I was able to use it as motivation and I’m sure the Georgia program will to.
Honestly, I’d be shocked if Georgia isn’t a repeat participant in the playoffs; there have been a lot of familiar names since the playoffs were formed.
It’s easier than said than done, but in most cases it’s not so much about flaunting your accomplishments, as it is making sure you minimize your failures.
They can’t keep you out of the playoffs if you don’t give them a reason not to let you in- just look at Notre Dame. Otherwise you only have yourself to blame.
Buzzing Away
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
After 11 seasons in Atlanta Paul Johnson has retired suddenly from coaching at Georgia Tech. As a fan I think this is great news. I do think the timing is very odd though.
“It’s been a great run for the last 11 years here on The Flats. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished and am looking forward to having the chance to coach this team one last time at our bowl game next month.”
It seemingly came out of nowhere but CPJ said he contemplated retirement in 2016. After athletic director Mike Bobinski departed for Purdue in 2016, he was replaced by Todd Stansbury.
“To be honest with you, truthfully, had Todd not shown up, I was ready to do this before he came,” Johnson said. “Because it wasn’t much fun. It was drudgery. I think that Todd came in, he understands what needs to happen.”
That is an interesting quote because on the outside he appeared to be content coaching. This is interesting insight into the mind of a coach because we often see them say one thing then doing something totally different.
For example, how many times have we seen a coach claim they love their current job then bolt for the next open position?
Johnson, 61, is fourth all-time at Georgia Tech with an 82-59 mark, and has a career coaching record of 189-98 over 22 seasons. He guided the Yellow Jackets to the ACC championship in 2009, and he finished first or second in the Coastal Division in 7 of his 11 seasons.
He’s known for running the triple option, which is extremely old school since the turn of the century. The Yellow Jackets lead the country in rushing this season and have been a fixture in the top 10 nationally in rushing each of the past 10 years.
Since 2008, Georgia Tech has averaged 301.9 rushing yards per game – second in FBS behind Navy (308.0).
He has struggled recently, having losing seasons in 2015 and 2017. The team got off to a slow start this season going 1-3. They rallied to win six of the next seven. I believe the criticism from fans has worn Johnson out on coaching at Tech.
The Yellow Jackets lost to rival Georgia 45-21. That score is closer than the game actually was.
They were also trounced by UGA in 2017 38-7. He has struggled to beat them and Clemson in his tenure. The talent gap between the programs has only gotten worse because he is not a good recruiter.
More than likely he will take a little time off and return to coaching. I think that’s a good move for him. He is not cut out for a Power 5 school, but I think he would excel at a smaller school or back at the FCS level.
“I think I’m still young enough that I’ll take a break and see if it fits and see if it’s what I want,” he said. “And if not, hopefully the body of work that I’ve had over the last 40 years, if I decide to do it again, I’ll get back in it somewhere else.”
I think Johnson will be remembered fondly by Tech fans in the next few years.
Who Is In?
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
If Georgia upsets Alabama Saturday night, then the playoff field will be set, I believe, regardless of any other outcomes: Georgia, Notre Dame, Alabama, and Clemson. (And yes, even if Clemson were to lose to Pittsburgh- which I don’t think will happen- I would still put them in ahead of both Oklahoma and Ohio State.)
If the SEC Championship game winds up being a repeat of last year’s national championship, and Alabama escapes victorious, I don’t think all is lost for UGA fans.
However, I will admit there’s a better chance of me waking up tomorrow with Brad Pitt’s “Fight Club” body than the Bulldogs joining the playoffs for the second straight year. I just don’t think it’s impossible.
The obvious way it could work out is that Georgia plays Alabama tough and both Oklahoma and Ohio State lose their respective championship games.
Georgia’s overall body of work would be better than Ohio State’s and it would be difficult to put in an Oklahoma team that would’ve lost twice to the same team, Texas.
To be honest, even if Ohio State wins, I’m not sure I put them in over Georgia. (I realize I may be the only non-Georgia fan who believes this. I don’t know, maybe after all these years I’m finally starting to warm up to the ol’ Dawgs. Nah, it’s probably the egg nog speaking.)
I don’t think OSU beating a Northwestern team that basically won their division by default is that much of a game changer. I’d still take a two loss Georgia team over a one loss Ohio State.
So, in my eyes, it really comes down to the Oklahoma/Texas game.
The Sooners are in a very similar situation to the one Georgia was in last year; a one loss team, playing in their conference championship game against the team that gave them their only blemish on the season. And much like Georgia last year, it will be nearly impossible to keep Oklahoma out of the playoffs, in this particular scenario, if they win.
