UGA gets 10 seed; to face Michigan State in Charlotte

This morning, I pondered us getting a ten seed, noting the upside of us matching up with a seven seed that isn't that much better with us. The one thing I didn't note is that if they underseed that seven....

Which it sure looks like they did. Michigan State finished the B1.5G as the third a conference with seven teams that made the field, and too one seed Wisconsin to OT in the B1.5G championship. To give you an idea, North Carolina and Georgetown both had similar records, RPI profiles, and good wins/bad losses, but are seeded 4th. Our records look the same, both in conference and out of conference, but two things stand way out about Michigan State vis a vis Georgia: how well they've played the past month (7-3, with two of those losses coming to Wisconsin) and how much better their wins look (four over top 50 RPI, including three in those past ten games.

That doesn't mean UGA is doomed, but it does mean we have a much tougher 7 seed in Michigan State than say Iowa or VCU.

UGA faces Michigan State 12:40pm Friday on TruTV.

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A picture in which Brady Hoke isn't the most ridiculous looking person in it

(h/t Crystal Ball Run)

I think there is a good argument that he isn't even second or third.

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Michigan State Review

At various times in the game, the Spartans' strength were on display, especially in the final quarter. Part of that was Michigan State's realization that one side of the field was open season for passing and one wasn't. The other part of that was Georgia's decision to simply keep running the ball into the strength of the Spartans' defense. Give credit where it is due, the Spartans' played the game to win. Georgia played to not lose, especially in the second half.
The Good:

• Boykin. Gonna miss you playa'. 
• Murray to King. Twice. 
• Good to see King's emergence after a season of all most. Great reason to look forward to next season.
• Jarvis, Smith and Ogletree's defensive performances.
• Stopping Michigan State's inside run game.
• Butler's punting.
• Continuing to go to the well with down field passes...in the first half.

The Bad:

• Halftime adjustments. What the hell? Surely they discussed the possibility of what would happen if Murray kept getting pressured. Which he did the whole game. It looked like our half time was spent watching a Designing Women marathon, again.
• Speaking of Murray getting pressured, in what world do we have a premier offensive line? I know depth was/is an issue, but half the running game issues yesterday (and most of the season, for that matter) can be laid at the feet of the line. All of the tackles for losses and sacks, save one, are on the line. Individually, they are all good players. As a unit? Meh.
• Second half play calling. Specifically, thinking we can't possibly keep throwing down field successfully.
• Under utilizing the quick pass plays to TEs and RBs.
• Dropping into a protection scheme with under two minutes to play when State had not moved quickly  against our regular defensive scheme all day.

The Ugly:

• 3 Overtime possessions. 11 plays. -9 yards. 3 points. I get Blutarsky's point about Richt and who he is, but the safe play is to go to what is working, not what hasn't. That isn't conservative, that is stupid. I'm not laying blame at Blair's feet, either. Kid has the yips. That is just the way it is. Also, he isn't responsible for blocking the middle of the line on a place kick. 

More than any game this season, this game was lost on the side lines. Yes, we had plenty of poor plays/decisions, but if we hadn't nutted up and decided to be super safe after Michigan State made their comeback, we win. 

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3 Questions: Michigan State

Didn't we just play Michigan State in Florida?

1. Do we bring the 1st half team from the SEC Championship Game? Michigan State isn't some crappy B1G team. They have the fifth best defense in the nation, and a couple of very fast linemen who will give our Oline fits. They have two receivers in BJ Cunningham and Keshawn Martin that you have to keep tabs on at all times, and a QB in Kirk Cousins that is good at finding the least covered guy. They have a running back capable of pounding the middle and some how making a one yard play become a 3.5 yard play.  We can shut Michigan State down and make this a grind it out ball game. We can let them dictate the tempo and have to play catch up. 
2. Which team will approach the Outback Bowl with the proper attitude? Make no mistake about it, of the two teams playing in Tampa tomorrow, Michigan State is the one more deserving of a CapOne bowl slot...or higher. They lost early to Notre Dame, got dominated by Nebraska (which ultimately ended up in the CapOne opposite South Carolina), and lost in the B!G championship game to Wisconsin in a squeaker. They also beat Wisconsin in the regular season. That cuts both ways, as the Spartans could come out flat and uninspired. If they give us that opportunity, it could get fun for us early.
3. Will the drama at running back matter? With a month to scheme, I would expect Bobo, et al, has done more than hope a demotion for Crowell+Samuel back+Malcome's renewed passion for playing=success. We saw some of that in the SECC with the DBs getting touches running the ball. I'm thinking a bit more of a philosophical change, though. Looking to use Murray's running abilities and the no-huddle/short passing game to keep them off balance. 

