That oh-so-mythical National Title

Over the years I've written a lot of things for this newspaper, and I've been proud to do it. But, last night, when our desk chief asked me to write a column about the Dawgs missing out on a National Title shot, to speak, in effect, for the Bulldog Nation on the front page of The Macon Telegraph... I don't know that I've ever been more honored to write anything.

I hope I did you proud. And, yes, I made fun of tech in there.

Someone's gonna steal a title.

Another thing: We cover Sunday shifts here at the paper on a rotation. That means I work one Sunday every four months or so. And yesterday was my day, making it mere happenstance that I was even here to write that column.

It's a little thing, I know. But, I tell ya, the Lord'll put you where you need to be. Even on the little things.

UPDATE: The link cycled off our site, so I'm pasting the original column from our archives. It's the ridiculous threat that Hawaiian morons took seriously that started it all:

SOMEONE'S GONNA STEAL A TITLE; WISH IT COULD BE US
Monday, December 3, 2007

By Travis Fain

Allow me to speak for the Bulldog Nation today: Darn it.

That, of course, is the family newspaper version.

It's not so much that we deserved a shot at the national title. It's that no one really did, and it could have been us. And that title, mythical as it may be, is magical too. An impossible moment of bliss and history. A riot in a trophy. A warm feeling in your gut that the other teams can never take away.

Just say it: "National Title.'' Goose bumps and stomach flips.

And they teased us with a chance at it. Then the voters took it all away.

Whammy.

I've said many times that, in most years, the national title game should pit the SEC champion against the second best team in the country. So I can't argue against Louisiana State making the championship game this year.

But Ohio State? Why are they the assumed No. 1? Does anyone really think Georgia, or a handful of other teams, wouldn't beat them?

The Buckeyes beat one team that ended the season ranked in the top 25: Wisconsin. They went 11-1 in a down year for the Big 10. They beat Kent State, Akron and Youngstown State, proving two things: That Ohio State is without a doubt the best college football team in Ohio, and that they're willing to schedule patsies to prove it.

But I digress. The bottom line is this: We should have taken care of business against South Carolina, or Tennessee, or both. And but for a timely Vanderbilt fumble, we might have lost to the less-than-mighty Commodores. Not even the most optimistic Georgia fan thought we had a national title team going into this season, and now we're going to the Sugar Bowl.

That's pretty good. I am very, very proud of this team. From "The Celebration" in Jacksonville, Fla., to "The Blackout" against Auburn this season was the most fun I've ever had as a Georgia fan, and I'm thankful.

Sure, if Kentucky or Vanderbilt could kick a field goal against Tennessee, or if Tennessee's quarterback didn't throw two inexplicable interceptions against LSU on Saturday, or if the voters who had us at No. 4 last week had shown some consistency, we'd of had a shot at this thing.

But "what if" is a game for Georgia Tech fans. By the way, enjoy the Humanitarian Bowl. Again. I hear the weather's great in Boise, Idaho, this time of year.

There's something that pretty much everyone knows about the BCS, and this isn't the first year to prove it: The system is ridiculous. Let's have some sort of a playoff. Not 16 teams, but four, or maybe even eight. But since I doubt the BCS is looking for my opinion, let me close with this: I want Colt Brennan's head on a stick. I want that pretty boy Hawaii quarterback driven through the Superdome turf. I want perfection in all phases of the game this New Year's Day.

Destroy Hawaii. And then let this be known across the land: The Georgia Bulldogs will be staying in the national title conversation for many years to come.

And if you're not with us, then you'd better start running.