Beating Florida: Does it really matter?
by NMdawg on Jan 19, 2009 1:20 PM EST
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PrintObviously, it "matters" for lots of reasons. But does it matter for SEC championship purposes? Counter-intuitively, maybe not.
As Georgia and Florida have been the two most successful SEC East teams this decade, it seems obvious that the winner of the Cocktail Party would have a leg up on winning the division. But, at least for Georgia, that isn't the case.
Georgia has represented the East in Atlanta three times, all since 2002, so let's start there -- also the second year of the Richt Era. In those years ('02, '03, '05), the Dawgs are 0-3 against the Gators. Of course, the cynic might argue that we never beat Florida, so we win the division in spite of that problem. But that's not true.
Twice under Richt, we have beaten the Swamp Things. But in both 2004 and 2007, we lost to Tennessee, and it was the Vols that went to Atlanta. Of course, the UT game always precedes the UF game; in other words, both recent times we've won in Jacksonville, we were already playing catch-up in the division.
Now, if we had to choose between either winning the division or beating Florida, it's not a great choice, but I think most fans would be happy with at least one every year. And, interestingly, the two most disappointing/frustrating years of the Richt Era were also the only two years (excluding the first season, 2001) where neither of those things happened, 2006 and 2008. Our rivals to the south, as you may recall, see both of those years in a quite different light.
As it turns out, the real key is beating Tennessee. We are 3-0 vs. UT in years we ended up going to Atlanta; only one year since 2002 have we beaten the Vols and NOT gone to the Dome (2008).
What does this all mean? I guess it means that if we can't get past Tennessee, we can't win the East; beating Florida might help but only this year would it have made a difference. I hate to say beating the Gators winds up being a consolation prize most years, but that seems to be the case, at least in the small sample size of the last seven seasons.
Of course, if we ever managed to beat both our northern and southern neighbors in the same season...
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The Results From the Poll are SCARY!!!!
It seems that most fans are OK with losing to Florida. I don’t think that is the case. I think most fans EXPECT to lose to Florida, which is unexceptable. I don’t know what the answer is. Meyer has that program running at top speed and I don’t know if anyone in the conference can catch him. I think UA can, but I’m not sure about the Dawgs. Way to bring me down on a Monday night when I have NO football to watch!!! I HATE this time of year…
We have to beat Florida
That’s the end of the story. It’s difficult for the Dawgs to have what most fans consider to be a truly great season without beating the hated Gators. The lone exception would be 2002, but even then we were left wondering what could have been.
Sic 'em Dawgs
by ClassicCityDawg on Jan 19, 2009 11:03 PM EST reply actions
We must destroy them!
We must get off our duffs and reclaim this game. It is simply unacceptable to keep losing to Florida.
They used to fear us. I’m sick of losing them them.
We must destroy them.
We no longer face this choice
The three seasons in which Georgia lost to Florida yet won the East (2002, 2003, and 2005) came in Ron Zook’s first and second seasons and Urban Meyer’s first season, when he did not yet have the proper personnel to run his system.
Now that it is Urban Meyer’s team, we cannot expect to lose to Florida and have two other S.E.C. teams upend the Gators to take them out of the equation for us. There is little chance of that ever happening, and certainly not three times in a four-year period.
The path to Atlanta runs through Jacksonville. The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party has become for the early 21st century what the Florida-Tennessee game was in the 1990s: the de facto Eastern Division title game. Until we begin winning again in the Sunshine State, we will remain relegated to second place in the division, at best.
Beating Florida is the prerequisite to every other lofty objective. The gateway to all else lies in the Gateway City. Detouring down an alternative route that takes us past Duval Street is not an option. There is no getting around the Saurians. The only way out is through.
Go 'Dawgs!
I do find it ironic
Not to start this debate on another post, but I do find it ironic that that road to Atlanta(roughly an hour from UGA’s campus) runs through Jacksonville (roughly an hour from our biggest rival’s campus). Just a funny coincidence.
Wow, excellent point
Great point, Kyle, and one that I neglected. (I guess that’s why you’re the blogger and I, the lowly commenter…) Especially with Tennessee in a state of flux, no one but us can really challenge Florida right now (and even if Meyer is good for one weird loss per year, one ain’t two). Of course, The Lane Kiffin Experiment could turn out to be a success, and UT could begin beating UF regularly… but then, they’d probably also be beating us too, and at any rate rooting for a circle of death (or relying on these guys) is not a happy proposition.
Here’s hoping your 19-year cycle rule holds true. We’re gonna need it.
What a great question
I would have liked to see only two options though.
Beat Flordia
or Win East
regardless of tenn or doing both.. i’d have loved to see those results.. one or the other.. I’d have to say that would be a tough tough choice
by knowshon loves legos on Jan 22, 2009 1:05 PM EST reply actions
Why does beating Florida matter?
So that we don’t have to keep dealing with the kind of obnoxious crap the Gator faithful felt moved to dish out in this comment thread at Orson’s place.
Go 'Dawgs!
I agree with that one, Kyle
I don’t think winning the game would abate the obnoxiousness of the Gator faithful, though. I just added a response to that EDSBS thread, by the way. My response has much more to do with literary and social analysis than with football, though. So what else is new?
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