Jeez, does Will Leach Leitch flat out nail us with this post. For starters,
If there’s one nagging issue that plagues Georgia football fans, I’ve found it is that they have a unique difficulty in living in the moment. Whatever is happening right now, for many fans, can often feel beside the point. Georgia football fans are always either reliving the past or fretting about the future. Whether it was the age of Mark Richt’s 10 wins never being enough or, today, when Georgia has one of the best teams it has ever had and it is just one game away from the whole universe of everyone’s hopes and dreams opening wide right in front of them, and almost everybody I know here in Athens is either dreading Saturday’s game or actively avoiding it … the present is a slippery, elusive concept, a place no one ever quite feels comfortable living in.
This 2018 season, the one where Georgia went 11-1 and destroyed every team it played except for one, has to be the sleepiest season of extended dominance in recent memory. Georgia had one bad game, in Death Valley, a place where countless SEC teams’ seasons have gone to die over the decades, and otherwise, they really didn’t sweat once all year. They flattened Florida, they crushed Kentucky (in a game that was described as the biggest in Kentucky football history, which was sort of amusing considering it was maybe Georgia’s fifth biggest this year), they demoralized South Carolina, they breezed by Missouri, they barely even noticed Auburn was on the field with them and what they did to Georgia Tech is illegal in three-quarters of the states in this country. Georgia’s rivals are so far behind them right now it takes a connecting flight just to get a glimpse of Uga’s tail. Everything – well, almost everything – Georgia could have hoped for when it fired Richt and hired Kirby Smart has happened. Georgia is at last at the place it has always believed it deserved to be … where it belonged.
Man, oh man, is that on target.
If Georgia ever reaches that final destination we hope it reaches, I don’t think our fan base will turn out to be as arrogant as Alabama’s. We’re too neurotic for that.
Get The Picture 
Collectively as a fan base, we have been Bill Bucknered way too many times since 1980. It is a well founded neurosis.
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And Buckner was a really good player, as tough as anyone who ever played baseball.
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For some reason I was thinking Billy Bates when I first read that, but I think the point still applies!
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I think part of it is because in addition to being Bulldog fans, most of us follow the Braves, Falcons and to a lesser extent the Hawks. The perceived impending doom outweighs anything good happening right now.
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This /\ in spades!!! So many heart breaks and so few ultimate triumphs. My 1st sporting event in person was the 72 Falcons-Saints and I was hooked. Went to my 1st Dawg game 2 years later and started Braves games as soon as I could drive. All the time I’ve spent watching, reading about, and attending events of these teams over nearly 140 combined seasons and I have 2 titles to show for itn Thank the Lord for 80 UGA and 95 Braves.
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My LSU coworker commented yesterday, after I hemmed and hawed and fretted over the SECCG… “Are you even happy your team is IN the game?” I honestly didn’t know how to reply, considering all the internal ‘worst case scenarios’ my brain is conjuring up. Neurotic is almost an over-simplification.
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Would you be happy if we were sitting at home on Saturday watching Missouri, Florida or Kentucky take on Bama? I wouldn’t, and I doubt you would be either. 😉
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Of course you’re right. My whateveryoucallit is coming from the 2nd and 26 heart break. Don’t wanna relive it, and part of me is always fearful of forever being the bridesmaid. I probably need Kirby to go full Cheney on me.
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Here ya go!
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.saturdaydownsouth.com/georgia-football/kirby-smart-asked-about-screaming-into-headset-on-sideline-during-kentucky-game/amp/
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I can’t imagine not being happy about our being in the game Saturday….
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After talking to fellow “fans” on Sundays I have to go back and check the score to make sure we won. We cull victories with the best of them. I’m thrilled to be in the ATL on Saturday but I understand the challenge without dreading it.
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I am so happy to be there, win lose or draw. It means I get at least 14 games of UGA football this year. And that is better than 12 or 13.
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Gonna hafta beat Bama twice…..can’t wait to see the reaction when/if that happens.
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That’s unlikely, I think, if both tOSU and Oklahoma win.
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I disagree, but carry on.
