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Game week 2024, week 7 Georgia @ Texas


Wulaw Horn

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23 minutes ago, troph said:

One of the Texas papers did an interview with Craig, felt bad. This one play royally fucked him up. Turns out coaches and teammates point to a half dozen other mistakes like Orr dropping a TD pass and the immaculate Jeff Ward missing two FG (had missed only one all year). Curry wasn’t even supposed to be in the game the safety punt team had another guy who actually practiced catching punts. The punt was short and terrible, the deep return man yelled “you you you” and curry tried to catch it. Yeah he never should have, but damn if in retrospect this wasn’t a team loss consistent with the truism if you let your opponent hang around bad shit can happen. Georgia had no business winning that game. And now 40 years later I think I’m going to lay the blame at everyone - probably as much the coaches as the players and certainly not just Mr. Curry. I hope he finds more peace with that moment in his life. 

I will never forget how wet, cold, and miserable I was at that Cotton Bowl game.  Even worse on the drive back to Austin!

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Yesterday:  According to Draft Kings Sportsbook, the Bulldogs are now 5-point underdogs to the Longhorns following their win over Mississippi State and Texas' win over Oklahoma. The line initially opened with Texas being a 2.5-point favorite. The over/under for this matchup is presently set at 55.5 points.

Rece Davis picking "poor jawja" to win... (10:56 mark)

 

 

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1 hour ago, troph said:

One of the Texas papers did an interview with Craig, felt bad. This one play royally fucked him up. Turns out coaches and teammates point to a half dozen other mistakes like Orr dropping a TD pass and the immaculate Jeff Ward missing two FG (had missed only one all year). Curry wasn’t even supposed to be in the game the safety punt team had another guy who actually practiced catching punts. The punt was short and terrible, the deep return man yelled “you you you” and curry tried to catch it. Yeah he never should have, but damn if in retrospect this wasn’t a team loss consistent with the truism if you let your opponent hang around bad shit can happen. Georgia had no business winning that game. And now 40 years later I think I’m going to lay the blame at everyone - probably as much the coaches as the players and certainly not just Mr. Curry. I hope he finds more peace with that moment in his life. 

This was 100% on Akers. 

There was no reason for anyone to touch that punt. Once it was clear Georgia wasn’t faking the punt, no one should’ve been around the ball.

Even then, it took an outrageous hold for Georgia to score. 

I blamed Curry because I didn’t know any better. Even without pointing to all of Texas’ other fuckups that day, that wasn’t Craig’s fault. A guy on the team explained it to me in no uncertain terms. That was 100% on Fred Akers. 

Edited by Doc Daneeka
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22 minutes ago, runthebone said:

I hope we beat their ass so I can read next week how Georgia is down this year and Texas still hasn't played anyone.

After the rankings come out next week, Texas will still not have played a Top 10 team.

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Just now, Doc Daneeka said:

This was 100% on Akers. 

There was no reason for anyone to touch that punt. Once it was clear Georgia wasn’t faking the punt, no one should’ve been around the ball.

Even then, it took an outrageous hold for Georgia to score. 

I blamed Curry because I didn’t know any better. Even without pointing to all of Texas’ other fuckups that day, that wasn’t Craig’s fault. That was 100% on Fred Akers. 

I agree, and I almost called out the hold. I was there, 10 years old. it was the game that solidified my "wow this shit matters". we drove home through waco and stopped to watch the first half of the orange bowl. watched the rest on a black and white tv in the car, probably a 4 inch tv, and we sat in silence as the MNC slipped through our fingers.

I have few fond memories of my family of origin but those that I do have all center around Texas football and baseball. As odd as it sounds, the Georgia cotton bowl is not only a core memory, but the memories surrounding it are actually quite positive.

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32 minutes ago, GreenspointTexas said:

Powell was 2 years ago so maybe scottie?

Scottie picked within the last 2 years as well I'm pretty sure. And I think even Spieth was within the last 2 years.

Looked it up, both Scottie and Spieth appeared on College GameDay separately in 2022. Scottie was awarded the Jack Nicklaus award during his appearance. 

Edit 2: Apparently Scottie wasn't technically a guest picker - he just made an appearance. 

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1 hour ago, HtownHorn said:

Kirby Smart on the road aginst Top 15 teams.

