Georgia 55, Idaho State 7

Did you enjoy watching this game on TV?  Were the bleachers full of rabid fans salivating over four quarters of smash-mouth football?  How was the buzz around campus?  Or the intensity of the players?

Well... you'd better get used to it.  We are going to have, on average, three of those types of games per season from here on out.  (HT: The Senator). 

The game was about what I expected.  Slow start, because how can the guys really be pumped up about this game?  Then a pouring on in the second quarter.  Then slowly moving to second and third stringers throughout the second half. It finished 55-7, and I predicted 56-0.  I'm a little disappointed that we could not shut them out, but - hey - we had third stringers and walk-ons in the game. 

I think what bothers me most about the scheduling of this game is the timing.  It wouldn't have been a big deal if it were at the beginning of the year, or even in the middle, say, before Tennessee or Florida.  But we've already got a bye week after the Auburn game, before Tech.  So, it sort-of makes for a fizzle here at the end of the season.  We spend the last 5 weeks of the season with two decent, meaningful games (if you include Tech).  Not really exciting for when the home stretch of football begins in November and true "football weather" sets in in the South.  So, hopefully McG will keep that in mind when scheduling our 2-3 directional or I-AA opponents each season in the future. 

Not only that, but the timing could cause some problems with injuries at the most pivotal point in the season.  On a good year, the Auburn and Tech games could prove extremely meaningful in competing for SEC and/or national championships.  After the guys have been playing all season long against SEC opponents, an injury in a meaningless game against Northwest New Mexico State could be devastating to the rest of the season.  Sure, a catastrophic injury could happen in ANY game (or even practice).  But wouldn't you much rather it happen when the game actually means something?  Instead of a tune-up late in the year against a I-AA team?  Seems like a waste to me.  Yesterday, we had two scares at the nose tackle position, where we are already thin and weak.  Both Tyson and Geathers were injured yesterday.  I just don't like the cost-benefit analysis with these late season tune-ups.