What-if’s in Georgia football History: 2012 SEC Championship

It’s the dog days of summer. We are so close but, yet so far away, from the 2023 College Football Season. As of writing this post, we are 38 days away from Georgia playing UT-Martin. But you are clicking on this post and on this site because you are wanting to scratch that itch for Georgia football. So am I.

So let’s scratch that itch and go back to 2012.

Let’s go back to the first day of December at the Georgia Dome. SEC Championship Georgia vs Alabama. Georgia is down late with a little over a minute left in the ball game. They had control of this game up to this point. Doesn’t this sound like every game Georgia plays against Alabama?

Anyway, Aaron Murray drives the ball down the field to the 8-yard line with 15 seconds left. Now in this world, Georgia doesn’t spike it, and Chris Conley doesn’t catch the tipped pass. Instead, Murray throws into the endzone to Tavarres King who is running a fade in the endzone. Verne Lundquist calls it “Touchdown Georgia My Goodness!” Players run onto the field, Confetti falls and Georgia wins its first SEC Title since 2005 and will play in the National title game against Notre Dame in Miami.

Whew! What a classic. Georgia goes on to win the national title with a drumming of the Irish. Georgia wins its first title since 1980 and Mark Richt wins the title that seems to always escape him.

This is the worst thing that could have happened.

At the time, I would’ve taken what I just wrote. But losing that SEC Championship is the best thing that ever happened to Georgia. All good things come to those who wait.

Why is that?

If Mark Richt wins the title at Georgia, the money that Georgia needed to compete with Bama would not come in, like it is today. At the time the powers that be that ran Georgia, thought that Georgia did not need upgraded facilities because they are competing with every team on the field. The recruiting budget does move up enough like it should either.

Oh! Kirby Smart becomes South Carolina’s coach, not Will Muschamp. If you remember, Smart was inches away from becoming South Carolina’s head coach. Georgia’s firing of Richt caused Smart to start talking with the school. If Richt would have won that title in 2012, he would only be 3 years removed from it.

Could you imagine if Kirby Smart was the coach for South Carolina? He would turn that place into whatGeorgia is right now! So next time you see that clip of Chris Conley falling into the Georgia Dome turf, don’t get upset or hurt. Exhale and say thank you!