2017 - Auburn (10) L 17-40

2018 - LSU (13) L 16-36

2018 - Kentucky (11) W 34-17

2019 - Auburn (13) W 21-14

2020 - Alabama (2) L 24-41 * Sarkisian OC

2024 - Alabama (4) L 34-41

2-4 overall while averaging 24,3-31.5

 

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1 hour ago, HtownHorn said:

Kirby Smart on the road aginst Top 15 teams.

2017 - Auburn (10) L 17-40

2018 - LSU (13) L 16-36

2018 - Kentucky (11) W 34-17

2019 - Auburn (13) W 21-14

2020 - Alabama (2) L 24-41 * Sarkisian OC

2024 - Alabama (4) L 34-41

2-4 overall while averaging 24,3-31.5

Interesting.  I hope he's on the road Saturday.

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2 hours ago, troph said:

One of the Texas papers did an interview with Craig, felt bad. This one play royally fucked him up. Turns out coaches and teammates point to a half dozen other mistakes like Orr dropping a TD pass and the immaculate Jeff Ward missing two FG (had missed only one all year). Curry wasn’t even supposed to be in the game the safety punt team had another guy who actually practiced catching punts. The punt was short and terrible, the deep return man yelled “you you you” and curry tried to catch it. Yeah he never should have, but damn if in retrospect this wasn’t a team loss consistent with the truism if you let your opponent hang around bad shit can happen. Georgia had no business winning that game. And now 40 years later I think I’m going to lay the blame at everyone - probably as much the coaches as the players and certainly not just Mr. Curry. I hope he finds more peace with that moment in his life. 

It's an interview from the Dallas Morning News. It came up in my feed two days ago because of the Geogia game this Saturday. It's an awesome interview.

I think about Blake Gideon missing that interception against Texas Tech all the time. He's put that past him and is on the coaching staff. I think of Curry's dropped punt as way less egregious, since he shouldn't have even been out there in the first place. That was as much on Akers as Curry himself. Probably more so.

But even if Curry could get to a point of not blaming himself - which as a human being he deserves to get to - as a fan it was such a heartbreak. I still wish that Texas team could have played that Nebraska team instead of Miami. Also, regardless of whatever else Osborne did or didn't do as the leader of the Nebraska football team, I'll always admire he went for two at the end of that championship game instead of kicking the extra point. It was the right thing to do, but coaches like Parseghian didn't have enough competitive integrity to do it. 

Anyway, the DMN article is behind a paywall but I found a free version of it I'll copy/paste here. It was written in 2005 reflecting in part on what it would mean for the team to win a national championship that season, which as we all know they did in the most exciting football game ever played. I felt like it was a great read. Thanks for bringing it up.

Spoiler

Revisiting a muffed punt from Texas-Georgia in '84 Cotton Bowl

HOUSTON — Twenty-one years later, the anguish on Craig Curry’s face is fresh. His emotions are raw. His recall is painfully vivid.

He hears the thump of the punt. He sees the football spinning in slow motion, suspended against the chilly, overcast Dallas sky. He feels three Georgia Bulldogs closing in and hears Texas teammate Jitter Fields holler from behind.

"You, you, you!"

Every Longhorns fan older than 30 remembers what happened next, at shortly before 4 p.m. on Jan. 2, 1984. Curry muffed the punt. Georgia recovered, punched across a late touchdown and stunned No. 2 Texas, 10-9, in the Cotton Bowl.

Curry left the stadium sobbing in his mother’s arms, not realizing that his flub was about to magnify into a life-altering nightmare. That night, No. 5 Miami toppled No. 1 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, stealing a national championship that could have been Texas’ first since 1970.

Related:As Texas continues to dominate, timing of Longhorns’ SEC move appears impeccable

The Longhorns' title drought now has stretched to 35 years, and as it happens, this year's team is the first to start a season 8-0 since the 1983 squad did it.

"I am hoping and praying that they win the national championship this year," Curry, 43, says. "Please, because I am just dying.

"I don't even go to games at this point. I'm afraid that my presence will be like a taboo. Somebody will see me there and throw rocks or something like that."

Through the years, Curry had declined all media queries, but he agreed to sit down recently with The Dallas Morning News in his Houston office, where he is senior vice president of a financial planning firm.

