Might As Well Extend the Hotel Reservation

Hell, just keep the team at MBS. The Gaggies found another way to throw away a trip to the SECCG, and now, we’re in.

Shot:

Chaser:

Reminder who our coach is. Injuries or not, we’re in the SECCG.

The weekend that was at Message Board Geniuses – week 12 edition

Sark, who’s your daddy?

This weekend saw one team virtually eliminated from the playoff race while a rival that team beat convincingly keeps its playoff hopes alive with a big victory on the road. The message boards were lighting up all over the place. Let’s start out today’s trip in Louisville to check on the temperature of the Greater Anderson Cow College fan base.

Clemson wins a game, and it pisses off a portion of the fan base. I’m guessing Dabo isn’t going anywhere unless he decides to do it. I don’t see Clemson joining the coaching carousel fray voluntarily at this point in this season unless major donors force their hand. Clemson lost the game everywhere except on the scoreboard (the one place that matters).

The Tyler from Spartanburg segment of the fan base clearly believes that championships are their birthright. They forget that Dabo brought them that success (and expectation) and that there used to be a thing called Clemsoning.

I don’t care what Clemson does, but I am here to watch the fallout.

Let‘s move on to College Station to see the smoking crater that is the South Carolina football program following the biggest choke job you’re going to see.

Clemson lost the first game in program history when scoring 45 or more points a couple of weeks ago at home against the University of New Jersey at Durham. South Carolina says, “Hold my beer, Tiggers” by breaking a 286 game SEC winning streak since 2004 when leading by 27+. Ouch.

I’m here for the chaos in the Palmetto State. The only thing South Carolina has to play for is to ruin the remainder of Clemson’s season in Columbia.

Let’s move on to Tuscaloosa to check on the Bammers after their most recent loss to Oklahoma.

Bammers can’t decide if DeBoer is the genius that holds the key to success against Georgia or if he’s a bumbling fool from the West Coast who doesn’t get it. The Sooners get a blocked field goal, a pick 6 and 2 more turnovers while only generating 212 yards of offense themselves. Bama still controls their own destiny to get to Atlanta with a win at Jordan-Hare in the Iron Bowl. F-bum is going to be glorious on Monday with the Bammer whining and the Georgia gloating.

Let’s move on to Oxford as the Rebel fan base wants closure on Kiffin’s decision one way or another.

The Handbags are officially “there’s no place like home for the holidays” after Saturday’s loss to Ole Miss in Oxford (snicker). The majority of Rebel fans want Lane to stay in Oxford, and Lane said he loves Ole Miss after the game.

I still don’t think he wants to leave to take a higher pressure job in an inferior location (Baton Rouge or Hogtown). The media and the airplane watchers are going to be watching what happens over the next week as Ole Miss starts its preparation for the Egg Bowl.

Let’s end today’s trip in the Classic City after the Dawgs flex their muscles against Texas again.

Why can’t we bottle what we show against Texas to use against another opponent (cough, cough … Alabama … cough, cough)? After the Dawgs bowed up to force a field goal on the game’s first possession, the defense really allowed nothing except when put on a short field after the 3rd quarter interception.

Gunner Stockton > Arch Manning. I don’t think there’s much more to say than that.

On any remaining debate of Kirby vs. Sark, I’ll let a good follow on Dawg X who commented frequently at GTP summarize it for you:

While we’re on the topic of the win in Athens, let’s look in on the nerds’ take on Saturday night.

Talk about not being a ball-knower in this situation. I guess when it takes a last second field goal to beat a (checks notes) 1-win Boston College team, all you can do is to take a shot at your rival. Black Friday is coming, nerds. You’re going to get our best shot since we’re not likely to be in the SEC championship game. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

What did you see this weekend? Let us know in the comments.

No Rush

Fun fact for the day:

Kirby really knows how to dial it up against the Longhorns, huh?

On the other hand, here’s a possibly better stat.

Yeah, we didn’t miss out on anything when Arch chose Texass.

Also:

Dang.

Carnivores vs. Hamburgers – Texas preview

This never gets old.

Tonight under the lights of Sanford Stadium, Georgia and Texas square off for the first time between the hedges and for the 3rd time in the last 13 months. Texas must win to keep their playoff hopes alive, and Georgia needs a win that will likely lock up a playoff berth and still keep an SEC title opportunity in view. Needless to say, the stakes are high.

Let’s get to the preview.

When Georgia has the ball

As mentioned earlier in the first look post, Texas has been successful in stopping the run and sacking quarterbacks most of the season leading to an average of around 2.5 yards per carry. For the Georgia offense to function the way it’s designed, the offense must be able to generate a semblance of a running game throughout. Auburn is the only team to hold the Georgia offense under 100 yards this year as the Georgia ground game averages close to 200 yards per game and 4.6 yards per attempt.

