[JRL]

Loss may take one team out of contention in SEC East


ATHENS, Ga. --

BY DAVID CHING

dching@ledger-enquirer.com
--­--
He may not enjoy considering this possibility, but Mark Richt understands the long odds the loser of Saturday's Georgia-Tennessee game will face before it can win the SEC East.
As the only two teams in the division who have already lost to an SEC East opponent -- Georgia (4-1, 2-1 SEC) lost to South Carolina and Tennessee (2-2, 0-1) was walloped by Florida -- Saturday's 3:30 p.m. game at Neyland Stadium could very well be an elimination game.
"Only time will tell if it eliminates somebody, but whoever does lose the game, I don't think they'll feel like, 'Hey we're out of it. Let's just start thinking about other goals,' " the Georgia coach said.
"Everybody would still have a shot at making it and would still hold out hope if they kept banging away that they could still win the East," Richt added. "It would definitely be a blow, though."

Ledger-Enquirer.com | 10/01/2007 | Tennessee-UGA loser likely faces elimination

[Tuck4Bama]

The LSU Florida game this week will be a huge determining factor for the SEC championship. If Florida has 2 SEC loses the east is Kentucky's to lose.

[JRL]

Nov 17th may be the deciding game for the SEC East - Dawgs vs Wildcats.

[garron]

I think we have a legit shot at winning the East but do agree that this game with TN is probably an elimination game.

But of the teams in the East with the favorable schedule I think the arrow imo points to SC.

Kentucky has a brutal portion of their schedule coming up and I think they'll get 2 or 3 losses out of it.

[Bamabeachlivin]

He may not enjoy considering this possibility, but Mark Richt understands the long odds the loser of Saturday's Georgia-Tennessee game will face before it can win the SEC East.
As the only two teams in the division who have already lost to an SEC East opponent -- Georgia (4-1, 2-1 SEC) lost to South Carolina and Tennessee (2-2, 0-1) was walloped by Florida -- Saturday's 3:30 p.m. game at Neyland Stadium could very well be an elimination game.
"Only time will tell if it eliminates somebody, but whoever does lose the game, I don't think they'll feel like, 'Hey we're out of it. Let's just start thinking about other goals,' " the Georgia coach said.
"Everybody would still have a shot at making it and would still hold out hope if they kept banging away that they could still win the East," Richt added. "It would definitely be a blow, though."
It certainly would. The winner of the East has totaled at least two league losses only three times since the SEC split into divisions in 1992 -- Georgia's 2003 and 2005 teams and Florida's 1992 squad were all 6-2 against SEC opponents.
But Richt believes the East is competitive enough this year that it's a strong possibility the division champ will finish the year with at least two league losses.
"I guess everybody now except for Kentucky's got a loss in the East with a great majority of our schedule left, so it probably makes everybody feel like it's more of a free-for-all than it was (in the past)," Richt said. "I think everybody feels like they've got a realistic chance -- and they do. Everybody should have the belief that they're in it."
The East has historically been a competitive division, but the competition has generally been between three teams -- Georgia, Tennessee and Florida -- for the division title. One of those three has been the East's representative in all 15 SEC championship games.
That could change this season, as the East is enjoying never-before-seen parity thus far. Eighth-ranked Kentucky (5-0, 1-0) is the only unbeaten team in the division and is one of four ranked East teams, along with No. 9 Florida (4-1, 2-1), No. 11 South Carolina (4-1, 2-1) and No. 12 Georgia. Only Tennessee does not have a winning record.
That makes a win Saturday even more important for the teams to retain a realistic shot at a division crown. Both teams are 0-1 in division play -- the two teams tied with Georgia for second place in the division, Florida and South Carolina, both lost to Western Division opponents -- and can't allow their division rivals to put much space between them in the standings.
Things could start to shake out this week, though, with Georgia visiting Tennessee and Kentucky visiting South Carolina on ESPN Thursday night.
"Now we're kinda into the meat of it," Richt said. "I think just about every week from here on in, we're playing each other, so we'll learn a lot."
Injury update
Richt said safety Kelin Johnson (concussion) is probable to play Saturday, while middle linebacker Marcus Washington and offensive guard Scott Haverkamp (ankle) are questionable.
Washington had his left arm in a sling after Saturday's 45-17 win over Ole Miss and said he suffered a separated shoulder. Richt said tailback Kregg Lumpkin will attempt to practice without the "club" cast that has completely covered his right hand this week, but he's unsure whether Lumpkin will be able to carry the ball this week. He has played special teams the last two weeks, but has not carried the ball since breaking his right thumb in the opener against Oklahoma State.