I Ain't Even Mad

My initial response when I got home last night was to just post kittens and rainbows and move on with my life.  Maybe that will be the response I eventually get to, but riding home last night, I realized that as gut wrenching as last night was, there is a very important take away for Georgia fans:  We belonged on that stage and it took the greatest coach in the history of the game to beat our young team and young coach.

This is a beginning.  Give Nick Saban and Alabama credit, they belonged on the field with Georgia.  Yes, I mean it exactly that way.  Alabama is a deeper team, with more experience.  Until tonight last night, they didn't show they could change their game plan to win a game. Until last night.

One thing I kept tossing over in my head is the perfect feeling I had after the missed FG at the end of regulation.  That is was our time; The Dream Season was real. 

Alas, it wasn't.  Georgia beat Alabama at their game. Alabama had to play a different game to win. They did.

We have many months to diagnose why Georgia loss in over time in the national championship game to the team in the midst of the greatest run in the history of college football, but for today, and maybe for the rest of my life, we'll always have the 2017 Georgia football team.

This season was a proof of concept for Kirby Smart. It is the beginning. I believe we'll look back in a few years and realize that the game we witnessed last night was prologue to something greater, not an epilogue to a great season.

TW

See also:

- Better Times (Blutarsky)
- Nightmare Doesn't End Georgia Dreams (Will Leitch, Sports on Earth)

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Well, Here We Are - The National Championship Game

We've played a tougher schedule. We played a worse match up in the Semi-final. We had to face Auburn again after getting housed by them immediately prior. We have had to adjust during games to win games.

Georgia possesses the best offense Alabama has faced. We have the third best defense they've faced, behind Clemson and Auburn.  They only gained 341 yards in the loss at Auburn and 261 yards in the win against Clemson.  With the Clemson game, they had a pick six and a 7 play, 27 yard drive that came off a turnover. 

None of their scoring came on drives that started in their own territory.

All of what they want to do on offense starts with Hurts using his legs to make stuff happen with his arm. Take away one of those, Ridley would be my choice, and they are a much less dangerous offensively. Still, Alabama is super efficient when they have the ball, so keeping them behind the chains in a way we didn't against Oklahoma is the key.

Because they won't give up multiple 50 yard runs.

Their defense is exploitable. Ask Auburn and Mississippi State. Still, they've only given up 24+ points twice this season. I believe we  can score some more, but not in the 40s.  To beat them, we cannot give up pick sixes and whatnot.  We can survive a turnover or two, but under no circumstances can we give them two gift TDs. 

They can't afford to do that either.

In the end, we match up with the Tide well. I don't dread today's outcome. In fact, I think they should be the concerned team. They didn't win the SEC. The two things they have going for them is they have the best player on either team in Fitzpatrick and the experience of being in this game plenty. Georgia has the next five top players, at least.  Georgia has met every challenge presented this season save the Auburn game, including being down by 17 to the most explosive offensive team in football this season.

Overall, I believe we will win because we've shown we can make adjustments and play multiple styles of offense. And it is our time.

TW

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Ticket Prices for National Championship Game

Patience has paid off, some. There are still plenty of tickets available, and they seem to have leveled off at around $1450 or so, with lowers available below $2000.

PrimeSport has a few club seats listed around $2100, too.

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First Thoughts on the National Championship Game - It Has to be Alabama

If I had a dollar for everytime someone someone made a comment about it being Alabama...

Seriously, Georgia was going to have to play good teams to win a National Championship.  Alabama has been the class of the sport for almost a decade. Of course, we'd have to play Bama.

And we should want Bama. Really, why wouldn't we.  Georgia hired Smart to emulate The Process. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad we have a shot to play for a championship and as long as"Georgia" is painted in the end zone at Mercedes Benz Stadium it doesn't matter what is painted in the other, but honestly, if you search your soul, I'd bet you would admit I'm right a little, win or lose.

Will Leitch, my co-host of Waitin' Since Last Saturday has talked about this being the beginning of something at UGA. If it is, having to play Alabama and unseat them feels inevitable. I don't think Alabama is dead. I don't think they are even done with their run of greatness. Win or lose, this game is a benchmark for Georgia as a football program as much as it is for Alabama.

All of that is to say, and exactly what I said on the podcast we recorded Thursday, I'm not scared of Alabama anymore. We may lose this game, but there isn't a sense of foreboding about facing them and being out coached, out schemed, and out depthed. Again, getting out coached may happen, but Smart and his staff matching evenly with or out coaching Saban and his is on the table. That's a huge change.

TW

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WSLS Ep 126 - National Championship Game Preview - Alabama vs. Georgia

Well, here we are talking about playing Alabama in the National Championship Game. In Atlanta. The only thing left on the writers table to work in the script is a game winning TD drive by Jacob Eason.

Have a question for us? Hit us up on Twitter twitter.com/wslspodcast

Or, Leave us a podcast review and ask a question. We will read it and answer it on a future podcast.

Scott: twitter.com/jawavifilms
Will: twitter.com/williamfleitch
Tony: twitter.com/tylerdawgden

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