AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2007 > August > 31 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USBulldogs, Cowboys an unlikely matchup
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Furman Bisher
You know, I love college football. Always have, since the time I saw Wake Forest and N.C. State play a scoreless tie when FDR was president. Loved it when they kicked off right after noon and you could get home before dark. Hate it when they kick off under sunshine and it ends under moonshine, and I still have to drive home. If I lived in Waycross or Whigham, or even Blue Ridge, I’d hate it even more.
But all I have to do is write about it. Think about the guys back in the office. They’re, like, sitting in a windstorm. They have five or six games crashing in on them at once. Braves are playing. So are both major leagues. Five or six college games are closing down at the same time. Tim Finchem’s folly is in the second stage, and this one is a headliner. Tiger’s back from “vacation.”
Hmph, call it “vacation?” Some people call playing golf a vacation. Woods calls getting away from golf “vacation.” His office is 18 holes of grass. But, I dawdle.
What’s happening here today is business of another form. Used to be, the big-time colleges liked to open with a “soft touch,” a designation not a lot of coaches like to hear, except for the big payout that comes with it. When I was in college, the Furman-Clemson game was a blockbuster in upper South Carolina. My class never lost a game to Clemson. Now Clemson plays Furman as a sort of a “breather,” which a lot of us old-timers don’t like at all. Georgia Tech used to do the same until Furman beat the Jackets one time, then tied them another, after which the North Avenue school turned elsewhere for its calisthenics.
In days of yore, it was customary that SEC schools opened with a less muscular opponent. Tennessee liked to pick on little Maryville College. Georgia lured Mercer or Stetson or Oglethorpe to Athens for a good payday and a brisk whacking. Mark Richt got to break in against Arkansas State, but that was only a tease. The next two seasons it was Clemson, but he was armed and ready by then. Then Boise State was invited in, but that was before they realized how dangerous Boise State might get to be. BS has become one of the big boys.
Now, we come to what is before us today. I’m not certain just how Oklahoma State happened to get on Georgia’s dance card. There was a time when the Cowboys from Stillwater were more famous for golf than football, won one NCAA championship after another. When they lost Les Miles to LSU, they turned to one of their former stars, and Mike Gundy is just gearing up. Gundy still stands as the finest passer in Oklahoma State history, a youngish 40-year-old who took his team to the Independence Bowl last year, beat Alabama, and probably sunk the fatal dagger in Mike Shula’s career in Tuscaloosa.
Georgia has played Oklahoma State twice, right after World War II, and that was living dangerously, for the Cowboys had lost only game in 1944-45. Wally Butts’ timing was perfect, though; he got the Okies first when the great Bob Fenimore, two times an All-American, was injured and then after he had moved on. So, the record shows Georgia winning twice, Oklahoma State zero, for whatever that means in 2007.
Teams aren’t as much a mystery to one another as they once were, with all the film and television and clinics about. Still, Georgia and OSU are strangers in conflict, sort of throwing darts in a darkened room. Their quarterback is a seasoned veteran, junior Bobby Reid, almost as dangerous running as he is throwing, if you buy into stats. The rest, we’ll find out between sundown and midnight, and all of his faithful followers will be able to get the news through the guttural tones of Larry Munson. There is something to be said for the comforts of home. Game over, turn out the light, party’s over, no 200 miles to drive to Albany, Valdosta, Brunswick or wherever, part of a long, strung-out series of a flickering taillight monster.
Permalink | Comments (28) | Post your comment | Categories: Furman Bisher
Comments
By milkman
August 31, 2007 11:34 PM | Link to this
Thanks for the column, Mr. Bisher. I always enjoy your wise, experienced perspective.
By Ron
September 1, 2007 12:11 AM | Link to this
Thank you, Mr. Bisher. As long as you write them, I’ll read them.
By Dorsey Hill
September 1, 2007 12:15 AM | Link to this
Mr. Bisher,
Mike Shula was fired well before the Independence Bowl. Joe Kines was the interim head coach for Alabama that day.
By cdawg
September 1, 2007 1:02 AM | Link to this
I used to walk uphill to school both ways when I was young.
By Killer
September 1, 2007 3:51 AM | Link to this
Thank God for indoor plumbing too!
By massdawg
September 1, 2007 6:43 AM | Link to this
Mr. Bisher,
As always an enjoyable read. I have been reading you since I was a kid 30 + years ago in Peachtree City and still read you online here in Massachusetts. Wish I could be in Athens today. The fun (nervewracking) part of this year is not knowing how we will be. We thought we would be good last year and then lost 4. We thought we were really bad and then won 3 in a row. I say the key here is that OK St. has run up those stats in the Big 12. Not much comparison to the SEC. I say our D does well and look like the old Junkyard Dawgs of Erk’s era- bend but don’t break! Stafford will do well as some quick passes set up the running game. We rotate 3 backs all day and wear their D down. They haven’t seen our good SEC speed like this. Moreno breaks out in the 2rd qtr and we win 28-17. Go Dawgs!!!!
By Johnson is a Johnson
September 1, 2007 7:05 AM | Link to this
We use to drive over to Athens for games from Ellijay when I was a kid in the 70’s. It was like going to Mecca. You’d stop at Katherine’s Kitchen for ham biscuits and scalding hot coffee. We’d see other red & blackers in the parking lot and once you hit downtown Jefferson, the parade was on. Then a few years later my buddies and I would stop in Arcade for beer. The teams of the 70’s were some classics. Then came 1980 and everything changed. Go Dawgs!