If the Dawgs can rush for 150 yards, I like our chances because while the Texas pass rush has been excellent led by Colin Simmons, the Horns’ secondary has given up yards through the air.

When Texas has the ball

Texas was dreadful on offense early in the year as the Archduke was finding his way at quarterback. The Texas running game is averaging about 80 yards per game in SEC play. If Texas can’t stay in front of the chains, it could be a long night for the burnt orange, and they struggled mightily in both games last year against the Georgia defense. Tomorrow night would be a great time for the Georgia pass rush to show itself as it did in both games last year.

I believe we’ll hold Texas under 100 yards rushing. Can the secondary hold up over 4 quarters?

What will happen

Texas is going to get theirs, but can they get to 30? Alabama is much more explosive than Texas and couldn’t do it. Can Georgia get to the magic number of 30? The offense that showed up last Saturday absolutely can. Will it?

Gunner Stockton outplays Arch Manning. Georgia’s edge on the offensive line makes the difference in a game that goes 4 quarters.

Final score: Georgia 31, Texas 24

Bye, Weak

Steve Sarkisian has a cry.

Q. This is Georgia’s last SEC game. You have two more conference rival games after this. Having gone through his twice now, are you comfortable with the structure of your schedule or would you want a bye or a conference bye later in the year?

Steve Sarkisian: “I am not comfortable. I don’t think there’s enough continuity from a scheduling standpoint in the SEC. I understand with us being new to the conference and how schedules get set earlier, years in advance. I think there’s some distinct advantages that some people have where they spread out their non-conference games throughout the season, they play non-conference games in the second-to-last game of the season and we’re playing all ours on the front end.

They’re playing conference games earlier in the year when their team is 100% healthy. I don’t love our schedule, but it’s our schedule. So I do love it in the same breath because it is what it is. You play the schedule. You play the hand your dealt.

But I just don’t think there’s a lot of parody from a scheduling standpoint of who’s getting non-conference games when and who’s getting what level of non-conference opponents because of the impact that it has down the road when you start talking about the playoffs.”

Emphasis added. To be clear, we had some injuries heading into to our first SEC game, and they were some bigguns.

Georgia:

  • Juan Gaston OL, Questionable
  • Earnest Greene OL, Probable
  • Ethan Barbour TE, OUT
  • Chase Linton DL, OUT
  • Thomas Blackshear WR, OUT

Well, here’s some other things to consider when it comes to Texas’s schedule and rough going through the conference they were destined to “own”.

Reminder that Texas also got to avoid Alabama, Ole Miss, and Tennessee in their first two seasons in the SEC…yet still managed to lose to one of the most beleaguered/injured Georgia teams since 2021…twice.

Sark sounds like he needs an emotional support animal. I have a suggestion:

Tell me again about the rabbits, Lennie. It’ll be alright.

First look at Texas

First, on yesterday’s poll, many of you thought the 1 foot rule should be the standard for a variety of reasons. Thanks for participating and throwing in the other rule changes you would like to see. Now to the real subject of the post … our first look.

Saturday night in Athens should be epic and is probably the most anticipated home game since Notre Dame in 2019. The Dawgs can virtually assure themselves of a CFP berth with a win while Texas has been playing with their backs against the wall for weeks now.

Series record

Texas leads the series 4-3 while Georgia has a 2 game winning streak in the series.

Last meeting

Georgia comes back to win the SEC championship 22-19 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in overtime. Texas dominates the first half, but penalties and kicking game woes keep Georgia in the game. Gunner Stockton comes off the bench to lead the Dawgs to a win after a season-ending elbow injury to Carson Beck. Trevor Etienne solidifies his Georgia legacy as the Longhorn killer in the 2 games these teams played last season.

Gambling degenerate facts

Georgia is a 6.5 point favorite in a game with a 48.5 point total. Georgia is a -215 favorite on the money line.

Interesting statistic: 2.41 (Texas defensive yards per attempt)

That statistic is eye-popping as no one has really run the ball effectively against the Texas defense. Florida is the only team to average more than 4 yards per attempt against the Horns defense this year. Given our success this year running the ball, this game sets up to be the irresistible force vs. the immovable object.

Early outlook

Both teams have been stout against the run while susceptible to the pass. One team has been effective running the ball while one has struggled to run the ball consistently. One has had an efficient passing game throughout the year while the other’s passing game has come on as of late. The team that plays the most complementary football is likely the one that walks out of Sanford on Saturday night as the winner.

One team has had a bye week to prepare. One team has a home field advantage on its side … that’s the team that gets it done.

Anyone who leaves Sanford without losing their voice didn’t yell enough. Time to be that home field advantage.

Austin Shuffle

Consider this…

Outside of the Longhorns and the Irish, who else would get this kind of love in the polls? You think Georgia would get that kind of bounce back, especially pre-Natty days?

Lest we forget Texass lost to Florida…barely squeaked by Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and only beat Mississippi State by a touchdown and a great amount of coaching malpractice.