As far as losses go, Georgia’s final-minute loss to Alabama last week — a lead the Dawgs surrendered after coming back from a 28-0 deficit — is as tough as it gets. But Georgia has a way to bounce back nicely after its losses to Alabama.
Three years ago, Alabama upset Georgia in the SEC Championship; the still-playoff-bound Dawgs responded by beating Michigan in the Orange Bowl and then meted out the sweetest revenge possible: a victory over the Tide in the national championship. Last year, Alabama defeated Georgia again in the SEC Championship, effectively losing Georgia’s spot in the CFP Final Four. Georgia responded with its aggression against poor Florida State, defeating the Noles 63-3 in the Orange Bowl – a drubbing from which FSU has yet to recover.
Now we have another Alabama win over Georgia — the sixth in seven meetings in the Kirby Smart administration — and another chance for the Dawgs to make an appearance. Fortunately for Georgia, this loss isn’t as devastating as, say, the 2018 national championship. (That was the infamous second-and-26 game, when a freshman named Tua Tagovailoa found a freshman named DeVonta Smith for an overtime win against the Dawgs. Georgia fans, don’t look at the time on the clock when another Alabama freshman, Ryan Williams, got the go-ahead Saturday night.)
The 12-team College Football Playoff means Georgia still has plenty of breathing room; Georgia could probably lose two games and still be in the game. And the Dawgs may need every bit of that airspace; After years of complaints that Georgia was indulging in cupcake schemes, Georgia is running headlong into concrete this year. Still ahead: No. 2 Texas, No. 12 Ole Miss and No. 4 Tennessee, with only the Vols coming to Athens.
But before all that, there are some “easier” confrontations on paper. This weekend, Georgia begins its revenge campaign with a draw against – of all teams – Auburn, the SEC’s perennial chaos-maker. There is a deep psychopathic streak at the heart of the Auburn Family, a desire to not only win games, but to ruin seasons. And a loss to Auburn would certainly ruin Georgia’s still-viable season.
The numbers favor Georgia, and not just the line, which opened on 24 points against the Dawgs. Auburn hasn’t won in Athens since 2005 and hasn’t beaten Georgia at all since 2017. The last time the Tigers traveled to Sanford Stadium, Georgia won by 32 points.
And yet… this is the Deep South’s oldest rivalry. These two teams have been playing each other since 1892 and hate each other. Georgia is indirectly responsible (sort of) for Auburn’s famous “War Eagle” chant. (Legend has it that an eagle – the pet of an Auburn Civil War vet – circled the field above that first game, rallied Auburn to a 10-0 victory and then died dramatically. Even Auburn scholars don’t believe it, but it’s a good story.)
A more tangible and demonstrable reality is this: Auburn pushed two-time defending champion Georgia to its limits last year, jumping out to a 10-0 lead and staying tied in the fourth quarter. Brock Bowers was the difference for Georgia, as he often was, and the Dawgs escaped Jordan-Hare with a necessary but harrowing 27-20 victory.
However, Bowers is now in silver and black, not red and black. And Auburn, for what it’s worth, is taking the memories of that near miss into 2024.
“We had a chance in the fourth quarter,” Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne said earlier this week. “Unfortunately we couldn’t come out on top. But they are a great team, a championship team that has done it before and has a lot of respect for them. But at the same time you can see from last year that we can play with the top teams of the country and we have proven that several times.”
For his part, Smart will do his best to make sure his players understand exactly how important this game is – not just from a 2024 perspective, but also from a rivalry perspective.
“We were given history lessons. We had coaches who told us the history of every game,” he said Tuesday. “I don’t think these kids know that much. They don’t watch football, most of them. They play it, but don’t watch it. … They’ll be on their phones, looking at social media and doing whatever. They’re not going to look. It’s just not what they do anymore, so I think it’s important to make sure they understand.”
Georgia and Auburn will kick off at Sanford Stadium in Athens at 3:30 PM Eastern Time. If all goes according to Georgia’s plan, the Dawgs will provide an easy meal for the Tigers and take the lead again. (Paw?) If not, another team from the next state will have toppled Georgia’s promising 2024… and then there will be no room for error.