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It’s the collective Munsoning of our fan base. We’ve been conditioned to believe every team we play that has a pulse can beat us and Ole Lady Luck is going to kick us in the teeth every time if given the chance. Even our most legendary coach talked about teams’ onside kicking team and long snappah when discussing overmatched opponents as if they were going to be difference makers. We’ve been conditioned to believe the Herschel curse is real.
I’m not saying we should go full Bama arrogance, but we should have a confidence that our team is going to give the Tide its best shot on Saturday afternoon and let the chips fall where they may. I was never more proud of our team in losses than I was in December 2012 and January 2018. We went toe to toe with the kings of the sport and came up just short. Was I disappointed? Yes, but I knew our guys had played like their hair was on fire.
That’s all we as fans and supporters of our Dawgs can ask.
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By the way, I’m still pissed about the 2nd half officiating of the game in January. Those weren’t breaks for Bama … they were gifts.
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That freaking off side call. Even if they call Bama for false start, it could be better field position for UGA.
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Yep, it was bad, but the absolute worst was the practical decapitation face mask of Swift on 3rd down. We punted instead of getting a first down. I believe they scored a TD after that. Ugh.
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Link, if you can stomach it…
https://247sports.com/ContentGallery/National-championship-2018-5-missed-calls-in-Alabama-vs-Georgia-that-will-haunt-Bulldogs-fans-113476220/#113476220_2
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Where’s the dislike button? 🙂
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Thanks E you are correct. Absolutley disappointed in ‘12 & ‘18 but damn proud of the effort the Dawgs gave. As Ric Flair says to be the man you got to beat the man and the only way to do that is first getting the chance. We have the opportunity and need to take advantage. A Win by the Dawgs will not be considered a monumental upset. We need to perform at the standard Coach Smart is/ has established and we will be fine.
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Agree with EEThomas. I will add it isn’t just UGA fans, it is fans of other schools and the perception that haunts Georgia Pro Sports as well… regular season champs who can’t win the playoff.
I am very optimistic. Year 2 all but win it all, and I too believe Bama had gifts without makeup calls for UGA. Here we are year 3, 2 team leaders gone at RB, Defense turnover, this is the kind of year that could have been 2010. Gaps in the roster were filled, and continue to be filled, young players are contributing early. So…. now we’re talking about a loss to Bama as being disappointing rather than blowing the East to a team that doesn’t belong.
Don’t get me wrong I want to beat Bama but if this is supposed to be a down year (which has been compounded by injury) what will a good year be? The UGA team this year is very capable at this moment of beating anyone in CFB at this moment and only a few teams have a real shot at beating UGA in a playoff.
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Great perspective there on how this could have been like 2010. I’d also add 2013, which was year after veteran team with good defense in 2012, etc. but still returned lot of offense and came into season with fairly high expectations. That team was also dealt rough injury situation (probably even rougher) and really wasn’t able to meet expectations in second half of year with loss to Vandy and limp bowl loss to Nebraska among other games. Imagine if any team pre-2018 had to go 3-deep on OL depth chart? We’ve come a long way already.
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Obviously my friend, you’ve forgotten the many times “old lady luck has saved us”……….
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Oh, I remember them. 😉
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All CFB fans have a bias about their teams and their struggles, etc.. It really hits home when you saw some of those rivalry week win/loss streaks (UVA/VT, WSU/Wash, OSU/Mich, etc. We (UGA) love to think that we are unique in dropping a big game here/there, but in reality, everyone except for Alabama does it, and even they do from time to time.
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I think God, I’m not a Michigan or anOSU fan. Michigan can’t beat anOSU, and what is anOSU’s win percentage against the SEC and USCw?
I hope OU gets the 4th playoff spot, UGA 3rd. and anOSU goes to the Rose just to get boat raced by a PAC team.
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These are the good old days and God help those that can’t see that.
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Did not mean to ‘like’ my own comment – fat finger.
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Count if as a like from me since I never created an account to do so.
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Go ahead and add another for me.
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Me three.
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Will Leitch is the man. He’s always been one of my favorite writers back in his Deadspin days. If you’re not listening to his podcast “Waitin’ Since Last Saturday’ I highly recommend you do so at once. Of all the UGA podcasts I listen to (and I listen to most of em), his is the best. The Senator himself was even a guest on an episode last season.
