A Tale of Two Programs

It's been (some) of the best of times, and (some) of the worst of times, and it all started on one fateful night in September of 2008.

The Georgia Bulldogs were at the top of the college football world.  They were the preseason number one  going into the 2008 season, but they had dropped to 3rd by the time our story begins.  Georgia was coming off a magical season in 2007 when they had finished as hot as any team in the nation.  They ranked second nationally at the end of the '07 season.

Going back a bit farther, Georgia had been a power in the SEC for the past 6 years.  They had played in the SEC Championship Game 3 times from 2002-2007, won 2 SEC Championships, and 2008 was thought to be the year they broke through and played for a National Championship.

To the west, there was Alabama,  one of the most storied programs in the history of college football.  However, they came into the 2008 season longing for the success of the past rather than bragging about recent success.  In hopes of summoning the ghost of "The Bear", Bama went out and hired Nick Saban.  Saban had a promising first season in 2007, but his Tide was only ranked 24th coming in to the 2008 season.  After an impressive start to the season, they came to Athens ranked 9th.

Hoping to carry over some success from the year before, the Georgia seniors called for a "Blackout."  One Bama assistant famously predicted that Georgia was wearing black because they were going to their own funeral.

Bama dominated the Dawgs on their own homefield that night.  It was 31-0 before halftime.  The final score ended up being 41-30, but it was never that close.  As the two teams left the field that night, there was no way of knowing that these two teams were heading in two very different directions.

Alabama would go on to be ranked number 1 in the nation in 2008 before losing a great SEC Championship Game to Florida.  However, they would return in 2009 to overcome the Gators and eventually Texas would win the National Championship.  They would return to the National Title Game in 2011, this time defeating LSU to claim their second title in three years.  A Western Division Championship in 2012 means that Alabama has been to 3 SEC title games, won 1 SEC title, and won 2 National Championships since September 21, 2008.

Meanwhile, Georgia would go on to lose to Florida and Georgia Tech in 2008.  Matt Stafford and Knowshon Moreno left after the season to go to the NFL, and the program would fall far and fast.  2009 would see a 5 loss season for Georgia and an Independence Bowl appearance that, despite winning, would best be forgotten.

2010 would prove even worse.  Georgia lost four straight games in 2010.  Those losses weren't against teams like Florida, Alabama, Michigan, and USC.  No, those losses were to South Carolina, Arkansas, Mississippi State, and wait for it, Colorado.  They would go on to lose to Florida and Auburn at the end of the season and at 6-6 played college football juggernaut, Central Florida in the Liberty Bowl.  An uninspiring 10-6 defeat at the hands of UCF gave Mark Richt his first losing season in Athens.  Georgia had hit rock bottom.  There were legitimate discussions about firing Richt at the end of the 2010 season, and after losing the first two games of the 2011 season to Boise State and South Carolina, those talks intensified.

Being the pre-season number one in 2008 seemed like a lifetime ago, and Richt was one loss away from being unemployed.

The Dawgs managed to win the next 10 games of the season to finish 10-2, and played LSU in the SEC title game.  Georgia stayed with the Tigers for a half, but were blown away late in the game.  Georgia then fell to Michigan State in the Outback Bowl and finished the season a confusing 10-4.

Now we have seen Georgia go 11-1 in 2012.  They lost their toughest road game of the season and looked terrible doing it.  They beat the number 2 team in the nation on a neutral field.  They destroyed their competition in November, and seem to be on a roll that we haven't seen since the '07 season.

After going from the top of the college football world in 2008 to near the bottom of the SEC in 2010, Georgia finds itself back in the big time again.

It has been over 4 years since that fall Saturday night in 2008 when Georgia fell to Alabama.  At times, I have wondered whether or not Georgia could make it back to this point with Mark Richt as their head coach, but here are the Dawgs, one victory away from playing for the National Championship.

All that stands in their way is the team that sent them down that dark road - Alabama.  The Tide comes into this game as the defending National Champions, and presumably the team to beat.  Bama fans expect to win this game, as they expect to win every game, and go on to beat Notre Dame to claim what they believe to be their birthright, the National Championship.

Years from now, we might look back and say that this was just another Crimson Night in a Crimson Age of college football.

Or maybe, just maybe, we will look back and say this was the night that a new dynasty began.  Only time will tell, but make no mistake, it only takes one game to change the course of history.