Georgia went to Austin and did a variety of good things in the win over Texas.

          Keeping Matthew McConaughey out of our faces a good bit can’t be understated.

          Yes, it was a good win, almost great because Georgia was again inconsistent and had some inefficient play. Carson Beck remains a human being, throwing more “huh?” passes than we ever expected. And the offense did enough to beat a defense that hadn’t played many really decent offenses.

          Tackling got better, though Texas ran 76 plays. Conversely, 15 of them were on third down and the Horns converted only two, a superb stat for Georgia’s defense.

          After that, OK, No. 5 Georgia beat No. 1 on the road. That’s about it.

          Georgia didn’t beat a version of recent Georgia, or the old Alabama. Georgia beat the current No. 1 team.

          Reminder: Stop gobbling up the hyperbole of the hacks. Read stuff on your own. It won’t hurt. And you may have a better idea of the reality – sorry – than what you’ll hear, be it from the homers – or written by the homers – national folks. Even-keeled isn’t bad.

          Georgia’s not a great team, and it beat a team that’s not great. Right now, a bunch of teams are pretty even on any given week. The Bulldogs can’t turn it over and stay on the field that much and beat any of a half-dozen teams like that. And Texas will play better.

          One week is one week. This wasn’t an epic win, despite the epic hype.

          Actually heard a radio yapper say in a mockingly whine tone that noooobody thought Georgia would get even a first down, and radio hack buddy said, yeah, he saw that.

          Really? Seriously?

Did something everybody’s allowed to do: Looked it up. Truly, it’s OK. And actually, stunningly, a hint of truth in a smidge of that woe-is-us-we-are-awesome rant.

          “Poor Georgia. I don’t know if Georgia can get a first down tonight.”

          It’s extraordinarily disappointing to get typical broadcast bozo and clownlike MacAfeeness from Rece Davis, of all people. Davis is the antitheses of the typical Bristol bonehead, usually hyperbole-free.

          How could he forget about the mentality of the average fan taking seriously the unserious?

* Oct. 14, MMQB: Monday Morning QB: Which Nation is the most absurd this week?; HS stat stuff, playoffs sermon; Loughdmouthings galore: stats, QB shoving, tackling, Falcons,and Jerry’s happy-for-us birthday

* Oct. 7 MMQB:  Saturday like most others (really); the new Falcons? They still need O; Loughdmouthings galore (the wit, the wisdom, the sarcasm …)
* Oct. 1, MMQB: Missing the point - and tackles - on UGA-Bama; Falcons getting there, but about the O …; Loughdmouthings galore (the wit, the wisdom, the sarcasm …)
* Sept 23, MMQB: Two good weeks of football for Atlanta?; Loughdmouthings galore (the wit, the wisdom, the sarcasm)
* Sept 16: MMQB: Another black-n-blue battle in Lexington; Loughdmouthings: Falcons, silly second-guessing (UGA, county records
* Sept. 9: MMQB: Suddenly, we saw Ridder and Smith in Falcons black again; notable numbers, on campus, and Loughdmouthings galore
* Sept.8 Column-Not just yet, but brace yourself to think good thoughts about the Falcons in 2024
* Sept. 2: MMQB: Notes, reviews, Loughdmouthings
* Aug. 28: MMQB: What we know and what we’re not sure about; Loughdmouthings galore
* Aug. 16: Sit down, get comfy, and let’s just babble high school football for a bit

Of course, that’s an issue. If you’re going to dive in head-first and believe the clearly absurd or sarcastic or just dumb without employing a chuckle and common sense and let it fester … Wait, this is America, 2024.

          Never mind.

          OK, so one person’s absurd throwaway line as the show went to the first game is gospel? Speaks for others? And did nobody hear the general praise of Georgia?

          Nope, because selective hearing and selective memories remain ongoing epidemics. One fan base still thinks it heard Mark May rip its team every week for a decade, when he didn’t.

          Nevertheless, it was logical to pick Texas, but it was a coin-toss game if you followed legit analysis.

          This wasn’t Northern Illinois over Notre Dame. This wasn’t Vandy over Alabama. This wasn’t even Kentucky over Mississippi.

          Not even close.

          Georgia beating Texas was not an upset, not in any lucid land. No. 5 beating No. 1 isn’t an upset.

