GEORGIA REPORT

Talk of Dogs in BCS title game bugs Miles


The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 11/28/07

Mark Richt has no problem with Georgia's potential to make it to the BCS title game.

But LSU coach Les Miles took slight umbrage with the possibility a team that did not have to win the SEC title game could make it to New Orleans for the BCS title game.

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"I certainly think the champions in that position should be allowed every opportunity to play in the most prestigious bowl and certainly be the highest ranked," Miles said. "I would like to envision an opportunity for the team from Louisiana that, if fortunate enough to win the conference championship and who played the schedule that we did with the victories that we've achieved and not lost a game in regulation yet, to have that opportunity."

Georgia's path to the BCS title game is rather simple. The Bulldogs need Missouri and West Virginia to lose. That could possibly move Georgia from No. 4 in the BCS to No. 2.

That means Georgia needs to root for Pitt to upset West Virginia and Oklahoma to beat Missouri.

"I don't know if I will be glued to the television," Richt said. "I don't know if I could stand that."

Richt is guarded about his team's possibilities to make it to the BCS title game.

"I am not going to get my hopes too high," he said.

That might be a smart move because the possibility exists that the upsets needed could happen and that LSU could jump Georgia with a win in the SEC title game. That would send the Tigers to the BCS title game and Georgia to the Sugar Bowl.

Orange likes Dogs

If all goes according to plan on the field Saturday, Orange Bowl CEO Eric Poms could have the last BCS pick, and he is not sure what to do with it.

"The way the year has unfolded, you look at it right now and there could be seven or eight teams in there that think they have a shot at the title game,"Poms said.

Three candidates are most likely: Ohio State, Missouri and West Virginia. Behind those is a two-loss Georgia team, and the Bulldogs intrigue the Orange Bowl. But it might not have the chance to grab them since the Rose or the Fiesta could have the first two at-large picks.

The Orange Bowl could have a rematch of last year's Chick-fil-A Bowl between Georgia and possible ACC champ Virginia Tech. Poms doesn't have a problem with that.

"We know there would be support for that game here and within the two programs," he said.

Each participating school must guarantee 17,000 tickets.

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