The Georgia Bulldogs, the Boise State Broncos, "The Godfather, Part II," and What Makes Life Worth Living: Five Questions for OBNUG

As you know, I answered some questions for Kevan over at OBNUG, while also entering into an agreement---not a wager, I tell you!---that has earned me some criticism in certain circles. In any case, the Labor Day weekend edition of "Too Much Information" has been bumped to mid-day, in order for me to bring you my interview with Kevan Lee of One Bronco Nation Under God. Enjoy:

T. Kyle King: I don’t mean to burst your bubble, but there’s basically no reason to think we don’t stink. The Bulldogs have seen their year-to-year win total decline every season since 2007, Mark Richt is entering the autumn on the hottest seat any Georgia head coach has occupied on Labor Day weekend since 1995, the Red and Black lost ugly games to Colorado and Central Florida last fall, the team’s most experienced returning running back is an injured linebacker, no statistical progress was made in the first year of Todd Grantham’s 3-4 defense, the ‘Dawgs have lost their best offensive player and their best defensive player from a year ago, and the Classic City Canines are relying upon a bunch of true freshmen to come in and meet immediate needs. On what planet is this game possibly a big deal for Boise State?

Kevan Lee: Wait a minute ... is this some sort of Mark Richt reverse psychology? Lulling me to sleep with compliments and reassurances? Ha, that hasn't worked on me since my eighth grade crush. Her loss, by the way.

This game is a huge deal to Boise State for the simple reason that it is a game and the Broncos can't afford to lose any of those. That it comes against an SEC school and one of the two best teams on BSU's schedule means even more. Win on Saturday, and the Broncos can keep the BCS dream alive. Lose, and the Broncos can keep the MAACO Bowl Las Vegas dream alive.

Kyle: On a scale of Mafia movies, with "Married to the Mob" being rock bottom (notwithstanding Nancy Travis’s nude scene, of course) and "The Godfather, Part II" being the top of the mountain, how well will the Boise State defensive front perform against the Georgia offensive line?

Kevan: I say this both because I don't know any other Mafia movies except for "The Whole Nine Yards" (starring Matthew Perry of "Friends" fame and no other fame) and because I think the comparison is apt: the Boise State defensive line will "Godfather II" the Georgia offensive line all game long. Boise State's D-line is as talented and deep as they come. The backups will hold their own against the Georgia O-line and the starters will wreak havoc all game long. It helps the Broncos that Georgia's big uglies have felt the harsh hand of attrition. If it were 100-percent-best-case-scenario Georgia O-line, then the matchup wouldn't be so easy for me to call. As it is, this one's a "Godfather" mismatch.

Kyle: You’ll have to pardon us; we really don’t know you that well, but the first thing we see when we look at you is, well, orange and blue. Frankly, that doesn’t sit well with us. Our oldest rival wears orange and blue. The rival with whom we have struggled most mightily over the last two decades also wears orange and blue. Convince me that I should root for the Broncos after September 3, despite their color scheme.

Kevan: Rooting for the Broncos is like rooting for America. You do like America, don't you?

Specifically, there are a lot of reasons to root for the Broncos - their dorky quarterback prodigy, their Rodney Dangerfield level of respect, their classy coach, their sensational team blogs. But I'll go with this one - root for the Broncos to keep driving the NCAA toward that mythical playoff. The more the Broncos win, the louder the cries get for some sort of rational postseason. Even if you don't think the Broncos deserve a chance at a national championship with that Mountain West schedule, I think you can agree that college football fans deserve a system better than the BCS. Boise State can be the straw that broke the camel's back (I like to picture Jim Delany as a camel in this scenario).

Kyle: Time for a little morbid role-playing: It’s Saturday night, and Boise State has just beaten Georgia. The Bulldogs have just become the first SEC team to lose to the Broncos, and they have opened the autumn 0-1 after finishing 6-7 last year and 8-5 the year before. Give me three good reasons---football-related, mind you, not theological---why I shouldn’t take my own life.

Kevan: Reason No. 1: The Broncos beat everyone they play, except when they throw Nevada a pity win. This is not the same team that lost to Georgia and other SEC schools half a decade ago. This is a team that has proved it belongs with BCS competition in wins over Virginia Tech, Oregon, Oklahoma, etc. It would have happened to an SEC team sooner (like Ole Miss, definitely).

Reason No. 2: Georgia plays in an AQ conference. Who cares about non-conference results when you can sweep your conference and still play for millions of dollars in a BCS bowl? Now, if you lose to South Carolina the next week, then I might suggest avoiding high places.

Reason No. 3: It's the season opener. I find that season openers can be hit-or-miss when projecting how a team's season will go. There are 11 games left and plenty of time for Isaiah Crowell to find his way out of the backfield. YOUR LIFE IS WORTH LIVING, KYLE. THINK OF YOUR BLOG!

Kyle: Now reverse the roles: It’s Saturday night, and Georgia has just beaten Boise State. I’m your last friend in the world, or, at least, it feels that way to you at the moment. What do you need me to say to you to convince you that your life is still worth living?

Kevan: How far after the game are we talking here? If it's five minutes, you'll need to tell me that Boise State just got invited to the Pac-12 or else I'm looking for the nearest jug of Drain-O. I tend to sober up after about an hour or so, you know, remembering family and things that are important. An hour afterward, you could just remind me that if Boise State were to lose any game on its 2011 schedule and still hope to make a BCS bowl, this game would be it. Voters have about a two-month attention span, so by November, this loss would be expunged from their minds (one month sooner for octogenarian Harris Poll voters).

My thanks go out to Kevan for being a good sport and a good colleague here at SB Nation. Though there has been some spirited sparring (and a handful of bannings) between our two weblogs, I think both sides largely have shown a healthy respect for one another, and for the game. Here’s hoping we see a quality contest between a pair of college football heavyweights. I would say, "May the better team win," but I think we all know that’s not the way I’m rooting.

Go ‘Dawgs!