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August 31, 2007

Season's Eve

Image: Eric Heard
This day comes every year. Georgia fans from Macon, Atlanta, Rome, Savannah, and all parts in between make their preparations to drive over the shimmering asphalt of interstates and back roads, traveling on a pilgrimage, going back to a place that holds more than just a football game. It's a place that, this time of year, holds something more precious and rare. It holds hope and opportunity, a clean slate and renewal. This same place holds memories, both glorious and excruciating. Memories of Trippi, Tarkington, Herschel, and Zeier. Memories shared between husband and wife, brother and brother, father and son. A place of calm and refuge, while at the same time a place of crazed frenzy. This place is Sanford Stadium and tomorrow night, it comes alive with 92,000 barking fans who gather to watch a team that has potential to fulfill all of their hopes or dash them until this day returns next year.

I see the game as a battle for offensive tempo. The Pokes want to air it out, breaking downfield fast, taking advantage of Bowman in man-to-man match ups with our young corners. Oklahoma State should want to throw the ball around and it looks like Bryan Evans will have help on Bowman most of the time. Larry Fedora will spread the defense and run a lot of draws and sprint options. Will our defense hold? We're fast enough to shut the outside option game down, but out defensive tackles have to take away the little draw plays with Savage squirting up the middle. The whole key to Georgia's defensive efforts is the defensive line. We need to get controlled pressure on Bobby Reid (containing his lethal feet and forcing throws) and stop inside runs.

Oklahoma State wants a shootout and Georgia shouldn't give them one. The Dawgs need to grind it out on the ground. Control the line of scrimmage and work the clock. I know that our line is young/inexperienced/worrisome. I agree. But so is Okie State's defensive line. There is hope for the running game and it must be effective. I think we'll have mixed results, but will make enough big plays to win. Georgia 34, Oklahoma State 27.
For those of you heading to Athens, one thing to watch for is Oklahoma State's mascot. "Pistol Pete" is a person wearing an awkward plastic amalgam head crafted by duPont and sculpted by Amazon headhunters. He is named after Frank Eaton, a cowboy who learned to shoot things while training to avenge his father's death at the hands of "lawless former Confederates." Look, for the love of God, take that stupid head off. I'm not a fan of human mascots to begin with, but if you are going to have one, either get the whole suit (Col. Reb) or don't give him fake body parts (the Volunteer, Chief Osceola). Tennessee's Johnny Appleseed mascot is goofy, but at least he doesn't wear some giant plastic head that needs a shave. Go get a horse, let Pete ride around on it, and have a shootin' exhibition at the half. Also, people in Texas and, evidently, Oklahoma, have little hand signals for their teams. Okie State's is "guns up" where they point their index fingers up like they are shooting guns in the air. Just try not to cower.

Quinton

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is definetly the dumbest looking mascot I've seen. On another note, does anyone know if you can have charcoal grills on campus this year for tailgating?

Anonymous said...

why wouldn't you be able to?

Anonymous said...

The "Gameday Gameplan" website does not have any rule that prohibit charcoal grills.

Anonymous said...

So you're saying the model for OSU's mascot was a cowboy named Frank?

Personally, I think the OSU cowboy looks like the love child of the King from the BK commercials and the western dude from the Village People. I guess we should all be glad it was the western dude and not the biker or construction dude.

I bet that big fiberglass head gets hotter than a Big Green Egg at a Labor Day cookout. The thing is big enough for it's own self contained air conditioning unit, but my guess is those hardy western folk eschew sissy eastern comforts like A/C. I just hope the poor dope who proudly wears the head doesnt bake what few brains he must have into charcoal. Bless his heart.

Junkyarddawg34 said...

How is it that 'all parts in between' always seems to exclude those parts SOUTH of Macon & Savannah? Some of the most INSANE Dawgs are from there . . . always, folks neglect the southern part of the State. GA is MORE than Atl . . . anyway, fuc-it

GO DAWGS!

Unknown said...

Carey,

The Georgia governor once tried to give Valdosta and Albany to the State of Florida in exchange for 10 tickets to Disney World.

They wouldn't do the deal.

Paul Westerdawg
Former resident of Albany *and* Valdosta

Anonymous said...

i thought i remembered something at the end of last year with the dumbass workers picking up the coals from grills after the game and throwing them away, causing the trash cans to catch on fire...i'm pretty sure that Adams tried to get charcoal outlawed..i just didn't know if he had succeeded..

also, if you have ever seen the movie Team America, that mascot's head looks like the main guy when he dresses up to fit in with the muslims.

Unknown said...

No ban on any sort of grilling.

However, there is a ban on being a dumbass and throwing charcoal into a dumpster. That happens every few years and makes a pretty big mess. And by mess, I mean small fire.

Trey said...

Dirka, Dirka. Mohammed Jihad.

R. D. Baker said...

"Guns Up" is actually Texas Tech's hand signal/gang sign.

- R.D. Baker

Junkyarddawg34 said...

Hmm . . . chicken farmer trying to trade All-ben-ee and Valdosta for tickets to Disney World . . . both of those are so far South that they might as well be included as part of Florida (just as Tallahassee & J-ville should be part of Georgia and not parts of Cuba-north) . . . There's a WHOLE swath in between that's forgotten about . . .

GO DAWGS!
CC, a resident of/was born in Vidalia

PS. PUH-LEEZE don't relate Georgia's location to the glorified sand-dune that is Florida.

Anonymous said...

UGA 35 OSU 14. I called it UGA 41 OSU 14. Damn my honest belief we would be held to field goals on a coulpe drives. Once a dawg, always a dawg.... How sweet it is!!!!!!!!!!!!

Unknown said...

Saddle-up, poke-on back to Stillwater and save that high-powered offense hype for the "mighty" Big 12.

But, the students painting "Ha Ha Michigan" on their backs - a little bit uncalled for. I would NOT have done that.

Smitty said...

Oh Andy get over it. Michigan deserves the riducle.

Unknown said...

Oh, I do agree, they deserve some ridicule. I chuckled at it, but it did take some balls.

Anonymous said...

I got the screenshots for those students. I might post them later this week not sure.

Anyway check out my blog if you haven't already, I'm trying to get the ball rolling on it.

http://fromthehedges.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

It's TARKENTON, dude. Not Tarkington.

 
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