Revisiting “that thing” remains painful, he says. Until a few years ago, he avoided alumni functions, despite invitations from concerned teammates, former coach Fred Akers and ex-defensive coordinator David McWilliams, who oversees the T-Association.

Akers says he is troubled that Curry still is "tied up in knots," adding, "I'm really pleased that he talked to you about it. That will help."

Seven years ago, Curry and Akers crossed paths at an airport. As they exchanged pleasantries, Curry's eyes welled. "Coach, I'm so sorry," he blurted.

Akers told Curry he was being too hard on himself. Former coaches and teammates make it a point to remind Curry of at least half a dozen what-ifs from that day.

What if Texas had scrounged a touchdown out of its seven penetrations inside the Georgia 33? What if Jeff Ward, 15-of-16 on field goal attempts entering the game, had not missed from 40 and 43 yards that day?

What if Akers had gone with nine-game starter Rob Moerschell at quarterback rather than Rick McIvor?

"I know it and I feel it and I love 'em for it," Curry says of the consoling efforts. "But the bottom line is that [expletive] happened. I'm not psychotic or suicidal or anything like that. It's just the pain and hurt of letting the Longhorn family down."

Former UT football player Craig Curry, whose fumbled punt in 1984 is remembered by many, is... Former UT football player Craig Curry, whose fumbled punt in 1984 is remembered by many, is pictured on Oct. 27, 2005 at his office at Opulent Management in Houston.(LOUIS DeLUCA)

Humble background

The ‘84 Cotton Bowl was Curry’s last game at Texas. That spring, the defensive back was one of 17 Longhorns selected in the NFL draft.

He played five seasons for Tampa Bay and Atlanta, not bad for a 6-foot, 190-pounder who never aspired to play college football.

Growing up in inner-city Houston, all he wanted was to become a businessman, wear a suit and carry a briefcase.

His father, Melvin Curry Sr., worked for Cook's Paint on weekdays and was a handyman on weekends.

Craig often accompanied Melvin Sr., whom he calls "my buddy, heart and soul." Melvin and Craig's mother, Eddie C. Casimere, divorced when Craig was 5. Craig split time between homes, with Mom stressing education and Dad supplying a spiritual base.

Curry intercepted 10 passes and made All-State as a Houston Kashmere senior while also earning a 4.2 grade-point average and graduating eighth in a class of 500.

At Texas, he stepped into a starting role as a sophomore and played all four secondary positions. But what teammate Jerry Gray most remembers is Curry "living" in the library, often returning to Jester dormitory at 2 a.m.

Curry earned a BBA in engineering management, a five-year program, taking courses such as physics, thermodynamics and advanced calculus. By all accounts, he was a model teammate.

Yet most Texas fans solely remember him for one infamous play, in the waning five minutes of his career.

Curry and Gray, the Buffalo Bills' defensive coordinator, were best men in one another's weddings. To this day, Gray tries "to get him to understand, that's one play. We had numerous other plays where we should have blown the University of Georgia out of the water."

Other miscues forgotten

Fans and reporters, however, rarely focus on Texas' three other turnovers that day. Or the end zone pass that Terry Orr dropped late in the third quarter, forcing Texas to settle for a 27-yard field goal and a more tenuous 9-3 lead.

In 1999, Curry’s drop topped the Austin American-Statesman’s list of 25 most heart-wrenching moments in a century of Texas sports, ahead of Houston’s loss to North Carolina State in the 1983 NCAA basketball final and the Cowboys’ 1967 Ice Bowl loss to Green Bay.

Ward, a sports talk host on Austin's KLBJ radio, told The Miami Herald six years ago that fan sentiment toward Curry bordered on hate, adding, "I don't know what it's like to be Craig Curry over the years. I wouldn't want to know."

Ward, who has always maintained that too much blame was heaped on Curry, says that these days fewer fans harp on the '84 Cotton Bowl. He senses a "whet appetite" among fans that a national title this year would erase that disappointment.

"Well, it would make it go away for everybody who wasn't in that game," Ward says.

1984 --- With 4:32 left in the Cotton Bowl, Jitter Fields of the Longhorns tries to pick up... 1984 --- With 4:32 left in the Cotton Bowl, Jitter Fields of the Longhorns tries to pick up a fumble punt by teammate Craig Curry.(DMN File Photo / digital file)

'Unsure punt'

Texas' offense sputtered often, but the Longhorns maintained a No. 2 ranking all season with exceptional special teams and one of the most dominant defenses in college history.

