Community Corner

Georgia vs. Florida Football: Do or Die Time

The Bulldogs could coast to an SEC East title - if they can get past the undefeated Gators.

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So, in their last two games, Georgia got trounced by South Carolina and barely squeaked by the unimpressive Kentucky Wildcats. And yet, Bulldogs faithful are still talking about a shot at the SEC championship.

Why? Because the Bulldogs have only one loss, and if they beat Florida on Saturday, a relatively gentle schedule gives them an opportunity to cruise to the SEC East title. The schedule is so favorable, an AP reporter suggested that Georgia "might be the most fortunate team in the nation."

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It might be better to be lucky than good, but are the Bulldogs good enough to beat a Florida team that wiped the floor with South Carolina, the team that wiped the floor with Georgia?

Well, we know that college football isn't a linear proposition, or teams like Kentucky wouldn't play teams like Georgia that close to begin with. Emotion and expectations play a big role in outcomes, and past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

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What's generally agreed upon, despite suggestions to the contrary by Georgia's athletic director, is that Saturday's game against Florida is the most significant matchup of the year. The Macon Telegaph's Seth Emerson says, "This game will dictate whether this is considered a successful season for Georgia."

Which might be why Georgia safety Shawn Williams felt the urgency to talk a little trash about his own defense earlier this week, saying his unit has been "playing soft" and basically phoning it in.

The comments didn't sit well with all of Williams' teammates, but some thought the statement might be just what the defense needs to turn things around.

"It's gonna be a spark," sophomore linebacker Amarlo Herrera told Emerson. "It's gotta be a spark. If we don't have a spark around here then our chances at the SEC championship are over with."

Some Florida fans are pretty sure an SEC championship is nothing more than a pipe dream for Georgia. They even spent good money to put a smack-talking ad to that effect in UGA's student newspaper, The Red and Black.

Whether that ad will succeed or backfire remains to be seen.

What do you think? Can Georgia muster the motivation to upset Florida? Tell us in the comments.


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