Back during the very lean years of the Ray Goff era in Athens, a certain revered columnist for the Macon Telegraph joked in a weekly prediction column that Georgia would lose to “Open” during its upcoming bye week.
Thankfully, those years have passed by, and the outlook for Georgia during open weeks for what is ahead is much brighter.
And if what happened across college football is any indicator, saddle up and get ready for a wild five weeks on the way to the postseason.
1. First of all, this week is going
to feel odd. I’m sure some ambitious Georgia fans could head down Tuesday to hang out on Fernandina Beach and leave at O’Dark Thirty Saturday to get to Atlanta for Georgia-Florida, but it still would not be the same. Sure, this is a game to get excited about, but placing it inside a sterilized Mercedes-Benz Stadium just does not say much to the way to thrilling college football atmosphere. At least next year in Tampa will be a place where Georgia fans have not traveled to since the days of the Outback Bowl. It’s also a reminder of the swing-and-miss of this game not being put on campus for two years, but that’s a point that’s been hammered into the ground ten-feet under.
2. At this point with the craziness of each week of college football, just getting to the CFP will be an accomplishment. Its become every bit of a survival mode each week. The 2007 college football season’s chaos was something that you felt could not be topped, but that may already be on the way to being surpassed this year.
3. I’m not sure who Georgia should worry more about – South Carolina or Ole Miss. You already know what Trinidad Chambliss can do, and the performance by Georgia against Byrum Brown’s mobility should cause some concern on that front. But if Lanorris Sellers can do similar to what he did against Tennessse on Saturday? That stands to be dicey, especially if its a night kickoff in Coumbia, and place that has at times been a house of horrors for Georgia.
4. On the note of South Carolina’s win, it also highlights this – as even as things are in the SEC, you cannot make multiple mistakes and win – yes, we are looking at you, Tennessee multiple touchdowns being called back. Or to quote Kirby Smart: “The dogs can’t beat the dogs.”
5. Speaking of the Palmetto State, Clemson is every bit of mediocre. That should sum up how silly any existing discourse is about Kirby Smart post-national title vs. Dabo Swinney.
6. At this point, Georgia Tech is bad that Clean Old-Fashioned Hate is going to be aired in between Bluey episodes on Disney Plus.
7. At this point, Lincoln Riley might be the next USC coach to get a tarmac firing. Losing to Oregon is one thing. Losing to Wisconsin, even if the Badgers are more respectable than they were in preseason is a whole other dynamic.
8. If the college football gods have a sense of humor, one of the conference’s at-best, average of time teams, Kentucky will be in the last SEC title game. It’ll be a week looking back of iconic plays and moments canonized in college football history, and right alongside of it will be Kentucky. There is irony, of course, in that this all goes on when basketball in the Bluegrass State has taken a step back.
9. Assuming Georgia does enough to be a top-four CFP seed, odds are very good that it’d mean a Chick-fil-A Bowl in the quarterfinal round. But as Georgia fans, and for the sake of the team, would the Rose, Fiesta or Cotton be better? Yes, Kirby Smart would likely prefer Atlanta due to less travel time. But as Georgia fans, Atlanta is not exciting as many times as you have played there.
10. The best draw for anyone in the CFP opening round? Other than a Group of Five team, it has to be Indiana. The Hoosiers look to be good enough snake into the postseason, but that may be their ceiling.
Go Dawgs!
