If you’re knowledgeable in Georgia’s record book, you’ve probably already figured out that Georgia football has a great year every five years.
It’s well-known that Vince Dooley only had one losing season as head coach of Georgia football. That year was 1977, the Bulldogs finished 5-6 after winning the SEC in 1976 and going 9-2-1 in 1978.
It was a very forgettable season, but has a favorable trend started in wake of that season? Because looking through the final records of teams since 1977, one thing is apparent; Georgia is bound to have a great team every five years.
Of course, there have been plenty of fantastic teams that weren’t a part of that trend. The 1980 National Title season and 2005 SEC Championship season fall outside of it. But even in stretches of relative disappointment, a team will pop up and outshine teams immediately before and after it.
Birth of the trend
If 1977 spurred the trend, the 1982 team started it. If your blood runs red and black, you’re well aware that Georgia finished 11-1 that year. They won the SEC Championship while Herschel Walker won the Heisman Trophy.
That team was only four points away from at least a share of the National Championship and featured many all-time greats, notably Terry Hoage and the aforementioned Walker. 1982 was preceded and succeeded by two highly regarded teams. However, it was five years after Georgia’s worst team in 15 years.
Then in 1987, Georgia went 9-3. Which doesn’t seem all that special considering Georgia finished 8-4 in 1986 and 9-3 in 1988. Plus they finished outside the top-10 nationally and fourth in the SEC. But Georgia did snap a three-year winless streak in bowl games and won their third bowl game since 1973. Since 1987, Georgia is 19-7 in bowl games.