          The road team winning by 15 – and it could’ve been more – may have some surprise in it. A team off to another rough start with two interceptions before the second big commercial break winning on the road by two touchdowns may raise an eyebrow for a spell.

          And no doubt, it was a mighty good win, under any circumstances and using any parameters.

          The run game was there. Beck again regrouped from another fuzzy start.

          Tackling wasn’t elite, but it was a lot better. Coverage was superb. The pass rush brought back some memories of a few years ago.

          Sure, we knew Texas wasn’t really much better than the other contenders because the schedule wasn’t overly difficult. Of the Longhorns’ first six opponents, the lone team in any hunt for a conference title is Louisiana-Monroe in the Sun Belt. The six are 22-20.

          Yeah, any of these top six or eight teams would have a major claim to No. 1 with that schedule, with only three Power 4 opponents in there (to five for Georgia, three for Ohio State and Oregon and Miami, four for Penn State).

          How much hugging to people really need each week?

          Hey, Georgia, ESPN’s crew – suddenly taken so seriously? – picked Alabama to beat Georgia. Sure was quiet after Alabama won. Nobody said a word about them being correct.

          Of course, if Ryan Day or Lane Kiffin or Dabo Swinney tried the same thing – or when they did – and bellyache about a pregame show’s predictions, the cackling outcry is there on how they should be able to motivate with out teevee predictions and completely non-existent slights.

          Every time an upper-level team in any sport on any level pulls out this “no respect” and “nobody thought …”, a chunk of integrity and maturity slides into the river.

          No respect for a top-5 team? That did lose a few weeks ago to No. 4, and neither has looked all that hot since?

          Come on, man.

          Enjoy the win. Applaud the improvement. Be happy we saw less of Matthew M. as the game went on and he had less to cheer about.

          Give the general paranoia the week off. Let the Bobo bitching rest (if at allll possible). Watch other games played by humans and officiated by humans with a little stress this weekend.

          And know that Georgia can get better – a great win doesn’t always equal great football or sizzling execution – and will need to get better.

          One win is one win. It’s not a ring. But it can lead to one, and the odds sure look better for Georgia – for now – than Texas.

 This week’s playoff sermon

          It’s still too early to eliminate any of the legitimate contenders for a playoff spot.

          And somebody on the teevee – maybe Kirbie – said there were about 30 teams in that hunt. Sounds about right.

          SEC: Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Ol’ Miss, LSU, Missouri, Tennessee.

          ACC: Clemson, Miami, Pittsburgh. Sorry, SMU.

          Big Ten: Indiana, Oregon, Penn State, Illinois, Ohio State, Nebraska, Iowa.

          Big 12: BYU, Iowa State, Texas Tech, Arizona State and Kansas State.

          That’s 22 right there, not including Group candidates, independents, and at-larges Army, Navy, Notre Dame, Washington State, Liberty. Boise State, UNLV.

          That total is 29. There are a few more with some weather-related schedule adjustments on the fringe, and a couple suddenly sneaking up the ladder that we sure wouldn’t have thought of a few weeks ago, and may not be thinking about in a few weeks.

CENTRAL GEORGIA’S BEST HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COVERAGE

This week
* Central Georgia’s rankings
* Macon Touchdown Club players of the week
* The schedule

Last week
* Roundup: Perry gets the ‘upset’, HoCo blanked, Baldwin wins on the road; big nights for Upson-Lee, West Laurens, Dublin, Northeast, Stratford, Brentwood; Jasper County gets 3-OT W
* Scouting Reports: This week’s GHSA and GIAA games, coming Friday
* Maxwell Predictions
* Who’s going to win this week’s games
* Central Georgia state composite rankings
* A breakdown of the playoff pictures, the power ratings for A-AAA and others
* Central Georgia rankings
* Monday Morning Quarterback: Which Nation is the most absurd this week?; HS stat stuff, playoffs sermon; Loughdmouthings galore: stats, QB shoving, tackling, Falcons,and Jerry’s happy-for-us birthday
* Macon Touchdown Club players of the week

Two weeks ago
* Roundup: Dublin holds off Northeast, Tattnall handles Stratford; ACE outlasts East Laurens, routs for Baldwin, West Laurens, Lamar County, Taylor County, Westfield; who had big nights?
* Scouting Reports: This week’s GHSA and GIAA games
* Maxwell Predictions
* Central Georgia state composite rankings
* Central Georgia rankings
* Monday Morning Quarterback: A Saturday like most others (really); the new Falcons? They still need O; Loughdmouthings galore (the wit, the wisdom, the sarcasm …)
* Macon Touchdown Club players of the week

