Alabama led 31-0 at halftime on its way to scoring the most points it ever has against Georgia. The first half was such a mauling that the Dogs were booed as they left the field. Those who weren't booing had already left, stunned by this series of unfortunate events.
For Georgia, this was a crushing ending to a feverish weekend of anticipation and celebration. Athens was a raucous place Friday night and all day Saturday, when it became the land of 40,000 black cocktail dresses at tailgate parties all over campus.
But the overhyped color scheme backfired from the beginning, seemingly providing Alabama with the last little bit of motivation it needed. After Bama took the opening kickoff drive 80 sound-killing yards for a touchdown, all the cheering was done by the white-clad Tide fans sitting in the lower-left portion of Sanford Stadium.
Many of the Georgia fans on that side of the stadium later had to exit in front of the Alabama cheering section, turning it into a walk of shame. And occasional defiance. One girl in a black dress and red belt repeatedly flipped her middle finger at the taunting Tide fans on her way out.
That was just whistling past the graveyard. By then, the Bulldogs already were dead and buried.
