Last year can no longer be marked up as a fluke, as something that had to happen sooner or later.
Some of you never doubted we would easily handle Tennessee. I was not among you. Rationally, I felt we had the better team. Privately I worried about the sketchiness of our secondary, about our decent but not devastating pass rush, and our offense that had been off and on, putting up points while somehow not looking unstoppable. I could imagine it being just sketchy enough Saturday. And I was trying not to dwell on how banged up we were; about what it would be like to start a game without Nolan Smith; the stories about a flu outbreak; the thought that Bama's lack of wide receiver impact could bite us, too. Maybe this really was Big Orange's year.
The game started, and we quickly turned it over. While I didn't panic, I thought, "Here we go."
After that, it was suddenly 2021 again. Somebody flipped the switch and the ghosts of Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean and Travon Walker suddenly stood up. Stetson FINALLY hit a bomb. To Arian. And with the 75-yard punt to the one, I realized it was going to be our day—again—and the celebration that started in January isn't over yet. It's just getting started.
What's changed? For one thing, I suddenly don't even care who we play in the SECC. I know we're better. That hasn't been true, oh, since 2002. The last three times, we faced teams we'd recently lost to, if you count LSU. This Georgia team hasn't recently lost to anyone. We're not worried about the bully anymore. We've become the bully.
A week ago, I was very understanding and accepting that our defense couldn't approximate last year's. But it just pulled off something more shocking even than last year's did.
A week ago, I still wasn't completely sold on our offensive line. Now I'm wondering if it turns out Stacy Searels can coach some ball.
And on cue, people are writing obituaries for the two programs who sat on top when we couldn't get there: Alabama and Clemson.
And maybe most of all, for the first time in my fifty-plus years of following the Dawgs, I believe we have the scariest nightmare venue for visiting teams. Tennessee reporters, who work in a 100,000-seat venue, were telling Heupel that was the most noise they've ever heard. Their best receiver said noise was the biggest factor. In the early days of the Vent, folks here agreed with Ainge: Sanford was full of wine and cheesers. It couldn't get up for a big game. Well, now that we're having a few big games, that sad truism is going into the waste bin with "Georgia will always drop one somewhere."
This is a great coaching staff, a great program, a great university. Enjoy.
Some of you never doubted we would easily handle Tennessee. I was not among you. Rationally, I felt we had the better team. Privately I worried about the sketchiness of our secondary, about our decent but not devastating pass rush, and our offense that had been off and on, putting up points while somehow not looking unstoppable. I could imagine it being just sketchy enough Saturday. And I was trying not to dwell on how banged up we were; about what it would be like to start a game without Nolan Smith; the stories about a flu outbreak; the thought that Bama's lack of wide receiver impact could bite us, too. Maybe this really was Big Orange's year.
The game started, and we quickly turned it over. While I didn't panic, I thought, "Here we go."
After that, it was suddenly 2021 again. Somebody flipped the switch and the ghosts of Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean and Travon Walker suddenly stood up. Stetson FINALLY hit a bomb. To Arian. And with the 75-yard punt to the one, I realized it was going to be our day—again—and the celebration that started in January isn't over yet. It's just getting started.
What's changed? For one thing, I suddenly don't even care who we play in the SECC. I know we're better. That hasn't been true, oh, since 2002. The last three times, we faced teams we'd recently lost to, if you count LSU. This Georgia team hasn't recently lost to anyone. We're not worried about the bully anymore. We've become the bully.
A week ago, I was very understanding and accepting that our defense couldn't approximate last year's. But it just pulled off something more shocking even than last year's did.
A week ago, I still wasn't completely sold on our offensive line. Now I'm wondering if it turns out Stacy Searels can coach some ball.
And on cue, people are writing obituaries for the two programs who sat on top when we couldn't get there: Alabama and Clemson.
And maybe most of all, for the first time in my fifty-plus years of following the Dawgs, I believe we have the scariest nightmare venue for visiting teams. Tennessee reporters, who work in a 100,000-seat venue, were telling Heupel that was the most noise they've ever heard. Their best receiver said noise was the biggest factor. In the early days of the Vent, folks here agreed with Ainge: Sanford was full of wine and cheesers. It couldn't get up for a big game. Well, now that we're having a few big games, that sad truism is going into the waste bin with "Georgia will always drop one somewhere."
This is a great coaching staff, a great program, a great university. Enjoy.
