The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bulldogs backers were confident ahead of showdown
They descended upon Atlanta, set up shop in the Gulch and the Home Depot Backyard and over near the Vine City MARTA station. Booze and cigar smoke mingled with that odd mix of country, hip-hop and classic rock that you only find at tailgates.
They mulled through the Georgia World Congress Center, where “College GameDay” (that four-letter network’s preeminent pregame show) broadcast live for a few hours and the Zac Brown Band (”something-something-something chicken fried ...”) took the stage for a few minutes.
All around Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the folks in red and black seemingly outnumbered those in crimson about 3-to-1.
And Bulldogs fans came largely expecting to watch their team beat down the bogeyman in the SEC Championship game.
“Revenge is best served cold,” said Matthew Barnes, a 37-yearold Bulldog from Birmingham. “With a cold beer in my hand.”
The team on the other side, Alabama, has no doubt had Georgia’s number.
Six straight Bama wins against the Bulldogs, some on the highest stage and in the most excruciating fashion (see: 2nd-and-26).
Fifteen straight wins in Atlanta, in general, whether in kickoff games or conference championships.
On Saturday, Georgia came in as the undisputed No. 1 team in the country, a shoo-in for the
College Football Playoff regardless of this game’s results. Owner of a 12-0 record for the first time since the 1980s glory days. The first team to be a betting favorite in a game against the Crimson
Tide in six years.
The doubts? They always exist, somewhere. Especially in this town, against this team.
“You still have it lingering back there, until you do it,” said Rick
Campfield, 62, of Flowery Branch.
But before the game started, Campfield, his wife and plenty of other Georgia fans were showing more hubris than heartburn.
“We’ve been down this road before, we’ve seen the script. Hopefully it’ll be different today,” Christie Campfield said, relaxing in a chair at an otherwise raucous tailgate near Northside Drive. “I’m feeling very confident.”
Richmond Fields, a 37-year-old from Savannah, was feeling it too.
“They’re not the same Bama,” he said. “If we play our game, and execute the way we’re supposed to execute, they don’t stand a chance.”
Cal Jackson, 25, drove up from Hamilton (a little north of Columbus). He and his sister were in line to get into the stadium well before gates opened. He was a tad more cautious when weighing his team’s chances, saying you should never underestimate Alabama or its coach, Nick Saban. But “pretty confident” was still his big-picture assessment.
As game time approached, he and tens of thousands of other Georgia football fans filed into a stadium filled with many unpleasant memories — with hopes they’d be proven right.
“Everybody has their day,” Jackson said. “I’m just hoping today’s it.”