Georgia/Georgia Tech First Half Open Thread

Georgia travels to historic Mark Richt Field at Chan Gailey Stadium with a lot on the line. The 8-3 Bulldogs will take on the 3-8 Jackets with a chance to close the regular season with four straight wins. Their bowl destination could be just about anywhere but in the college football playoff depending on how things shake out. And for Mark Richt, the game may be a chance to quiet a few more of his critics.

That overtime win over Georgia Southern did not do a lot to calm the restless natives in red and black. But if history is any guide, sizzling wins over Auburn and Georgia Tech to finish the season (paired with a floral bowl victory) are a feast fit to soothe even the most savage of boosters. In a lot of ways this season feels like 2006 to me. A season in which the Georgia Bulldogs were not quite ready for prime time, with a rotating cast at quarterback, injuries at tailback, and question marks at offensive coordinator. They lost winnable games early (including a come from ahead fiasco against Tennessee). But by the end of the season the green shoots were visible through the charred remains. As I recall, the season that followed that 2006 campaign turned out okay.

But that narrative only holds if the Bulldogs beat the Jackets for the 13th time in 15 tries. Otherwise, well, it's going to be a long few days.