In the regular-season finale at Texas A&M, rifle-armed McIvor came off the bench to spark a 45-13 comeback win.

Still, it was a surprise to many when McIvor started the Cotton Bowl, amid swirling wind and a kickoff temperature of 38 degrees.

Despite an afternoon of blown scoring chances, Texas' 9-3 lead entering the final five minutes seemed ironclad.

When the Bulldogs lined up to punt on fourth-and-17 from their 34 with 4:44 left, they had 66 yards passing and had only twice crossed midfield.

"We did not think they were going to punt," Akers recalls. "So we called an 'unsure punt.'"

Texas kept its first-team defense on the field, inserting only Jitter Fields, the regular punt returner.

Why Curry remained on the field, in what coaches called the searchlight, or center field, position, is somewhat of a mystery.

Michael Feldt typically filled the role. Unlike Curry, he practiced fielding punts every week. McWilliams recalls that Feldt may have been hurt on the previous play.

Akers says he simply wanted his best defenders in the game to guard against a fake. "We didn't care if the ball hit the ground, but just in case it was a clean punt, Jitter Fields was there to catch it."

Curry remembers thinking that it might be the last play of his college career.

"What I really wanted to do was go hit somebody. I figured it would be my last hit.

"And I'll be doggone, the ball came to me."

The punt is muffed

McWilliams says the searchlight player typically lines up 18 yards from the line of scrimmage. Curry, however, lined up deeper, about 10 yards in front of Fields.

The punt was poor, traveling only 35 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Curry backed up a few steps, but at the last moment realized the ball was dropping to his right. By then, Georgia's Clarence Kay was two yards from Curry.

Curry reached out but the ball dropped through his arms.

"I've played this a million times in my mind," Curry says. "Honestly, as I see this ball, I don't know if the wind shifted ... I have no earthly idea."

Before Texas fans could let out a gasp, it seemed Curry would be spared goat status. The ball bounced at the Texas 29 and straight to Fields. He fell on it, but it squirted out to Georgia's Gary Moss, who recovered it at the 23.

"We still had an opportunity to do what we did best with that team, and that's play defense," Akers says.

Two plays later, Georgia faced third-and-4 from the 17. At that point, it had converted one of 13 third-down opportunities. Quarterback John Lastinger ran an option to the right. Bulldogs blockers sealed off two Texas linebackers, leaving Curry in a one-on-two against Lastinger and the pitchman.

Lastinger ran untouched until Gray hit him as he dived for the pylon and the winning touchdown with 3:22 left.

Minutes later, Georgia players carried coach Vince Dooley off the field while the Longhorns and their fans stared in shock.

Too distraught to talk

Reporters searched the Texas locker room for Curry, but he was hidden away in the equipment room, crying. UT officials ushered in his mother to comfort him.

"I knew Craig had pretty much had a meltdown," Ward says. "But the thing is, at the time, we didn't know what was going to happen that night."

Texas sports information director Bill Little gathered a couple of quotes from Curry - “I just don’t know why I did it. ... I have no excuses” - and distributed them to the media.

Little and Akers regret that they did not persuade Curry to address the media. "Stand up and do it," Akers recalls telling him. "Because if you don't, you're liable to carry this around with you the rest of your life."

Curry says he was far too distraught. "I just wanted to disappear." He continued to cry as his mother drove him to the airport that evening, so he could fly to Palo Alto, Calif., to play in the East-West Shrine Game.

He did not learn of Miami's 31-30 victory over Nebraska until the following day. "That was the nail in the coffin," he says.

Putting play behind him

Coping, Curry says, has gradually become easier.

He always had the ability to focus on the present, the task at hand. These days, he and wife Regina focus on the hectic school and athletic schedules of 9-year-old Craig Jr. and 7-year-old Chelsea.

Occasionally, he meets people who blurt, "You're the one!" Reporters leave messages a couple of times a year, especially those seasons when Texas starts strong.

It didn't help when Curry made news in 1996. An Austin grand jury indicted him on a bank fraud charge stemming from a sports-agent scandal at Florida State.

