Chris Low sets up the stakes, historically speaking:
… Only three times since league expansion in 1992 has a team lost its first conference game to a divisional opponent and gone on to play in the SEC championship game.
The most recent team to do it was Tennessee in 2007 after the Vols opened their conference schedule with a loss to Florida. Arkansas also did it in 2002 after losing to Alabama to begin the SEC slate, and Tennessee pulled it off in 1997 after losing to Florida in the league opener. The Vols, quarterbacked by Peyton Manning that season, remain the only team in the league to have won the SEC championship after losing their league opener to a divisional foe.
That being said, it looks like South Carolina has a tougher road ahead with a loss than does Georgia, because of which teams from the West each plays.
… Something to keep in mind is that Florida has to go to Alabama this season with South Carolina getting the Crimson Tide at home. Georgia doesn’t play Alabama this season.
Of the three, South Carolina is the only team that has to face Alabama, Arkansas and Auburn this season – making Saturday’s game all the more critical for the Gamecocks.
If you figure that Georgia and South Carolina play out Arkansas and Auburn similarly, that means with a loss Saturday, the Gamecocks would likely have to beat both Alabama and Florida to have a shot at a trip to Atlanta. If they pull that off, they’ll certainly deserve to go.
A Georgia loss means that the game in Jax becomes a must win. But it probably shapes up that way for Georgia win or lose Saturday.
Get The Picture 
I’m more curious to see what the “writers” (Paul Finebaum, I’m looking at you) believe Mark Richt’s margin of error to be before they revive the “hot seat” talk.
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F Baum’s auto reply to every Georgia fan that has the temerity to call in with a criticism of his beloved Tide: “How’s that blackout workin’ for ya”…
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What I can’t get about Finebaum is how he goes from being a UT grad to being an Alabama knobber.
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He loves money.
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It wants its talking point back.
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Hey! Can we give them another national title for this? “Clinging to the Past” National Champions! That’s 2 billion trophy’s. Suck it, Barners!
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Just win ’em all.
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Ditto
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ESPN is reporting that A.J. Green indeed sold a worn jersey, but that it wasn’t on Ebay and was for less than $1000. The article is currently on the front page.
Please let this be resolved soon and let’s hope the punishment is just the one game suspension already served.
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Isn’t CMR 7-2 vs. scu? I know some of the games were close, but these guys don’t have much of a history against good teams. If I were a betting man…..
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I view the South Carolina game as a measuring stick more than anything. The game is always close, and anything can happen… new defense, frosh QB making first SEC road start, o-line that hasn’t played much together this fall, stars that haven’t played a down this season (AJ, Ealey, TK)…
Georgia could very well lose the game, but if they at least look like they kinda know what they are doing, it gives me hope for the rest of the season. In 2007, we lost (a heartbreaker… run it with Knowshon, dammit) at home to SCe and still managed a decent finish to the season (#2 national ranking) beating Florida, Auburn, and Georgia Tech, and coming within a trifecta of missed field goals from playing in the SEC title game.
Whereas I view Florida as a must-win if there is anything like SEC East hopes, the SCe game is just a reality check. There is no way they make it through that gauntlet of a schedule without dropping a couple. So, if Georgia uses this game to grow up, it can benefit them down the line no matter the outcome… of course, everything is better with a win.
For SCe, it is a must-win. Plain and simple.
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I concur. Well put.
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Green officially suspended for four games per Seth Emerson.
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South Carolina has to beat UGA to get the “tiebreak” over the Dawgs. That’s the only way the ‘Cocks can get to Atlanta, IMO.
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