To quote the great Michael Scott, “No question about it, I am ready to be hurt again.”
We all know what it’s like when your friend Becky tells you she’s getting back together with her ex, Bryson. She says things will be different this time, different than the previous four tries. There’s something there, just so much potential. You want to be supportive, but deep down you know how things are going to go. You’ve already seen this movie, and you know that it usually ends with Becky eating ice cream straight from the tub after Bryson once again shows his true colors.
But one day, pesky Becky is going to be right. Bryson will finally grow up, realize what he has in Becky, and they’ll partake in a lovely monogamous relationship.
Aww.
Hopefully given the context of this week you figured out that this is a metaphor for how us Georgia fans prepare for a game against Alabama. We’ve been hurt so many times, yet somehow we find ourselves optimistic before each try.
As euphoric as that lone victory over the Tide since 2007 was, the losses have been just as painful. The Bulldog faithful are Crimson Tired of losing to Alabama in heartbreaking fashion, and there is a lot of pent up emotions from the previous two matchups.
The Alabama Crimson Tide coming to Athens this weekend is of course a big deal, and not just because it will likely set the record for most t-shirt frockets in a 5-mile radius. Kirby Smart finally gets a chance to play his former employer on his home field, and it only took 10 seasons to do so.
Even though Nick Sa*an has found success in his new career as an AFLAC actor (an AFLACTOR, if you will), his ghost still haunts our program. Although we will likely never wear black jerseys against Alabama again after what happened in 2008, Alabama has a habit of causing UGA fan blackouts of a different kind. Hopefully this weekend those will be more the January 2022 celebratory type, and not the 2015/2017/2018/2020/2023/2024 somber type.
Even though a loss this weekend ultimately wouldn’t ruin any goals the Dawgs have for the season, it sure would sting. They don’t call him Kirby Dumb, becuase he knows just how important this one is. But if Smart is going to get it done, the Dawgs are going to have to improve on some things from the Tennessee game.
For starters, the secondary is going to have to play better. Both Safeties in JaCorey Thomas and KJ Bolden got caught out of position or with their eyes in the backfield on multiple occasions, and the corners got beat on a few deep balls for big TDs. Kirby Smart definitely didn’t mean anything weird when he said that Alabama QB Ty Simpson is the hottest QB in the country, so he knows the secondary will be tested.
Not to sound too much like the rapper Drake, but I sure am glad Crimson Tide WR Ryan Williams finally turned 18. Having the fact that he was only 17 repeated over and over as he torched our secondary last season sure got old fast.
But unlike a certain list that is constantly talked about in the media, the Dawgs cannot let Williams get a free release. His shiftiness and top-end speed was too much for our secondary to handle last season, and other teams have had success jamming him at the line of scrimmage.
On the other side of the ball, Gunner and Co. will once again need to hit some down-field plays early to get the defense to back off. Alabama knows Georgia wants to run the ball, especially given how the Tide handled FSU’s rushing attack in Week 1, so expect that box to be fully loaded.
Outside of the hollowed Hedges should be, in scientific terms, “quite rowdy”. We saw how the crowd affected Tennessee in the famous 2022 game, and I expect the noise to be on that same level. You fans that are lucky enough to be going to this one have some responsibilities.
If Becky and Bryson are ever going to make it work, it feels like this is the weekend it happens. Here’s to hoping that this is the start of something new.
I love you all, and Go Dawgs.