The following January, jurors concluded that Curry, without proper authorization, used the credit line of Cincinnati Bengals defensive end John Copeland to obtain a $29,000 loan for Seminoles player Corey Sawyer in 1993.

Curry was sentenced to three months in a halfway house and three months of home detention. He also was fined $4,000 and ordered to perform 150 hours of community service.

Curry declines to comment on that period, but notes that "I've got wide shoulders," in part because of the Cotton Bowl muff.

Two years ago, his father died, sending him into a 24-hour tailspin. The spiritual foundation laid by Melvin Sr. had helped Craig endure the Cotton Bowl nightmare. Now ...

"If it wasn't for me dropping this punt, there's no telling what I might have done. I literally went back to that place and said, 'Man, you remember that night? You thought the world had come to an end.'"

Today, he still wears Longhorns pajamas. He watches Texas on TV whenever he can. But he recalls attending only two UT games in the last 21 years, neither in Austin.

The most recent occasion was in 1995, when Texas came to town to play Houston. Curry went to the game alone, and got caught up in the excitement of the game and the crowd. A calmness settled over him.

That is, until Texas quarterback James Brown entered the game, wearing No. 5. Curry's jersey number.

"Shew, I lost it," he says, eyes watering, his voice trailing to a whisper. "I got up. Left."

First look at the replay

Perhaps talking about that day and that play will bring Curry closure.

Two hours into the often emotional sit-down, the reporter mentions that he brought a videotape of the 1984 Cotton Bowl's final five minutes. Curry says he has never seen a replay of his drop.

"Damn you," he laughs, reaching for the tape and inserting it into his office VCR. "Are you kidding me? I've got to see it."

He watches intently, rewinding the punt and Lastinger's touchdown run several times. He says he is surprised at how close he is to Fields on the punt play.

"I should have let Jitter catch that [expletive]," he mutters.

Curry asks for a copy of the tape. He wants to show it to Craig Jr., who takes soccer losses too hard.

Curry says he'll root hard for the Longhorns, from afar, the rest of the season. Not that he wants to put undue pressure on those kids.

"If that national championship happens, I'm pretty positive that I'll just be a distant memory. God knows I pray for it all the time."

 

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I feel confident about beating Georgia, but not overly so.  

The more remarkable thing is that if, even two years ago, you showed us a schedule that had Georgia coming to Austin, I doubt many of us would say, "Yeah, I think we can beat them."  Just shows how Sark's tenure has produced a complete attitude change among our fanbase and a confidence in our team we haven't felt since 2009.

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14 hours ago, Foosters said:

Friend of a friend runs Canworks and here's a special can design they're rolling out for this game. No idea where it can be purchased.

IMG_20241016_091425.thumb.jpg.476485ce06c03f130a64ffe3879c1f79.jpg

You live on a throne of lies...no way Uga runs that fast.  He'd have killed over and be gasping for air.

14 hours ago, Rickylovesweed said:

A below average passing offense did this to their secondary. I think we win this game easily if Georgia doesn't play conservatively on the back end. Their secondary is much worse than OU's or Michigan's IMO. 

 

Yeah but...Georgia hasn't faced and good defense either. Advantage  Georgia. 

-Aggy

13 hours ago, Hagbard Celine said:

the ONLY place we should ever break out an sec chant is garbage time at pyle

Oh that would be glorious...as the stadium empties out early in the 4th down 3 scores...

3 minutes ago, SL Xpress said:

Texas still isn't ready for the SEC. The SEC is just having a down year. 

And when they win the Title its only cause CFB is having a down year, and parity showed up...no way Texas could win a REAL SEC conference or in a year where there were actually good teams.

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35 minutes ago, South Austin said:

Ha.  I heard as much of Colt as I need as an announcer.  Truthfully, as much as I loved him as a player, I never thought he's had much charisma.  

You never thought Colt had charisma?? He was a humble ass kid when he first stepped on campus, but he was confident and borderline cocky by the time he left. He had plenty of influence over the 08 and 09 teams. 

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43 minutes ago, South Austin said:

Ha.  I heard as much of Colt as I need as an announcer.  Truthfully, as much as I loved him as a player, I never thought he's had much charisma.  

That may be the worst take I've ever heard. And being a good announcer doesn't define your level of charisma. 

