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Georgia Bulldogs: Why Does the Bama Loss Still Sting?

By John Buhler

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The Georgia Bulldogs still control their own College Football Playoff destiny, but why does the Alabama loss still sting so much, now five days later?

I’ve seen the Georgia Bulldogs lose a lot since fall of my freshman. We’ve gone 10-3, 8-5, 6-7, 10-4, 12-2, 8-5, 10-3, and now 4-1 since Fall of 2008. 66 wins and 25 losses would be a great record for most Division I College Football teams. But why does a 72.5 winning percentage feel so empty? Why can’t I get past 2015’s Week 5 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide?

-= Georgia Bulldogs: Can Team Win SEC at 6-2? =-

Seemingly every year, Dawg Nation believes that it has itself a National Championship contender, and most years, it’s not all that farfetched to say that the Georgia Bulldogs can contend for a championship. Every year we’re convinced that it will end differently for the Dawgs. This year, we won’t lose a dumb game in SEC play. We’ve got a Heisman hopeful that’s definitely making into the Trophy Presentation. Mark Richt is finally going to win a National Title.

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Then again, when it rains, it pours, I know. When P Collin Barber had his punt blocked in the rain during Saturday’s game and the score went in Alabama’s favor 21-3, Dawg Nation was all “here we go again.” New year, new team, same results. Something has to give, right?

Well no, because this is Georgia. It’s something that I can’t explain about teams from the Peach State, but they always end up choking in big games. We’ve seen it before, often times in beyond gutting-wrenching fashion. However, Dawg Nation has been able to put bad losses on the back burner and rally to have respectable seasons. Still, I’m unable to shake this loss. I think I know why.

Going into 2015, I thought the Georgia Bulldogs would probably play 5 ranked teams this fall (Alabama, Tennessee, Missouri, Auburn, and Georgia Tech). Through Week 5 of the 2015 College Football Season, it seems as though the Georgia Bulldogs will now only play two ranked teams: Alabama (loss) and #11 Florida on Halloween in Jacksonville.

Perhaps the SEC has beaten its own chest for too long now. Tennessee could very well be 2-5 before Halloween. Mizzou should have remained undefeated through their soft schedule before coming to Sanford Stadium. The media proclaimed Auburn to win the SEC during Media Days in Hoover, Alabama this summer. Even Georgia Tech was going to convincingly win the ACC Coastal. It’s all right there.

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The emptiness comes from not having a great opportunity for the Georgia Bulldogs to prove themselves against multiple worthy adversaries in the final seven regular season games of 2015. Is Kentucky considered a formidable opponent now? It’s hard for me to argue UGA’s spot in the company of the Power 5 elite when I can’t say that UGA will play anybody of Playoff caliber outside of maybe Florida for the rest of the season.

The Bama game was the Dawgs’ golden opportunity for a paradigm shift in national perception of the Georgia Bulldogs program. Instead of embracing the moment, the team absolutely squandered their chance on Saturday. Could UGA go on to win their next 10 games and experience the glorious coronation that comes with being National Champions? The possibility is there, but not showing up for the Bama game hurts the Dawgs’ chances considerably.

I’m sure I’ll feel better following a victory over Tennessee on Saturday, assuming that it happens. However, I’m beginning to seriously question if the UGA program can ever put it all together and not have a flat tire at some point during a regular season. Until next time, Go Dawgs!

Next: Georgia Bulldogs: More Pressure on UGA or UT in Week 6?

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