I broke out the media guide tonight to check when Georgia last beat an AP top 5 opponent in Athens. (LSU is currently #4.) Would you believe that it was 25 years ago? The Dawgs needed a 60 yard FG from Kevin Butler to beat #2 Clemson, 26-23 in September of 1984. The kick prompted the stadium to go "worse than bonkers" in one of the greatest Munson calls ever. That was a long time, but the Dawgs haven't had many opportunities since that kick. Tech was #2 in 1990, Florida was #3 in 1995, and Tennessee was #5 in 1998 when those teams beat UGA in Athens. Those are the only three top 5 teams to play in Sanford Stadium since 1984. Notice something about those teams? All played for the national title in those years and the Vols and Tech (partially) won it. That's a pretty spooky stat. (By the way, the last season that LSU beat Georgia, they won the national championship.)
Coach Richt has broken a lot of streaks at Georgia: winning in Knoxville, winning a conference crown, beating the Gators and Auburn in the same year. Maybe he can add beating a top 5 team in Athens this weekend.
Quinton
27 comments:
LSU is playing less than inspiring football and inherited the #4 ranking after stealing one away from the bizzarodogs. They have to face us this week and then turn around and host the #1 Gayturds the next week. Either they overlook us and get beat in a close one, or have an emotional victory against the dawgs and fail to get up for Fla. I really like our chances in this one; defense and turnovers be damned . . .
I'm not too sure.
Big game? Check.
SEC implications? Check.
CBS SEC Game of the Week? Check.
While in the national spotlight, I'm very worried we'll choke once again...
Yes, but the pressure is not on us to keep the #4 ranking it's on LSU. Alabama last year was our chance in the spotlight and we choked like Cass Elliot. This time the tables are turned.
I believe if you check the tape, it will reveal that the distance of that field goal was, in fact, a hundred thousand miles.
There's a massive gap between No. 3 and No. 4 this year. So while LSU is certainly good, they're much closer to being the best of the rest than they are to being, as they say, two heartbeats from the national title game.
Tebow's injury, by the way, will only increase the look-ahead factor for LSU. I don't say that to revel in his misfortune. Just statin' the facts.
I think everyone and their mother knows that Tebow will play in the LSU game.
They're just being cautious for now but that will change come game time.
How lucky is UF to have a bye week this week? I swear they catch all the breaks.
Even if he does play, though, he's not going to be 100 percent. And if the concussion was as bad as it seemed, then he shouldn't be playing in two weeks, even if he is directly descended from the Savior.
Frankly, it doesn't matter if he plays or not, at least as far as this game is concerned. It adds a look-ahead factor no matter what happens, and that can only help.
How many times have we seen UGA in the national spotlight at home only to come out flat and get embarrassed? Enough to make me very hesitant to get my hopes up.
Still, we should be substantial underdawgs (what's the early line, anyway?) and that will bode in our favor.
I believe the early line has UGA at just -2! I could be wrong, but thats what I was told earlier today.
LSU had some very lucky breaks against Miss. St. If Miss. St. could actually break through and move the ball one foot on 2 tries on the goal line, and not throw a pick-six, LSU would not be #4 today.
Thank God LSU won that game. I wanted them in the top 5 come Oct 3rd.
The line is -2.5 FOR Georgia. So LSU is the underdog in this game. Very interesting...
Anyone who tells you they know what's gonna happen b/t these 2 teams on Saturday is full of it.
"While in the national spotlight, I'm very worried we'll choke once again..."
This team is too insane to choke, honestly.
Man i got chills listening to that Munson call. Larry might have slowed down in his later years, but he was absolutely the best in the business back then.
As far as the game coming up... Who the hell knows what will happen with this team. A lot of me really wants to say that we're due. This part of me feels like somehow, this team is going to put it together, shake the turnover bug (actually, it's more like an epidemic)and figure out how to win a big one.
The other part of me feels like we'll find a way to lose; just like OK state. I honestly will not be surprised either way.
But I don't think that the tigers will overlook us. They know what this game means. Plus, they have a chip on their shoulders from the SECCG in 2005 and last year. But I think we also realize what a win here could do for this season...
This is whay you come to Georgia boys! GATA.
The UGA-Clemson game was my first UGA game ever. I was a freshman watching the game and remember someone passing out "whip the pussies" stickers before the game, the Clemson fans talking trash at halftime (this was when I learned to hate Clemson fans), Mike Epply putting the ball on the turf repeatedly in the second half to let us back in the game, of course Butler's game winning FG and the controversy at the end after the long kick-off return when time ran out and the game ended.
I've never heard the stadium so loud! I wound up 4 rows below my seat during the celebration kissing and hugging complete strangers.... the place was truly worse than bonkers!
I only heard the call after the fact. I was THERE, in Sanford Stadium for that game!
FIRE WILLIE MARTINEZ!
HOW BOUT THEM DAWGS!
Remember, though, that home-field advantage is generally worth three points when setting a line.
So essentially, a -2.5 line means that if the game were at a neutral site, it would be a pick-'em. Or in other words, the oddsmakers have no ****ing idea what to expect from this game, much like everyone else.
What was LSU ranked when they came to town in 2004? I thought they were top 5 then coming off a national title.
OMG. Dating myself here, but I was at that game! It was like a bomb went off after Butler made that 60 yard kick! I was at Clemson the year before when their kicker did the same thing to beat the DAWGS.
After deciding the bad weather made for an ugly win over ASU, I am not in despair about our chances here.
Hobnail_Boot,
Which makes it pretty much the same as every other game we've played this season. I'm not even trying to guess anymore. It just seems strange to look at the schedule and think tht we could LITERALLY win every game or lose every game left in the season (except TN Tech, of course; AJ could probably beat them all by his lonesome).
What the hell, though, I'm having fun watching this team. So far they've had enough heart to overcome their occasional boneheadedness.
LSU lost to Auburn the week before that game in 2004. They were ranked in the mid-teens and our game didn't get GameDay attention like we had hoped prior to the season beginning.
Whenever we break out the can, it's in a second tier setting. Whenever Willie forgets what aggression means, we've got all the attention in the world.
LSU is a classic front-runner. If we turn it over and gnerally do what we've been doing thus far, they'll build a big first half advantage. At least w/ Cox at the helm, we won't wilt in the second half and might come back and win it on a 60 yarder by Walsh.
If we come out and punch em in the mouf, they'll tuck tail like they did last yr and in '04.
Is 4 years a good over/under on the remaining tenure for Les Miles?
lsu didnt "tuck tail" last year. the game was one pick six in the 4th away from a tie game.
i have no clue what will happen Sat either. i think lsu will score because jefferson will have time to throw. i hope peterson can limit green. im scared of charles. i think uga will see lots of russell sheppard if lsu cant run with williams and scott. be wary of russell passing from wildcat---its been setup all season, he has yet to throw a pass.
I was also at that game with 2 friends who were Clemson students!
Hobnail,
I will tell you what is going to happen: one of the teams will win, one will lose.
But I am full of it.
If you're a believer in fate, it doesn't hurt that Kevin Butler's son is dressing out in the red and black on Saturday!
"What was LSU ranked when they came to town in 2004? I thought they were top 5 then coming off a national title."
They were 13 or something, and WE were 3rd.
TOTAL ANNIHILATION.
I think we put it on em again this year.
Is anyone else not worried AT ALL about Patrick Peterson? No one can stop AJ.
Oh, that 2004 game was glorious. Too bad it was ruined by that total faceplant against UT the following week.
Jason,
if we win, it will happen again. heck maybe even if we lose. im scared to death of tennessee to be honest.. all because they have a badass defense and we dont.
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