ATLANTA — The Georgia Bulldogs did not know immediately after Friday’s 16-9 win over Georgia Tech in Mercedes-Benz Stadium what their fate was for next weekend’s Southeastern Conference championship game at the very same venue.
Nobody seemed to care, because eight was great.
Georgia defeated the Yellow Jackets for the eighth consecutive time, matching the longest streak of the series that Georgia Tech accomplished under the legendary Bobby Dodd during the 1949-56 seasons. The Bulldogs compiled seven-game series winning streaks under Ray Goff and Jim Donnan from 1991-97 and in Mark Richt’s first seven years from 2001-07, and they actually led the 1998 and 2008 contests by double digits but couldn’t close the deal.
“It is a history deal, and this rivalry goes way back and way beyond my ability to comprehend it and way beyond our players’ ability to comprehend it,” said Georgia 10th-year head coach Kirby Smart, a former Bulldogs defensive back. “What I do know is that my senior year we had it up to seven and they ended it, and that’s one that always sticks with me. There was another one at seven that got ended.
“It’s been a battle back and forth, and both programs have had their runs. It’s good for the state.”