What Bowl Should Dawg Fans Settle For?

As Mark Richt was speaking at SEC media days, you either got the feeling that Richt truly does feel rejuvenated or he is delusional. He said at one point that he doesn’t feel a hot seat and he feels really good about this team, considering the circumstances. On one hand you have the best quarterback returning in the conference, teaming with one of the best recruiting classes in the country in year two of the 3-4 conversion. On the other hand though, you running game keeps taking hits and the offensive line is a tad inexperienced while your play-making linebacker may or may not play for the first few games due to an NCAA investigation.

So where do you lean? Do you agree with Richt or do you feel bad for him? The Dawgs will likely go to a bowl this year but will it be one to “save” Richt’s job like a BCS or at least a Capital One Bowl or is it a low tier bowl that will be played long before New Year’s Day like the last two?

Bulldog Nation should start buying into the spin put out there by the player reps at media days, saying that some of the young pups are really playing well. Richt of course is going to say bland (yet positive) things, but in some interviews you can actually hear the excitement in Aaron Murray’s voice when he discusses the freshmen getting after it. Murray surely will go to the Mark Richt “give nothing away” interview school after this weekend, but how can you not be intrigued by his comments?

Most reasonable Dawg fans would settle for a split of the first two games (a sweep would be divine) and then the rest of the schedule looks really manageable with just the Florida game as well as another slip-up somewhere along the way (a home date with Miss State or a trip to Tennessee). If Georgia goes 9-3, 6-2 in conference play, I am not certain that is good enough for the SEC Championship game, but 9-3 gets at least the Outback Bowl, which saves Richt’s job. Should Georgia sweep the first two, then maybe the Florida game is the only slip up as Georgia should be good enough to take the other Bulldogs and the Vols. An 11-1 regular season does get you into the SEC Championship game which guarantees you at least the Capital One Bowl.

Of course things could fall apart but anything less than the Outback will really be considered a disappointment and it is doubtful any Georgia fan would take anything less than an early January 1 kickoff.