In the end, I'll take another 20-13 blowout, with us eating chunks of clock late in the game and giving the game over to our defense.  

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Dawgs to Face Michigan State in Outback Bowl

Kick off is 1pm Eastern on January 2nd from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.  ABC will cover the game with Mike Tirico and Jon Gruden (who still won't be coaching in college by then) in the booth and Lisa Salters on the sideline..

Michigan State got a way worse deal than Georgia did in the bowl selections, with two teams they beat in the regular season (Wisconsin and Michigan) making BCS games.  Of course, they did lose to Wisconsin last night in the B!G championship game.

Very tough defensive team to face. More on that later.

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Very nice game by the defense

I would imagine that having a month to get healthy played a part in the results. That and finally getting tired of hearing all the bitching. The D played with great effort and the plan was air tight. Congrats to Dent, Dobbs, Wynn, Irvin, Houston and Lomax on the sacks.

On the other hand, the offense. We got back from Orlando last night, so I haven't seen the replay yet. I don't really get what we were doing conceptually with personnel groupings, formations or overall approach. Meaning...did we leave our fullbacks in Athens? Where was the I-Formation? We ran the I a few times, but nothing like the bread and butter formation it has been for us historically. Did Boling start the game at Right Tackle so Josh Davis could play Left Tackle? If so...why would we do that? But I'm sure there are injury related reasons that explain some of it. I'll have some thoughts on that later.

See Also:
-- Defense defends its rep - ABH
-- Defense confident about next season - AJC

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Javon Ringer vs. the Bigger Boys

Javon Ringer's going to run all over Georgia? Here are his stats against quasi-quality opponents or better:

vs. Penn State: 17 carries for 42 yards
vs. Ohio State: 16 carries for 67 yards
vs. Wisconsin: 21 carries for 54 yards
vs. Cal: 27 carries for 81 yards
vs. Iowa: 25 carries for 91 yards

But he did put up 282 yards against Florida Atlantic. So there's that.

This isn't like the Tech game. Tech had already run for 300-400 yards against Miami, FSU and UNC leading up to the Georgia game. (Image: Scout.com)

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So...how exactly is MSU going to stop us?

Knowshon Moreno (Image: Hipple)
In all the talk about how the Ringer and the Spartan rushing attack will cause problems for Georgia, I don't see enough discussion of the opposite issue. How is Michigan State going to stop Georgia?

Realistically, Ringer will get his touches, and he'll get his yards. However, the Michigan State defense is ranked 71st nationally against the run, 63rd against the pass and 62nd in total defense. By comparison, the Georgia defense is ranked 40th, 33rd and 28th respectively in those categories. In their favor defensively, they allowed 3.7 points per game fewer than the Dawgs.

The only offenses that the Spartans have faced remotely comparable to the Bulldog attack were from Cal and Penn State. Two schools that tore into MSU for 38 and 49 points respectively.

If we show up ready to play, I'm thinking....44-24 Dawgs win.

See Also:
-- No News on NFL Opportunities - AJC
-- Heirs Apparent - Get the Picture
-- Attractions a Distraction? - ABH
-- Tickets: Capital One Bowl starting at $28

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Capital One Bowl Tickets Available at Deep Discounts

The Capital One Bowl showcases the Georgia Bulldogs vs. the Michigan State Spartans, and the financial situation for last minute ticket shoppers is incredibly favorable. Stubhub now has tickets available starting at $28.00 as of the time of this posting. I believe that face value on tickets for the CapitalOne Bowl starts at $80.

The stubhub seating chart clearly shows which side is for UGA fans and which side is for Michigan State fans. Premium mezzanine level tickets (starting at $40) and lower level sideline tickets (starting at $60) are available on the Georgia side.

See you down there.

PWD
Georgia Sports Blog

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What can a bowl do for Georgia?

Rennie Curran (Image by Hipple)

David Ching discusses what this bowl could do for the Georgia attitude going into the off season, and he compares this season's bowl to last year's. The basic thinking is that a win won't smooth over all our rough edges, but an ugly defensive affair will most certainly make things more difficult for the coaching staff.

My prediction on this game is similar to my prediction on most Georgia games where we have a large talent advantage....if we show up pissed off and ready to play we'll win big.

