yd1, yet another great post. You are spot on about that 4th down call. Watching that replay shows a whole lotta "WANT-IT-BAD" on the part of every single person on the UGA team . . . players, coaches, assistants, police escorts, trombone section, every person in every seating section of the stadium outside of sections 102 through 104. Going for it there, with a tie score - could have thrown the momentum right back to Abuurn. The initial reaction was the right one - get me some points. But the time out provided enough time to grow a pair and remember that if you put enough beef on the line, you can get one lousy yard, and with NC in the game, you can get the other 8 to boot.
I'm still sick about this season, and may be for many years to come. Two lousy games, lost to two lousy, stinking teams. Win those two games and everything would be so much simpler. However - literally every single goal that was there in August is still there. If only Tennessee and Arkansas were a little better this year. Like others here, I HATE "backing into" a championship, but I'd rather back into one than be run over by someone else winning one.
I'll be smoking a turkey again this year (last year did it in single digit temps at 6:00 in the morning Thanksgiving day - that was actually FUN). It tasted AWESOME - infused with butter, smoked with apple wood. This year I'm telling the kids we're having "smoked yellow jackets" with a side of "Hallowed Hedges" (some sort of green) and "Practice footballs" (probably sweet potatoes).