So, the Dawgs dramatically conquered the Tide, leaving us Georgia fans ecstatic, and Alabama, not-so-much.
Yes, I know that ending was controversial, and there were certainly some questionable calls from the referees made against each team.
So I may sound crazy to say this, but Georgia deserves every bit of this win, and we fans do as well.
The outcome of a game shouldn’t have to boil down to officiating (Kalen DeBoer actually noted this in his post-game press conference). Such situations only prove the teams on the field weren’t playing a clean game of football.
I’ll credit Alabama; they are a pretty dang good football team, and boy Keelon Russell is a very talented athlete. But our offense, and especially our secondary, put up the gutsiest fight against their toughest competition so far this season. The Dawgs’ effort proved just how badly they wanted to finish on top, and they deserve this win.
A lot needs to improve in the coming games, but Georgia’s secondary looked better than it has in the last couple of years.
If the Dawgs’ defense keeps heading in this direction, I think they could perform as well as the 2021-22 National Championship lineup.
As I said, this win could’ve looked much cleaner in the final minutes, but that shouldn’t mean us fans can’t celebrate conquering the Tide.
As someone who has several family members who root for the Tide.
I have nothing against the fanbase, but I was very disappointed to see how bitter things got as the game concluded. It’s far from classy to throw trash on your own field, let alone scream at and put your hands on a player who mistakenly thought you were a Georgia fan.
A poorly-officiated game doesn’t mean we should throw good sportsmanship out the window.
Alabama fans now know how Georgia fans felt about officiating calls in past games that single-handedly shifted the competition against our favor.
For example: the 2018 National Championship.
Tyler Simmons was flagged as “offside” when he clearly was not. The hard-to-beat Tide then took the opportunity to strike back, and ultimately won the Title.
So my point is, you can’t pitch a fit over a single game determined by the referees when they have clearly worked in your favor more than once.
This win was long overdue for the Georgia fanbase, as it’s been 19 years since the Dawgs last defeated Alabama in the regular season.
All the way back to when Matthew Stafford was the starting quarterback. Let that sink in.
I spent Saturday night watching the game with my younger brother, Jack, who is now a freshman in college. I shared that statistic with him midway through the game, and his jaw dropped. He wasn’t even born then.
I myself was four years old when that game took place, and didn’t even know what football was.
So yes, this game was quite special for both of us. It’s a wonderful feeling to be a lifelong fan of a team and watch them accomplish great things.
In the end, I think both teams put up a great fight worthy of a victory, but Georgia fans have every right to celebrate this one. I doubt that this is the last time they compete against each other this season, and next time will look much more competitive.
Hopefully, the Dawgs can keep this momentum going forward, and as for any Alabama fans, I suppose this was a taste of your own medicine. Keep your chin up, as we will probably face off again in the SEC championship game!
Until next time!