If McGarity’s reaction was entirely predictable, Jere Morehead’s is head shaking.
Morehead, Georgia’s president since 2013, seemed taken aback that breaking that tradition might upset some of the Bulldogs’ fans.
Sadly, I don’t know whether he’s taken aback by the idea that we might be upset, or if he’s taken aback by the suggestion that our concerns are something worthy of his consideration in the first place.
Clueless or arrogant, take your pick.
If I’m willing to lean towards the first choice it’s because this may be the dumbest defense of the decision I read last night.
Morehead said Georgia’s most paramount concern was maintaining its annual off week to the weekend before the Florida game in Jacksonville.
“Next year we have (byes) at two critical junctures in the season, after Notre Dame and before the Georgia-Florida game,” Morehead said. “Those are things that are really important. But I defer to Coach Smart on those sorts of things.”
Georgia, you may have noticed, has enjoyed that bye week for several years now without having to consent to moving the Auburn game. So unless Greg Sankey told McGarity to agree to move Auburn or risk losing the bye week — something I can’t imagine Sankey put on the table — I don’t have the first clue why Morehead even raised that as a consideration here.
But if Georgia’s position with the SEC simply boils down to “do what you want with us as long as we have our Cocktail Party bye week”, prepare to watch this administration bend over regularly in the future.
Ah, well. At least Greg and Jere are happy with each other.