Thoughts on the National Championship Game: Georgia 33, Alabama 18

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Thoughts on the National Championship Game: Georgia 33, Alabama 18

Post by BrentVU »

Back on Sept. 25 when Georgia rolled into town and mauled helpless Vanderbilt 62-0, I had an inkling this might be a Bulldog team finally equipped to challenge Alabama. They had an incredible defense that held Vandy to 77 total yards and forced three turnovers. You might also recall that after Georgia went up 35-0 in the first quarter, Kirby Smart pulled QB starter J.T. Daniels to give backup Stetson Bennett some work. (Even though Georgia mostly kept it on the ground, Bennett still went 11-for-15 with a TD.) The two programs were, according to TV analyst Matt Stinchcomb, "in different solar systems."

But shortly after that, Daniels got injured. Would Georgia be able to win a title with Bennett, a former walk-on, at QB? In the SEC title game Georgia blew an early lead, and Bennett was unable to bring the Dawgs back from a deficit. Georgia fans wondered why Daniels, a guy who probably has the NFL in his future, was never used.

I'm no Georgia fan, but it was moving to see the genuine tears from Bennett. His is one of those old-time stories (like I used to read in junior high) about the football nobody who rises to lead his team to glory. But the real difference in last night's game was the improvement in Georgia's defense; the Dawgs were able to sack the Heisman Trophy winner three times, stop Bama in the red zone, and pick off Young on the game's decisive play.

So now, for the first time since 2008, the National Champion comes from the SEC East. (Florida has done it twice since the Divisional split in 1992; UT has done it once; but Georgia had never done it.) Georgia fans had felt this was coming at some point, and had gotten close, but Saban had always blocked the way. Now Kirby Smart has gotten the monkey off his back. "I hope it won't take [41 years] until the next one," he said. Has the worm turned? Is this the beginning of a new dynasty? Georgia is certainly recruiting well enough to make it so; time will tell. Smart is losing his defensive coordinator to Oregon though.

It's also interesting that if you're a loyal season ticket holder at Vanderbilt the last five years, you've seen three of the last five national champions play on Dudley Field... Alabama with Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa in 2017, LSU with Joe Burrow in 2019, and Georgia this year, with Bennett, Jordan Davis and Brock Bowers. (It's not likely to happen next year, however, as Vandy has to travel to both Athens and Tuscaloosa.)

Finally, I wondered how the late Larry Munson might have called that last interception by Kelee Ringo: "Young steps up, he's going to throw a long pass and it's... intercepted by Ringo, he's going to try to run it back! 50, 45, 40... he gets a block... run, Ringo, run!... 15, TEN, FIVE... (crowd roars, no noise for about 30 seconds)... Did you see what he just did! 32 to 18! No flags! The freshman from the West Coast just went 79 yards, with Kirby Smart running, and running right along with him and begging him to go down! We just stepped on Nick Saban's face with a big old elephant's foot!... Man, oh man, is there going to be some property destroyed tonight!!"


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Re: Thoughts on the National Championship Game: Georgia 33, Alabama 18

Post by FayetteDore »

Informative and insightful, as always.

The speed and force of the Georgia blitzes were incredible. And once or twice, the Bama OL seemed to leave gaping holes for them to rocket through.

I was present for two of those three games. After the absolutely miserable experience surrounded by the UGAs I had at the 2019 Georgia game, I gave my tickets to the 2021 Georgia game to a work colleague.

I could hear Munson's raspy voice in your excellent parody. No doubt he would throw in some totally classless jab at the opponent. I know the UGAs worshipped him (they still play a hype video narrated by him before each home game), but IMO, he was the worst and most unsportsmanlike of all the SEC broadcasters I ever heard.
Last edited by FayetteDore on Tue Jan 11, 2022 10:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Thoughts on the National Championship Game: Georgia 33, Alabama 18

Post by commadore »

I was cracking up watching Smart telling him to go down. It was like the coach (was it Stallings) telling Steve Grant not to shoot the three and then mobbing him when he won the game.
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Re: Thoughts on the National Championship Game: Georgia 33, Alabama 18

Post by VU1970 »

I wonder how many teams besides Vanderbilt "get" to play both Georgia and Alabama on the road next season?

I also wonder whether Georgia will ever be both SEC Champ and national champ?
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Alabama should have realized that Georgia....

Post by thefan »

would be in better condition than the previous meeting. This time it was Alabama who tired out and Georgia took over. Not a fan of either but dislike Georgia more than UT!
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Re: Thoughts on the National Championship Game: Georgia 33, Alabama 18

Post by BrentVU »

FayetteDore wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 10:09 am I know the UGAs worshipped him (they still play a hype video narrated by him before each home game), but IMO, he was the worst and most unsportsmanlike of all the SEC broadcasters I ever heard.
C'mon FayetteDore, you do know that Munson was once the Voice of Commodore football and basketball, and called Nashville home for many years? Old-timers have a lot of great memories of his calls, especially men's basketball games coming over WSM in the 1960s. The stories of his road trips with John Bibb and Waxo Green are as legendary as his calls. Georgia tries to make exclusive claim to Munson, but he was a Commodore for many seasons before that.
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Re: Thoughts on the National Championship Game: Georgia 33, Alabama 18

Post by FayetteDore »

I know that Brent, and having grown up in the Midstate, I remember him at VU and on Nashville TV. Even in that primitive era of TV, I still didn't like him and thought he was too bush league for Vanderbilt. I liked Paul Eells MUCH better.
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Re: Thoughts on the National Championship Game: Georgia 33, Alabama 18

Post by VU1970 »

Munson was at his best as Milo Hamilton's sidekick on Braves radio.
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Re: Thoughts on the National Championship Game: Georgia 33, Alabama 18

Post by LawoftheWest »

BrentVU wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 9:49 am
I'm no Georgia fan, but it was moving to see the genuine tears from Bennett. His is one of those old-time stories (like I used to read in junior high) about the football nobody who rises to lead his team to glory. But the real difference in last night's game was the improvement in Georgia's defense; the Dawgs were able to sack the Heisman Trophy winner three times, stop Bama in the red zone, and pick off Young on the game's decisive play.
i]
Brent,
I agree. Guys are not supposed to cry. Instead, we "stuff it". Maybe that is one reason women live about 7 years longer than men. So, it was great to see genuine emotion from the Georgia QB.
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Re: Thoughts on the National Championship Game: Georgia 33, Alabama 18

Post by docdore »

FayetteDore wrote: Tue Jan 11, 2022 10:09 am Informative and insightful, as always.

The speed and force of the Georgia blitzes were incredible. And once or twice, the Bama OL seemed to leave gaping holes for them to rocket through.

I was present for two of those three games. After the absolutely miserable experience surrounded by the UGAs I had at the 2019 Georgia game, I gave my tickets to the 2021 Georgia game to a work colleague.

I could hear Munson's raspy voice in your excellent parody. No doubt he would throw in some totally classless jab at the opponent. I know the UGAs worshipped him (they still play a hype video narrated by him before each home game), but IMO, he was the worst and most unsportsmanlike of all the SEC broadcasters I ever heard.
larry munson was a great vu radio voice!....so was paul eels. it's too bad the younger dore fans missed them.
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