ATHENS – It was 78 degrees and overcast in Miami on Monday. The forecast for Sunday, when the No. 3-ranked Georgia Bulldogs fly in for a week of Orange Bowl preparation, calls for 80 and sunny.
South Beach beckons.
Meanwhile, back at UGA, the Bulldogs were inside the Payne Athletic Center facility picking up the “swag bags” provided to them by the Orange Bowl. These are not token trinkets, mind you. Players select from an assortment of extravagant gifts, including drones, Yeti coolers, designer sunglasses, game systems, watches and headphones. For them, Christmas comes early.
Therein lay one of the challenges for the College Football Playoff. It’s a bowl game, so it’s intended to be a reward for a well-played season. Then again, for the four participating teams, it’s a win-or-go-home proposition on a goal they’ve been working toward since offseason workouts began February.
“For the most part, it’s strictly business,” Georgia sophomore tackle Warren McClendon said Monday. “We have a bad taste from the SEC Championship and we still have our goals in front of us and we just want to be locked in going down to Miami. But, you know, it’s a nice place and I’ve never been there before. So, I’m excited to go down there and be around that atmosphere. But we have a goal that we’re working toward and I’m pretty sure we’ll be locked into that.”
It’s fine line, indeed. The Bulldogs (12-1) know that getting past No. 2-ranked Michigan (12-1) will take their full attention. And Georgia’s last outing – a 41-24 loss to Alabama -- certainly left room for improvement, not to mention a decent dose of doubt.
The Bulldogs know they’re going to need to reignite their pass rush and improve in man coverage on defense. Offensively, they have to run the ball better against the Wolverines and protect against elite-level edge rushers Aidan Hutchinson, a Heisman Trophy finalist, and David Ojabo, who lines up on the opposite side.
Georgia was addressing those concerns and more on Monday as it conducted its fifth practice since the conclusion of final exams last week.
“The fun is in the preparation; the fun is the atmosphere you get to play in,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said Monday. “When you talk about the CFP, it’s a tremendous opportunity no matter where you play. If you’re playing in the playoffs, you’ve got a grand opportunity.”
Of course, this is not the Bulldogs’ first rodeo. Smart’s second Georgia team went to Los Angeles for the Rose Bowl at the end of the 2017 and faced No. 2-ranked Oklahoma. There were trips to Disneyland and some other theme parks, as well as some nights out for the players.
Georgia prevailed in two overtimes, 54-48, to advance to the CFP Championship game in Atlanta. The Bulldogs lost to Alabama 26-23 in overtime.
It’s quite likely that Georgia could run into the Crimson Tide again this year should it get past Michigan. No. 1 Alabama is a 13.5-point favorite over No. 4 Cincinnati in the Cotton Bowl.
“I would definitely say we have a chip on our shoulder, a bad taste after that last game,” junior tight end John FitzPatrick said. “We don’t want to make the moment bigger than it is. We realize that the next game is the most important game. But we’re hungry and we’re excited come the 31st.”
Very few of the current Bulldogs were around for that trip to the Rose Bowl. Only redshirt seniors such as offensive lineman Justin Shaffer and super seniors such as defensive tackle Julian Rochester experienced that trip to California. Quarterback Stetson Bennett also made the trip.
But most of the Bulldogs have experienced high-profile postseason games. While this is just Georgia’s second trip to the CFP, it is the Bulldogs’ fifth consecutive appearance in at least a New Year’s Six game. The Bulldogs are 4-1 under Smart in bowl games. The only loss came to Texas in the Sugar Bowl at the conclusion of the 2018 season.
No. 9 Georgia had to come from behind to defeat No. 8 Cincinnati in the Peach Bowl last year.
“That was definitely a big stage, and a lot of players came out and performed well,” FitzPatrick said. “During that game, we handled adversity well and that’s going to be a big key to this game. Each team is going to make plays, and it’s how you respond to that.”
Michigan is making its first appearance in the CFP. The Bulldogs are posted as 6.5-point favorites.
“We have a very mature team,” Smart said. “We have great leaders. I have full faith and confidence that our guys are going to handle it the right way. They’re also going to be down there for almost a week. … I have a lot confidence that the guys are going to have a good time and a good experience, and when it’s time be focused, be focused.
“You can’t focus 24 hours a day, seven days a week and be at your best. So, we’re trying to build to a moment of truth and build the kind of energy and focus to where we need to be at game time.”
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