In the past couple of days, there has been talk that the 2011 Georgia/Georgia Tech game could be moved to the Georgia Dome to be apart of the annual Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic. Obviously, there are many factors to consider when talking about this issue, so here are some of the good and bad points.
PRO National Exposure
At this point, the Georgia/Georgia Tech game does not have a high profile on the national level. When you talk about college football rivalries you think of Ohio St./Michigan, Florida/Florida State, Oklahoma/Texas, USC/Notre Dame. You don't think of Georgia/Georgia Tech unless you live in the state. One of the reasons that the game has no national significance is that Georgia has dominated the series for the last decade. However, Paul Johnson seems to have Tech in a place where they will be ranked on a consistent basis. The thought of Georgia playing Tech in a top 15 matchup to kick off the 2011 season, with ESPN's College Gameday parked outside the Dome is an intriguing proposition for both schools.
Con Loss of Tradition
The biggest con in this situation is the fact that the Saturday after Thanksgiving would become just another Saturday in the state. No matter how the season has gone for either school, Clean Old Fashion Hate can be a silver lining on even the darkest of seasons. Both teams would have to schedule games on that weekend, each team would be playing a non-conference, non-rivalry opponent for the last game of the season. Who could the two teams find to fill that spot this late in the scheduling process? The thought of a post-Thanksgiving weekend filled with a Georgia v. Western Carolina matchup, while Tech hosts the Citidel, can sober up even the most optimistic fan.
Pro More Prep time for Georgia
Probably the biggest pro for Georiga would be the fact that there would be more time for Georgia's defense to prepare for the Tech option offense. Most teams only get 1 week to prepare for Paul Johnson's unique rushing offense, which gives Tech an advantage almost every Saturday. If Georgia were playing Tech in the Dome to open the season, Georgia would have the entire off season to get ready for the Tech rushing attack. As we saw in the second half of the game last season, Georgia could use all the help they can get when it comes to stopping Tech's running offense.
Con The loss of a home game
Home games are valuable in college football. Every year you hear about big schools paying out six figure dollars to no-name schools to come into places like Athens, Gainesville, and Knoxville to get their butts kicked. The reason that it works financially for these big name schools to pay out that kind of money is that they make even more money for every home game. Even home games against teams that don't put up a fight for more than a quarter. Tech would be the team giving up the home game in 2011, but I'm sure that if they gave that game up they would expect Georgia to give up a home game at some point in the future.
Pro Tech could surprise Georgia
The advantage for Tech would be that they would get to play Georgia early in the season, before the Dawgs are at their best. Historically, Georgia has been a slow starter. Every year Georgia plays close games with South Carolina, despite Georgia's advantage in talent, because the Dawgs haven't worked the kinks out yet. Georgia has also played close games with the likes of Georgia Southern early in the season. With Tech still trying to catch up to Georgia in the talent department, the early season game would benefit Tech.
Con The loss of funds in Atlanta
The Atlanta Business Council is the group that sets up these games. While the appeal of a Georgia/Georgia Tech matchup is obvious, there is one huge drawback for the Council. With Georgia and Georgia Tech's fans already in town, or close enough to make a day trip to the Dome, the city will lose out on a lot of money. Hotels, restaurants, and other attractions would not draw the same type of crowds that they would if you had two teams bringing fans from outside the state.
In the end, I don't think the game will be moved and that is a good thing. Tradition is what makes college football special, and while the Georgia/Georgia Tech tradition doesn't mean much across the country, it means a great deal within the state. Let's hope that the Saturday after Thanksgiving is always a day for left over turkey and Clean Old Fashion Hate.
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