SEC Projections: The Cocktail Party Drops From Polls

Filed under: Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, SEC

It's been 31 years since neither Florida nor Georgia were ranked in the polls for the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. To put that into context, I was six months old when that happened back in October of 1979.

Yet, Bulldogs fans are the most excited 4-4 team in the history of Georgia football. After three consecutive big wins over the three worst teams in the SEC -- Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky -- Bulldogs fans have almost forgotten the woeful start to the season.

That's because the idea that Georgia will win the SEC East has taken root among the faithful. On Monday, I explained why this won't happen -- in fact, Florida and South Carolina both have much greater chances of going to Atlanta than Georgia -- but the idea continues to circulate. It's amazing, really, the latest dirigible of hope to be floated by Bulldogs faithful who still can't quite believe that they are 3-17 in the past 20 cocktail parties.

As rivalry games between top 25 programs go, there isn't a more sustained level of generational dominance in the country than Florida's ownership of Georgia. Yet this year, Florida has no offensive hope and Georgia's offense and defense appear to be rolling. If you ever doubted how much football fortunes in the SEC can change in less than a month, this game is the poster child. On Oct. 3, Florida was ranked in the top seven and preparing for a road game against Alabama. By Oct. 4, Georgia was 1-4.

Now the Bulldogs are favored. Amazing, really.

 

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