I’m ecstatic with this season and where we’re at as a program right now. I feel like we’re playing with house money, and while I’d love nothing more than to get some sweet revenge on Bama this Saturday, the idea of facing them and potentially losing is not keeping me up at night.
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Playing for our 2nd consecutice conference title in the 3rd of a new regime and legitimately being able to say this is the worst team we will have the next few years feels pretty good
Knowing that we are going to give Alabama a fight – win or lose – we will go down swinging – also feels pretty good.
But I’m also trying to be realistic when I say I think we are a year away on the OL and 2 years away on D from being able to go toe to toe with alabama. That doesn’t mean we can’t win but it does make it hard to expect to win
Everyone, including Alabama, knows there is a train coming down the tracks. It’s not a matter of if, but when. And when it happens it’s going to be glorious for many years
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Jim, I copied this(hope that is okay) it is exactly how I feel! Well done sir
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Jim–well said, this is exactly how I feel about the current state of the program. Go Dawgs!
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I’m loving it.
And unlike many coaches that have experienced The Year 2 Bump™, Smart is not just winning with existing (very good) players, but is still in the #process of upgrading the roster, S&C, coaching, and proactively managing the administration.
The present is bright, and even if Saban pulls a Snyder and coaches for another 12 years, the future will only get brighter.
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I meant to add: I’m neurotic about a lot of things, but Georgia Football isn’t one of them. My magic socks, shirt, undies, cheers, seating position, and the rest have all failed me, so apparently the outcomes of games are out of my control.
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This is exactly where we said we wanted to be: Playing for the conference championship that doubles as a playoff play-in game… in a “rebuilding” year. Kirby has this squad as one of the three best in the country despite being one of the youngest. The program is certainly in the best shape it has ever been in no matter what happens on Saturday. Tennessee, Florida, Auburn, etc. are hoping to recapture past glory while Georgia is dominating them on the field and off.
A good bit of the fan neurosis is because we’ve seen past Georgia teams fall short of expectations many times before. The good news for this team is that they don’t have the burden of past failures like us fans do. Many will remember last year’s CFP walk-off, but a lot of contributors weren’t even here yet (which is crazy in itself).
I think Georgia and Clemson are the two teams that can compete with Alabama, and I kinda think Georgia has a better shot than Clemson after seeing what Bentley did to their secondary last week. If Georgia can run the ball and keep Tua from hitting deep balls, they can win.
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I must admit, this is the most relaxed season I think I’ve ever experienced. We beat au/fla/tenn/tech on avg 37 to 15 – When would I not take that in my life? Ever? These are heady times and I’m trying to start to get used to it and enjoy it, if not enjoy it more. I think knowing one of your neighbors is still better, all the years of ‘bad breaks’ and what seems like a prejudice against us (see ’07, ’12 for getting to the big prize) and of course getting robbed last year against bammer still makes things tough, but I’m trying to come around to this, honestly…it’s a healthier state of mind anyway…I think.
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As a UGA student in the mid 90’s, I NEVER want to take this for granted. I enjoy every win. Feels like where we should be when a coaching staff busts its ass in the film room, the practice field and in the recruiting trail.
To the posters point (which is spot on) I feel like every game this year we’ve played against two teams–the team we just played and the imaginary matchup of the bulldog team we just watched vs Bama. Can’t we just enjoy beating who we beat on the Saturday we beat them? I sure am.
Lets play like our ass is on fire this weekend Dawgs. GATA
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I think what you are seeing is the higher expectations that 2017 brought upon us plus the fact that we are exactly where most thought we’d be, 11-1 with the loss coming to a good opponent. Add in the fact that this year’s schedule featured so few compelling games (both before or during the game) and that’s how you end up with the “sleepiness” referred to in the article.
I think Alabama goes through the same thing almost annually given the attendance issues they have. I just hope we don’t get to that point. Success is fleeting and nothing lasts forever.
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Anybody out there who thinks we can beat this Bama team not only once but twice raise your hand. In my mind, this is what has me bummed. We have one of the best teams in the country, one of our best ever, but are facing a seemingly impossible task to get to the promised land. Bama gets in the playoff regardless of Saturday’s outcome from what most are saying. It just isn’t suppossed to work like this in college football.
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Let’s worry about beating them Saturday first.
