Dawgs find new life while riding the couch this week

50% of Dawgfans out there have written off the season. The other 50% are looking for a miracle.  In a season like this, that's kinda what you have to do.  The injury bug has been a mothra-sized pain in the, well… pain in the everything really.  The training room looks like the casualty tent in Apocalypse Now.

Yet, we stand 6 days from a game in Jacksonville with greater light at the end of the Atlanta tunnel than many believed possible going into this morning.  We all knew Connor Shaw was injured.  Things were setting up oh-so-well for Mizzou, as they were facing their third straight team with MAJOR injury issues.  Sure, for Cackalacky it was only one guy - but it was THE guy.  Don't believe me?  Compare the 0 points South Carolina had prior to Shaw to the 27 points they scored with Shaw in the game.  For those who didn't watch, and haven't read anything, USC won 27-24 in 2nd OT.  The first half of the second OT was the first time in which South Carolina led the game.  See, Spurrier called on Shaw in the 3rd quarter, and he led the Cocks back from a 17 point deficit to a 17-17 tie and then an OT win.

The win kept South Carolina's hopes for a possible trip to Atlanta alive.

Of course, it also kept UGA's same hopes alive.

So now, UGA will head to Florida with something to play for.  UGA will head to Florida with Todd Gurley back in the lineup.  And, UGA will head to Florida with a defense that has definitely seen its share of improvement over recent weeks.

For those who, like me, think we can still make it to Atlanta, we need Mizzou to stumble twice more. With Tennessee, Ole Miss and TAMU on the schedule, 2 losses are possible.  Mizzou loses two more, and UGA loses no more…and we're in Atlanta.

But it all starts on Saturday for UGA.  We have to put Florida away for the 3rd time in as many seasons.  With Gurley back in the lineup, I think we have a damn good shot at that.  Despite what a number of mailbag trollers and gut-feeling bloggers will tell you, this defense is getting better.  It's taking time, and it certainly isn't pretty…but the defense is getting better.  They're making stops.  They're causing turnovers.      They're doing what they have to do.

Will it be enough?  Only time will tell.  The next two offenses Georgia faces aren't the best.  If they can continue to improve, and gain more confidence, the Dawgs will have a nice opportunity to beat their 3rd top 10 team this season (Auburn) and they'll need to if they want to go to Atlanta.

And Mizzou will have to lose 2 more games.

Who's ready for a fun end to the season?

GO DAWGS