Not Yet

What a wild ride.

I sit here, two hours removed from the horrific end of a great football game, and I think I have had enough time to obtain perspective.

I have a heavy heart and a tweaked ankle. When Jacob Eason hit Riley Ridley to take the lead with 10 seconds to go in the game, I was jumping up and down and low-key screaming because the baby was asleep. Harrison, who was upstairs getting ready to read his bed-time story, heard the commotion, comes to the top of the stairs and asks, “Daddy, did Georgia win?” My answer was telling. “Not yet,” I said. He laughed and said, “Daddy is so silly.”

Not yet.

Of course I couldn’t foresee what was about to happen, but there is something inside me that is trained to not believe we had won a game when we are up 3 with 10 seconds to go. To modify a line from Harvey Updike, there is just too much Georgia in me.

I had a friend, who is not a Georgia fan or hater, describe the ending to tonight’s game as “The most Georgia Georgia that ever done Georgia’d.” Well, said.

When the game ended, I walked outside. I sat down on the sidewalk for a minute. I didn’t cry, which is surprising. I took a few deep breathes, went back inside and began to process.

I was about to write my blog. You see, I have gotten really good at writing this particular blog.

LSU 2009.

Alabama 2012.

Clemson 2013.

Auburn 2013.

South Carolina 2014.

Tech 2014.

Tennessee 2015.

I didn’t start writing the blog until 2009, but if I had been writing it before 2009, you could have added:

Tech 2008.

Alabama 2008.

South Carolina 2007.

Florida 2006.

Auburn 2005.

Auburn 2005. That one deserves two mentions. Tough beat and Taco Bell screwed up my order after the game.

Florida 2005.

Tennessee 2004.

LSU 2003.

Florida 2002.

Auburn 2001.

No research guys, these are from memory. You know why I remember them? Because these were all games Georgia could have, should have, might have, but didn’t, win.

I’m good at this blog.

Here is how it goes:

I couldn’t be more proud of this team, the crowd, and everyone involved with the program. After embarrassing themselves last week, Georgia played with fire and energy for four quarters.

I’m proud of the defense, who in reality gave up 20 points, excluding the Hail Mary and the defensive touchdown by Tennessee.

I’m proud of the running backs, who finally were a factor, even without their best player.

I’m proud of the offensive line, yes, even the offensive line, who didn’t play a perfect game, but they played one heck of a game against a talented and experienced defensive front for Tennessee.

I’m proud of our kicker, yes, even the glasses wearing, good for almost nothing kicker, who actually made a field goal!

Most of all, I’m proud of our freshman quarterback, who struggled at times in this game. I’m proud that after a terrible mistake on the fumble, that gave the opposing team the lead, and a poor pass that resulted in what seemed like a game ending interception, this 18 year old kid stepped up and delivered a beautiful 47 yard touchdown pass that ignited Sanford Stadium in a way that has not been heard since the end of the LSU game in 2013.

See, I told you I was good at this blog.

All of that is true. But there is something else that is more true. There is a dangerous truth tied to how I feel tonight.

The truth is this:

None of that matters because I’m tired of losing.

You are tired of it too. Be honest with yourself. Who convinced you that feeling proud of the team after a loss was an acceptable response to failure? Who decided that at Georgia, we should settle for coming up short and almost getting big wins? Who told you that we can’t do what other schools do?

Mark Richt was a great man, and a great coach, but the worst thing that ever happened under his watch was we decided to be proud of the team for trying.

Dammit, we are Georgia.

There are more players in the NFL from the state of Georgia than any other state in the Union. There is more talent in this state than in Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky combined. We don’t have to settle for almost.

You know how I know we don’t have to settle for almost, our coach said so after the game tonight.

“I don’t believe in moral victories, and I’m sick to my stomach that we lost that game.”

-          Kirby Smart

The bar just got raised guys.

This coach doesn’t feel good about almost. This coach isn’t making excuses. This coach understands that he is the coach because the last guy didn’t win these games. This coach understands and accepts the fact that if he doesn’t win these games, there will be another, new coach.

I’m proud of some of the individual efforts this afternoon, but I’m done being proud of a losing team.

We have got to do better.

My expectations for the rest of this year are as simple as can be. Win the rest of our games. I don’t care about style points. I don’t care about point spreads. I don’t care about inexperience, home or away, division or conference games. 

Win the rest of the games.

Before this season I said this team should go 10-2. Well, they are 3-2, so win the rest of the games.

Tennessee is going to lose to Texas A&M next Saturday, and Alabama the Saturday after that. They will probably win out, go 10-2 themselves, and win the East by winning the tie-breaker because of a last second Hail Mary on our field. I don’t know if we are good enough to play with the West Champion, but I want the shot to find out.

This feels like 2004 and 2007, where we are close to something special, but come up just short.

I'm sick of feeling this way.

Please don’t misread my tone. I’m as loyal as ever. There is no bandwagon in my house. I’m just tired of not being able to tell my son that Georgia won the game when we score a touchdown to take a 3 point lead with 10 seconds to go.