If Bama, OU, and OSU all only have 1 loss, I don’t believe Alabama gets in over 2 conference champions.
I just don’t see how they can justify that.
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The loser of a Conference Championship game has not been invited to play for a National Title…CFP or BCS Era..
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Bama has been playing by a different set of rules since 2011
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Oklahoma in 2003.
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We win and Bama is out if Clemson, OK and/or OSU win.
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Until we break it the Georgia sports curse is real. Curse being teams from Georgia being unable to win championships and usually tripping over their dicks the few times an opportunity is presented, examples include last year’s nc game, 2016 super bowl, every braves postseason with the exception of 1995, etc.
That being said, we should absolutely enjoy the hell out of this season. We’re playing for a spot in the playoff and if we win it will be against one of the best college football teams of all time and the current college football dynasty. Not to mention we went 11-1 and obliterated every single one of our traditional rivals. I can’t be there but if you can Georgia fans need to snap up every available seccg ticket on the secondary market, show up early, and show up loud. This has been a great season with the potential to get even better.
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We or Atlanta United.
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Dude, come on.
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Maybe we should bring in Pedro Cerrano as an analyst with Jobu in tow. Anything to get rid of this ‘curse’.
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Yo bartender..Jobu needs a refill!!!
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Are you saying Jesus Christ can’t hit a curveball?
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These are grand days to be a Dawg but it’s hard to be super ecstatic when you’ve watched too many dad gummits and almosts end up with yet another rival bring home all the glory.
But hope springs eternal and there’s always tomorrow!
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I personally feel good about Saturday. Not because I expect us to win – I don’t – but because the program is in great shape regardless of what happens. Bama is otherwordly this year; UGA isn’t quite at the pinnacle, but we’re damn close. This isn’t like 2012 when we knew opportunity was fleeting, or any other year in the second half of the Richt regime when we rightfully expected to be disappointed. We may not make it to the playoffs this year, but we’re going to be in contention for a berth for the foreseeable future.
Back to the game, I expect a hard-fought contest that Bama wins along the lines of 35-24. Georgian CAN win, but it’s going to take a damn near flawless effort to do so. That said, I doubt any other team in the country except maybe Clemson could expect to have a chance at all against Bama this year.
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I keep reading takes like “we have to beat Bama TWICE and we can’t do that!”
Who cares? Let’s beat them once, taking the SEC title to become back to back SEC champs, and then anything that happens after that is gravy. Honestly, what would be so bad about it if we won on Saturday and lost a re-match? We’d still be IN the playoff two years in a row, and again (and I don’t think I can overstate this) BACK TO BACK SEC CHAMPS.
And if we lose Saturday? So what, we’re still seal clubbing just about everyone we play and are regarded now as perennial national title contenders…nationally, not just by those in our own fan base. Isn’t that what we all wanted? R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
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I don’t know about you but I have about had it with all the Bammers out there. F#@K them and F&#K losing to them again. They have sucked a lot of the joy out of CFB for me.
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“Who cares? Let’s beat them once, taking the SEC title to become back to back SEC champs, and then anything that happens after that is gravy. Honestly, what would be so bad about it if we won on Saturday and lost a re-match? We’d still be IN the playoff two years in a row, and again (and I don’t think I can overstate this) BACK TO BACK SEC CHAMPS.”
This x 1000. Alabama can claim the national title on a OT win in 2017, and make no mistake that shit hurt, but the fact remains that they didn’t earn their way in (again) and needed help from a committee to even get in the playoffs and help from the refs to stay in the game. UGA won their way in and if it plays out the same way it just proves that Mickey’s trophy is easier to win than the SEC.
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This. I have many Bama alum friends and the most effective retort that shuts them up is when I remind them that WE are the defending conference champs, and their coach had to beg & plead for a week to get Bama into the CFP last year.
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Ehhhhggsackly, Chili. We are the defending and reigning SEC Champions, not the Bammers. We. Us. These guys. Right here. Come and take it.
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So what are the theories about the ticket prices for Saturday continuing to decline?
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Bama fans saving their money for a Sugar Bowl repeat…
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My guess is that many people put their tickets on the market when the matchup was decided a few weeks ago and their asking price was way too high so the regression is just to more reasonable prices.
