ATLANTA - The Georgia Bulldogs know they can win one championship Saturday. If things go really well, they could wind up with a chance to play for the biggest title of all.
The scenario presents an interesting dilemma for coach Mark Richt.
He knows the players, assistants and even himself will spend at least part of the afternoon glued to the television, watching the Miami-Virginia Tech game.
If the Number one Hurricanes lose, the fourth-ranked Bulldogs (11-1) will go into the Southeastern Conference championship game knowing that a victory over Number 22 Arkansas may give them a spot in the national title game.
Richt said Friday, ``It would be foolish of me to think the players won't be paying attention to the Miami game. They'll want to know what happens. We won't try to hide it from them.''
Instead, Georgia will stick to its normal routine for a night game, which includes position meetings and a chapel service, but also free time for the players to relax in their rooms.
The Miami-Virginia Tech game kicks off five hours before the SEC championship. Georgia, which was third in this week's Bowl Championship Series standings, is hoping to claim a spot opposite unbeaten Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. To do that, the Hurricanes have to lose at home.
Richt said, ``We realize that if Virginia Tech wins, we're going to be a little more excited for our game. If Miami wins, we'll probably be a little down. Hopefully, it won't be anything that keeps us from playing a good game.''
Richt spent the week stressing to his players the importance of winning the SEC title, which hasn't happened at Georgia since 1982.
Arkansas (9-3) didn't look like anything special when it started 1-3 in the SEC. But the Razorbacks reeled off a six-game winning streak to earn a spot in the championship game, finishing with an improbable 21-20 victory over LSU that clinched the Western Division berth in the title game.
Wednesday
July 16th, 2025
8:12AM
