Selection Sunday is two weeks away, and the Georgia Bulldogs remain squarely on the bubble. In the wake of a successful Saturday in Stegeman Coliseum, I have some good news, some bad news, and a change of plans regarding the Fox Hounds’ NCAA Tournament chances. Here is the skinny:
The Good News: The Colorado Buffaloes secured a huge win over the Texas Longhorns, a potential No. 1 seed. This big boost to the Buffs’ resume heightens the value of the Red and Black’s win over Colorado, who, let’s face it, owed us a solid.
The Bad News: The Virginia Tech Hokies, who share the bubble with the Bulldogs, scored a major upset yesterday, bolstering VPI’s tourney resume with a signature win over the Duke Blue Devils. We don’t need teams in the Red and Black’s vicinity on the S-curve doing things that help their chances, so this was a rare occasion on which I was sorry to see the Dukies lose.
The Change of Plans: The Kentucky Wildcats, whom I hoped would lose, won against the Florida Gators. The Tennessee Volunteers, whom I hoped would win, lost to the Mississippi St. Bulldogs. This leaves both Georgia and Kentucky sitting at 8-6 in SEC play, one game in back of the second-place Vanderbilt Commodores (9-5) and one game in front of the fifth-place Vols (7-7). Since the Bulldogs would be the odd men out in the event of a three-way tie for third place, the Red and Black need either the Big Orange or the Wildcats to finish in sole possession of fifth place. Obviously, Tennessee is the more likely candidate for that dubious honor, so it is in our interests for Kentucky to win in Knoxville when the two teams tangle on Sunday, March 6. The game is set for a noon tip-off on CBS, in case you’re interested . . . as you should be.
Go ‘Dawgs!