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Ah, makes sense.
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If it hits 2 bills I’m in.
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I don’t know anyone in my sphere avoiding or dreading Saturday. And as to LSU, it is about the way we lost. I didn’t feel too bad after we lost the NCS game because I felt we gave it a damn good shot and almost came away with the trophy. We didn’t do that in Baton Rouge. I feel our players did get off the bus that night, but the game plan was changed on them in mid-stream and the players never caught up to it. The result was waking up Sunday morning with that old familiar CMR annual shitthebed taste in my mouth.
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Who is this CMR you speak of?
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Yep, I’m the same. We had a great shot and came up just short last January. That didn’t bother me that much (plus I was still on a post-Rose Bowl high). LSU game, the coaches changed their game and we didn’t need to. I think the coaches and players learned from that and I expect us to give Bama all they want (and maybe more) on Saturday. Line up and play our game. No panic, no trick plays. Just our best against their best.
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Tongue in cheek, our neuroses can be summed up in three words:
“DO YOU REALIZE . . .”
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I mean hey, our fan base is at least better than Tennessee’s and Auburn’s in terms of expectations.
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Nah. Give us a few titles and we’ll be just as arrogant. I know I will be lol.
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Alabama;s fan base, such as it is, better be arrogant because when Saban is history, they will not be arrogant once the bulk of Saban’s players are gone. They damn well better enjoy it while they can. Dabo ain’t no lock for the tide. The Clempsun crowd will match them dollar for dollar.
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The worst thing that could happen to Bama is getting Dabo. I hope they do.
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How do you figure? I would much rather see them hire some guy who didn’t recently take a team – who were so bad at choking it had coined a phrase that include the team name (Clemsoning) -and take them to the CFP 3 times in 3 years winning once and narrowly losing another. But that’s just me.
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Because he’s an idiot. He’s Les Miles but in the ACC where its much easier to overcome dumb.
Remember losing to Winston’s back up? Really? Really???
BTW: Dabo was the head coach when they Clemsoned like no other team has ever Clemsoned.
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Yeah, and he kicked OSU and Meyer’s ass like no other a couple of years back. Maybe he is dumb, but he knows enough to run a program and win against good teams. I bet Michigan would trade Harbaugh for him today.
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So he’s as good as Purdue’ coach? Good for him.
Not impressed:
2016: http://www.espn.com/college-football/game?gameId=400869430
http://www.espn.com/college-football/game?gameId=400869485
Same team that beat Alabama lost to Pitt and let Troy take them to the wire.
2014: http://www.espn.com/college-football/game?gameId=400547740
How’d we do that year other than beat them by 24?
He’s an idiot.
Deshaun is a great player. His college coach is a moron.
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I will say this much – if you’ve been watching any Texans games one thing is very clear – Deshaun Watson is a really, REALLY, damn good quarterback, I mean… exceptional player, the kind that could make any coach look brilliant.
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When the day comes that Saban leaves, I just hope they hire some guy who can’t recruit worth damn. We all see the difference between the haves and the have nots. The talent gap, or talent surplus, is what makes Alabama the force they are.
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Well they’ve got Sgt. Carter right there on staff. He’s being groomed to replace Saban. I really think they should consider him, don’t you?
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Not sure many can recruit like Saban. I think we probably have the one person out there.
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Ohio state has recruited at the same level as well.
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And how might that be? Dabo is the best since that redneck Ford, another Bama graduate? I will be interested in your reply.
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I think Dabo is a moron. He can recruit and hire coordinators but he is an idiot.
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Aren’t recruiting and hiring coordinators 90% of the success or failure of a head coach? Let me answer that for you yes it is. This the equivalent of saying “that guy sucks at his job, all he does is make a ton of money for the firm”.
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And some guys win no matter how many coordinators come and go and therein lies the difference between a football coach you invest in and one that you don’t.
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Agreed. I get the pull to coach at your alma mater, but going from Dabo’s current perch to replacing a legend at a place with arguably the most demanding and entitled fan base in sports seems like an unnecessary career risk, provided a hypothetical salary bidding war is even close. It’d be like trading 2 really good birds in the hand for 2 birds in the bush that may or may not be bigger and prettier.
