I’m sure most of y’all have seen this by now:
What you may not have read is Graham’s “why we UGA fans can have nice things” rebuttal here.
… I have witnessed the following heartbreaking UGA games in person. 2012 SEC Championship, 2017 National Championship, 2004 Georgia-Tennessee, 2002 Georgia-Florida, 2008 Blackout versus Alabama, 1998 Georgia-Georgia Tech, the 2001 Georgia-Auburn goal line stand, the 2009 UGA-LSU phantom celebration call on AJ Green, the 2016 Tennessee Hail Mary, and probably a few more that the mind has blotted out so I can cope with my day-to-day life.
I’ve been following Georgia football a lot longer than he has, so my list is also longer, but I get his point about establishing his pessimist bona fides.
What I’m about to ask of Bulldog Nation is going to alarm some of you. Many of you will be tempted to violently balk at this request, and others might experience a building rage in your chests. Before you slam your laptop shut, remember that your reaction is the product of post-traumatic stress. Hear me out.
I want all of you to spend the time between now and the Clemson game thinking of how good it’s going to feel when Georgia beats Clemson. I want you to imagine how good it’s going to feel seeing Derion Kendrick pick off a DJ Uiagalelei pass and run out of bounds in front of Dabo Swinney with the Dawgs up by 14 with a few minutes left in the 4th quarter.
Then I want you to think about how sweet it’s going to be when we roll into Jacksonville at 7-0 and put the type of beating on Florida that can make Dan Mullen’s seat warm. After that, I want you to think about how great it’s going to feel when UGA finally gets over the Bama hump in the SEC Championship.
Then I want you to imagine how much pure childish joy you’re going to feel when Kirby Smart hoists the National Championship trophy on the turf of Lucas Oil Stadium on January 10th.
I know that approach is a bridge too far for some of you, but being a preemptive killjoy doesn’t work for me, either. With that in mind, let me suggest a third way: live each week of the coming season as it comes.
I think back to the 2017 season as I type this. Sure, second-and-26 was a gut punch, but as much as some might insist it should overshadow everything, I still get a warm feeling thinking back on a fantastic trip to Notre Dame and a Rose Bowl win which ranks as the greatest Georgia game I’ve been lucky enough to attend. (Not to mention the best seven-and-a-half opening minutes of a Cocktail Party game I’ve ever experienced.) Nothing will take any of that away for me, largely because I let that season unfold on the fly.
I don’t know how 2021 will play out and I don’t even want to guess. What I do know is that this Georgia team is built for big things and that it’s sustainable. Yes, Georgia has to get by Alabama at some point, but that’s been the case for the rest of college football for a while. Will this be the year? I have no idea, but in a world where Gus Malzahn, of all people, has beaten Nick Saban three times, you can’t deny that possibility exists. So, without any preconceived notions, good or bad, I’ll be around for the ride to see where this team winds up. You should, too.
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