As was reported this morning, I closed down the voting on last week's poll question a few votes shy of a hundred due to extenuating circumstances.
I regretted doing this, as it remained mathematically possible that the team I wanted to see win would finish in first place, but it couldn't be helped. The question concerned the non-conference opponent the good people of Bulldog Nation would most like to see the Red and Black face in football.
Out of 96 votes cast, the plurality (25) went to Notre Dame, lending credence to The Blue-Gray Sky's argument that Big Ten schools would be unable to force the Fighting Irish to accept a conference affiliation through a boycott because the Golden Domers will never want for quality opponents who are willing to play them.
Protestants and Roman Catholics continue to disagree over such important doctrinal issues as Papal infallibility, the need for a human intermediary between laymen and God, and whether Notre Dame should become a member of the Big Ten.
My preferred out-of-conference matchup would be with Michigan, which finished a close second with 22 ballots. Texas ran a strong third with 17 votes, although the balloting between the top three finishers was much tighter before separating slightly at the end.
Ohio State made a late charge to garner 11 votes and finish ahead of Oklahoma (8), Southern California (7), and Penn State (6). Ironically, Oregon, which finished dead last and did not have so much as a single solitary ballot cast in its favor, may be the team the 'Dawgs have the best chance of facing.
The new poll question concerns the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, the name of which recently was maligned by our president and the location of which recently was the subject of critical remarks by our head coach.
I say we stay . . . but only if they lose the lame jaguar statue.
What course would you prefer to see us take? Should the game remain in Jacksonville, where it has taken place in all but three of the seasons since Franklin Roosevelt entered the White House? Should Georgia and Florida play a full-time home and home series, a part-time home and home series, or a rivalry game that alternates between Athens (when Georgia is the host school) and Jacksonville (when Florida is the home team)?
Should the game be moved to another neutral site altogether or even (as Doug Gillett suggests) alternate between Alltel Stadium and the Georgia Dome? Should we capitulate to Il Duce's wishes and stop calling the Georgia-Florida game by its traditional nickname altogether?
Let me know what you think.
Go 'Dawgs!