Count me in as somebody who thinks the rumored move of Georgia to the 2011 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game against Boise State is brilliant. Why? Let me count the ways:
- If there’s ever a time to pull a high-profile neutral site game onto Georgia’s schedule, it’s next year. The Dawgs now have seven home games and a bye week before the Cocktail Party. The non-conference schedule is, to put it mildly, mediocre.
- I presume that adding Boise State means subtracting Louisville. That’s a good move. This may have looked like an exciting matchup when it was arranged, but Louisville is a shell of its former self right now. It’s not an attractive home-and-home arrangement. There’s little upside for Georgia, and plenty of downside. And that’s before you even get into who coaches the Cardinals now.
- Groo does the math here. Bottom line: even paying the buyout fee to Louisville for cancelling the series still leaves Georgia with a net profit over the two-year period. Sweet.
- It may be a case of our bug (cupcake, anyone?) being McGarity’s feature, but ditching the road game in Louisville means he gets the opportunity to add a seventh home game in 2012.
- It’s big time national exposure for Georgia over the summer leading up to the game, at a time when the program could definitely use it. There will be endless bloviation, to the point where we’ll almost be sick and tired of hearing about it. (I said almost.) As a bonus, one of Georgia’s rivals will be deprived of that attention.
- It’s one helluva recruiting sales weapon to add to Mark Richt’s arsenal as Georgia tries to close the deal on the class of 2011.
Get ‘er done, folks.
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UPDATE: Quinton McDawg has a warning for Mark Richt – it’s a trap!
Get The Picture 
Unless they kick our ass.
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I am all for it. Not happy with McGarity’s initial moves to Gatorize the schedule, but if he can do this once in a while and maybe an Ohio State or Michigan or ND for home and home on occasion as well as Clemson, I am a happy camper. We don’t need a third cream puff a la Idaho State, La Lafayette etc…who the hell gives a damn about those games?
Its a win if for no other reason than we keep Bama out of the Dome for another year.
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If you want to take the pessimistic view, I’d rather that than a loss to Louisville.
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…or two losses to Louisville.
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In 2005, Boise State plays Georgia in an attempt to get on the football map.
In 2011, Georgia attempts to play Boise State to get on the football map.
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+1
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Been there, done that. All I see is a short week to get ready for the Ol’ Ball Sack, er..Coach.
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It’s not as bad as you think. South Carolina opens with a neutral site game on 9/3 as well, against East Carolina.
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Spurrier will probably have it moved up to Thursday like he has for the last five years.
Regarding the Boise game — brilliant idea. I love it.
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I hadn’t thought of the short week angle, that’s a major negative in college football, major.
I love everything else about it – most of all the recruiting benefit THIS YEAR.
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Get ‘er done.
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as a UGA fan I like it. As a resident of Athens I hate it. Losing a home game so that the Univ can go make a couple million in atlanta? Thats a massive amount of revenue the city is going to lose. Outside of the check, I don’t see how playing the game outside of Sanford Stadium does anything helpful for UGA. The game would get the same buzz and the same TV coverage if it was in athens.
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Remember that when the dust settles, Georgia will get back a seventh home game in 2012. So from the city’s standpoint, it’s a wash.
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Ok, I can rest a bit easier with that.
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You ever heard of this little show called Gameday that pumps 2 schools info down the worlds throat for 4 hours ea Sat?…Yea…I heard they go to Atl and do that every year now…
So lets see..we could go play a Louisville team that “could” upset us and get like a 2 paragraph preview on ESPN.
Or we could go play Boise St. in Atl and get Front Page posts for bout 1 month prior to the game on ESPN, SI, and other sports sites. Plus get Gameday talking about UGA..instead of Bama, Aub, or whoever they would suck into there from the SEC.
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Dude, it’s an hour 15 away. Get over it. I live 1000 miles away and am so desperate for CF that I’m going to the ND Army game this weekend. I would kill to drive an hour away to see some UGA football
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“I don’t see how playing the game outside of Sanford Stadium does anything helpful for UGA.”
I’m not trying to crap on you here…I agree that I’d rather see a game in Athens than in Atlanta. But at the expense of being cold, the tax revenue and economic revenue generation in the ACC is really low on my priority list of scheduling priorities.
