Georgia Football: Not Florida or Auburn, October is Georgia’s biggest rival

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It’s an interesting topic around Georgia football. Who is Georgia’s biggest rival. The closer you live to Atlanta, the more likely you’ll say Georgia Tech. If you live in west Georgia, especially around LaGrange or Columbus, you’ll probably say Auburn. Or if you’re from Waycross or Valdosta, Florida could be your answer.

Fans in Hartwell might say South Carolina. In Blairsville, Clayton or Hiawassee, Tennessee might come up.

The issue is that Georgia’s biggest rival isn’t any one team. It’s something that Georgia has struggled to get through unscathed. It’s a something that has wrecked seasons, and what keeps Georgia from getting over the hump, it’s not even tangible. Georgia’s biggest rival is the month of October.

Since 2001, no month has caused Georgia more problems than October. Georgia is 52-13 in September and 48-13 in November. But the Bulldogs dip to 40-22 in October.

In fact, Georgia has gone undefeated in September six times and has only lost multiple games twice. The Bulldogs have gone undefeated in November four times and has only suffered multiple losses once.

In October however, Georgia has gone undefeated four times, but they lost multiple games six times.

Early on in the mark Richt era, November was the killer. Losses to Florida in 2002 and 2003 kept those Georgia teams from reaching their full potential. Then losses to Auburn in 2004 and 2005 kept Georgia from one-loss seasons.

But since 2006, Georgia has handled November’s and began struggling in October. The 2006 Bulldogs went 1-3 that season with embarrassing losses to Tennessee and Vanderbilt before a close loss to Florida.

The one October loss to Tennessee in 2007 kept Georgia from playing for a National Championship game. After exiting September 3-1 in 2009, the Bulldogs lost to LSU, Tennessee and Florida all in devastating fashion and they finished 8-5.

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More recently, Georgia followed great Septembers with 1-3 October’s. It has become abundantly clear that if Georgia is going to get over the hump, they need to learn how to conquer October year-in and year-out.

Until then, mid-season losses will continue to ruin otherwise great Georgia football teams.