We should have seen it coming. It was the perfect storm. Yes, I believe Georgia was motivated to play in the Sugar Bowl this New Year’s day. I am sure of it.

I am also sure that Texas was more motivated. Trust me, that scenario almost always spells disaster. After you get hit in the mouth a couple times and find yourself face-down on the canvas, it’s hard to get up and be the bully. That’s not how it works.

I suppose I should include a couple of disclaimers here, for the sake of all my Georgia friends: I am proud to be a Georgia-boy, and I still have red-clay stains between my toes to this day. But, sports-wise, my teams are all in Texas, and – except for the Longhorns – in Houston, particularly.

The other disclaimer is that if Texas had come to the Sugar Bowl semi-motivated, I would hit them in the mouth in this column much harder than the punch we’re about to give to the Bulldogs. You’ve probably gotten in a few licks on the Dawgs yourself in the last few days.

Something funny — and a little prophetic — happened between Coca-Cola Mike and me leading up to the game. Coca-Cola and I, naturally, found ourselves on opposite sides of the fence.

Coca-Cola Mike’s argument for a Georgia win was basically, “Georgia is going to kill Texas. They’re in the SEC.”

“OK,” I responded, “but I think Texas will show up to see what happens.”

Maybe some of the Georgia players heard what Coca-Cola said about them and the mighty SEC and bought into it.

As Coca-Cola continued pleading his case, I said, “Well, watch out. Bevo might invite that pretty-little bulldog Uga to come out of the doghouse to show how pretty he is in his red jacket; and when he does, Bevo could ‘hook em’.”

“Nah,” he responded (and this is a direct quote): “Bulldogs aren’t pretty, they are tough.”

Who would’ve thought my prediction almost was fulfilled, literally? During the pre-game photoshoot, Bevo got aggravated at Uga and went after him with six feet of horns, creating quite the stir. We should have known right then what was about to happen on the field.

But that was only a photoshoot. Big 12 teams are not supposed to out-physical, out-muscle, out-hustle, and out-play SEC teams out on the field.

Basically, Uga should’ve been able to show up for the photoshoot, smile and look pretty, and take center-stage. That two-ton Bevo could just stand there and let him steal the show.

“After all,” Georgia and Uga thought, “this is the ‘Sugar’ Bowl. Let’s all be sweet and nobody get nasty.

Unfortunately for Bulldog-nation, Bevo and his boys missed that memo.