Atlanta is in the state of Georgia. For every person that says the University of Georgia needs to put a fence around the State of Georgia in recruiting, they need to realize that playing a game in the largest city in the state (and the region) on national television under the specter of the unrelenting hype of ESPN is a huge step in that process.
You can’t give Bama, LSU, etc. an unmitigated toe-hold in middle of the largest concentrated collection of college football talent in the entire southeast.
I think it is brilliant that McGarity wants us in the Georgia Dome. It is an absolute mystery to me why we have failed to be a part of the kick-off game at any time prior. We NEED to be in one of those games regularly.
(as a side note, I hope we can get into the Dallas game at somepoint, too. )
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SC will be a bit easier this year for one reason….We know Lattimore is good…last year all we knew was Spurrier did not run the ball much and this Lattimore guy looked pretty decent against SMU. I’m pretty sure Grantham looked at tape and never saw Spurrier just let a guy run up the gut 30+ times.
Also we get SC at home…which should help.
A win vs Boise would not only give us back a huge boost, but it would shut up the OMG Boise is like 36-3 in the last 4 seasons…they are a dynasty BS that you know is comming…cause they are going to a BCS bowl to prob kick the ACC or Big 12 champs a$$.
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they were 48-4 the previous 4 seasons before coming to Athens the first time.. that didn’t shut em up.
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I like optimism as much as the next guy, but I’m a realist. We are 5-6. We will probably lose AJ and Huston. I already see us starting next year with two loses. May as well get publicity I guess.
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Boise has a ridiculous # of seniors on this year’s team, so they’d lose more than 2 players.
And hopefully we’ll add a new strength coach (I’m already resigned that demoting Bobo won’t happen, because “oooh 30+ points X games in a row” even though UF was the only D with a pulse, and with the talent we had at WR we should’ve scored more against Auburn*).
I like our odds.
*(Put Holgorsen or UT’s Gregg Williams at OC this year and we’re talking about UGA’s “most games scoring 40+ points in a row” streak. I know Texas’s offense has been bad this season, but the comparisons between Murray and Colt McCoy are apt, so who better to call plays than McCoy’s old OC?)
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Do you mean Greg Davis at Texas? If so, there are about 95% of the UT fans that would be glad to see him gone (even during the Colt McCoy days). He is to UT as Willie was to Georgia.
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Is he though? They have no run game and Gilbert is not as good as they thought.
With McCoy and no run game they still averaged nearly 40 points/game.
Holgorensen is still my 1st choice though…came into OKState, modified the Houston / TT offense for more rushing, and is putting up sick #s with a new QB, new top WR, and new RB.
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I dont like it for UGA. Its a classic case of if you win you were supposed to. If you lose then everyone wonders why. I thought the same for VT this year.
Finally, some kid is going to get pulled over on a scooter during the summer and be suspended for the game. UGA cant hide these things like UF can with their 251 traffic violations that never made the papers.
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I don’t think we’d be favored. Is this was us in 2007-2009, maybe. But we’re not where we were.
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Boise St. loses most of its team to graduation this year. The Broncos will not be nearly the same team as they are this year. Besides, I thought everyone thought BSU was grossly over rated anyway?
I say let’s go strap ’em on in the Georgia Dome.
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The suspension situation is of UGA’s own doing.
Every other school handles these situations internally with extra conditioning and other unpublished punishments.
They don’t put themselves at a continuous disadvantage on the field or in the court of public opinion.
They get it. We don’t.
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Seven home games gives a team an excellent shot to get into a bowl. It helps revenue when you sell out the stadium like UGA has for several years. From a financial standpoint, long term financial planning for all programs, and a consistent winning program it makes sense to have a seven game home schedule. A case in point, Auburn this year.
As for the Boise State game it shows how far they have come in 5 years and how UGA has dropped back in the same period. I have said from the beginning Boise is a very good team with excellent coaches. They do a lot of things very well on offense. Offense wins games. They put points on the board. They draw crowds into the stands. If the Dawgs ran the spread offense where do you think Green, Charles, King, Durham, and Murray would be in NCAA stats and bowls.
