Perhaps everyone should have seen this coming for the Georgia Bulldogs.
Since the Vince Dooley coaching regime ended in 1988, the Bulldogs have enjoyed most of their finest football seasons in years ending in the numbers 2 and 7. Georgia ended a 20-year Southeastern Conference championship drought during Mark Richt's second season in 2002, and Richt's Bulldogs won the Sugar Bowl after the 2007 regular season and finished No. 2 nationally.
Georgia's 2012 team was one play away from knocking off Alabama in the SEC championship game, which would have resulted in the Bulldogs playing Notre Dame in the BCS title showdown, and this year's Bulldogs are 7-0 and ranked No. 3 entering their Oct. 28 game against Florida in Jacksonville.
The 1992, 1997, 2002, 2007 and 2012 Georgia teams each went at least 10-2, but Bulldogs fans are not planning to wait around until 2022 for another elite year. Georgia has commitments from the nation's top-rated quarterback (Justin Fields of Kennesaw, Ga.) and the nation's top-rated running back (Zamir White of Laurinburg, N.C.) for the 2018 signing class.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.