Georgia victory sets up Saturday showdown

On a crystalline afternoon in Sanford Stadium, Georgia (11-1) went after Tech with scorn, taking a 7-0 lead in the first 63 seconds, running out to a 28-3 advantage by halftime and allowing a late touchdown after the starting defense was done for the day.

No. 2 Alabama (11-1), with a 49-0 victory over rival Auburn, RSVP’ed with Georgia for the SEC Championship game at the Georgia Dome on Saturday afternoon. UGA, which last won the conference title in 2005, will make its second consecutive appearance in the SEC finale, but faces the Crimson Tide for the first time in the title game’s 21-year history.

Beyond that lies the BCS Championship game in Miami on Jan. 7, when the SEC champion is expected to face No. 1 Notre Dame. The unbeaten Fighting Irish (11-0) needed to defeat Southern Cal later Saturday night in Los Angeles to maintain their hold on the top spot.

“The SEC championship should be the national title game,” said Mel George, a UGA fan from Melbourne, Fla. “If we can beat Alabama, there’s not a team in the country we can’t beat.”

For Tech (6-6), a two-touchdown underdog, the loss extended the misery against the state rival. The defeat was the 11th in their past 12 meetings and the Yellow Jackets have not held a lead against Georgia in their past 16 quarters dating to 2009.

The Jackets face Florida State for the ACC title in Charlotte next Saturday.

The 32-point win in hand, Bulldogs faithful across the state began anew contemplating Alabama and the school’s biggest game in 30 years. Not since the 1982 season, when then-No. 1-ranked Georgia played Penn State in the Sugar Bowl for the national title, have the Bulldogs taken part in a bigger football game. Penn State upset the Bulldogs that night 27-23.

“Alabama can be beat and we can beat them,” Ron Fritchley, of Gainesville, a season-ticket holder since 1971.

For some, a growing point of reference is the 1980 national champion Georgia team. As freshman running back Herschel Walker highlighted that season, freshman running backs Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall are handling the ground game, running for 163 yards and four touchdowns against Tech.

“We didn’t peak early in the (1980) season and we haven’t reached our peak yet,” Fritchley said.

Ken George, a Bulldogs season-ticket holder since 1972, celebrated the victory with his family. He plans to bring several extended family members to the Dome next weekend, including daughter Mary Beth van der Berg, who came home for the holidays from Zambia.

But George, 68, will not tempt fate. Pending the Bulldogs’ date with Alabama, he has not made reservations for Miami and the BCS title game. Yet.

“I sure would love to go,” he said.

Beforehand, given early temperatures in the 30s and a noon kickoff time, the North Campus, normally tailgate central, seemed nearly empty two hours before kickoff.

“I’m trying not to be overconfident,” said Zach Campanile, 20, of Woodstock, referencing the team’s only loss of the season, a 28-point whacking by South Carolina.

But Bulldog Nation’s growing passion could be fairly gauged at The Clubhouse, a downtown souvenir shop where weekend sales set a record.

“We have seven home games this year,” owner Lisa Royals said. “This is basically our Christmas.”

Her husband, Thomas, nursing his traditional pregame Bloody Mary, considered the history at work. To win the 1980 title, Georgia defeated Notre Dame 17-10 in the Sugar Bowl. Off in the distance some six weeks away, the Irish are in the mix again.

“I don’t know if it’s destiny. We’ll find out,” Royals said.

Those hoping for drama Saturday were disappointed and for Ken George, the day stretches his family dynamic a little tighter. His two brothers went to Tech and they have found a way to avoid contretemps after the annual Tech-UGA clash.

“We don’t brag,” he said. “We just look at each other and smile. We say, ‘How are you doing, brother?’”