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I’m like everybody else on here, in a daze, munsoning. Then it hits me: who is Tua but a glorified baker mayfield. And what did we do to him?
And we’ve got a Holyfield on our team. His dad more than any other fighter gave it away, but then took it back. We can wi. This thing.
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Yeah but Alabama also has a defense. Big difference. We won’t be playing offense vs. air.
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I thoroughly enjoyed watching every game except LSU. And as recently as 2 days ago I said we shouldn’t dredge that game up because our coaching was a shitshow.
We’ve assembled some of the best offensive linemen in the nation. It’s not crazy to expect our OL to have a good day and give Fromm time to work his magic. If that happens we beat bama.
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I guess I’m abnormal, because I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the overall course of the last two seasons, and I’m not worried at all about the Alabama game. It’s not the same lack of concern I’ve felt for every other game but LSU, where I thought there was almost chance Georgia would lose. I just don’t care that much if Georgia wins or loses, so long as they play well. Of course, I also think if they play well, they’ll have a pretty good chance of winning. Maybe that makes me abnormal, too.
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This is absolutely SPOT ON! Having said that, I am drinking the Kool-Aid. There are some chinks in the big red armor. We just have to play our game and make zero mistakes. Can it be done…YES. Will it be done…you have to tune in or go on Saturday. This DAWG will be barking loudly, in an orange state!
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The author is right on the money.
I call our syndrome the “Richt Hangover” – it’s the gift that keeps on giving. Combine the Richt Hangover with Georgia sports teams (Braves, Falcons, Hawks et. al.) imploding in crucial moments over the years and it’s no wonder our fans are whacked in the head.
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Proud to say that among other hats he wears, Will Leitch (note correct spelling) is a colleague of mine at New York Magazine. As for the Dawgs, he has the acute perceptions of a fan who came to the cause a bit late, from outside the state.
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Oops… going too fast today, in too many directions. Thanks for catching, Ed.
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Not sure of the word I am looking for, worried, disappointed, etc. don’t fit how I feel. I guess my frustration is the realization that last year and this are two of the best teams in UGA history, but unfortunately the timing coincides with two Bama teams that might be the best in college football history. I don’t expect to win the game Saturday, but I damn sure have enjoyed this season. Kicking the shit out of Tech just capped off a damn fine season that makes me proud. I feel great about the future too.
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What Will doesn’t get, or maybe just doesn’t include, is that it’s not just the Dawgs. It’s the Braves only winning one World Series in 15 years when at the very least they should’ve won three (95-96-97). It’s 28-3 with the Falcons. It’s the Hawks in the 80’s never getting out of the second round with all that talent. It’s losing the Thrashers when the Coyotes were bankrupt. It’s 2007 when we lost to a TERRIBLE South Carolina team at home because Willie refused to adjust his defense to stop the run in the fourth quarter and because his soft zones allowed Erik Ainge to dink and dunk us for 40+ points in Knoxville. It’s 2002, losing to a mediocre Florida team. It’s 2012, not spiking the ball. It’s not showing up for big game after big game, which may have started under Goff and progressed under Donnan, but was perfected by Mark Richt to be the worst torture imaginable.
Sports in the state of Georgia and in the City of Atlanta are just cursed.
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Damn, dude. That’s not even glass half empty. That’s looking at the half full/half empty glass and saying we are dying of thirst in the desert. I get the Georgia sports PTSD, I really do. But if I felt this bad about it, brother, I might just find a new hobby.
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How do you “get the Georgia spots PTSD” but then not appreciate the understanding behind it? All these things happened. All these things are real. These are the reasons why we feel the way we do. We’re Charlie Brown, and ATL/GA sports is Lucy just waiting to move the football.
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It’s just a life outlook thing, dude.
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It’s not a life outlook thing. I’m mostly a pretty positive guy. But if you can ignore the truth at hand and keep thinking everything is sunshine and rainbows faced with the reality ATL/GA sports fans have faced, that’s not normal. That in and of itself is a kind of psychosis. I believe it’s called disassociation.
It’s taken over 30 years of being beaten down by ATL/GA sports for me to arrive as the ATL/GA Sports are Curse Cynic I am today. Actually, it probably took about 25 or so. 2012 was when the worm turned for me and I began to expect the worst.