Three weeks ago
* Roundup: Benedictine tops Warner Robins, Mary Persons wins, Upson-Lee & Dodge County hold on, Tattnall survives, Brentwood tops champs
*Thursday’s roundup
* Scouting Reports: This week’s GHSA and GIAA games, coming Friday morning
* Maxwell Predictions
* Who’s going to win this week’s games
* Central Georgia state composite rankings
* Central Georgia rankings
* Monday Morning Quarterback: Missing the point - and tackles - on UGA-Bama; Falcons getting there, but about the O …; Loughdmouthings galore (the wit, the wisdom, the sarcasm …)
* Macon Touchdown Club players of the week

Four weeks ago
* Saturday roundup
* Saturday scouting reports
* Friday roundup
* Scouting Reports: This week’s GHSA and GIAA games
* Maxwell Predictions
* Who’s going to win this week’s games
* Central Georgia state composite rankings
* Central Georgia rankings
* Monday Morning Quarterback: Two good weeks of football for Atlanta? Loughdmoutings galore (the wit, the wisdom, the sarcasm)
* Macon Touchdown Club players of the week

Loughdmouthings

          First, no, there’s never an excuse to be a jackass, as Texas fans were Saturday night. Let’s quit using sports – “it’s sports” – as an excuse to lower standards of maturity, stability, adultness.

          Second, other fan bases can stop with this superiority complex, because fan bases are basically the same. And if anybody thinks their home stadium would’ve remained litter free under the same circumstances, they’re predictably silly.

          It happened in 2023 at Truist. Why, oh dear Lord, it happened in the Georgia-Alabama national title game in 2022. And there was Tennessee fans aiming at Lane Kiffin. And, well, it happens, and will happen again.

          Third, the call ended up being right, but the wrong way, like, say, Peach County and Calhoun years ago. The argument that they changed the call because of the reaction seems a little bit off. The reaction had already happened, and was slowing down.

          As a human who understands that refs – and players and coaches - are human and can make an unintentional mistake in a gesture in the heat of the moment – and if you want heat, become an official – I can get that they got the call right the wrong way.

          Refs should’ve told Texas officials that they’ll wait until the cleanup was over, and have the announcement that the lower sections are prone to be cleared upon the next flurry, and Texas will be penalized for every such infraction afterward.

          Then give Sark the microphone, and let the bleeps fly.

          It’s be cool if Texas could add a surcharge to everybody sitting in the areas where it was coming from. Post some pics or video, and offer a warning. …

          Rather than talking about going to a high school game, how about ya actually go to one?

          This week, quality games are in every part of Central Georgia: No. 3 Thomas County Central, 7-1/2-1, at No. 7 Houston County, 6-2/2-1; Aquinas, 3-3/2-2, at West Laurens, 6-1/4-1; No. 7 Cairo, 6-2/3-0 at No. 2 Peach County, 7-1/3-0; Westside-Augusta, 6-1/4-1, at Baldwin, 3-3/3-1; ACE Charter, 5-3/4-3, at Bleckley County, 2-5/1-5.

          And: No. 5 Dodge County 8-0/7-0, at No. 7 Northeast, 6-2/6-1 (Thompson).; No. 11 Lamar County, 7-1/4-0, at Social Circle, 5-3/3-1; Putnam County, 4-5/3-2, at Jasper County, 6-1/3-0; Tattnall, 7-1/3-0, at First Presbyterian, 8-1/3-0.

          Not all of the records are necessarily all that hot, but region records and playoff seedings are at stake, making for a little more intensity than one might expect. …

          You’ve read here for a few week that Atlanta would have a Falcony game, a subpar Sunday, but the loss to Seattle wasn’t a WTF – What The Football/What the, Falcons? – game. They were off in all areas, except the Bijan Robinson area. More than the 21 carries and 103 yards, some of his runs were short but magical.

          Two interceptions, some ill-advised passes, and a defense that remains unable to live up to expectations on any consistent basis, although Geno Smith has been humbling defenses for a few years now.

          There was nothing really disconcerting just yet, and it’s the kind of game that can get a team back on track. Plus, hey, the Cowboys are coming to town in two weeks, so that’s good news.