Sadness over UGA’s loss to Alabama turned to frustration, shock and disbelief Sunday as fans learned that their team was shut out of the College Football Playoff, but their love and loyalty helped them deal with the loss.
“It’s disappointing,” said Houston Gaines, 28, a UGA alum who attended Georgia’s two national championship wins and was hoping for another. “We were right there, and we dropped to number six. We have the best players in college football, we have the best coach in college football, and we’re not going to the championship.”
Gaines, who lives in Athens and is a Republican state representative for the 120th district, grew up going to UGA football games with the late and legendary coach Dan Magill, who built a tennis dynasty at UGA. Gaines said he doesn’t understand the reasoning behind the selection committee’s decision to rank Georgia six and to leave Georgia out.
“We win 29 in a row, back-to-back national championships...it’s hard to understand,” Gaines said.
Buck Belue, who led the Dawgs to their first national championship in 1981 with a win in the Sugar Bowl over Notre Dame, was equally flummoxed.
“It’s just a little confusing how you dropped from one to six in a heavyweight fight with Alabama in the game yesterday. And then just watching the ESPN college football show, they never really even addressed why, so there’s some frustration with that,’” Belue told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
”You know, they just did a two, two-and-a-half hour show and, you know, they never even addressed that.”
Brent Johnson, a 2013 alum who lives in Grant Park, agreed with Belue.
“It’s crazy, crazy, crazy,” said Johnson, a dentist. “Their logic just isn’t right.”
He said he’d received more than 100 texts within two hours after the announcement; many of his friends had held watch parties to see which teams would be included. No one he knew expected the outcome they saw, he said.
“The inconsistency of the logic is the worst part,” Johnson said. Why include Washington, a team he and others felt is inferior.
He wondered how much Alabama’s brand played a part in it.
“If I have any Bama fans tomorrow, I’m gonna find an extra cavity or two,” he said jokingly.
LuAnn Parker of Peachtree City was at Saturday night’s game and took comfort in the loss because she felt certain that Georgia could still win a third national championship. When she heard Sunday that Georgia was snubbed, she was shocked.
“Worse than Georgia losing is that the playoff selection committee chose Alabama instead of an undefeated Florida State,” she said.
LeBron Long said the loss was disappointing but the season was one to be proud of, especially considering the team’s injuries going into the game. He and his family traveled from north Georgia to Atlanta for the weekend to be in the city for the big game.
The group said they didn’t expect Georgia to get a bid after losing, despite a great effort by the team. Long felt more badly for Florida State, whose undefeated season didn’t win them an invitation either and who Georgia will face in the Orange Bowl.
Their group had a mixed rooting interest, with an Alabama fan and even a Tennessee fan in the bunch. Family members agreed that in the end, they’ll still pull for Alabama, the Southeastern Conference representative.
The other thing they agree on — expanding the playoff is the right move.
“I think you let them battle it out,” Donna Jackson, the family Alabama fan, said.
Richard Davis of St. Simons but a native of Athens and a graduate of UGA focused on being grateful for the 29-game winning streak and two national championships.
“Georgia has had three extraordinary back-to-back seasons, which gives us so much to be proud of,” Davis said. “And we still get a chance to prove ourselves against the undefeated Seminoles in the Orange Bowl.”
Ava Rogers, a member of the Redcoat Marching Band, said she’s still proud to be a Dawg.
“It’s sad that this is how it ends,” she said. “But at the end of the day, we’re Georgia Bulldogs, whether we win or lose. I’m still a Georgia Bulldog, and I’m proud to be a Dawg.”
“This is just one of those things,” she added. “It’s one thing to win together, but losing together, it brings us together in a way you can’t really explain.”
Virginia Anderson contributed to this report.