As I alluded to above though, if Oklahoma loses I would still go with a two loss Georgia over a two loss Oklahoma.
The Big 12 title game will take place before the SEC, so Georgia fans will have a better idea of the scenarios that may play out, before their game begins.
Look, as difficult as it is for me to say this, I just feel Georgia is the better team between them, Ohio State, and Oklahoma. So, unless it’s just obvious that one of the latter two is more deserving of a playoff appearance than Georgia, the Bulldogs should get the edge.
I don’t think Georgia will win, but I do believe they’re good enough to play the Tide close. When you consider how Alabama has pretty much steam rolled through their schedule, being able to keep close will say an awful lot, if Georgia is able to do that.
Of course, they could completely take away all the suspense by just winning the damn game, but obviously that’s a little bit easier said than done.
If it does play out where there is no clear cut fourth team, it will be interesting to see what the committee does and what they prioritize. I’ve made it clear I think Georgia should be the team, but then again, I also think UCF should be in the conversation, so what do I know. But, that’s an entirely different story for another day.
Balance Of Power
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Before the season started, all you heard is how dominant the SEC West was and that division carried the entire conference on its shoulders, while the SEC East was the weaker of the two.
Let me let you in on a little secret going into the final weekend of the season, the SEC East holds an 8-5 edge on the SEC West going into this weekend’s matchup with Arkansas and Missouri. If Missouri wins as expected then the east will win the crossover game series 9-5 in 2018. How can that be?
Is there a power shift occurring in the SEC? Let’s take a look at the state of the SEC East going into the last week of the season.
Georgia: Right now, UGA is king of the east and defending SEC Champions and most of their current roster is underclassmen.
The future is bright in Athens with Kirby Smart bringing five star athlete after five star athlete. Smart is building a monster in Athens and look for the Dawgs to be national power for some time to come.
Florida: The Gators under Dan Mullen have a chance to win 10 games in a season most experts wrote them off.
Mullen is a quality coach and the Gators are a QB away from being dangerous.
Florida may be the most fertile recruiting ground in the United States, and with both Miami and FSU struggling it could mean the Gators get all the way back really quickly.
Florida had a signature win at home this season against LSU, and a potential dream matchup with UCF in the Fiesta Bowl could shut up the smack talk coming out of Orlando once and for all.
Kentucky: The Wildcats are 8-3 and also have a chance to get their first ten win season since 1977. Yes, I said 1977.
Mark Stoops will be on top of many SEC coach of the year ballots. The Cats played UGA for the SEC East Championship on November 3rd, 2018. Kentucky football is ascending and Lexington will not be a fun road trip in the near future.
South Carolina: The Gamecocks are going to win seven games under Will Muschamp in 2018. Carolina was a dumpster fire after Steve Spurrier bailed on the program in 2015 in the middle of the season.
Muschamp is slowly building this program from the inside out. Be patient South Carolina fans, you have never been a great football program to begin with.
Missouri: The Tigers are 7-4 with with 2-9 Arkansas left on the schedule. A win by the Tigers means that every SEC East team will have beaten an SEC West Team in 2018.
Auburn, Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State all failed to beat and SEC East teams in 2018. Barry Odom is doing a fine job in the Show Me State, but who is going to replace Drew Lock when Lock replaces Blake Bortles in Jacksonville?
Vanderbilt: The Commodores are sitting at 5-6 and should have probably beaten Missouri, Florida, and Notre Dame in South Bend. A win over Tennessee this week and Vandy goes bowling. This team is not a cupcake anymore.
Tennessee: The Vols went 0-8 in the SEC in 2017, but beat Auburn, and Kentucky in 2018. Pruitt needs two more recruiting cycles to get this team back to being Tennessee again, and when he does look out.
The SEC East went 3-11 against the West in 2017, and looks like they will turn that into 9-5 in 2018. If Georgia beats Alabama in Atlanta then you can say the balance of power has shifted in the SEC. Tua will have a huge say about that.
Picking Off The Panthers
By: Mike Anthony
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
By any measure imaginable, the 2018 Georgia Southern football season has been an overwhelming success.
The Eagles entered the fall with their third head coach in four seasons and their fifth offensive coordinator in the same span. The team went a program-worst 2-10 in 2017, losing its first nine games as one of the youngest rosters in the country was thrown into the deep end and struggled to stay afloat.
