ICYMI: Game of the Day-Georgia Survives Tennessee in O.T--Barely

The game wasn't supposed to be close, one current SEC power vs. a former SEC power desperately trying to regain past glory.

And they very nearly did.

The Tennessee Vols gave the #6 ranked Georgia Bulldogs all the could handle and more in Knoxville. The Vols fought back from a 17-3 halftime deficit to take a late 4th quarter 31-24 lead.

But it wasn't enough.

Georgia senior QB Aaron Murray overcame the absence of his top 2 RB's, his top 3 WR's, all out with injuries, to lead the Bulldogs to a game tying touchdown pass with just 2 seconds left sending the game to overtime.

But Tennessee fought back.

In the 1st overtime, the Vols took the ball right down to the goal line and a semi-reverse by WR Alton Howard would have won it. But Howard dropped the ball trying to lunge into the end zone. The ball rolled out of bounds, giving Georgia an automatic touchback.

Dawgs kicker Marshall Morgan dropped in a 42-yard field goal on the next possession and Georgia moves to 5-0 on the season. Tennessee drops to 3-2 but most Vol fans are encouraged that coach Butch Jones may have them heading in the right direction after years of floundering.

Your highlights from CBS Sports:

Ess-E-Cee The Early: Sakerlina Survives, Tennessee Survives, UGA Survives

((HT: SECDN/ESPN))

It was the theme of the day (early on, anyway) in the Ess-E-Cee where teams got skeered and still won...

Example Number One: Sakerlina was on the road and had to deal with this injury while playing in one of the more obnoxious environments around- the on-campus stadium at UCF...


The HQ covered Davis in high school at Stephenson High in suburban Atlanta... the kid can flat out run...
And UCF made a lot of people happy with their back door cover...

Example Number Two: The HQ never thought we would ever hear the voice of the Volunteers, Bob Kessling, ever talk about the Volunteers "surviving" a game against South Alabama (of all teams), but that did happen...

Vols only win by 7...
At home...
Against South Alabama...

The HQ would write that line again, but we don't know if we would believe it if we wrote it ourselves...

What is the world coming to...???


And, then, the 3:30 game...

Aaron Murray throws for four scores and may be the best one-loss team in 'Murica right now having gone 2-1 in the top ten with the early part of their schedule in a 44-41 win...

Evidence below that tied the game at 14...
((HT: SECDN/SEC on CBS))

CMR's Job Is Safe Another Week: UGa Beats Sakerlina

((HT: SEC on ESPN))

Aaron Murray threw for 309 yards and four touchdowns, and the 11th-ranked Bulldogs defeated No. 6 South Carolina 41-30 in Athens for the early edge in the Ess-E-Cee East.

The defense made sure it stood up, stuffing Mike Davis on fourth & goal from inside the 1 mid way through the fourth. The Bulldog offense ran out the clock from there...

Here's the highlights...
((HT: SEC Digital Network))


In addition, two South Carolina coaches got into it on the sidelines in the third quarter for an unknown reason...
Kirk Botkin and Deke Adams got into it...
Frustated after and three and out, obviously...

Here's the tussle...


And Mark Richt's job is safe for another week...
Huzzah...

SEC Media Days Day #3: Nick Saban is Like Hitler

((ht: al.com))

The circus known as SEC Media Days has officially come to an end. Nobody was injured in the scrum, at least that we were aware of, but several slightly odd things came out of an event that is uniquely Alabamian.

Where as Day #1 featured Florida coach Will Muschamp taking a few thinly veiled swipes at former coach Urban Meyer and Meyer's new school Ohio State, Day #2 was highlighted by Javedon Clowney with a wink and smile telling the assembled masses that most of the SEC's quarterbacks and Clemson's Tajh Boyd are all afraid of him.

And then there was Day #3.

Among the highlights. Our favorite, Les Miles, going all-Les on a variety of topics:

((thanks XOSSports))

 

And Georgia QB Aaron Murray who, along with Coach Mark Richt, found Clowney's comments pretty funny:





And then the quote of the day courtesy of the huddled masses waiting for the star of the day, Alabama Coach Nick Saban. When asked about his coach, an Alabama fan named Lee Allen made a bit of an unfortunate analogy, comparing him to "Hitler", telling AL.com reporter Jon Solomon; "He's kind of like Hitler, he's a dictator. He brought us back to the top and I figure we're going to be here for awhile"

Read Solomon's entire article on the goings on RIGHT HERE

Having worked SEC Media days several times over the course of our career, nothing that comes out of it is surprising. With over 1200 huddled media members and hundreds of fans crammed into a small portion of the Winfrey Hotel, the event is literally like a traveling circus with both media types and fans falling all over each other trying to see or talk to their favorite coach or player.

