Will Jacksonville kill the season...again?

"A long ride back from Jacksonville,
500 miles from a game we should have won,
Man we ought to burn down that stadium."

-Corey Smith

Georgia's annual trip to Jacksonville has turned into a nightmare over the last 20 years. A series that the Dawgs once dominated by Georgia has now completely swung in the other direction. With the Gators taking 17 of the last 20, many Georgia fans have become accepting of the fact that this game is a loss on the schedule every year. But in a series that has been this lopsided, the games are usually pretty close...until the last two years.

Florida has absolutely waxed the Dawgs the last two years. In 2008, the Georgia team that was preseason #1 kept it close until late in the first half, but seemed to give up in the second. Hell, the only touchdown came late in the fourth quarter on a touchdown by Joe Cox. Last year, clearly the Gators were more talented than the Dawgs and once again sent the Dawgs north with a bad loss. But this year, things may be different.

While Georgia struggled in the early part of the season they have gotten it together lately. Scoring over 40 plus in three straight SEC games, even if they are bad teams, is still an accomplishment. Throw in the fact that the defense is also playing better and things are looking pretty bright for the Dawgs. With the best receiver in the country and a star in the making at QB, Georgia has some weapons similar to what they had back in 2007.

Florida has struggle all season long, not just in their last 3 losses. If they were not playing the likes of Miami(OH) and South Florida in their first games, they may have more losses than the Dawgs right now. John Brantley has not been the answer they thought, their receivers have really struggled, and Florida fans are left questioning the ability of offensive coordinator Steve Addazio.

For once, everything appears to be set up in Georgia's favor. But history tells us that Florida will make the changes needed to beat the Dawgs. While their offense has been bad, the Florida defense has been solid. I don't expect the Dawgs to walk up and down the field like they have the last few weeks. The return of the criminal texter, Chris Rainey, and a healthy Jeff Demps will also provide a spark to the Florida offense. I'm not expecting the Florida team from last year to be back on Saturday, but I certainly expect a better one than we have seen this season.

Mark Bradley of the AJC wrote a column yesterday entitled, "What if Richt DOESN'T beat these Gators?" What kind of question is that? Yes, Florida is struggling, but they are still a team filled of 4 and 5 star players with a two-time national champion coach. If the Dawgs lose on Saturday, then it is another Georgia loss and the 2010 season will go on. The Dawgs may miss a bowl game for the first time in forever, but that is about the worst of it. No one is getting fired if we lose on Saturday. Nothing is worse than the Colorado loss this year, even if we lose by 50 on Saturday.

Do I think the Dawgs can win tomorrow? Hell yeah. Are we going to win? I may not be so enthusiastic, but it just seems like this Georgia team is playing harder right now. If they win, we may have a return trip to Jacksonville in January for the Gator Bowl.

Dawgs 23, Florida 21

GO DAWGS!!!

Help Alex Win Tickets To Auburn

Alex, a dear friend and a devoted reader of this blog (I also wrote a piece about his father here), is eligible to win tickets from Bill King over at the AJC's Junkyard Blawg.

Go here, and vote for picture No. 2. Just so we're clear, here is the picture you need to vote for:

That is a picture of Alex's foot (yes the tattoo is real), and it just further proves his dedication to the Dawg Nation.

I know it'll be tempting to vote for the first picture since it has Mike Woods in it. However, Mike Woods is not submitting it, and anybody can paint their face. That's no big deal compared to putting that on your foot.

Remember, vote for Alex, No. 2!

AJ in USA TODAY

AJ is finally getting some love in the national press, and Juh-Jones is nowhere to be found.



(h/t to Bill King at Junkyard Blawg, AJC)

Welcome to BNE, AUMaverick

As some of you have noticed, there is a new contributor to the BNE staff...me. So, in the spirit of Lewis Grizzard, who loved the State of Georgia, UGA, and SEC football, I'd like to say WAR EAGLE to all you Georgia Dawgs as well as everyone else who follows this blog. I know Lewis wouldn't mind someone from "the other side" contributing to a blog dedicated to UGA and college football; afterall, the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry is between Auburn and UGA. Besides, just like CNN, FOX News and the AJC, every good editorial needs to be fair and balanced.

That being said, I'd also like to say GO DAWGS! No, you didn't read incorrectly, and no I am not a traitor to my school. I happen to love UGA and Auburn equally, except of course for one Saturday out of the year. For those of you who don't know, I was raised all over the world and I happen to call Georgia home. Belive it or not, I even lived in Athens for a short time. I have spent many nights in Athens with my Dawg friends, enjoying all the great scenery and atmosphere that only Athens can offer. My favorite restaurant is in Athens and I even met my wife in Athens one summer long ago. So, while UGA and Auburn have a very deep and bitter rivalry, it is still a friendly rivalry, and, being a great lover of SEC football and all things from the state of Georga, I too can root for UGA...most of the year.


So, from time to time, I will contribute my thoughts and observations on all things SEC football, UGA, and of course, Auburn. I will try to keep my thoughts fair and balanced, giving a voice to the others out there who may not always see the red between the black and white. I also vow, here and now, to hate Alabama and all things crimson and houndstooth. God hates BAMA just as much as he hates giant lizzards and stinging flying bugs. I make no apologies and that is the one thing I will always keep a hatred toward in my heart. However, I will keep my hatred for Bama out of the mix for as much as possible and focus soley on football.


With that, I'd like to close with a quote from Lewis Grizzard and I hope everyone enjoys the upcoming season. Lewis once said, "The game of life is a lot like football. You have to tackle your problems, block your fears, and score your points when you get the opportunity." Go Dawgs and WAR EAGLE!




*With this brief introduction, BNE invites you to become familiar with and ask that you please welcome AUMaverick to the contributing staff. His primary and first responsibility will be to manage this fall's upcoming BNE College Football Pick 'Em Pool, which you will learn more about in the coming days. We wanted to give AUMaverick this opportunity to introduce himself humbly to our faitful reader base in advance of the launch of this season's pool. Be sure to send AUMaverick your love & thoughts via the comments section of this post and by e-mailing him through his profile link. Go Dawgs! BFR & the BNE Staff