Pandemonium in Pasadena

By Sam Burnham, Curator
@C_SamBurnham 
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Had you told me this morning that the Rose Bowl was going to end 54-28 in two overtimes, I'd have called you crazy. Had you told me that Oklahoma would have been up by 17 at any point in the game, I would have called you a liar. But we saw both of those things happen in Pasadena on Monday night. 

But what we saw happen, with The Sooners up 17 and the Dawgs looking to be in trouble, was nothing short of amazing. These young men kept their cool, regrouped, trusted their coaches and did what no one would have expected. They won.

And the young men who did this are the reason that we do ABG CFB. While we love the old stories of Erk, and Herschel, and Von Gammon, we love how the tradition plays out in thee new generations. we love that new heroes arise like Lorenzo Carter from Norcross in Gwinnett County, Rodrigo Blankenship from Marietta in Cobb County, Nick Chubb from Cedartown in Polk County, and Jake Fromm from Warner Robins in Houston County (note: Houston County, despite ESPN claims, is not in suburban Atlanta. It is 100 miles south, through Macon, if you get to Perry you went too far.) And there's Roquan Smith from Montezuma in Macon County (no, Macon is not in Macon County) There is even Sony Michel, the son of Hatian immigrants from Plantation, Florida. There are so many kids on this roster. A similar writer in Oklahoma could list you their kids as well. 

There is something about these young men, many of whom are from all over Georgia, carrying the state's name on their jerseys and coming home with wins. It gets people in every corner of this state excited and talking. It really is a unifying thing. I joked on Twitter earlier that the response from Georgians over this game makes the Falcons playing in the Super Bowl look like a pick up game at a company picnic. And it is true. This team has made this state excited. And even if you are not a die-hard Georgia fan, there is some pride in the moment - maybe even from Tech fans if they are honest. 

In the next week it will be fun to see how this state reacts to not only hosting the College Football National Championship Game, but to see the Dawgs playing in the game against fellow SEC member and perennial power Alabama. It is going to be a wild week in the Peach State. But it should be  lot of fun.