If you've never been and are a football fan, we recommend going at least once. It's a sight and experience you just can't get anywhere else. If you want to see a slice of the U.S Sports Nation these days, there is no better place then outside Birmingham, Alabama. If you want to see the theater of the absurd in the same place, you can easily kill two birds with one stone, right there...

Richt v. King At Postgame Presser

((HT: FoxSports/Fansided.com))

The Georgia Bulldogs are 2-10 against top 10 teams under Mark Richt- which is a question in and of itself that has to be taken on a case-by-case basis...

In the Ess-E-Cee Championship game, the HQ thinks it came down to simply the depth of the Alabama running game and beef up front. Don't misunderstand...

Georgia played their ass off, but against Alabama you have to do it for a full 60 minutes. The Bulldogs got tired and, at the same time, Chris Conley should have not caught the pass he did when CJ Mosley deflected it at the line of scrimmage.

The debate will continue as to whether or not the Bulldogs should have spiked the ball after getting set to give themselves two plays and 12 seconds or to go on pace and try to catch the Tide without the right personnel and on the hop...

That can go either way...

But just don't ask CMR about the heart of his team...
Actually, Chuck Oliver did...


Whaddya think the Richts don't send him a Christmas card...???

Georgia Takes The Cocktail Party

((HT: CBSSports/SEC))

Oh, sorry...

We're not supposed to call it that anymore...

You can look at this game in a few different ways...

Either it was great defensively, or just downright sloppy...
The game had nine turnovers- six by Florida (on a side note, the HQ would LOVZE to hear what the Coach Boom lecture was after the game...) including a last-minute strip of Jordan Reed by all-world linebacker Jarvis Jones that resulted in a touchback and preserved the UGA lead.

What was that, Lane Kiffin...??? Not interested in Jarvis Jones, anymore...???

Okay, then... Jones finished with 13 tackles, three sacks, and two forced fumbles. Not a bad day's work for the Carver-Columbus grad.

It was the first time since 1989 that Georgia got back-to-back wins against the Gators. And both teams combined for 24 penalties in a game that was beyond-chippy.

Here's the game-winning score...


Georgia now needs to beat Ole Miss and Auburn to secure its place in the Ess-E-Cee title game so they can be beaten by Alabama.

Wow! Athens Police to increase patrols of UGA Football players homes

Aaron Murray

((ht: onlineathens.com))

Really?

It's come to this?

It appears that Athens-Clarke County Police are going to start heavily patrolling neighborhoods lived in by University of Georgia football players.

The Athens-Banner Herald reports police will do this during away games when the players often return home very late.

And yes, this is due in large part to last weekends incident where starting QB Aaron Murray's house was egged and rolled after UGA got beat by South Carolina 35-7.

This was on top of Murray having (a) an awful game...and (b) finding out his father has cancer.

Read more from OnlineAthens.com RIGHT HERE

Seriously?

Okay. We will say here that we know quite a few UGA grads and are friends with many of them. They would never do or condone damaging player homes after a loss.

But they are the civilized ones.

Unfortunately, it seems as though there's a percentage of fans...or alums...or students, who feel compelled to be idiots.

And they do things like egging players homes.

We don't want to blanket statement here, because of our UGA connections and friends, but this is just plain pathetic.

Yeah, sure, Georgia lost. And lost badly. And haven't achieved the 5 National Championships in the past 6-years that a percentage of the fan base seems to believe they should have.

And yet rather than acting like grownups and understanding that yeah, it sucks to lose and being disappointed about it but moving on with their daily lives, they are acting like a larger and larger majority who are complete idiots.

There is NEVER...and excuse for taking a loss out on a college kid when he doesn't perform to YOUR expectations. And yet that happened here.

There are WAY too many people who LIVE and DIE with their teams that need to let go. They need to move on. They (fans) don't play. They (Fans) lives will not cease to exist if there team doesn't win. Fans still have their wife, kid and/or dog to go home to who don't care who won. IT'S A GAME ASS CLOWNS! Chill.

It makes us angry to find stories like this and it should make you mad too. Because in this case, we know a large portion of the fanbase. And they don't do stuff like this. But all it takes is more than one person to think "This is funny" "This guy plays a crappy game, we'll show him".

Hope that person or person gets caught. And made an example of. Because that's who people are going to think you are Georgia fans, whether its actually true or not.

Egg Roll... And We're Not Talking Chinese Food...

We're talking about what happens when you lose a game to a rival school...

