It was an up-and-down year to say the least for the Georgia Bulldogs. After whipping Hawaii 48-10 in the Sugar Bowl in January, fans could smell that glass football, and a trip to Miami. Well, at least we had the right state, only we ended up a few hundred miles north of where we wanted to be. Orlando, Florida, the site of the Capitol One Citrus Bowl, is where the Dawgs will face off against the Michigan State Spartans. But one might wonder, "How did the Georgia Bulldogs end up in Orlando?"
Well, it all started back in the summer. The Dawgs were the preseason #1, and with the degree of difficulty schedule-wise, there was no way the Dawgs could not end up contending for the title. After all, they were 100% awesome, and nothing was going to stop them. At least, so we thought. Multiple UGA students were arrested in the preseason, and the lack of discipline carried over to the football field. The Bulldogs wound up being the second-highest penalized team in the nation, behind only TCU.
The Dawgs cruised through their first two games as expected, knocking off Georgia Southern and Central Michigan. However, the voters didn't seem to think that the 45-21 stomping of the Eagles(that would be Georgia Southern) was enough. So, they took away our #1 spot, never to be seen again. Anyway, after destroying the Chippewas(Central Michigan), the Dawgs struggled to a 14-7 victory over SEC rival South Carolina. Again, the voters were unimpressed, and once again took a spot away from Georgia. Now without a loss at 3-0, the Bulldogs had dropped two spots in the polls. I didn't even know that was possible! Calming down. The Bulldogs then traveled out west to Arizona, where they would take on the Arizona State Sun Devils. They won 27-10, in a game where one of UGA's players was penalized for "jumping too high".
Okay, if you think that the 4-0 start was a rough road, brace yourself. The Bulldogs had not allowed more than 21 points in a game. They allowed 31 points against #8 Alabama in the first half. Down 31-0 at halftime, the Dawgs needed a miracle. By the end of the third quarter, the Dawgs were down by two touchdowns, 31-17. Alabama would dash all hopes of a comeback, and would go on to win 41-30. However, the game was won by Alabama before they even scored. Inside the Georgia 10, John Parker Wilson of Alabama completed a pass across the middle, which was then fumbled and recovered by Georgia. But it was called back due to a roughing the passer penalty. It was a stupid one to take, and ultimately gave the momentum to Alabama. Naturally, the Dawgs took a big hit in the rankings.
Georgia would proceed to beat Tennessee, Vanderbilt, and LSU. Then, on to Jacksonville, where the SEC East was on the line. Georgia and Florida both had one loss, and one more would surely dash one of these teams' hopes at a National title. At one point in the game, Florida was driving, up 7-3. Tim Tebow(if you don't know who that is, you shouldn't be reading this) threw a screen pass that was intercepted by Asher Allen. But just like in the Bama game, it was called back due to a personal foul. Florida would go on to score a touchdown. Down 14-3 in the third, the Dawgs were driving. Then, their season took a turn for the worst when Matthew Stafford threw his worst career pass. An unnecessary pass into coverage was intercepted and taken back to the UGA 1. Florida would score once again, and the flood gates were open. Florida would win 49-10. Believe it or not, that wasn't running up the score. Georgia simply played that badly.
The Dawgs were never the same, as they just barely edged Kentucky and Auburn in consecutive weeks, both by 4 points. They could salvage part of their season by defeating Georgia Tech, their arch-nemesis. They had defeated Tech 7 consecutive years, and appeared to be on their way to another victory. Up 28-12 when the third quarter started, the Dawgs squandered their lead before the halfway point of the third quarter was reached. They gave up 26 unanswered to Tech, and ultimately lost 45-42, a game which I dubbed "The most exciting Georgia loss ever", simply because it was a fun game to watch. Unfortunately, fun or not, a loss is a loss. Georgia had three of them, and ultimately ended up in Orlando.
It was a year full of disappointment for Dawgs' fans, who could smell a championship before the season ever started. Ultimately, arrests, penalties, and turnovers cost the Bulldogs a shot at the title, along with a tough schedule, and a BCS system that hates them very much. Despite the disappointment, Dawgs' fans should stay behind their team. Because next year could be a cause for celebration.
Keywords: Georgia Bulldogs, NCAA Football
