Georgia Bulldogs: It's Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate Week

The Georgia Bulldogs will play their final regular season game against arch in-state rival Georgia Tech in Atlanta in this year’s Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate.

Both of Georgia’s Power 5 football programs had great expectations entering the 2015 NCAA season. The Georgia Bulldogs finished 2014 at 10-3, named the preseason favorite to win the SEC East, and were a team contending for the College Football Playoff. Georgia Tech won the Orange Bowl over Mississippi State, were the team to beat in the ACC Coastal, and were also contending for a spot in the 2nd Annual College Football Playoff.

October happened for Georgia and Tech started playing conference games. UGA sits at 8-3 (5-3), while GT stumbled to a 3-8 (1-7) record in 2015. For the Georgia Bulldogs, three things are on the line in this in-state rivalry:

1. 10 wins is still a possibility for this 2015 Georgia Bulldogs football team. After surviving Georgia Southern at home on Saturday, all UGA has to do to get to 10 is beat Tech on the road and win their bowl game a month from now.

2. Mark Richt has never lost in Atlanta to Georgia Tech (7-0). His 2009 Dawgs’ win over Tech was one of the better wins on Richt’s resume to date. A few more wins in Atlanta and Grant Field might as well be renamed as Mark Richt Field.

3. The Georgia Bulldogs lost at home in overtime last season to the Yellow Jackets. In Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate’s last two meetings, both games have gone to overtime and the road team ended up being victorious. UGA doesn’t want a losing streak to Tech, especially because of the disparagement in both school’s 2015 records.

More from UGA Football

For Georgia Tech, beating Georgia is more important than anything. To many, winning the Coastal or even the ACC isn’t as important as beating the Georgia Bulldogs. Since Tech isn’t bowl eligible at 3-8 (1-7), Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate is the Jackets’ 2015 bowl game. It’s not the Orange Bowl, but for them, at least it’s at home.

The overall record between Georgia and Georgia Tech favors UGA 64-40-5. While Tech is still the reigning state champion, keep in mind that Mark Richt is 12-2 versus Georgia Tech and 7-0 at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

UGA held another triple option rushing attack to under 300 yards in then 7-2 Georgia Southern at home last week. Though the game went to overtime, the Georgia defense did a marvelous job defending the triple option, holding GSU 145 yards under their season average on the ground. It was the sputtering offense of the Georgia Bulldogs that made the game closer than it probably should have been, though Georgia Southern is a solid, well-coached football team.

Even though neither of these teams playing at Bobby Dodd Stadium on Saturday are great by any means, Georgia has very little to gain and a lot to lose versus the Yellow Jackets. A losing streak to Tech in the Mark Richt Era is almost unheard of, but a loss to 3-8 GT would certainly anger some folks in the Classic City. The amount of “Back-to-back State Champs” shirts celebrating a 4-8 season sounds reminiscent of the annual Egg Bowl (Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss) of yesteryear.

Next: Jeremy Pruitt: Georgia's Best Chance at 10 Wins

Of all the rivalry games on UGA’s annual tilt, losing to Tech is the worst since Dawg Nation will never hear the end of it from the Ramblin’ Wreck of Georgia Tech. Georgia should enter this road game as the presumed favorite, but once again, given the nature of rivalry games and the current state of the UGA offense, we can’t take any win for granted.

Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate will begin at Noon down on the Flats of North Avenue. Kickoff will air over on ESPN 2. Forever, Go Dawgs!

Home/UGA Football

Georgia Bulldogs: It’s Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate Week

By John Buhler | Nov 23, 2015

The Georgia Bulldogs will play their final regular season game against arch in-state rival Georgia Tech in Atlanta in this year’s Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate.

More from UGA Football