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Technically even with the Georgia sports curse, we can win Saturday, because it is a conference championship not the national championship. The curse states that a Georgia team can have success right up to the pinnacle of it’s sport but no more.
Also hard to argue it’s a life outlook problem or that it’s just a matter of perception when the same outcomes keep happening and the curse is scary accurate as a prediction model.
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Exactly! Couldn’t have said it any better myself. Thank you, Charlottedawg!
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I never said anyone has a life outlook “problem.” I said I have a different outlook. I do not believe in sports curses – full stop.
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I didn’t deny the truth of anything you said above – there are a lot of painful memories. And I said nothing about “sunshine and rainbows.”
Hell, I have my own coping mechanism for this particular game – convincing myself that Bama is the far better team and that we don’t have much of a change. (Under promise; over deliver.)
Do your thing. I’ll do mine.
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My coping mechanisms are bourbon and spite.
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People repeating the “Sports in the state of Georgia are cursed” line is the most pathetic thing ever.
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Too many years of wild expectations that always seemed to crash and burn. It’s like the insurance commercial with the guy dangling the dollar bill just out of the woman’s reach. It make us old timers nervous about this new found toy. UGA fans my age, 71, have had decades of waiting for the other shoe to drop. We are now the most paranoid fan base in CFB. Paranoia takes years of therapy to get rid of, so it will be a long time until we really believe what we are seeing is real. In typical UGA fashion we have perhaps the second best team in CFB but number one is in our conference so the feeling that we are mystically screwed by fate is real. If Kirby can keep it rolling long enough I’m sure we will be better but he has set the mark real high and when fans do get spoiled any reverse direction will bite him in the butt.
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Here’s where I differ. I don’ think the highest of expectations are wild considering the way we have recruited and the demonstrated proficiency of this coaching staff.
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I omitted anymore.
{I don’ think the highest of expectations are wild anymore}
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A good summary but I personally disagree with our final line Bluto…….. “If Georgia ever reaches that final destination we hope it reaches, I don’t think our fan base will turn out to be as arrogant as Alabama’s. We’re too neurotic for that.” If we win I, for one, plan on being arrogant to the max. I do entitled very well . I plan on being totally intolerable….I’m going to be SOOOO arrogant that I will make Elvis ,Trump and LeBron look like introspective wallflowers. Even worse/or better take your choice…. I’ll be more arrogant than Alabama fans because unlike 95% of the most arrogant BAMA fans I’ve met I will actually have graduated from the school that I support. Most serious Bama fans barely graduated high school and if they spent anytime in Tuscaloosa it was two quarters before they flunked out, got pregnant and move to a trailer on the back 40 of their parents property. Let’s make Saban quit…..we did it to Spurrier . Arrogant enough for ya?
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We’ve located someone who is “embracing the challenge” / “boldly entering the arena” and I like it. To hell with Bama.
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pressure is a privilege …..keep on chopping…..keep the main thing the main thing. See if we can give Saban a “Urban Meyer” heart condition. Seize the day/opportunity.
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Fan bases don’t win or lose games, so this is sort of a moot point to me.
Besides the stats that say we have a punchers chance in this game, there is this: we have nothing to lose. I think we will be on fire and loose and take the fight to them. If we do that, win or lose, I will satisfied. If we play like we are afraid to win, then I will be disappointed a little.
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I’m more optimistic than some of you.
While Alabama is surely a juggernaut, Georgia has a good chance of winning on Saturday.
Georgia’s O line and running backs are better than ‘Bama’s seen..by quite a bit. And Fromm has excellent receivers and he is hitting them at an awesome pace. Rodirigo is money.
While the defense may be a little off, so is ‘Bamas. Auburn had some luck moving the ball on them, mostly running, and scoring. The refs called Auburn’s first TD back on an “iffy” call (at best..I thought it was bull).
Georgia will have the intangibles. They’ve faced this team less than a year ago and bested them sans the richness of the gifts from the officials. Dawgs will be on fire and ready to kick some elephant ass. This TEAM believes it can win and they’ll be a handful for Alabama to try to subdue. Bama needs t hear it from the crowd. They need to have trouble with noise.
Georgia also has the advantage of having struggled and tasted defeat.
