The exalted playoff selection committee will tell us on Tuesday if we can dream on – or if it is time to wake up and start worrying about Vanderbilt.
Georgia told us a lot on Saturday evening.
Tennessee did not and has not looked like a national championship team but in a short tournament, anything can happen. Getting into the 12-team playoff is the secret. The Vols are 8-2 and competitive. Other 8-2s have advantages.
The Vols lost the game, 31-17, and much more in Athens. They dropped from 4th to 11th in the coaches’ poll. The AP poll says down to No. 10.
The home team was better in the second, third and fourth quarters. Georgia coaches made key adjustments to help it happen. Carson Beck punched big holes in the Tennessee pass defense. The Vols couldn’t or didn’t cover tight ends.
Shocking: Tennessee’s defense, supposedly one of the best in the country, yielded 453 yards. Georgia had touchdown drives of 75, 84, 87 and 92. The last one was the clincher.
Shock 2: Beck completed 11 of 12 for 164 in the second half. That’s 91 percent. Eleven Vols were out there on the same grass when all that was happening. They didn’t lay a hand on the quarterback. No, not one. They were not even credited with making him hurry.
Good news: Nico survived. Considering the uncertainty of his health and welfare, he played well. He is blessed with courage.
Winning coach Kirby Smart added an unsolicited endorsement: “It’s hard to get him down. I mean, that guy’s a tough competitor. I got a lot of respect for him to go through what he went through this week.
“He’s got great quickness, great vision, and he’s a really talented quarterback with a bright future.”
Kirby didn’t say anything about Dylan Sampson. I will. He was again the toughest guy at the ball park. He was outstanding after contact. He had his ninth 100-yard game of the season – barely – 101 and his 21st touchdown.
Bad news: Georgia has defeated Tennessee eight consecutive years. Georgia, as usual, is ahead of Tennessee in recruiting.
If you are keeping score, Tennessee won the first quarter, 10-0. The Vols racked up a 104-22 advantage in yards gained.
Miles Kitselman
Tight end Miles Kitselman, 6-5 and 256, lined up as an apparent blocking back, was handed the football and scored on a one-yard dive over the line. Smart play, very smart. The Bulldogs were expecting Sampson.
Max Gilbert kicked a 52-yard field goal.
Georgia won the second quarter, 17-7. The Bulldogs switched from whatever they were doing to aggressive pursuit of Nico Iamaleava. The Vols were not dependable at picking up blitzes. The Vols lost some one-on-one fights up front. That changed the game. Georgia seized momentum.
Sampson scored the Tennessee TD on a 27-yard run up the middle.
From 17-17 at intermission, Georgia won the second half, two touchdowns to none. A 12-play drive chewed up seven minutes and 22 seconds. The Vols could not stop the march. Beck did it. He was entirely too comfortable. He may not have bothered with a post-game shower.
I understand the wonderful, awful difference in playing at home and away but I can’t explain how the Georgia offensive line, considered inept a week ago at Ole Miss, improved so much in seven days that it shut out famous Vol rushers (think James Pearce).
In Oxford, Beck was sacked five times and got grass stains all over his pants and shirt.
Josh Heupel did not seem traumatized.
“Give credit to Georgia. They did what they had to do in the second half … loved the effort that we played with … played physical.
“Just didn’t do enough, coaches and players together, to get on the right side of the scoreboard in the second half.”
Heupel mentioned practice projects before the Texas-El Paso game.
“Too many big plays defensively we’ve given up. Offensively, some assignment stuff in critical situations that change the way the game is played. But I do love the effort and competitiveness that our guys played with. It’s got to be better.
“So, all in all, just weren’t playing well enough.”
Where to from here?
“Man, let it soak in … let it hurt … grow from it … get a next opportunity … got two more guaranteed.”
Maybe the playoff selection committee was listening.
“We don’t control what we don’t control. We control our preparation. We can control how we get ourselves ready to go play next Saturday. Got a good football team in that locker room. Got to coach a little better. We got to play a little better.”
Coach was asked where is Tennessee in the playoff picture.
“I have no idea, man. All I know is this league is college football as good as it gets. It is. Teams get beat on the road sometimes. It’s hard to win in this league.”
Marvin West welcomes comments or questions from readers. His address is marvinwest75@gmail.com