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11 minutes ago, Atticus said:

You never thought Colt had charisma?? He was a humble ass kid when he first stepped on campus, but he was confident and borderline cocky by the time he left. He had plenty of influence over the 08 and 09 teams. 

That's not Colt as a public speaker, which is his job now.  In his interviews he always sounded two-dimensional and milquetoast, and I know you can say that a lot of college players sound the same, but that's pretty much been his personality since then.

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2 minutes ago, SL Xpress said:

Fuck all of them. I hate the SEC and I hope the SEC hates us back.

I'm glad to be a part of the conference. In many ways I'll admit we needed them more than they needed us. College football is now going to be centered around the Big 10 and the SEC in all kinds of ways, and without a membership in one of those two conferences we wouldn't have a seat at the table. 

But I'm glad we didn't join this collection of hillbillies sooner. 

I've watched/listened to so many SEC centered internet shows over the last two years, and you can just feel the sense that we're outsiders oozing out of everyone. And it's not the same kind of outsider vibe a school like Missouri gets, because they're not really seen as a threat. Or A&M, which everyone understands is just a little different, even if like the Aggies love to brag about, no one really understands why. We do, but they don't. 

There's a sense we just think we're better than everyone else - which we do - without really deserving to feel that way - as if that has ever really mattered to us. 

There's also a sense there's something inherently wrong with the football program that we've underachieved for so long. People love to bring that up over and over again. Not just SEC fans. Big 12 fans loved to do it. College football fans loved to do it. If you don't have the right coach all the resources in the world aren't going to help you. And if you do have the right coach, sometimes they can make a huge difference in not having as much resources as everyone else.

We have never had a coach we fired or forced to resign go on to great success anywhere else. Not Akers. Not McWilliams (who never went back into coaching). Not Mackovic. Not Brown. Not Strong. Herman is still a little bit up in the air, but I'm hoping for his abject failure as well. We've made bad hires. That's it. Now, some of that can be blamed on the hiring process, but I've seen completely borked hiring processes manage to get the right guy. Pete Carroll at USC is my biggest example of that. But you have to get the right guy, and we haven't on a regular basis. That's it. That's the issue. 

In any case, I'm going to enjoy thoroughly being the heel in this conference in a way this conference has never seen. Not Florida with Spurrier. Not Alabama. Not Georgia. Because we literally think we're better than all these other cocksuckers, and that's going to rub people the wrong way the same way it always has. Especially when we win big. 

I'm going to enjoy all the discounting so much. 

But we have to win, and eventually we have to win a national title. I just like the general direction the program is heading in under Sarkisian. Regardless of the outcome of this particular game, which I do think we're going to win. 

Clapping Slow Clap GIF by Davey And Jonesie's Locker

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14 hours ago, Rickylovesweed said:

It's true that we haven't played a great offense but we've actually played some good defenses. 

OU and Michigan are both top 15ish defenses (probably both better than Georgia's defense). Also, ULM has a very good defense. #37 in DFEI. 

But that doesn't sell drama.  It doesn't matter if Texas played the 85 Bears defense.   Just as a few years ago we all heard about how Texas hadn't played a defense like Georgia's and we skull fucked them.

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8 minutes ago, HtownHorn said:

Totally, 100%. Georgia is getting a lot of trust based on their previous dominance when this team is not any where near that neighborhood.

What I sense is that there's a difference between college sports shows kind of centered in the south, versus sports shows on the coasts or Midwest.

Texas gets the benefit of the doubt outside of the south because they've just played better so far, even against lesser competition. So you see Klatt, or Cowherd, Eisner, or some of the national betting guys taking Texas.

Sports shows centered around the SEC give that same benefit of the doubt to Georgia, because they're still questioning whether Texas is really SEC ready. Also, I consistently detect a little rooting interest against the newcomers. It's often combined with "a great deal of respect for Sarkisian as a playcaller" from his days at Alabama, but Texas as a football program and fan base deserves to be handed some humble pie in some regard, and there's a hope that Georgia as the flag bearer for SEC dominance is just the program needed to deliver it.

Gerry Hamilton made a great point (as he so often does) that the Georgia game is less of a threat in certain ways because the players are going to be so amped up for it. It's the Vanderbilt game in Nashville the next week that he's pointing to for a potential Texas letdown. But we have to get there, first. 

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