The announcement that the Bulldogs would face Boise State, in Atlanta, for the annual Chick-Fil-A Kickoff game was both a surprise, and a statement, that the new athletic director, Greg McGarity, wants Georgia to get back to being a brand that the college football world recognizes a contender.
That said, the turmoil, and the question marks, surrounding Mark Richt, Georgia football, and the overall direction of the program just went from being a local/regional story to a national one.
Is that the kind of attention Mark Richt really wants?
Can this opportunity provide the spark that he and the team both need to get back on the right track this off-season? Will the fans who gave up on the coaching staff long ago come back and support them now—temporarily ditching their seats on the 'Fire Mark Richt' train?
These are the types of questions you have to ask because, while it's easy to applaud this move and say that it will benefit the program from both a financial and, hopefully, a recruiting standpoint, there are also more serious repercussions if the move backfires.
For one, this isn't the Boise State program of 2005. The one that Georgia dismantled and decimated at Sanford Stadium, 48-13. That was Dan Hawkins' team and he left shortly after said season for the "greener pastures" of the BCS friendly Big 12—opening the door for his offensive coordinator, Chris Petersen, to take the reigns.
Chris Petersen has not only been every bit as successful as his predecessor, but he's moved the Broncos into the realm of major contenders. His team has become a staple of the BCS Top 10 and, barring some unforeseen catastrophe, they are poised to make yet another appearance in a BCS bowl this year—their third in five years.
By contrast, Georgia hasn't seen a BCS bowl since 2007 and their overall win-loss record has dipped lower in each successive year since that time.
That said, this time around, Boise is likely to be the favored team entering the contest.
In other words, this game would be a great opportunity for Georgia because Boise will enter 2011 as a Top 10 team, and if Georgia can beat them on a national stage, then it would be a tremendous start to their season.
That said, you also have to entertain the possibility of what it would mean if Georgia lost. That would certainly be a bad omen for Richt's future prospects—especially if the remainder of the season played out in much the same way the prior two have.
Of course, if the team lost but was able to find their footing and go on a run, a scenario pointed out by one of my loyal readers, Bill B., then who knows. As Bill pointed out, both Virginia Tech (2010) and Oregon (2009) lost their season openers to Boise State, but still ended up finishing well.
That's a very good point, too. Oregon won their next seven games and moved into the Top 5 before a late season loss to Stanford spoiled their season. Still, a Pac-10 Championship and a trip to the Rose Bowl wasn't a bad consolation prize.
As for Virginia Tech, they stand to win the ACC and they too could end up in a top-tier bowl come seasons end—so, there is a bright side.
However, you still have to wonder if this game is meant to send a message. Is this McGarity's way of letting Richt know this is his last chance to shine?
It could very well be and, for the sake of Georgia's fans, let's hope that he's ready to shine brightly.
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