When there’s a big game to be played the DawgNation staff gets together for a series of posts examining the storylines involving a big game. This week for Georgia football at Texas certainly applies here. How do DawgNation staffers Brandon Adams, Mike Griffith, Kaylee Mansell, Connor Riley and Jeff Sentell feel about this matchup?
AUSTIN, Texas -- There are already a lot of Georgia football fans on the ground in Austin. They’ve taken over airplanes and bars and restaurants around the Lone Star state.
We can confirm multiple barking instances with boots on the ground this week. We’ve also seen a lot of cowboys hats and burnt orange. We’ve also seen a lot of Georgia folks in red pants, too.
There was a neat little moment last night where a Georgia graduate was educating an interested Longhorn fan as to why the faithful greet one another with a “Go Dawgs” and not “Go Bulldogs” as they pass by.
Their counterpoint was about how odd it might seem it Texas fans yelled “Go Horns” to each other just the same.
We’ve learned that Texas fans aren’t all universally enthused about their star quarterback Quinn Ewers and his inability to play four solid quarters in the same game. They also wished he could move a little better while thoughts of the mobility of prized backup Arch Manning dance through their heads.
The storylines around this game offer up a lot more talking points than that.
When Georgia football plays a big game like this, we always try to go around the horn amongst the DawgNation staff. Especially when it comes to the Longhorns on Saturday in Texas.
This post is the second of those we’ve got planned this week:
What would a loss to Texas do to Georgia’s college football playoff chances?
Brandon Adams: Its back would be against the wall
Why: A loss to Texas wouldn’t end UGA’s Playoff hopes, but it would damage them severely. All margin for error would be gone. The Bulldogs would likely still secure a Playoff bid by winning out, but it would be fair to wonder whether they’re capable of avoiding more losses.
Mike Griffith: No margin for error
Why: There’s no guarantee a three-loss Georgia would make the 12-team CFP, which means the Bulldogs’ backs would be squarely against the wall the remainder of the regular season with games remaining away from home against Florida and Ole Miss, and home dates with Tennessee and Georgia Tech.
Kaylee Mansell: Georgia has to win out
Why: A loss wouldn’t end the season but it would put more pressure on UGA to win out.
Connor Riley: Probably going on the road for the first round of the Playoffs
Why: I’m still of the belief a 10-2 Georgia would get into the College Football Playoff. A loss means Georgia would have to win out to likely make it and Georgia would almost certainly be going on the road in the first round.
Jeff Sentell: It is a good teaching point for the new world of college football
Why: Two losses in a season? Still alive for the playoffs? That’s proof positive that the new world is upon us. I’m sure the 2021, 2004, 2007 and 2012 teams will want to hit something after seeing that unfold, but it means the Dawgs will have to win out. That Clemson win plus victories against Ole Miss, Tennessee and Georgia Tech down the stretch should still have the Dawgs dancing in December. The big selling point is that almost every team in America would have gone 0-2 on the road in Austin and Tuscaloosa, too.
Do you have an opinion here on this one? DawgNation welcomes you to join our huddle in the comments section below.
DAWGNATION HUDDLE THIS WEEK:
-- What would a win at Texas this weekend mean for Georgia football?
-- LATER TODAY: What would a loss to Texas mean for Georgia’s college football playoff hopes?
-- FRIDAY: Do the ‘Dawgs have to win a wild shootout to beat Texas?
-- GAMEDAY: Who needs to be Georgia’s best player against Texas?
