Alabama’s Ronnie Harrison and the Georgia Bulldogs dragged Auburn 28-7 to win the SEC Championship. Barring some weird ranking the Bulldogs should make the final four and have a chance to win their first national title since 1980 when Hershel Walker was a freshman. Georgia has been the product of hype for years, but they would consistently get slapped by Alabama when the time came to deliver. The SEC title allows coach Kirby Smart to fulfill expectations the school had when it hired him two years ago:
Georgia hired Kirby Smart two years ago with the goal of competing for SEC and national championships. The Bulldogs won one Saturday and are about to get a chance to play for the other. Here are three thoughts from Georgia’s 28-7 win against Auburn in the SEC title game:
Georgia should have a chance to win its first national title since Herschel Walker’s freshman season in 1980. Barring a shocking ranking from the College Football Playoff selection committee, Saturday’s win will put Georgia into the four-team bracket. Where the Bulldogs will be seeded will depend on the results of Saturday night’s ACC and Big Ten championship games. Georgia last won the SEC in 2005. In 2012, the Bulldogs came up just short against Alabama with a trip to the BCS title game hanging in the balance. This time, the Bulldogs will get a chance to see how they stack up against the best the nation has to offer.
The first half ended with Georgia ahead 10-7. The major story line is that Georgia got a chance to avenge a loss to Auburn three week ago, and Auburn, sans a healthy Kerryon Johnson, lacked its “smash mouth” identity. Last week Johnson was pounded at the goal line by Alabama’s Ronnie Harrison, injuring Johnson’s shoulder. Though Auburn won the game, Harrison likely ended Auburn’s title hopes on that play:
Harrison’s “hammer” met Johnson with his arm extended, and it did not end well. It took Johnson several plays before he left the game, but both he and Harrison knew why he left. While Bama lost the game, they took a casualty with them. If Johnson does not play against Georgia or is not 100 percent then it could be the difference Georgia needs to win the SEC title.
Johnson pounded Bama for 104 yards on 30 carries. Clearly hampered by his injured shoulder, he only mustered 44 yards on 13 carries against the bulldogs. The lack of a running game also impacted quarterback Jarrett Stidham who was 16/32 for 145 yards – “pedestrian” compared to how he carved up Bama. The lack of a running game and inability to control the ball kept Auburn’s defense on the field much longer in the second half, and they eventually wilted.
The play that signified the game was a strip of Stidham by defensive lineman Davin Bellmany at the Georgia 16 yard line in the second half. Normally Auburn would have pounded the ball to Johnson. It had to resort to several pass plays, and the finesse strategy simply did not work. Barring any weird rankings, it will be Georgia and not Auburn or Bama who will represent the SEC in the NCAA final four.
On Trump And The Global Economy
The second installment of Trump And The Global Economy Town Hall took place October 24th in Fort Greene. It Featured Professor Lance Brofman, Coconut Rob (Coconut Rob Smoothies), Wuyi Jacobs (AfroBeats Radio) and Ralph Baker, author of Shock Exchange: How Inner-City Kids From Brooklyn Predicted the Great Recession and the Pain Ahead.
The event was well-received by the community. We parsed through President Trump’s proposed tax plan and [i] how it was pure economic folly and [ii] high net worth individuals could potentially game the system by shifting income around. Apparently, Kansas Coach Bill Self did this when the state of Kansas cut taxes in the past. We discussed the pros and cons of technology on workers and the economy. How will the economy and country prosper under Trump’s leadership vis-a-vis Obama? What’s behind the verbal sparring with black athletes, ESPN’s Jemele Hill and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un?
