The Morning After

WE ARE GEORGIA!

And last night this team that has underachieved and disappointed all season long finally proved and earned the title of Georgia Bulldogs. Take the Georgia/Georgia Tech angle out of it and just listen to the facts:

An unranked 6-5 team went on the road to their arch rivals home field and upset the number 7 team in the country.

That's a great ending to a bad season.

Georgia played like successful Georgia teams have since the Vince Dooley Era. Georgia made an obvious attempt to establish the run and stuck with that philosophy all game long. Washaun Ealey and Caleb King had their best games of their careers in the same game, and the offensive line played just like we thought they would all season.

For the first time all season, Joe Cox was used properly. Cox's early season success against South Carolina and Arkansas had made the coaching staff think that he could throw the ball around the field, but that is not the quarterback he is. He managed the game last night and made some big plays in the passing game, but he wasn't asked to win the game, he was simply asked not to lose it. Alabama almost won a national championship last year with a similar philosophy, and I think this season could have been much better had the coaching staff not taken 13 weeks to figure out that we need to run the ball to be successful.

Despite the win against Tech, a few things still have to happen in Athens. Willie Martinez isn't going to be fired because of one game, and he shouldn't be saved by one game either. I'm sure Willie is a good man, but its time for a new philosophy and a new face leading the Georgia defense.

Also, going into next season, Aaron Murry will need a similar game plan as last night to be successful. Both running backs will be back next year, and the offensive line will be a year older (hopefully anchored by Trenton Sturdivant). The red-shirt freshman quarterback will need the pieces around him to help take the pressure off a young player who will make mistakes.

The honest truth about next year is this. With an inspired defense, there is no reason Georgia can't be right back at the top of the SEC East next year. Florida is losing Tebow for sure, and there could be up to 26 Gators who will either graduate or take their talent to the NFL. Florida will not be a bad team, but to think that they will be the dominant team that they have been over the past two years, would be crazy.

Georgia's win last night was fun for Georgia fans who have sat through a very difficult season. Hopefully last night and a victory in the bowl game will signal the beginning of the next chapter of Georgia football.