Georgia Bulldogs: Underdogs vs. Florida a Good Thing?

The Georgia Bulldogs enter a major rivalry game with the Florida Gators as a slight underdog on Saturday. Does this actually help UGA win Georgia-Florida?

Your Georgia Bulldogs sit at a decent 5-2 (3-2) entering their annual affair with the Florida Gators. Though Florida is 6-1 (4-1) and ranked #11 in the nation, the Georgia Bulldogs still control their own destiny in 2015. A win over Florida, followed by two more SEC victories over Kentucky and Auburn would put the Dawgs in the 2015 SEC Championship Game.

There exists a different vibe with this year’s Georgia-Florida game for Dawg Nation. We can’t kid ourselves into thinking that we are the overwhelming favorite to win this end-all-be-all rivalry game, because Florida’s defense will be the best unit on the field in this game.

However, just a measly 3-point spread gives the Gators the slight edge over the Dawgs. Though I think Florida is the better team this year, I have this strange feeling that it bodes well for the Georgia Bulldogs to enter this game as the underdog.

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Bitter rivalries don’t care about over/under or point spreads. It’s all about the undeniable hate shared between both familiar foes. Saturday is no different. I have a feeling that we will either see a blowout or a highly intense, low-scoring game. Florida’s defense is one of the better groups in the SEC. Even UGA’s defense has played great in a few games this season.

I think the major reason I feel that the Georgia Bulldogs being an underdog in this game is beneficial is that there is nothing left to lose for this football. Georgia isn’t a Playoff team in 2015, but Florida might be. The added pressure to stay alive in the Playoff hunt might actually do Florida in, especially under a new head coach in Gainesville in Jim McElwain.

I know this pressure exists because I saw the Georgia Bulldogs crumble under it last year against Florida. Had UGA beat Florida in Jacksonville, the Dawgs were going to the SEC Championship and could have made things more interesting than Mizzou did against Alabama. Because Florida is still ranked and could conceivably win the SEC, all the pressure in on the Gators in this game. Exactly what Georgia needs to have success versus the Gators.

Last year Georgia went up against a Florida team that was on the verge of firing their head coach Will Muschamp. Athletic Director Jeremy Foley and Muschamp agreed to part ways a few weeks later. The inevitable sacking of Muschamp gave the Gators nothing left to lose in 2014 and it paid dividends as they ruined UGA’s promising season. Can the Dawgs return the favor in 2015?

I’m not sure, but having limited expectations versus Florida seems like an added bonus in this rivalry game. Sure, fans may call for HC Mark Richt‘s firing just like they do after every UGA loss should the Dawgs come up short against Florida on Saturday. The truth is, Richt isn’t going anywhere. If Richt goes, Dawg Nation can kiss the early enrollment of highly touted QB prospect Jacob Eason goodbye.

What I’m getting at is though I’ve seen Mark Richt squander byes due to a lack of readiness on his team, there’s little to no pressure on the Georgia Bulldogs in this game. This should allow formerly uptight players to play a bit more loose than they have been. I think this extra week of preparation will give the Dawgs some much-needed confidence to allow them to open up the playbook a bit more, taking a few more gambles on both sides of the ball.

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