Found this posted on another site from 81 Dawg,....
A few opening thoughts for this week.....
This week, it's about focus. It's about ignoring what happens in Lexington, which we can't control or affect, and concentrating on what's going on at the Joke By Coke, which we CAN control. It's about being confident, but not getting cocky. It's about believing, but not assuming. It's about rolling in there with a chip on our collective shoulder, and playing like our hair is on fire, and not lumbering in fat and happy because we kicked Florida's asses and Auburn's asses and expecting GTU to just give up before the game starts.
As you Bulldogs, and you nerd lurkers, are well aware, UGA regularly owns the Urine Nation since the dawn of the Dooley era. Kids like our players, who were born after the Herschel era, probably cant comprehend what life was like in the time of GTU dominance....but if you compare it to how UGA chafed under the last 17 years of Gator wins, it should give them a pretty good idea.
GTU is like S Carolina in many ways. They envy us. They think about us all year. They point to us. They agonize over our every success, and revel in our every failure. In the rare years one of them beats us, it makes their season. Look at things in Columbia right now. From Number 6 in the country to a probable 6-6, and maybe tied for last in the SEC East, but what are they mostly talking about? How they ruined our chances for an SEC title (they hope) and a BCS spot (they double hope). We cant go back and replay that game, but we can show everyone how far we've come by not stubbing our toes against a similarly motivated, mouthy opponent in our last game.
Tech is not like S Carolina in one respect. Many of their older fans clearly remember the days when they owned us (sure, it was when I Like Ike stickers were in vogue, but still). Their younger fans all know the history. GTU has been largely irrelevant in major college football for almost 45 years, and we've been a major power for most of that time. They want to ruin the end of our season every year, but THIS year, especially. Our guys know recent history, but sometimes you have to look at the big picture.
What do the pencil necks have to look forward to? Some dreary mid December bowl in some godforsaken venue? Boise? Charlotte? Shreveport? Their coach is all but fired, and he's a good man who their players rightly respect (even if their ungrateful fan base doesnt. They deserve Bill Lewis). This GTU team is playing for their coach's job, or at least, the chance to send him off with the biggest burden of his career there finally lifted. Ask our guys to imagine how hard they'd play for Coach Richt if they thought they were trying to save HIS job, and maybe they'll understand how motivated Tech will be.
Nobody in our senior class has ever lost to Tech. In fact, they're almost at the point where no one in our senior class was ever in school with someone who lost to Tech (I dont recall who the redshirt seniors were in 2004, but that would be it.) It's been a weird year in college football, and if all of us have learned anything, it should be this: Anyone can lose to anyone else, IF the favored team doesnt come out ready to play.
Dont think this will be easier because Calvin Johnson is gone. Dont think it will be easier because Tashard Choice is dinged up. Dont think it will be easier because in the last month, UGA has unlocked the magic code to victory. Tech will come out just like they have the last 4 years: ready to give us their best shot, ready to hit us in the mouth, ready to try and toss the Bulldog that's been riding on their backs since John Kennedy was President. Dont get sucked into the trap. They wont roll over unless we MAKE them roll over. It's a sign of respect for your opponent to bring them your best game. Let's show how much we respect them by laying the wood to their asses right from the jump.
Erk Russell, a true UGA legend, once wrote his defensive team that the plan was to go out and win. There was no alternative plan. Same thing this week against the team Dan Magill has called \"the eternal enemy.\"
Bring your A game this week, and let's show everyone that the Florida game and the Auburn game Bulldogs were the REAL 2007 Bulldogs. It's not how you start, it's how you finish. To quote a certain well known coach from a few years ago, FINISH THE DRILL!!!!!
GO DAWGS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"My advice to you is to start drinking heavily." - Bluto
