There’s a perception outside the region that Georgia’s biggest rival is Georgia Tech. Part of that is because it falls this week, when the other in-state, heated rivalries take place: Alabama-Auburn, Clemson-South Carolina, Ole Miss-Mississippi State, etc.
But as I quickly discovered when I moved to Georgia eight years ago, there are two basic truths when it comes to the status of the Bulldogs’ biggest rival:
1. For most people, it’s Florida.
2. As for who comes second, it depends on where you live, or how well Auburn, Georgia Tech, South Carolina or Tennessee are doing.
So on this week, I’ll throw it open to the gallery: If you had a preference, rank the following teams in order of how much, in an average year, you would rather beat them:
Auburn
Florida
Georgia Tech
South Carolina
Tennessee
Someone else
And … go.
Of teams I'd rather beat, Florida is by far #1. Then comes Auburn, Georgia Tech, Tennessee, and then the rest.
ReplyDeleteAs for teams I'd rather not lose to, Georgia Tech easily tops the list with Florida in second. Tech is fun to beat, but not near as much as the others because we're supposed to beat them. The best part of a win over Tech is the shadenfreude of what it does to their fanbase. Losing to them, though, sucks worse than a thousand Oreck XL vacuums.
My rivalry list regardless of how anyone is ranked:
ReplyDeleteFlorida
South Carolina (I still hate Spurrier)
Auburn
Tennessee
Georgia Tech
The NERDS hands down. Then Fladuh, AU, SCar, UTurd etc...
ReplyDeleteFlorida, Tech (just because they are so annoying when they actually manage to win), Tennessee, Auburn, SC
ReplyDelete1. Florida
ReplyDelete2. Tech
3. Tennessee
4. Allbarn
5. USCe
1. Gtu-because we are so dominant in the series, UGA fans forget how awful losing to Gtu in anything is. It's unacceptable. UGA coaches get fired for losing to Gtu, not any other schools.
ReplyDelete2. Auburn-historically, one of the great rivalries in any sport.
3. Clemson-for traditional rivalries, this one has got it all. Cannot wait to resume the series.
4. UF-they have only been historically relevant for 20 years, so it's really not even a rivalry.
4. Tennessee-hardly a rivalry at all with as few times as the two have played through the years.
5. Scu-this is more of a case of hammer and nail than a rivalry.
It's not UF, it's GT all the way. Losing to GT hurts more than anything. We want to beat UF more than anyone else, because we have been so inept at doing so for the last 20 years. Beating UF is #1, maintaing dominance over GT is a given.
ReplyDelete1. Auburn- after years of having a healthy respect for them this year's game changed everything. I want nothing but bad things for them now.
ReplyDelete2. Tenn.- they have awful fans and nothing feels worse than losing to those backwoods hillbillies
3. UF- this is mostly based on frustration. in my lifetime we have only won four times. I hate them but not with the fire I now carry for auburn
4. Nerds- there is nothing worse than having to go to church the sunday after the game and having to see that one tech fan who talks trash regardless of outcome. just awful
5. South Carolina- with the exception of this year carolina has been pretty non threatening. its usually a tough game but I feel no ill will towards them even if Steve is their coach
Like some people have already said, Tech is by far the worst team to lose to. Florida is the best team to beat, and the 2nd worst to lose to. Auburn is the most competitive and respectful rivalry (when they aren't cheap-shotting our QB), and Tennessee is stupid.
ReplyDelete1. Florida
ReplyDelete2. Georgia Tech
3. Auburn
4. Tennessee
5. Clemson/South Carolina
Georgia Tech is a strange one. It's hard to put it #1 (or near the top, really) since it's not a SEC game and has no bearing on Georgia's ability to meet many of its goals (SEC East, SEC, Sugar Bowl).
ReplyDeleteStill, it is expected that UGA beats Tech. And the loss stings (sic) more than a loss to any of the others.
But how does any other team than UF rank #1? They don't.
#1 Florida
#2a Auburn
#2b Georgia Tech
#4 South Carolina
#5 Tennessee
#6 Clemson
I have to say, however, that 2-5 is a fluid situation. This is just my current (and perceived average) level of hate-on for these teams.
This doesn't reflect the importance of each game. That looks like this:
#1 South Carolina
#2 Tennessee
#3 Florida
#4 Auburn
#5 Any and all other SEC East opponents
#6 Any and all other SEC opponents
#7 Georgia Tech
1. UF
ReplyDelete2. Nerds
3. Tenn
4. AU
5. SC
1. Tech (always and forever)
ReplyDelete2. Florida
3. Tennesee
4. Auburn
5. SCar
Florida by far, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Tennessee, South Carolina
ReplyDelete1. Florida
ReplyDelete2. USC
3. Tech
4. Tennessee
5. Auburn
I was raised a Clemson fan before attending UGA, so I was trained to hate the Gamecocks from a very early age. I'd still rather beat Florida though. Partly out of frustration, but also because I've never met a decent Florida fan.
