A clear theme emerged from the signs held high at College GameDay live in Austin, Texas, during Week 8.
Awful Announcing was on-site in the heart of the Forty Acres from the south mall, and documented some of the signage displayed by the Texas Longhorns’ faithful. In attempting to needle the University of Georgia and its fans, those in the crowd elected to make their signs related to the issues plaguing Kirby Smart and CO. — and they were controversial, to say the least.
We’re noting a theme with the College GameDay signs in Austin… pic.twitter.com/5hzFvu0sYA
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 19, 2024
Part II pic.twitter.com/WYlzAKKOgA
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 19, 2024
Over the past two years, Georgia’s football program has faced 30 incidents involving speeding or reckless driving, along with three assault cases.
Most recently, on October 9, Smart suspended wide receiver Colbie Young indefinitely following his arrest on misdemeanor battery charges, which included allegations of assault on an unborn child.
Just weeks earlier, on September 13, cornerback Daniel Harris was arrested for reckless driving.
According to ESPN, at least eight Georgia players were arrested in 2024, although some had their driving-related charges reduced or dismissed.
Needless to say, media pressure has mounted on Smart’s program, and that’s what the fans amongst the GameDay crowd tried to exploit on Saturday. Those signs included mentions, “(Georgia) has more players arrested than in the NFL,” “My other sign got arrested by Athens-Clarke CO. PD,” “Don’t need a defense when Athens-Clarks CO. PD locks them up,” and “Don’t let (Georgia) near the F1 Car.”
Creative? Sure.
Controversial? You bet.
One of those that fit in the latter category suggested that Scottie Scheffler, who’s serving as the celebrity guest picker for Saturday’s version of GameDay, is a better inmate than various (5) mugshots of arrested University of Georgia players over the past two calendar year.
One particularly clever sign read, “You can’t spell ‘P_blic Dirvin_ Ha_zard’ without UGA,” for those who have trouble filling in the blanks.
Despite Georgia’s on-field dominance, its off-field issues continue to fuel public perception problems, with rival fans—like those in Austin—quick to pounce. As long as these controversies persist, Georgia will face attacks from both opponents on the field and relentless fans off it.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.