Death, taxes, and the Georgia Bulldogs finding a way to pull a close one out late. It is what they do. Georgia may be the No. 5 team in the country heading into the first College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday night, but they are far from being a fun watch. Whether or not you have any vested interest in the Dawgs, they always find a way to keep things interesting. The national media notices.
Rather than calling them "cockroaches", Todd McShay of The Ringer may have the best assessment of Georgia of anyone without any rooting interests in the team. He called them The Cardiac Kids in an article he wrote over the weekend. It has become a nickname of endearment to some degree with the Georgia program. Win or lose, you need a full 60 minutes, sometimes more, to beat Georgia this year.
McShay viewed Georgia from a gambling perspective, believing there is money to be had on them.
"I wrote Cardiac Kids before seeing the postgame interview. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart was saying the same thing. He's like, The Cardiac Kids. They are! The thing I would do if I was a major gambler, and I made a living off it, bet the second half on Georgia. Bet the fourth quarter on Georgia. It's what they do."
Here is what McShay had to say about betting on Georgia over on The McShay Show for The Ringer.
Rather than bet on the point spread and be disappointed, take the Dawgs in the second half instead.
Georgia Bulldogs have become The Cardiac Kids of major college football
This may not be what they signed up for this season, but it is their lot in life this year. Nobody is more comfortable being uncomfortable than this Georgia team. They often trail by considerable margins at halftime, only to make a game of it each and every week. If not for an incompletion or two, Georgia might be undefeated at 8-0 (6-0) heading into their latest road test at Mississippi State this weekend.
There are three reasons why Georgia have become The Cardiac Kids of college football. The first is this defense is not as good of a unit as in years past. Georgia gives up points now, often in the first two frames of each and every contest. The second is head coach Kirby Smart likes to let the first half play out before making the necessary adjustments. This plays into the nature of UGA rarely covering.
As for the third, quarterback Gunner Stockton seems to be built for these big moments. He thrives in crunch time playing for his defensive-minded head coach. Yes, Georgia could have run up the score with Stockton padding his stats and scampering to pay dirt up late on Florida, but taking a knee of great sportsmanship was obviously the right call. Georgia won by four points, but it does not matter.
Until the clock strikes zero, Georgia is always a threat to find a way to come from behind to a victory.