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Michigan State will be ready

No doubt about it. A victory over UGA would be only Michigan State's third 10 win season in 111 years. The last Spartan team to hit 10 wins was Nick Saban's last squad in 1999. They beat Florida in the Citrus Bowl that year.

The Spartan coaching staff is also heavily selling their underdog status to their players. The Bulldogs are currently a 7.5 point favorite in the game.

The Big 10 has won 7 of the last 10 Capital One / Citrus Bowls. Since 1992 when the game went to strictly a Big 10 vs. SEC match-up, the record is 8-8. All-time the Bulldogs are 2-1-1 including games played when the event was known as the Tangerine Bowl.

See Also:
-- Premium Tickets for UGA vs. Michigan State

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Javon Ringer wants "perfect game" against UGA

Michigan State running back Javon Ringer told the Associated Press that he wants a perfect game against the Georgia Bulldogs. In his mind, that means 25 carries, 200 yards, 3 touchdowns and a pony. Ok, I added the pony, but it was obviously implied.

Well...at least he got the defense's attention. Too bad, he didn't say "expects" a perfect game.

See Also
-- Capital One Bowl Tickets: Georgia vs. Michigan State

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Need to Catch Up with Bulldog News?

Then start here. David Hale posted a strong blog article to help bring you up to speed. Tons of info about a variety of topics.

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A Quick Look at Michigan State

The 2009 Capital One Bowl will pit your Georgia Bulldogs against the Spartans of Michigan State.  The two teams arrive in Orlando from opposite directions.  Coach Mark Dantonio leads MSU to its first New Year's Day bowl since Nick Saban's last year in East Lansing.  Georgia, meanwhile, will finish a bittersweet season in Orlando after a disappointing 9-3 campaign.  Here are a few initial glances at the Spartans.

A look at the schedule doesn't impress.  State has beat a single currently ranked team, #22 Northwestern.  They beat only three teams with records better than .500, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Northwestern.  When they met ranked competition, they got thumped, losing by 38 to Ohio State at home and by 31 at Penn State. 

While the Spartans may not have an overwhelming body of work this season, they do have one of the finest rushers in the country.  Javon Ringer (pictured above) has 1,590 rushing yards this season, which is good enough for third best in the nation.  Plus, he's never fumbled in his college career.  Ringer's a real talent, but he racked those yards up on a whopping 370 carries, first in the nation by 64 carries.  Ringer isn't in the top 100 in the country in yards per carry.  He's still an absolute beast.  In State's three losses, Ringer was held to under a hundred yards and had three of his four worst rushing performances of his year.  Stopping Ringer will be Willie's primary objective. 

Statistically, their defense gives up an average of 21.9 points per contest.  That's good enough for #40 nationally, which is respectable.  The problem for Pat Narduzzi's crew is yardage.  The Spartan total defense numbers are worse than every BCS team we played this year.  Worse than Arizona State.  Worse than LSU.  Worse than Kentucky.

Michigan State is excited about the bid.  Just like us, the Spartans had chances for national, showcase wins this year and blew them badly.  Just like us, they lost to the best two teams in their conference and a legitimate out of conference foe.  State has their final chance for a signature win and they are excited.  For Georgia, the Capital One bowl, considering the preseason hype, is likely a huge letdown.  Analysts love to talk about how excited a team is about their bowl destination when discussing picks.  If you care about who the talking heads pick, expect several to predict a Spartan win. 

Quinton

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Georgia vs. Michigan State in the Capital One Bowl

It's official. The Capital One Bowl starts at 1:00 pm on New Year's Day. The game will feature two of the nation's best running backs in Jevon Ringer of Michigan State vs. Knowshon Moreno of the Georgia Bulldogs.

Personally, I think this is the most appropriate bowl destination for this team given the season we've had so far. MSU hasn't beaten anyone of note this season, and neither have our Bulldogs. It's a test to see who is most legit.

The last time we played the Spartans was the Gator Bowl following the '88 season...Dooley's going away party. Georgia won. Then again, the Bulldogs always beat Big 10 teams. We haven't lost to a team that was a Big 10 member at the time of the game since the 1950s. Since then we've beaten Michigan (1965), Michigan State (1988), Ohio State (1992), Purdue (1999 and 2003), and Wisconsin (1997 and 2004).

More later.

See Also:
-- Official Ticket Info: Capital One Bowl - Georgiadogs.com
-- Premium Tickets Info: Capital One Bowl - Stubhub
-- Confirmed: Dawgs to Capital One - ABH
-- About Michigan State - DawgPost

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