Sports

Georgia vs. Georgia Tech Football: Another Triple Option Threat

For the Bulldogs, the hype about a possible national championship has begun.

Georgia's Athletic Director Greg McGarity might have been prescient when he asserted earlier this season that Georgia Tech, and not Florida, is really the Bulldogs' biggest rival.

Who would have predicted a month ago that so much would ride on this weekend's in-state matchup?

Georgia survived the easier of its back-to-back triple-option challenges by defeating Georgia Southern last week.

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Now the Bulldogs, suddenly catapulted to No. 3 in the BCS standings, must withstand a visit from Georgia Tech before turning their attention to the SEC Championship game, likely against No. 2 Alabama.

And then, maybe, the national title game?

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Not so fast, says Georgia head coach Mark Richt.

“Right this minute, all I can think about is Georgia Tech,” Richt told reporters on Sunday. “Does anybody want to talk about Georgia Tech?”

Richt noted that one motivator for Saturday's game, aside from keeping national title hopes alive, is that it's the seniors' final game between the hedges.

The Bulldogs might not have come so far this season without prodding from one senior, Mr. Shawn Williams, who upbraided his fellow defenders after some lackluster performances and might have provided the kick in the pants the team needed to meet its potential.

Williams wears the mantle of team savior reluctantly.

"I don't think it was saving the season," Williams said in a Macon Telegraph story. "I just knew we could do it, so I just had to go out and do it."

So can the Dawgs do it for two more games, against vastly different offenses? Brian Jones of Bleacher Report is pretty sure this week will go OK. Jones notes that Richt has lost to Georgia Tech only once, in 2008. "It seems like no matter what Georgia's record is, it seems to have Tech's number," he writes.

The Yellow Jackets will swarm into a hive of black when they enter Sanford Stadium on Saturday. Several fan groups have called for a blackout in the stands.

What do you think? Can the Bulldogs do it? Tell us in the comments below.


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