It was a game that had the attention of the whole nation. The broncos are no strangers to being BCS crashers and showing their skill set against some of the best of college football. This game was different however, some would say that Boise State winning was an upset , but Boise State was ranked number five in the nation and Georgia just 20th. This was by no means an upset this was Boise State showing once again that they belong. They beat a team they were supposed in beat in their house and they did it in convincing fashion. Say what you will about Georgia being ranked too high and not even being the third best in the SEC, but the fact is that Boise State played to their ranking , pushed Georgia off the ball and did what they had to do to beat an opponent that they were expected to beat.
The final score was 35-21 but it could have been a lot worse for Georgia in the end. The Georgia miscues hurt, but both teams had miscues and more telling in this game was the current problems with the Georgia defense and in particular two positions of the defense. The first position that is a problem area for Georgia is the defensive end position. In the game Kellen Moore did not take a single sack and had all kinds of time to throw the ball and this occurred because the Georgia defense was unable to get any pressure at all off the edge. The problem at the defensive end position however also caused a problem at another position, the secondary. Georgia came into this game with an inexperienced secondary and as a result needed to get pressure on the quarterback, while the secondary didn’t allow a single hundred yard receiver they gave up big play after big play against receivers that were new to Kellen Moore and had little game experience. While it is easy to blame the secondary for the big plays the major issue is the defensive end position. If the Georgia defense had been able to pressure Kellen Moore we might have seen a much different game then we did. If the Georgia defense can get on key and Georgia can find a way to get pressure off the edge then it should allow for the inexperienced secondary to have a chance. For Boise State it showed that their offensive line is in sync and that Kellen Moore given that kind of time can move the pocket and complete passes no matter what receivers he has at his disposal.While the defensive problems are big for Georgia the good thing is that they did not allow a single one hundred yard rusher and their quarterback Aaron Murray played well despite the fact that he was sacked six times in this game. Another bright spot for Georgia was their rushing which produced nearly two one hundred yard rushers in the game. A good rushing attack will help the Georgia offense and will allow them to be competitive later in the season.
The next question is do I think from this that Boise deserves to be in the National Championship? Based on their remaining schedule and the fact that their next big opponent, TCU just lost to Baylor last weekend it would be hard for Boise to beat out other undefeated teams if the rankings continue to stand as they are by the end of the season. The Broncos have proved time and time again that they belong and they deserve an opportunity to play in the National Championship, but based on who is ahead of them they would need some things to happen now in order for them to make their case and get into the National Championship game. The fact is Boise State needs to win the rest of the way and have no slip ups. If they do that and go undefeated they will make their case for the National Championship and at the very least a high bowl berth as a result.
Boise State aside what does this mean for the Georgia Bulldogs and more importantly for head coach Mark Richt? I would imagine that a lot of people think that a loss here spells the end for coach, but he didn’t lose to just anybody, he lost to a team that has show time and time again that they can beat good competition. Yes, Boise State did lose against Nevada last year and people like to talk about that, but in doing so people act like Nevada is a bad team to begin with. Boise State was no easy task for Georgia and with questions at the quarterback and defensive positions they were in for a fight from the get go. It’s true that Boise State did not have their receivers from a year ago and lost others too suspension, but they had a quarterback in Kellen Moore who was both experienced and capable of making up for what he had lost on offense. There were high hopes for this Georgia team coming into the season and a better season was expected, but expectations are not always reality and the fact is that this was a rebuilding year for Georgia. Mark Richt has done a good job of bringing Georgia to the national spotlight and competing in the SEC, there have been a few down years but that happens with every program and when they have to compete with the programs they do it makes it very difficult. The unfortunate thing for coach Mark Richt is that a good season ending record and a bowl berth will not be enough to save his job, at the very least he needs to win that bowl game and convincingly or at least get a big win, If the bulldogs can beat South Carolina this weekend and win out the rest of the way then coach Richt should be in good shape. Realistically based on the schedule there is no reason to panic for the Georgia faithful, They have all ranked opponents at home and realistically have a nine and three season ahead of them with a possible loss next week and a loss when Florida comes to town. On the flipside if Georgia improves and is ready to play, win next week against South Carolina and you could see Georgia go undefeated the rest of the way with the help of the momentum they gain.