And the HQ means "really lose"

Georgia LB Christian Robinson said on his Twitter account after UGA's loss at South Carolina:

Came to a house that was egged and rolled. Seems that people turn on you when you're not perfect. Thought we were in this together.

Robinson and QB Aaron Murray share a house together...

Coach Mark Richt said in response that his players need to "be man enough to turn the other cheek."

FOSG Spencer Hall, over at must-read-memorize-and-otherwise-recite-from-heart-on-a-daily-basis EDSBS, claims:

Lost 35-7 to South Carolina in a game that was at no point competitive in any way. Your annoying homeopath friend says you might want to go gluten-free and see if it helps, Dawgs.

SBNation's Stephen Muma discloses that Murray also just found out his dad is dealing with thyroid cancer and he only found out Sunday.

Murray admitted on his Twitter feed that:

Probably the worst 12 hours of my life but I know my family will push through. Keep my dad in your prayers please

Stay classy, Athens...

OSG Previews the SEC East because we can

Not a ton of things going on...or to do on a pleasant weekend at OSG Global HQ. So we decided "Better late then never" and will give you are 2 1/2 cents on everyone's favorite College Football conference, the SEC.

We'll list the contenders by division, starting with the East...and where we think they'll finish.

SEC East--

1. Georgia 10-2 overall, 5-2 in conference.

Overview: Everyone looks and says "Soft Schedule" and well, they aren't wrong. This however is a very talented, though not very deep team that could be very, very good.

Offense: With Aaron Murray and a deep bunch of Receivers led by Tavarres King, they'll be a tough out for anyone. We'd like them more if they had Malcolm Mitchell the whole season, but they won't. The Running Backs are young, but could be very, very good. Watch out for true freshman Todd Gurley.

The line is a big question, though they are very big and athletic. How they go will determine how this offense goes.

Defense: This should, once the suspension season ends, be one of the best "D's" in the country. They are big, fast and deep everywhere except maybe defensive back where they will not have at least two starters the first couple games.

Jarvis Jones is an All-World Linebacker and John Jenkins and Cornelius Washington are pretty darn good on the line. Shawn Williams and Baccari Rambo are All-American level safeties.

Our thoughts: Anything less then the SEC Championship game for them will be a letdown. And it should be. This is one of the better groups Coach Mark Richt has had in awhile, let's see if they for once can live up to expectations.


2. Florida  9-3 overall, 4-3 in confernce

Overview: Year 2 of Coach Boom and the natives are already restless. The natives have no idea how bare Urban Meyer left the cupboard.

Offense: Jeff Driskell seems to have the QB job...for now. Mike Gillislee gives them the 1st "Power" back they've had in a long time. But who is going to catch it? The O-Line is solid and there is a lot of buzz about new coordinator Brent Pease's offense. Can they deliver?

Defense: Big, strong and pretty deep. This will be the Florida calling card in 2012. Dominique Easley and Shariff Floyd anchor the line, Jon Bostic at Linebacker and Marcus Roberson at Cornerback all have All-American potential.

Our thoughts: They'll be better. Particularly if they can score. The defense is very good, the offense has a ton of questions. Only time will tell if they'll be answered.

3. South Carolina 9-3 overall, 4-3 in conference.

Overview: With the return of Marcus Lattimore and Jadeveon Clowney, they'll be a tough out for anyone. Though we aren't sold on Connor Shaw.

Offense: All things go through the QB. Shaw stepped up last year, but was really inconsistent. He'll have to be really good for the 'Cocks (I said Cock) to be elite. Marcus Lattimore returns with a new knee and a lot to prove. Does he have it in him? Who will step up and replace Alshon Jefferey?

Defense: They lost a lot of guys here. Clowney returns, but all the other headliners graduated. Someone at linebacker and in the defensive backfield will have to step up. We don't see a lot of low scoring games for this team.

Our thoughts: Good, not great. We don't buy these guys as heavily as some others. They'll be able to outscore some people, but we think the biggest loss they had may be former D-Coordinator Ellis Johnson.

4. Missouri 8-4, 3-4 in conference

Overview: They should be a solid addition at least to this division of the SEC. There is some talent here, but there's going to be a learning curve for their new home. No way around it.

Offense: It will all starts with QB James Franklin. As he goes, the team will go and he's pretty solid. A good runner/passer who should fit right in with the big boys of the SEC. Henry Josey and T.J Moe make for some good support.

Defense: That's the question. There is some concern this isn't an elite SEC level defense. We should find out pretty fast. A lot of solid contributors, but no standouts in this unit.

Our thoughts: The Tigers will be competitive in their new home. They aren't far away from elite level, the defense will hold them back. Franklin should be one of the best QB's in the whole conference, at least on paper.

