Dogs on Top

Does Baker Mayfield have the second most punchable face behind Grayson Allen of the Duke Blue Devils?

The 2018 Rose Bowl was arguably one the best games in history. In the first-ever OT game in Rose Bowl history, the Georgia Bulldogs pulled away to beat the Oklahoma Sooners in double overtime, 54-48. First off I just wanna start by saying good job to Baker Mayfield and the Oklahoma sooners. To be quite honest with you, he’s very good, they are very good. Their tempo was something out of a Chip Kelly playbook and it was fun to watch. Up beat, fast, get the ball out, type of mentality tore up the Bulldawgs for the entirety of the first half. Personally I saw multiple examples of the Georgia defense not even being able to lineup before Mayfield snapped the ball off. On top of not being in the right spot, the Sooners read option attack discombobulated Georgia after the snap. After the third time Mayfield may his way into Georgia’s dinner table, he threw up the one sign these kids make now-a-days.

After that I thought it was all over.

12 plays, 224 yards, three touchdowns. Six minutes and 13 seconds is all it took to blend a top ten defense into a smoothie. The numbers are stark. In the first half, three Oklahoma receivers had catches over 25 yards. Rodney Anderson, the Sooners’ running back, was averaging nearly 10 yards per carry. Mayfield had 200 yards on just 18 pass attempts. Oklahoma scored on five of six drives, and Georgia’s defense, which entered allowing opponents 271 yards per game, gave up 360. David Pollack, a long time analyst and former Georgia linebacker said it best. “You have to be baptized by fire”.

BUT HAVE NO FEAR. Kirby Smart and the Georgia bulldog running duo is here. Not to mention the true freshman quarterback, who is pretty darn good. Kirby Smart, the man behind all of the past Bama defensive success, the man who it only took 20 minutes at halftime to figure out the most high powered offence in college football. Is he a sorcerer? Or is he just a man with an enormous amount of football knowledge? I say sorcerer 1000%.

The Sooners would slap the Dogs in the face with that high powered offense time and time again. The dogs like to take a different approach at things. Things that were relevant before the forward pass was instituted. Yeah I am talking smash mouth, run down your throat football. You know for a fact there was an old timer somewhere sitting next to someone at a bar, wearing a MAGA hat, saying “Now that’s football”.

The dogs amassed 527 total yards from scrimmage with 317 of that on the ground. Not only that but they averaged 9.3 yards per carry. Keep in mind that it only takes ten yards for a first down. I wish I could call plays for Georgia I really do. “Oh, Chubb to the left went for 12 yards? How about Michel to the right for 14 yards.”. Oklahoma constantly had eight or nine guys in the box at all times and they still could not stop that backfield. Chubb and Michel or should I say, thunder and lightning, surpassed SMU greats Eric Dickerson and Craig James in the all time FBS combined rushing list with an astounding 8,198 yards on the ground.

This game was like riding a rollercoaster, scratch that *Jim Rome voice* this was like riding shirtless in the back of chopper across the Atlantic. It was incredible thrill ride that we don’t get very often. The second half was truly amazing football to watch. Football porn is what I see it as or is that too much? Either way it was fantastic. The dogs fighting back to take a 38-31 lead on some HUGE runs by the thoroughbreds. Oklahoma shot right back tying the ball game up after an awful 3rd quarter giving up a 31-17 lead. It all looked peachy for the Dogs then disaster strikes with Michel fumbling for a nice scoop and score for the Sooners to tie it back up. It was a dark time after that for me certainly, but for all Dog fans. Another enormous stop by the Dog defense kept the score at 38-45 Oklahoma. This was the exact point that Jake “The Snake” Fromm makes his way to the field for one last rally. Side note; not entirely sure if people call him the Snake but if I was the first to say it, I want credit.

Three minutes 15 seconds left in the game. Time ticking away slowly. Fromm finds Georgia receiver Terry Godwin for a first, then Michel for another first. Fast forward to first and goal with a pass interference call making it YET AGAIN, first and goal. Big change right there. Chubb will then find the end zone. Dogs tie it up. Dogs stop Baker YET AGAIN and we are going to OT.

At this point I am hammered and emotional. My roommates are questioning my sanity. First OT goes with two made field goals taking us on another thrill ride on the back of a noble steed into the battle I like to call, double OH TEE. Oklahoma squeezes out one first down, then goes 3 and out, lining up for a field goal. Should be a chip shot right? WRONG.

Lorenzo Carter you have a seat at my dinner table forever and always my friend.

Georgia Ball first and ten. Running back D’andre swift runs for a two yard loss. Then it happened. Dreams became reality. Remember the Valley championship in Karate kid? Sweep the leg? Yeah it was something like that. SONY MICHEL CROSSES THE THRESHOLD. DOGS ON TOP.

See you in Atlanta, Nick.

#NCAA #football #Georgia #Bulldogs