Finally
They did it.
The Georgia Bulldogs are national champions.
I have so many things running through my mind as I sit down to write this almost 24 hours after the game finished. Last night I was drunk enough to not remember crawling into bed. When I woke up I couldn’t find my pants or my keys. Both were located shortly thereafter. My throat was still sore from all the screaming I did celebrating. I had a headache that began soon after I woke up. And it was all worth it. I woke up with my team being the champs.
I wasn’t a nervous wreck during the game. I felt fine. In a weird way the loss to Bama last month just wrecked me. I let go. Didn’t read one word about Georgia football for the rest of the month. When we played Michigan I started to sneak more peeks. I watched the bowl game and started to feel as though we bounced back from our drubbing in the SEC Championship game. I allowed myself to believe things would be different.
From the beginning it looked different. We scored a defensive touchdown from getting home on Bryce Young. Of course the refs stole it from us. I went in knowing we would have to beat Bama and the refs. It just comes with the territory on things like this. Bama moved the ball a little, but we tightened up when they got in the redzone making them settle for field goals. They did the same to us. Jameson Williams went down on his biggest catch of the game. I hate seeing players get injured, but I sure wasn’t shedding a tear for them considering what awful injury luck our team had this season.
As we entered the fourth quarter, Stetson “fumbled” the ball and Bama recovered. I was pissed. Yet somehow I didn’t think it was the end. I felt strangely fine even though I was pissed we got screwed again by the refs. Then we got the ball back. Then 2nd and 18 happened. Perfect throw. Perfect catch by AD Mitchell to put us ahead. I was allowing myself to believe. Bama was getting the ball back. They were down eight. I felt confident. All their game breakers were on the sidelines in sweats.
Then Bryce Young threw that beautiful, beatiful touchdown pass. Unfortunately for Bama fans, it was to Georgia CB Kelee Ringo. He ran it all the way back and cashed it for six. The refs took away our defensive TD, but Kelee took that back. It was official. When Bryce Young got sacked one more time at the end, the numbers read zero, and we were the champs. It was fantastic. I felt satisfied. I called people. I hugged my friends. I was walking on air.
The job is done. Not in any way I expected either. And I couldn’t be happier.
PS: The Florida Gators have not won a title since 2008.