McGarity is forward looking. Too much of UGA has been stuck in the past in its football program. If Richt stays, he needs to change his offense and coaches. Again this year we see Bobo and staff continue to struggle against top level defenses. When you retunr almost your enter offense from the previous year it is difficult to explain away a 5-6 record. But then it helps to have your players available for all games. The bright for UGA is Murray, barring any major injury. The play of a QB is very huge for an offense…takes it to the next level. Perhaps, Murray’s play and progression will be huge for Richt and UGA the next 3 years. It would be difficult for Richt to leave when he has a QB in fold like Murray.
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I guess the I-form caused Murray to throw 3 picks vs Fla, cause king to fumble the snap at Col, and caused Ealey to fumble on the SC 3.
Damn if only we had the spread then we could be like…The I-form doesnt fumble EVER!!!
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+1
The spread keeps players from selling jerseys, getting injured and getting arrested for traffic violations too!
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I respect the schedule juggling to get a payday in ’11 and a 7th home date in ’12. That’s money in the bank.
I like finally getting into that game and keeping other southeastern teams (SEC or ACC) out. It can’t hurt recruiting for the current class.
I don’t like having it and then turning around to play South Carolina the next week.
Who we play isn’t that big of a deal to me. Boise State will be a great opponent.
Some of the commentariat won’t like this, but I was looking forward to the Louisville trip if only for the distillery tours it offered. But I can live without it.
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+1 on the distillery tours. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm bourbon.
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There are plenty of good distillery tours around Lexington, and we get to go there every other year anyway. Plus, Lexington’s got Keeneland.
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Keeneland is only when UK is the week prior to Jacksonville.
I think Van Winkle is in/near L’ville.
My current favored bourbon is Buffalo Trace which is in Frankfort, I think. This reminds me that I have to run by the store on the way home tonight…
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Buffalo Trace and Van Winkle are now both under the Buffalo Trace umbrella. (since 2002 maybe?)
A trip to the Buffalo Trace distillery in Frankfort is the bourbon lover’s hajj.
Also, if you are ever in Northern Indiana, understand that you can get the flagship label Buffalo Trace Bourbon for dirt cheap at most of your area Mejeir Supermarkets.
One final note…the 23 year Pappy Van Winkle is getting tons of love right now…but I don’t think you can beat the 20 year.
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I love this idea. It is a great recruiting tool to use to finish out this 2011 class. Plus, I think it is great for Coach Richt. It seems to me that next year is the obvious make or break year for Richt. Either he performs, or he’s gone. What better way to create some swagger around this program than to beat a team that will undoubtedly be getting a TON of hype from ESPN leading up to this game. If he wins, it’s great for him. If he loses, then I don’t think it hurts him all that much, as long as he performs during the SEC schedule. Plus, the university gets paid. I don’t see how this matchup really hurts us in any way unless we have another season like this where we are a win away from being bowl-eligible. If that happens I think Richt is gone regardless, so no big deal.
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The possibility of seeing the smurfs’ next great qb getting zabransky’d does have a certain appeal.
Defend the state and get the national exposure. I say go for it.
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Moore is a junior and I doubt at his size that he’s coming out this year.
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We’re thinking of the same guy. I was implying that Jared was the first one.
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This is the wrong trip to the dome to be considering. The pro’s so far are exposure and money. You know what else gets those things? A trip to ATL for the SEC Championship. The exposure (and potential ranking boost if we win) go away quickly if we check out to SC the very next week.
With a different team, adding Boise makes a ton of sense and would make this a great schedule for a run at the Natty. With the team we’ll have, this is not the schedule to add a really difficult opener to (unless you’re convinced Boise is graduating its way to suckiness next year). It is a great schedule to maybe find ourselves atop the SEC East, maybe with a shot at more.
Money and exposure potentially lead to winning through this tenuous recruiting argument, but winning games, even lower profile ones is more important.
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We had a cupcake before the USC game this year and you see how well that worked out. Give the kids something to work hard for all summer and roll that win momentum into USC weekend.
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If we’re good enough to be making a run at the SEC title, we’ll smoke Boise.
