Georgia Bulldogs: 10 Most Painful Losses Since 2008

Sep 28, 2013; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Aaron Murray (11) throws under pressure from LSU Tigers defensive end Danielle Hunter (94) in the second half at Sanford Stadium. Georgia won 44-41. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

For a while there, the Georgia Bulldogs had a fantastic opportunity to knock of the #1 team in the country in the LSU Tigers back in the 2011 SEC Championship Game.  Georgia held a 10-0 lead going into halftime against a Tigers team with a middling offense, but one of the best defenses I’ve ever seen in college football.

There were at least three offensive possessions I can think of that Georgia could have broken the game wide open, but dropped passes on the outside killed QB Aaron Murray’s meticulous drives.  While I was happy that Georgia had the lead going into halftime against the number one team in the country, I could sense that leaving over 14 points on the field was going to cost the Dawgs big time in the second half.  Boy, was I right about that.

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Georgia came out of halftime in the SEC Championship at the Georgia Dome flatter than a two-week old two-liter bottle of Coke.  I feel like LSU got more first downs in the second half that Georgia had yards. Once the Honey Badger Tyrann Mathieu started having his way both on special teams and in the defensive backfield, Georgia had no chance to contend with the top-seeded LSU Tigers.

What hurts the most about this loss was that had Georgia gone into halftime leading 17 or 24-0, I feel that the Dawgs had a real shot at playing for a National Title even with two losses.  Had the CFP existed in 2011, an SEC Championship victory over LSU would have put the Dawgs in the playoff with Alabama, Oklahoma State, and Stanford.

But instead the Georgia Bulldogs didn’t care to show up in the second half and it got ugly very quickly down in Atlanta for UGA.  Not that Georgia was the better team over LSU, but Mark Richt could have put some serious pressure on Les Miles’ Tigers to overcome a three-score deficit instead of only a ten-point hole.

Next: We Had No Chance in This Game.