Georgia's Opinions

[Townhallsavoy]

Vince Dooley, an Auburn grad who made UGA his home, likes to refer to the Georgia-Auburn rivalry as “feuding cousins,” but there’s always been a sizable contingent in the Bulldog Nation that thinks more like freshman running back Isaiah Crowell, who said this week, “I never liked Auburn. Point blank, I never liked them.”

After last year’s contentious game — what with Nick Fairley’s unpunished dirty play, Gene Chizik stirring it up on the sideline during the fracas at the end of the game and assistant coach Trooper Taylor and rent-a-quarterback Cam Newton strutting around like playground bullies — a lot of UGA fans no longer view it as a “friendly” rivalry.

Has Georgia-Auburn gotten uglier? Is it still feuding cousins or pure hate now? I put that question to fans following the Junkyard Blawg’s Facebook page and Twitter feed this week.

Darrell Huckaby said the rivalry “changed forever last year because of the dirty play of Nick Fairley and the thuggish sideline demeanor of Trooper Taylor. No longer a friendly rivalry between conference cousins.”

Dawn Garland dates the change further back than last year. “I can’t forget when Reggie Brown was knocked unconscious in a deliberate helmet to helmet collision in Auburn in 2004. There was no penalty flag thrown and that set the tone for the 2 teams for the last several years.”

Cory Organ rates it “pure hate” now and Jesse Murrah agrees, while Chip Kash says, “Most of us are just tired of Auburn being treated by the NCAA as if they are teflon coated.”

Kevin McCann worries that, “after the dirty plays last year, this one could get ugly.”

Let’s hope not. The only really “chippy” game so far for Georgia was Vandy, and the Dogs didn’t handle that well. Better to take the business-like approach that worked this year in Jacksonville than to get too amped up over how things went last year.

The Georgia fans who have the closest view of the rivalry are those who live over the border and must put up with the Barners and Bammers on a daily basis. One of them is my longtime friend John Sosebee, who lives in Anniston with his wife Lisa, who is of the War Eagle persuasion. Or Turkey Buzzard, as John puts it. I asked him what folks over there were saying about this week’s game.

Auburn fans, John reported, “are still busy cackling about the LSU win and Bama’s drop to #4 and how their faithfuls have been momentarily silenced for the first time this season.” But, he said, some Tiger fans have admitted to him that “Auburn’s fickle defense and lack of a leader at QB is gonna make them a much different opponent than they were last year with Cambo leading them on the field, blowing kisses at everybody.”

As for John, he’s “getting psyched up for this Saturday’s feast of Turkey Buzzard stew.”

When asked this week what I expect out of this game, I’ve said I think the double-digit spread favoring the Dogs is kind of ridiculous for a conference game between two ranked teams, but if Georgia doesn’t cough it up or commit a bunch of special teams gaffes, I think they should be able to handle Auburn.

Under Gus Malzahn, the highest-paid assistant in college athletics, the uptempo Auburn offense is always dangerous, and it will be important for the Dogs’ defense to contain power back Michael Dyer up the middle and speedster Onterio McCalebb on the outside in the running game, while keeping tight coverage on wide receiver Emory Blake and big tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen (who killed us last year). Sophomore Clint Moseley only has a couple of games under his belt as the starter at quarterback, so it behooves Jarvis Jones and company to get in his face constantly from the start.

Offensively, the Dogs should be able to move the ball on an Auburn defense that ranks near the bottom of the conference in most categories. Getting Crowell and Malcolm Mitchell back is big, but I think how Georgia fares will come down to how Aaron Murray plays. If it’s a tight game, he should be the difference.

What’s your view of this year’s installment in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry?

http://blogs.ajc.com/junkyard-blawg/2011/11/11/georgia-auburn-no-longer-a-friendly-rivalry/

[JR4AU]

These fuckers sound a lot like bammers!  Geezus Hoobastank Christo what a bunch of whining asses!

[Xanusus]

Whiniest fan base in the country and here's why.

They've had to watch everyone of their rivals achieve success and haven't been able to replicate it despite pulling in top10 classes every year.

Florida has 3 championships since the last time they sniffed one.
Even Georgia Tech has a more recent NC from 1990.
They've watched Auburn go undefeated 3 times now along with a crystal ball since the last time they did anything.
They're the only member of the Big6 who hasn't won a crystal ball. Bama, Auburn, Florida, LSU and Tenn have all did it.
They know they're the most recent team to win the SEC championship during the BCS era and THEN lose. None of the others seem to be doing that.

It's getting to them. They're jealous and this is their way of dealing with the reality that Georgia is an underachiever.

[Townhallsavoy]

Damn, X.  I wish we could have gotten that out as an official article prior to today. 

[djsimp]

Damn, X.  I wish we could have gotten that out as an official article prior to today.

I agree, thats some good homewoik.

[JR4AU]

Damn, X.  I wish we could have gotten that out as an official article prior to today.

They're obviously different from aTm in that they are the main and the state university in GA.  Ga Tech isn't really going after the same players most of the time.  But as a football program they have all potential to be as big and successful as those having success around them and yet, they have fallen behind in the modern era of football.