Georgia last won the SEC title in 2005, defeating 3rd-ranked LSU 34-14. DJ Shockley had two long touchdown passes to Sean Bailey, and Tim Jennings had an interception returned for a touchdown. The Dawgs' defense swarmed all day long, sacking JaMarcus Russell numerous times.
If that seems like a long time ago, it's because frankly it was. From 2001-2005, Georgia amassed a record of 52-13. The next five years from 2006-2010, they went 44-21, exactly 8 games worse. From 2011 through half of 2015, they've gone 45-16. Just looking at those numbers, it seems as if Georgia has gone from very good to "meh" to almost being very good again. The key word for most Georgia fans? Almost. Almost has been said for the better part of the last 35 seasons.
Georgia has had its chances to get over the 35-year hump. If you're a Dawg fan you know the narrative by now. Pollack's interception and forward pass (lateral) against Florida in 2002; the 2007 season derailed by the "you didn't win your division rule which didn't apply to Alabama in 2011 when LSU won the west; the unmentionable SEC Championship game of 2012.
That's the agonizing part for the Bulldog Nation: always good, sometimes REALLY good, but never quite great. With this in mind, the prevailing cry is, "MARK RICHT CAN'T WIN THE BIG GAME!" Let's examine that shall we?
We'll classify "big games" as games against ranked opponents because it's hard to narrow down what a big game really is.
From 2001-2007 Georgia was 24-13 against ranked opponents. Their record against ranked SEC opponents was 15-12. They won 2 SEC titles. Since that time they are 14-22 and 8-15 in the SEC, counting this year's loss to Alabama. That makes Mark Richt 38-35 in "big games" during his tenure at Georgia. This gives Richt the 3rd-best active record among current SEC coaches against ranked teams. Nick Saban is 56-36. Les Miles is 41-24. Steve Spurrier would've been 3rd before his retirement, standing at 65-49-1. As most Georgia fans will tell you, those three men have one thing that Richt does not: a National Championship.
It is almost impossible to answer the question of why Georgia has struggled in big games recently. It could be said that the talent dropped off a bit after the 2008 season but teams still had Aaron Murray and AJ Green and Justin Houston. It could be said that assistant coaching hires were blundered. Whatever the case may be, a new, albeit young staff has been assembled. A new level of administrative support has manifested itself. There are no excuses now.
If you take records in groups of 5 years as we did earlier in the article, Georgia was very good in the first five, well below average in the second five, and may well be on its way to being respectable again in the third five. Next Saturday's game in Jacksonville will go a long way toward telling that tale. As it stands now, Georgia has a great man and a good coach who needs to perform like his earliest years when it counts the most.
If that seems like a long time ago, it's because frankly it was. From 2001-2005, Georgia amassed a record of 52-13. The next five years from 2006-2010, they went 44-21, exactly 8 games worse. From 2011 through half of 2015, they've gone 45-16. Just looking at those numbers, it seems as if Georgia has gone from very good to "meh" to almost being very good again. The key word for most Georgia fans? Almost. Almost has been said for the better part of the last 35 seasons.
Georgia has had its chances to get over the 35-year hump. If you're a Dawg fan you know the narrative by now. Pollack's interception and forward pass (lateral) against Florida in 2002; the 2007 season derailed by the "you didn't win your division rule which didn't apply to Alabama in 2011 when LSU won the west; the unmentionable SEC Championship game of 2012.
That's the agonizing part for the Bulldog Nation: always good, sometimes REALLY good, but never quite great. With this in mind, the prevailing cry is, "MARK RICHT CAN'T WIN THE BIG GAME!" Let's examine that shall we?
We'll classify "big games" as games against ranked opponents because it's hard to narrow down what a big game really is.
From 2001-2007 Georgia was 24-13 against ranked opponents. Their record against ranked SEC opponents was 15-12. They won 2 SEC titles. Since that time they are 14-22 and 8-15 in the SEC, counting this year's loss to Alabama. That makes Mark Richt 38-35 in "big games" during his tenure at Georgia. This gives Richt the 3rd-best active record among current SEC coaches against ranked teams. Nick Saban is 56-36. Les Miles is 41-24. Steve Spurrier would've been 3rd before his retirement, standing at 65-49-1. As most Georgia fans will tell you, those three men have one thing that Richt does not: a National Championship.
It is almost impossible to answer the question of why Georgia has struggled in big games recently. It could be said that the talent dropped off a bit after the 2008 season but teams still had Aaron Murray and AJ Green and Justin Houston. It could be said that assistant coaching hires were blundered. Whatever the case may be, a new, albeit young staff has been assembled. A new level of administrative support has manifested itself. There are no excuses now.
If you take records in groups of 5 years as we did earlier in the article, Georgia was very good in the first five, well below average in the second five, and may well be on its way to being respectable again in the third five. Next Saturday's game in Jacksonville will go a long way toward telling that tale. As it stands now, Georgia has a great man and a good coach who needs to perform like his earliest years when it counts the most.
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