I believe there are offensive sets, player combinations and schemes that the Dawgs haven’t shown yet. Fromm’s success running the two minute offense is experience is a huge confidence builder.
All of this is not to say I believe they’ll win. But I’m not sold on the notion that they can’t. I think they have a shot and not a real long one.
Also, if the refs keep helping Bama and especially if it costs the Dawgs this game, the media coverage (CFB announcers have already picked up on it and it’s been mentioned during big games by the likes of Gary Danielson) are going to make it embarrassing to the SEC. It should have already happened.
I realize it wasn’t an SEC crew that screwed the Dawgs in January, but the SEC refs (and the stuffy “officers” in B’ham) need to get an earful everytime they spot the ball a half yard to a yard in Bama’s favor after every play.
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Can you feel it brother? It’s in the air. It’s time.
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This is exactly where I wanted to be after last January, right back in Atlanta facing Bama. I want us to beat Bama at their best and here’s our chance. We might lose, but I know this should be our worst team for the foreseeable future. It’s a great time to be a Dawg!
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^^This forever and ever, amen.
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I think this is 100% accurate excluding the approach to the SECCG. Dawg fans are being wise to consider the fact that a very young team is going up against the best team EVER produced but the GOAT college coach. That’s not neurosis. That’s realism.
And I think it also comes with the understanding that is very likely the “weakest” UGA team we will see for several years. I think most UGA fans have been rather level-headed this season.
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/I\ This.
And speaking of a great time to be a Georgia Bulldog, Has anybody noticed that Tennessee got hammered by Vanderbilt (!) and will not see a bowl game yet again? And our fanbase that should be rolling with glee has barely made mention of it? Especially our favorite blogger. Whatsa matter Blutarsky, you getting soft on us?
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That was great. Thanks for posting.
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I’m kinda glad no one is giving us much of a chance, Georgia always seems to do a little better when we’ve already been written off. These boys need to keep that in mind on Saturday, play smart, but pissed off, and with nothing to lose. Screw Bama and the horse they rode in on, Saban and Tua aren’t gods, their dynasty must end somewhere at sometime. Here’s to Saturday in The Benz being just that.
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If the Dawgs reach that goal you mentioned our fan arrogance will make the Bammers look like pikers. Bulldog fans will be the most obnoxious . . . there are just no words for it. IT WILL BE WONDERFUL!
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Ask yourself…was last season really the one you wanted to win the NC vs. Bama, or since we lost the way we did, would beating Bama and going on to win the NC this year be even better which could likely include taking down ND AND Clemson? Maybe Munson is up there somewhere rooting for this to happen all along.
Bama, Notre Dame, Clemson. I’m starting to get a little feeling of destiny about all this….
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Oh shit. You had the Kool-Aid too, didn’t you……
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I’ll have what he’s having.
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Sorry, that guy nails nothing about how I feel about this 2018 performance, and where we are this week. I don’t think like that, not even close, and neither do my fellow Dawg fans I interact with regularly. The only part he got right was 2017 will never be duplicated in my life time because I will never be that surprised about a season being that magical and building every week with no let downs. It was unexpected, what happens now can be great but not a surprise. This season is not a let down so much as the bad schedule, time of games, and lack of competitive intensity just hasn’t been there.
As others have said, we are right where we want to be, and we seem to be peaking. We have a decent shot at winning and despite the injuries, I don’t think our lads are intimidated. Odds are against us, but hardly insurmountable; I think we think they will show up and give it a go. I don’t know those other fans he described, and I don’t want to. If we show up and play, I can accept the result win or lose, but I won’t be disappointed with what this young team has grown to be. And we will be back again in 2019, no surprises these days, 2017 woke all of us up. But it is still thrilling to be among the top and know you have seen UGA football get to the place we all thought it could. Any one afraid of Bama should stay the hell home this Saturday. I respect their team, and they will come to respect ours, if they don’t already. You have to ignore our weak fans, just like we have to ignore their bad fans. I have no doubt both coaches realize this will be a talented group of players, on both sides, going at it on Saturday.
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Don’t take my word for it, Coach Saban said UGA will be the best team they face this year. I think he choose his words carefully meaning it includes the CFP games. We have more than a punchers chance.
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