Football Atlanta Bulldogs Why SC Will Win The East

By Don Stone, Georgia Football Magazine

    I was originally going to write this column last week, but the theme remains the same.
   Listening to sports talk shows consider the scenarios that must play out for Georgia to return to the SEC Championship Game, to be honest, are pretty implausible. I like the optimism, but, not a lot of realism included. As much as I would love to see UGA make what would be an astounding comeback, it is not likely to happen.
    Let’s just check the landscape. Putting the other teams involved on the shelf for a second, the Bulldogs did what was necessary to keep the conversation going...beat Florida. That was almost a disaster after jumping ahead 20-3 only to see the Gators storm back to within a field goal. But, to their credit, Georgia reversed the damage of the third quarter and first half of the fourth to hoard the ball for the final eight minutes of the game and secure the 23-20 win.
    That was step one. But, that won’t do it alone. They still have to beat Kentucky, probably the worst team in the SEC. No problem there. Then, what looked at the beginning of the season like an easy victory at Auburn, now looks like another huge obstacle. The Tigers (yes, the fourth time this season UGA has played a team named the Tigers) have flourished under head coach Gus Malzahn and are currently 8-1, 4-1 SEC and ranked #7 nationally. They have wins against very good teams in #11 Texas A&M and Ole Miss but lost handily at LSU.
    But, even if the Bulldogs can pull that one off, they need a of assistance. If you had been told at the start of the season that they would have victories against South Carolina, LSU and Florida, you would have thought they’d be sitting pretty right about now. But, no one saw the injuries and the losses to Missouri and Vanderbilt. The result is a 4-2 SEC record with a lot of help needed. And it’s help that probably won’t come.
    First of all, Missouri, at 4-1, holds destiny in their hands, if such a thing is possible. Plain and simple, if they win out, they’re in. They still have three SEC games remaining against two tough teams...on the road at Ole Miss and at home with Texas A&M. Win out is the key phrase here. Even though they’re on top for now, I don’t think they win out. I went to Mizzou and would like to see them in the Georgia Dome if UGA can’t be there, but the Rebels in Oxford will not be as easy as Tennessee was on Saturday. The real stumbling block is the Aggies. I just think that game won’t go Missouri’s way. That leaves the Tigers with a final record of 5-3 or 6-1. And, even one loss may not cut it because that one loss was against South Carolina.
    That’s the reason I believe the Gamecocks will be SEC East Champions. Right now, Steve Spurrier’s team sits at 5-2 after the easy 34-16 win on Saturday against Mississippi State. Three things give them the edge. First, they only have one more chance to lose an SEC game with only 3-3 Florida remaining. Second, all three games left on their schedule are at home. And, third, they hold the tie breaker over Mizzou due to their 27-24 double overtime win on October 26. That missed field goal had huge ramifications. Since they hold the tie breaker, if the Tigers lose just one (Texas A&M) and the Gamecocks win their Gators game, that puts both at 6-1 and tied. Game, set, match for Carolina.
    So, for Georgia to get in, they have to win at Auburn and have Missouri beat Ole Miss and Texas A&M and South Carolina lose to Florida at home. Stranger things have happened, and this season has certainly qualified as strange. But, even though commentators are saying that the Tigers hold the advantage, its actually the Gamecocks who do. Expect Alabama vs South Carolina in the Georgia Dome on December 7.

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Biases aside, why South Carolina will win the SEC East By Don Stone, Georgia Football Magazine I was originally going to write this column last week, but the theme remains the same. Listening to sports talk shows consider the scenarios that must play out for Georgia to return to the SEC Championship Game, to be honest, are pretty implausible. I like the optimism, but, not a lot of realism included. As much as I would love to see UGA make what would be an astounding comeback, it is not likely to happen. Let’s just check the landscape. Putting the other teams involved on the shelf for a second, the Bulldogs did what was necessary to keep the conversation going...beat Florida. That was almost a disaster after jumping ahead 20-3 only to see the Gators storm back to within a field goal. But, to their credit, Georgia reversed the damage of the third quarter and first half of the fourth to hoard the ball for the final eight minutes of the game and secure the 23-20 win. That was step one. But, that won’t do it alone. They still have to beat Kentucky, probably the worst team in the SEC. No problem there. Then, what looked at the beginning of the season like an easy victory at Auburn, now looks like another huge obstacle. The Tigers (yes, the fourth time this season UGA has played a team named the Tigers) have flourished under head coach Gus Malzahn and are currently 8-1, 4-1 SEC and ranked #7 nationally. They have wins against very good teams in #11 Texas A&M and Ole Miss but lost handily at LSU. But, even if the Bulldogs can pull that one off, they need a of assistance. If you had been told at the start of the season that they would have victories against South Carolina, LSU and Florida, you would have thought they’d be sitting pretty right about now. But, no one saw the injuries and the losses to Missouri and Vanderbilt. The result is a 4-2 SEC record with a lot of help needed. And it’s help that probably won’t come. First of all, Missouri, at 4-1, holds destiny in their hands, if such a thing is possible. Plain and simple, if they win out, they’re in. They still have three SEC games remaining against two tough teams...on the road at Ole Miss and at home with Texas A&M. Win out is the key phrase here. Even though they’re on top for now, I don’t think they win out. I went to Mizzou and would like to see them in the Georgia Dome if UGA can’t be there, but the Rebels in Oxford will not be as easy as Tennessee was on Saturday. The real stumbling block is the Aggies. I just think that game won’t go Missouri’s way. That leaves the Tigers with a final record of 5-3 or 6-1. And, even one loss may not cut it because that one loss was against South Carolina. That’s the reason I believe the Gamecocks will be SEC East Champions. Right now, Steve Spurrier’s team sits at 5-2 after the easy 34-16 win on Saturday against Mississippi State. Three things give them the edge. First, they only have one more chance to lose an SEC game with only 3-3 Florida remaining. Second, all three games left on their schedule are at home. And, third, they hold the tie breaker over Mizzou due to their 27-24 double overtime win on October 26. That missed field goal had huge ramifications. Since they hold the tie breaker, if the Tigers lose just one (Texas A&M) and the Gamecocks win their Gators game, that puts both at 6-1 and tied. Game, set, match for Carolina. So, for Georgia to get in, they have to win at Auburn and have Missouri beat Ole Miss and Texas A&M and South Carolina lose to Florida at home. Stranger things have happened, and this season has certainly qualified as strange. But, even though commentators are saying that the Tigers hold the advantage, its actually the Gamecocks who do. Expect Alabama vs South Carolina in the Georgia Dome on December 7.

Biases aside, why South Carolina will win the SEC East