Those two wins came only after Chad Lunsford was named interim head coach midway through the season. Lunsford was given the official head coach title just before the final game of the season. He promised a return to the winning culture that Georgia Southern is synonymous with and he has delivered.
Armed with some new faces on the coaching staff and a team that has had an extra bounce in its step since before spring practice began, the Eagles currently sit at 8-3 and have a chance to notch their third nine-win season in five years at the FBS level.
But for all the success, there is one glaring wrong from the past few years of GS football that need to be righted.
On Saturday, the Eagles head to Atlanta to take on Georgia State and will try to end a three-game losing streak that stems back to the 2015 regular season finale.
The Panthers haven’t been the cause of the Eagles’ recent struggles. After all, a program with a lifetime record of 29-76 isn’t the cause of anyone’s main problems. But Georgia State has been there to rub salt in the wounds over the last few seasons, making all of the negatives sting just a bit more.
Georgia Southern has exceeded even the most optimistic of expectations this season and will soon receive an invitation to is second bowl game in program history.
The Eagles were in contention for the Sun Belt championship game into November and a still relatively young squad figures to keep the positive momentum rolling into 2019.
But there’s still a looming, panther-shaped box remaining to be checked off on this season’s list of goals.
College teams are often remembered season by season, but individual classes of players also take plenty of pride in what their group was able to accomplish during their time.
This year’s seniors already have a roller coaster resume. They signed on and took a chance with a team in its FBS infancy and were immediately part of a bowl winner. Then they endured a coaching change and – over two seasons – saw the team sink as low as it ever has.
But in their final season at Georgia Southern, this class has flipped the script. In less than 12 months, they have guided the Eagles from the depths of national bottom 10 lists to plenty of accolades about a team from Statesboro that is on the rise.
The one thing this class has left to do is to take down that team from Atlanta.
And based on how this season is going, those seniors are probably thinking the same thing as their fans.
Is it Saturday yet?
Georgia Tech To Sting Georgia?
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The college football season is almost over. We’re going into the final week of the season, which features rivalry games. One of my favorites is Clean, Old Fashioned Hate from my home state.
This will be the 113th meeting between Georgia Tech and UGA. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 66-41-5. The longest win streak in the series is eight games by Georgia Tech from 1949-1956.
Since 1991 UGA has won 21 of the 27 games. To say they have been dominating recently would be an understatement. Tech did win the last meeting in Athens back in 2016, 28-27. Last season Georgia obliterated the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta, 38-7.
No. 5 Georgia (10-1) has won the SEC East for the second consecutive year and guaranteed a spot in the SEC Championship.
“I try to have a 24-hour rule, too, but this one is different because you don’t have enough time to prepare for them,” Smart said, explaining why he would change things up to begin early preparations for rival Georgia Tech.
The Bulldogs have superior size, speed and talent. They are a 17-point favorite over Tech. On paper, they should win easily but that’s why they play the game.
Georgia Tech (7-4) got off to a slow start but they won four consecutive games. They have won the last two games in Athens so they should have some confidence. The Yellow Jackets lead the nation with 353.7 yards per game rushing.
The Dawgs run defense looked shaky against UMass in their 66-27 win. Georgia surrendered 125 yards rushing in the first half rushing before the Minutemen shifted into catch-up mode for the second half.
“Zero. None,” Smart said when asked after Georgia’s win over UMass if there was anything he could take from this week and apply to Georgia Tech. “No offense we faced all year. Zero. It has zero carry over. I think you see across the country if you watch teams play the triple option, it’s extremely different and so extreme that I don’t think you guys can understand. There’s not one call in our defense. The only common theme is you’ve got to tackle the man with the ball. That’s the only common theme. Outside of that, there’s nothing like it.”
One good thing for the rivalry is Paul Johnson playing the villain. He’s very outspoken about everything even it may come back to haunt him. He’s only 3-7 against Georgia but he still takes time to troll the SEC.
“Week in and week out, I promise you there isn’t any difference in lining up and playing those guys than there is playing North Carolina, Clemson and Virginia Tech,” Johnson said.
“What happened in my opinion is you had really good teams at the top of their league and they got credit. It was almost like the ACC in basketball this year. They all get ranked in the top 15 and then when they beat each other they don’t ever drop. Then you get to the tournament and you don’t do so well and you start thinking maybe they were overhyped.”
The Dawgs could make this game close if they are not focused. They may be looking ahead to their showdown with Alabama the following week. If they sleepwalk this can be a close game. No matter the scenario UGA will notch another W in the series.
