Despite the disappointment of missing out on the College Football Playoff, an emotion enflamed by Notre Dame’s poor showing against Clemson in the Cotton Bowl, the Georgia Bulldogs find themselves in one of the better matchups of the New Year’s Six bowls.
For the first time in 35 years, Georgia and Texas will meet in a football game, 25 days before their hoops teams meet in Athens.
The youthful No. 5 Bulldogs (11-2) lack the motivation they had in their most recent outing, a 35-28 loss to No. 1 Alabama in the SEC Championship game Dec. 1. One possible motivation for the Dogs in Tuesday’s Sugar Bowl is their chance to show the CFP committee that it erred when overlooking Georgia.
The No. 15 Longhorns (9-4) are in the second season of a rebuild under coach Tom Herman. Texas also lost in its conference championship game, falling short against No. 4 Oklahoma, 39-27, in the Big 12 title game.
Texas won six consecutive games early in the season, including a victory against then-No. 5 Oklahoma in Dallas, but enters the Sugar Bowl having gone 3-3 in its six games since the streak.
When the Bulldogs and Longhorns last met, in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 1, 1984, the Dogs pulled out a late 10-9 victory that ultimately cost Texas a national championship.
Here is some important information regarding how to follow the action Tuesday:
Time: 8:45 p.m. ET
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 1
Location: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans
Television: ESPN will televise the game. Sean McDonough is handling play-by-play. Todd Blackledge is the analyst and Holly Rowe is the sideline reporter.
Local radio: The game will be broadcast on the Georgia Bulldogs Sports Network, heard in metro Atlanta on WSB radio (750 AM/95.5 FM). Scott Howard is handling play-by-play. Eric Zeier is the analyst and Chuck Dowdle is the sideline reporter.
National radio: ESPN Radio will broadcast the game. Bill Rosinski is handling play-by-play. David Norrie is the analyst, and Ian Fitzsimmons is the sideline reporter.
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