Georgia Football – Dealing with Success and Superstitions
By Mike Stowe
2. “The number 1 ranking is a curse!”.
This one actually has a little something backing it up. In the brief history of the College Football Playoff, we have seen teams like Mississippi State be ranked number 1 and Texas A&M be in the top 4 in the first week of the rankings and then watched as they fell down the stretch and miss the playoffs. So, are we in trouble? Should we have hoped that we got that #2 or #3 spot instead? Or maybe even hope that we were outside the top 4 looking in?
Of course not. We should be ecstatic with where we are. In years past, I would be concerned that this huge success would be a hindrance. I would worry about the spotlight being too bright and affecting the psyche of this young team. But not now. I’m not sweating that with the ’17 team. They have shown maturity and a focus on winning that I don’t think I’ve personally seen out of a Georgia team since the last half of the 2007 season.
The leadership of the experienced players like Chubb, Michel, Smith and Carter combined with the amazing coaching job done by Kirby and his staff have me feeling just fine. This team isn’t cursed by being ranked #1. It’s validated. Besides, I believe in curses about as much as I believe in the tooth fairy. This is the SEC… not a Disney movie with a witch with an apple.