5. Tennessee 6-6, 2-5 in the conference

Overview: This is a make or break season for coach Derek Dooley whether he likes it or not. The natives are VERY restless in Knoxville. And this should be a decent team who may scare some folks, but we don't believe they are quite as good as the teams in front of them.

Offense: Tyler Bray should be healthy. And if he is, the Vols will throw the ball. A lot. There is experience on the offensive line. The skill positions will be tended to by committee which is why we aren't naming many names.

Defense: Defensive End Jacques Smith and LB A.J Johnson will make sure the defense is solid. There is some other talent here, but it's again a mish-mash of guys and the main reason we don't rank them higher.

Our Thoughts: They will be a dangerous out, but there still aren't the horses here to run with the big boys. Bray is excellent, Smith and Johnson are awfully good, the rest...are role players. And that is the difference between this and UT teams from years gone by.

We don't dislike Derrick Dooley, even though this will be an improved team, we're afraid anything less than 8 wins and he won't keep his job.

6. Vanderbilt 6-6. 2-5 in the conference.

Overview: We want to like this team. Really we do. And they are everyone's darlings. Coach James Franklin made a BIG impact with this bunch, within the SEC and especially in the Nashville area. He has them heading in the right direction.

Offense:  Zac Stacy is a very good running back. Jordan Rodgers played well the 2nd half of last season, but is being challenged in camp. That may or may not be good. Wesley Johnson anchors a deep, experienced line. 

Defense: They lost a lot of experience. Depth will be an issue on what is probably the weak link on this team. Walker May is the only headliner here, someone or several someone's are going to have to step up for them to keep pace.

Our Thoughts: The defense is an issue. It's why we don't think they'll make the big leap...this year. The 'Dores are still a program on the rise and for the first time in decades, there is some excitement surrounding them. There are less likely to be issues here as the fanbase traditionally doesn't expect much.

7. Kentucky 4-8, 1-7 in the conference

Overview: Something is missing here and we, nor anyone else can put their fingers on it. They should be better, though playing in the SEC probably doesn't help. Joker Phillips may be in trouble without a winning season too.

Offense: Max Smith was solid the 2nd half of last season, the question is can he continue to improve. WR La'rod King leads a group of solid backs that should contribute. With 3 starters gone on the line however, the question is who will be able to block for these guys?

Defense: Also a lot of holes here. Six to be exact. Donte Rumph and Mister Cobble (yes, that's his name) are the only starters of note to return. There isn't enough depth here to keep these guys competitive for long.

Our Thoughts: It's going to be a long year in Lexington. They aren't horrible, but in the SEC they are. Without much on defense, it doesn't matter what else they do because the offense isn't better than anyone they play.

Division MVP: Aaron Murray, UGA

Best Offensive Player: James Franklin, Missouri

Best Defensive Player: Jarvis Jones, UGA

Best Coach: Steve Spurrier, South Carolina

UGA Players race to see who is fastest

We wonder what Georgia head coach Mark Richt thinks about this...

On one hand its great to see the camaraderie and team building by having prized soon-to-be freshman recruit Keith Marshall race against your fastest player, Malcolm Mitchell with teammates Chris Conley and star QB Aaron Murray there to document it.

On the other hand...it would be really hard to explain what happened if either of them blew out a knee or hamstring while they raced.

Long story short, the two did a best of 3 race to see who was the fastest guy on the team...and according to the video here...it appears that young Mr. Marshall is the victor.

We also wonder how long before UGA Sports Information politely asks this video be removed from the YouTube's...

TWTW: Georgia flattens Auburn

Honestly, this was a bit of a surprise.

College Football's oldest rivalry is almost always a last-second, final minute, nail-biting kind of game that goes one way or the other.

Not this time.

Georgia took a LARGE step towards winning the SEC East and a date in the Georgia Dome against the winner of the LSU/Arkansas game. And while many assume LSU will beat Arkansas and Georgia would be a formality for the Tigers in Atlanta, the Bulldogs are showing that might not be the case.

They used a 4-touchdown pass performance from QB Aaron Murray to 4 different receivers to run away from Auburn, 45-7. Oh, Georgia had 2 running backs run for over 100-yards too. Murray's 4-TD's gave him 27 on the season, breaking Matthew Stafford's team record of 25.

The defense held the Tigers to 51 yards rushing and less than 200 overall as Georgia won their eighth game in a row and moved to 8-2 overall, 6-1 in the SEC. Auburn falls to 6-4 overall and 4-3 in the SEC.

SI.com provides us with the highlights: