It has been just over two weeks since I was walking out of Williams-Brice Stadium, completely shell shocked at what I had just witnessed. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't shocked that Georgia lost to South Carolina, but the way Georgia lost to South Carolina was shocking to say the least.
It has taken all of the last two weeks for me to really figure out how to look at the rest of this season. The bye week meant that I had some time to stop thinking about the team, the match-ups, the possibilities I tried to sit down and write a Kentucky preview about 3 times last week, but just couldn't find it in my heart to do it. I really thought it was a second straight bye week (boy was I wrong about that). But this morning I woke up and the picture of this season was clear in my head and in my heart.
As I stated at the beginning of the season, with this team, and this schedule the only acceptable records that Georgia should have were 12-0 or 11-1. After further evaluation, my conclusion is that nothing, absolutely nothing has changed. Well I take that back, one thing has changed, and I hate to say this, but some Georgia fans really suck.
Like I said I was at the South Carolina game, and I thought the atmosphere was amazing. The Georgia fans were just as amazing, but as the game played out, it was difficult to stay excited about what was going on. I was so frustrated I wished that I could go down on the side line and ask some of these guys who have all the talent in the world where their heart was, where their pride was. My brother and I stayed until the very end of the game, but a lot of Georgia fans left. When I got on Facebook after getting back to my hotel, I saw members of the band criticizing the fans that made the trip for not supporting the team. That was the first instance of what the last two weeks have been about in Bulldog nation.
After one loss, given it was a awful loss, but still just one loss, you start hearing the "fans" talking about how this team isn't that good, Richt and Bobo should be fired, Georgia will never win anything with Richt. First of all, Richt has already won 2 SEC championships. Secondly, it was a bad night. Georgia didn't play well and South Carolina played out of their minds.
It is a long season, and there is no reason to give up on this team. Just look at what a difference two weeks can make. Two weeks ago South Carolina had moved up to be the number 3 team in the nation and had hopes of a SEC and perhaps National Title. Now, just two weeks later, they are done. No SEC East title for South Carolina. They still have to play Tennessee and Clemson, they have a quarterback controversy thanks to Spurrier's quick trigger against Florida and I'm not convinced they won't lose another game.
And now look at where Georgia sits. They control their own destiny to get to the National Championship Game. I'm not saying it is going to happen, but I am saying that if Georgia wins the rest of their games, they can still achieve every goal they had at the beginning of the season. South Carolina can't say that.
There is going to be plenty of time for breaking down the Cocktail Party, and I will be doing that all week, but right now I want to finish up this post by saying one thing to Georgia fans: It could always be worse.
When I hear people talk about firing Richt, I wonder if they are new Georgia fans. You know, fans that have started following the team in the last 10 years or so. They have seen Georgia win some big game and a pair of SEC titles, but they have seen LSU, Florida, Alabama, and Auburn win National Titles and they wonder why Georgia hasn't been able to do that. They assume it is because of Richt.
First of all, it takes more than a good team to win a National Title. It also takes a bit of luck. Luck? Yes Luck. Look at Bama just last year. They got a huge break even being in the Title game! They didn't win their division but they got the chance to play LSU again. That was lucky. Georgia went 12-1 in 2002 and played in the Sugar Bowl not the title game. In 2007 Georgia was left out of the title game because they didn't win the SEC despite the fact that anyone with a pair of eyes could tell they were the best team in the nation at the end of the season.
So back to my original point: It could always be worse. Use the internet, new Georgia fans, to look at the team's record from 1989-2000. There were a couple of high points in there, 1997 for example, but for the most part, it was bad. Losing every year to Auburn, Tennessee, Florida, and a lot of the time Tech. Mark Richt changed that the moment he got to Athens. We have lost to Tech once in the Richt era. The only team Georgia has a losing record to under Richt is Florida. But during that time, 1989-2000 Georgia beat Florida twice. Richt has done just a little bit better by beating Florida 3 times. So Georgia fans it could be worse. It could be so much worse. And if you think I'm wrong, do you know an Auburn fan? Call them. Ask them if it could be worse.
It is Georgia/Florida week and the Dawgs have everything to play for. Forget Columbia. GO DAWGS!!!!
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