By Lilburn Dawg
September 1, 2007 7:58 AM | Link to this
It was interesting to read that UGA and Oklahoma State have played each other twice. All week on TV I’ve been hearing that they have never played each other. Thanks for the clarification!
By Terrible Truth
September 1, 2007 8:33 AM | Link to this
Isn’t this the game that Tulane cancelled? I think this was a case of both schools needing an opponent. Either way, thank goodness football has finally arrived!!!!!!!!!!
By Bob
September 1, 2007 8:49 AM | Link to this
Actually, I believe this was the game that Oregon State cancelled, but I could be wrong. ESPN worked with both schools to schedule this one as a home and home. In two years Georgia goes to Stillwater to open their newly expanded stadium.
As someone pointed out, Joe Kines was coaching the Tide as an interim for last year’s Independence Bowl.
Good article as usual Furman.
By SOBEDAWG
September 1, 2007 8:55 AM | Link to this
The Okies should start preparing for a butt-whipping! Sobedawg
By Cuz
September 1, 2007 9:11 AM | Link to this
Thanks for the history lesson Mr. Bisher. Always enjoyable to read of past teams and the games they played. My red-tailed Monster starts on 78 to Crawford and winds all the way to Thomson before I hit I-20.
By mike
September 1, 2007 9:26 AM | Link to this
Furman: Darn. Why so negative? I flew 4 hours yesterday and will gladly drive the rest to see the DAWGS play and I will drive home late tonight. You got to love it or leave. Maybe you should leave.
By BigNCDawg
September 1, 2007 9:28 AM | Link to this
Furman, I remember your TV program in the 50’s,”football review” on Sunday’s. There was a pannel with Harry Meer and Jessie Outler. You discussed the previous day’s college games. That was during tech’s glorie years and I was a GA. fan. I have enjoyed your articles through the years, even though I though you favored tech.
By drave15
September 1, 2007 10:30 AM | Link to this
So what does all this chatter prove? That just like Munson, there is no substitute for the wit and wisdom of Mr.Furman Bisher. What will nearby sports be without either of them? I hate to even think about it.
By Bill
September 1, 2007 10:35 AM | Link to this
To Johnson is a Johnson——now if you’re headed home you will have to be careful or the new by-pass at Arcade will shoot you past the good beer outlets!!!!
By Top Dawg
September 1, 2007 11:08 AM | Link to this
What is the point of this article?
By Don the dog
September 2, 2007 1:47 AM | Link to this
Thanks Furman for all the years of keeping us informed.
By BeachFloridaSunTan
September 2, 2007 2:52 AM | Link to this
Where the hell was this so called “great offense” that OSU was supposed to have? MY DAWGS KICKED A*!
By Big Dawg Daddy
September 2, 2007 4:59 AM | Link to this
Who farted?
By Snapshot
September 2, 2007 10:24 AM | Link to this
Hey SunTan, That was last year. They don’t have squat this year. How did the mutts let them score 14 pts. in this outing?
By trottinghometudd
September 2, 2007 11:07 AM | Link to this
You are a turd Furman
By Vindexdawg
September 2, 2007 11:45 AM | Link to this
Your comment about Georgia scheduling Boise State “before they knew they were one of the big boys” is a bizarre one. That 2005 opener was arranged after Boise completed an undefeated 2004 season (and lost a barnburner to Louisville in their bowl game). The 2005 Bose State outfit demolished by the Dawgs was substantially the same as the one which beat Oklahoma last January (to the Sooners’ eternal disgrace).
By D-Man
September 2, 2007 5:00 PM | Link to this
I dont want my thoughts here to sound too overly insensitive, but I think it’s time for Mr Bisher to start writing his autobiography or something (if he already has, then I suggest a 2nd one)…it’s difficult to read his columns and yes, I have been a LONG TIME reader. Those of us that remember the old Furman know that there is something clearly amiss. Mr. Bisher, I have enjoyed your columns for years, but it is indeed time to move along.
By Sydney
September 3, 2007 12:05 PM | Link to this
Great showing for the Dawgs, Mr. Bisher!! But what realllllly bothers me is that I missed almost the first half because of having to watch some northern teams finish ib television. What in the WORLD??? Hasn’t ESPN gotten the word regarding “regional” play???!!! Thanks for your articles. I always enjoy them.
By Sydney
September 3, 2007 12:05 PM | Link to this
Great showing for the Dawgs, Mr. Bisher!! But what realllllly bothers me is that I missed almost the first half because of having to watch some northern teams finish on television. What in the WORLD??? Hasn’t ESPN gotten the word regarding “regional” play???!!! Thanks for your articles. I always enjoy them.
By jj
September 3, 2007 6:01 PM | Link to this
What a worthless column. Maybe Furman should consider creating a scandal wherein OSU and Mark Richt conspired to fix the game…
By Stumpy
September 4, 2007 4:20 PM | Link to this
Furman/Clemson used to be a blockbuster? Wait until 9/15/07. App State showed what can happen when a sacrificial lamb doesn’t know its place. :-)