I agree with FisheriesDawg that losing to Tech is the absolute worst though. Ugh! I'm getting angry just thinking about the nerds from my high school trying to rub one measly win in my face.
UF/GT - I absolutely would not pull for either of them against any team. However if by some chance they played each other I don't think I would want tech to win because I'd have to hear their fans mouths about how "they beat Florida".
ReplyDeleteAU - This years game moved them up my list.
USC - We've just owned for so long I don't have a lot of hate for them. Plus my wife's a Gamecock so I'm obligated to pull for them occasionally.
UT - Honestly I don't consider them a rival. Doesn't mean the game is not important. I just don't have a lot of disdain for them.
1. Florida
ReplyDeleteT1 Auburn
T1 Tennessee
T1 Georgia Tech
T1 Clemscum
T1 South Carolina
I hates em all!
Honestly, which one of those is enjoyable the year after losing to? On and on those insufferable fan-bases go about us. We are number 1 or two on each of their lists, so that makes them tied for first on mine IMO.
Florida
ReplyDeleteUT
Tech
AU
USC
It is so hard to rank them...I hate to lose to USe, they have the worst fans! But so do the rest!!
Seth...I think the biggest rivalry for a fan is, as you stated, where they live geographically within the state of Georgia. That is why UGA has so many natural rivalries. We are surrounded by Tennessee, South Carolina, Alabama and Florida.
ReplyDelete1. GT- because they can be so obnoxious in winning.
2. South Carolina- whoever wins that game usually has a good year.
3. Florida
4. Tennessee- used to be higher when they were better. Don't see as much orange as you used to in the state.
5. Auburn- may go up the list soon since the Hope has made the competition to get into UGA difficult. Therefore the Auburn fan base is growing here in Georgia.
It's not a rivalry if you've beaten a team 9 out of the past 10 years. If it happens that frequently, people refer to that as a tradition or as I like to call it, "UGAs new Holiday".
ReplyDeleteUF is still our biggest rival although they've beaten us silly for so long. It's not like our dominance over Tech because they're in our conference and that game usually decides the SEC East winner.
1. UF
2. TENN
3. AU
4. USC
5. GT
I wanna ultimately win the SEC East and not worry about some ACC team until the week we play them.
Avg Year
ReplyDelete1. Ga Tech
2. Tennessee
3. Florida
4. Auburn
However this year I would like to move Auburn to the top.
1 Georgia Tech (maggots)
ReplyDelete2 Tennessee
3 Florida
4 Auburn
5 South Carolina
Florida
ReplyDeleteAuburn
Tennessee
South Carolina
Tech
(1) Tech. It's hard to enjoy life when you lose to Tech.
ReplyDelete(2) Florida- Despise the Gators. Bunch of low-lifes.
(3) Auburn
(4) Tennessee
(5) South Carolina (?) If they didn't have Spurrier, I wouldn't even list them. Same comments as Clemson below, minus the cheating aspect.
Clemson? Why would they be a rival? Because of about a 10 year stretch more than 20 years ago? When the Tigers were cheating their butts off to go .500 against UGA? Other than that 10 year stretch they are about as big as rival as Kentucky or Vandy.
1. Florida crocs
ReplyDelete1a. UF--with the way they've dominated the last 20 years how can they not be #1??
1b. the Gaytors
2. South Carolina--because currently they need to be put back in their place.
3. Tennessee
4. Auburn
5. GT
Shoaib -
ReplyDelete"It's not a rivalry if you've beaten a team 9 out of the past 10 years.
...
UF is still our biggest rival although they've beaten us silly for so long."
Um, ok, I'm not even going to worry about explaining how stupid that argument sounds.
Florida, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Tennessee, South Carolina.
ReplyDeleteThere is no argument. Always tech. You just can't lose.
ReplyDeleteWell, how bout practice today and is Aaron Murray playing or not?
ReplyDeleteThanks on the update of Murray!
ReplyDeleteTech
ReplyDeleteUf
Ut
South carolina
Florida
ReplyDeleteSouth Carolina
Tennessee
Auburn
Georgia Tech
1. Florida
ReplyDelete2. GT
3. Auburn
4. Tennessee
5. Clemson
6. South Carolina
7. LSU
8. Alabama
9. Ole Miss
10. Vandy/UK/Miss St.
Rather beat them:
ReplyDeleteFlorida
Tennessee
Auburn
Tech
South Carolina
Rather not lose to them:
Tech
Florida
South Carolina
Tennessee
Auburn
I would still put Clemson on this list instead of Carolina.