If we’re bad enough to lose to Boise in a virtual home game, we don’t need to worry about winning the SEC. That will take care of itself in the first month of the season.
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I don’t think this is a very good argument: The margins in the SEC East this year were very slim. I am not a Boise cheerleader, but I think it’s a little weak to say “If you can’t beat Boise, you can’t win the East.”
Also, now you’re in a Catch-22… if what you’re saying is true, then the payoff to beating them is minimal especially compared to the risk of losing.
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The margins in the SEC East this year were very slim because it was the worst version of the SEC East (by far) since the division split in 1992. Winning the division this year was just a contest for the honor to lose to a West team. If you expect the East to be just as bad next year, I think you’re being overly optimistic.
As to the minimal payoff to beating Boise, I’m not so sure. NFL fans and soccer moms love Boise State. They, along with ESPN, have managed to convince people to believe they’re somehow otherworldly despite their best win being a squeaker against a very common Virginia Tech team. They would certainly bring a lot more credit than beating Loiusville, and if we’re any good next season, shouldn’t have a whole lot better chance of beating us than the Cards.
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Fiar arguments, but still- the difficulty differential between Louisville and Boise, plus the potential for a USC hangover– both of which are concerns about winning (which I think is key to longer term, meaningful exposure)– I think outweigh the additional exposure.
Ok back to work for me… stupid Friday afternoon. Go Dawgs!
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Stephen, losing this game would do nothing to stop us from winning the East. Aside from maybe a mindset that carries over to USC the next week should we lose and at this point this team can’t get any weaker in the mental department. What better way to put life back into this program, then to play on the national stage on the opening Saturday night. If you think we have a chance to win the East, “maybe with a shot at more”, then you should be comfortable in knowing that we should win the game. It’s a make it or break it year for Richt, might as well find out right away if he’s got “it” back in the program. No denying that “it” has been missing since Blackout Bama weekend.
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I think it’s pretty plausible that playing BSU the week before would decrease the probability that we win the game against USC. This is really a question for the data, but I’d be willing to bet that playing a better team in week t generally causes you to perform worse in week t+1, especially if you lose.
Thinking we have a shot at the East next year doesn’t mean I think it’s a sure thing, or even the most likely outcome. But it becomes very unlikely with a loss to USC.
“It” has been gone, but a lot of people think the emphasis on “it” is part of the problem- that we find “it” for some games and then lose “it” later on.
Your position on the BSU opener possibility really hinges on your preferences toward risk. BSU is high-risk high-reward, compared to the alternative. Personally, going into next year with a potentially worse squad than the one who’s currently fighting for bowl eligibility, I want the sure(er) thing, rather than the lottery ticket.
@King Jericho: If this season isn’t motivation enough for a summer of hard work, then I don’t know what is. Cupcake then flop at USC this year, yes, but (a) sample size and (b) many other reasons we lost that game.
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One downside – how many of our players will be suspended for the first game? Other than that, Dawgs need to jump all over this opportunity if for no other reason than to keep somebody like awburn, bama, ut, fl, etc. off UGA turf. Tell 2011 recruits their first game as a Dawg will be on national tv at a sold out dome. One last question – do we paint the field red or black?
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Wrong game.
Wrong time.
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I see this as a very bad idea…
Round 2 much like Colorado or Okie Light. UGA should be looking good returning QB, RBs, year 2 of the 3-4 but missing focus against a team that may not be respected with a program that will likely have players suspended to begin the year.
My epectation is UGA pulls a VT drops the game in a close one, stumbles and finishes strong enough for CMR loyalists to promote him for another year of UGA is almost there.. but if there is one more call.. one more change.. the other team is a bunch of cheaters and dirty late hit artists.. eye gougers.. excessive celebration that went against us… when UGA should be making the plays and not complaining.
If UGA drops this game look for Boise to be in a BCS title game that year if not soon after. I don’t want to be the team that gives Boise the credit of being a power thanks to a win over the powerful SEC. Can you hear the smack talk/jokes from the powers in the SEC???…
My hope is that changes will be made in the offseason and my fears will be proven wrong in the finest tradition of Munson/Dooley poor mouthing but I had more faith in Goff playing a Favre QB’d Southern Miss. Time will tell………..
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