The Georgia Celebration: Putting The Issue to Rest

With both Florida and Georgia expected to be in the national title race this season, a lot of people have been talking about Georgia’s on-field celebration last season. A lot of people have also been throwing around a lot of bunk, so hopefully I can set the record straight.   Did it work? It depends on what you’re talking about. In the context of the game itself, it’s far from certain that it made a huge difference. Florida immediately drove back down the field and scored, and took a 17-14 lead with 7:11 to go in the first half. Florida lost the game because the Gator defense couldn’t get a stop when it needed one. Tim Tebow plowed into the end zone with 9:40 to go in the game to pull within five points. Had the defense made a stop on Georgia’s ensuing drive (which included a conversion on 3rd-and-12), Florida would have been in position to go on a game-winning drive. The inability to get a critical stop factored heavily into Florida’s ... (link)