Georgia vs. Nebraska in Capital One Bowl (UPDATED w/ comments)
(Updated 10 p.m.)
A day after coming up five yards short of a trip to Miami for the national championship game, Georgia’s football team learned Sunday that it will play a bowl game in a different Florida city.
The Bulldogs (11-2) will play Nebraska (10-3) in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando on Jan. 1 in a matchup of the losers of the SEC and Big Ten championship games.
While Georgia lost the SEC title to Alabama 32-28 on the final play of a stirring game, Nebraska endured an embarrassing 70-31 loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game.
The Capital One, which holds first choice of SEC teams after the BCS games, had been rumored to be considering Texas A&M and its Heisman Trophy candidate, quarterback Johnny Manziel. But after Georgia’s strong performance against Alabama, the bowl opted to take the Bulldogs, who dropped from No. 3 to No. 7 in the final BCS standings released Sunday night.
Notre Dame and Alabama remained Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, and will meet in the national championship game on Jan. 7 in Miami. Alabama survived an SEC title game that saw the lead change hands five times and ended with Georgia on the Crimson Tide’s 5-yard line as time ran out.
Florida moved up to No. 3 in the BCS standings Sunday and, as the second highest ranked SEC team, will go to the Sugar Bowl to play Big East co-champ Louisville.
Other BCS games will match Pac-12 champion Stanford vs. Big Ten champ Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl, Big 12 co-champ Kansas State vs. BCS No. 4 Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl and ACC champ Florida State vs. Mid-American champ Northern Illinois in the Orange Bowl. In the latest controversial chapter of BCS history, Northern Illinois (12-1) received a BCS berth by being ranked in the top 16 (No. 15) and ahead of at least one champion of an automatic-qualifying conference.
After Florida passed Georgia in the rankings, UGA was locked out of a shot at a BCS game because of a rule allowing no more than two teams from a single league to get BCS bids, a rule that Alabama coach Nick Saban sharply criticized after beating the Bulldogs. Saban called it “a crying shame” and “ridiculous” that Georgia would be excluded from a BCS invitation.
Actually, Georgia appeared in danger of falling farther down the bowl pecking order than the Capital One. But that’s where the Bulldogs landed after some late scrambling among bowls triggered by Northern Illinois earning a BCS berth at the expense of Oklahoma.
“If we weren’t going to be in a BCS game, this is the location we wanted to be,” Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity said Sunday night.
But McGarity added, “There’s no question — there’s absolutely no question — that we are deserving of a BCS bid. … There’s no question we played great the last half of the season and just to see the way we laid it on the line (Saturday) proved that we’re right there along with the best in college football.”
Capital One Bowl CEO Steve Hogan called the selection of Georgia “an easy decision” in the end.
“No offense to Texas A&M,” Hogan said. “I think they’ve had a fine first year in the conference, a 10-win team. And we have an opportunity to get an 11-win division champion, a few yards away from a national championship.
“The most important thing to our committee was, Georgia deserved this trip. And we’re fortunate to have a team, really, that is of BCS quality.”
After the Capital One selected Georgia, the Outback, which had the next pick from the SEC East, chose South Carolina to play Michigan. And the Cotton, with the next pick from the SEC West, chose Texas A&M to form a marquee matchup against surprisingly available Oklahoma.
The Capital One Bowl will be played at 1 p.m. on New Year’s Day in Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium and will be televised on ABC.
Georgia coach Mark Richt said he foresees no problem in getting the Bulldogs to bounce back from the disappointment of losing the SEC title game and their national championship aspirations.
“I think playing Nebraska is going to get everybody’s blood pumping,” Richt said. “There aren’t many teams in the history of Georgia football that have ever won 12 games in a season and it’s going to mean something to them. I know our guys want to finish on a high note.”
Georgia and Nebraska have met only once previously in football. Georgia lost to the Cornhuskers 45-6 in the 1969 Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.
This will be Georgia’s sixth appearance in the Capital One Bowl. The Bulldogs are 3-1-1 in the Orlando game, most recently defeating Michigan State there at the end of the 2008 season.
In Saturday’s loss to Wisconsin, Nebraska’s defense allowed 640 total yards, including 539 yards rushing. Against Alabama, Georgia’s defense surrendered 512 yards, including 350 rushing.
– Tim Tucker, AJC
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841 comments Add your comment
Truth Teller
December 2nd, 2012
9:47 pm
GA8tor, FSU beat Tech by less than a TD. So, if the FSU victory might not have been that big, we are left with the ULL and Jax St. games! I wouldn’t be so cocky about your team.
Big Dawg
December 2nd, 2012
9:47 pm
BCS is a Joke! When you don’t get huge points for playing a 13th game and you loose to number two in the country and a team who only played 12 games is ahead of you at the end is ridicules! Sorry you played a championship game in your conference that is big and should be rewarded. We are asked to watch games that are set to us on computer formulas that don’t make sense. First get rid of pre season polls and start the team rankings on week six of the season. Drop the tie in to certain bowls and start a sixteen play-off system right away so that all games have importance, here it is again and I may watch three games if that many during the bowl season. BCS only gaurantees number one plays number two that is what is wrong with the system.
DAWG
December 2nd, 2012
9:48 pm
Wow a credit card bowl. Well Georgia gets what it deserves for not taking care of business. I have been waiting for 32 years for Georgia to win another national championship and looks like I will never see it in my lifetime and here we have this midget over in Alabama going for his third, and our coach with 12 years at Georgia and nothing to show but to SEC titles. After the game I cleaned my closet out for one big garage sale and have washed my hands forever watching Georgia again, I guess if you are satisfied with a 10-2 season so be it. Georgia is paying this fool too much money and please take that stupid commercial off the air about we own Saturdays.
Thouse
December 2nd, 2012
9:48 pm
Guess hwo has the #1 PASS DEFENSE IN THE NATION?
Nebraska.
Not good for Aaron Murray and UGA coaches who like to try and win big games passing the football.
Nebraska has the #1 pass defense, and #8 rush offense. Perfect matchup nightmare for PASS HAPPY, can’t stop the run UGA.
Delbert D.
December 2nd, 2012
9:48 pm
hit a single – Yeah, that was about 20 years later than the era I was talking about (the ’60s), but those were great years in the ’70s and ’80s, too.
Buh Bye to the Dwags
December 2nd, 2012
9:49 pm
Nebraska 49, Georgia 13
Truth Teller
December 2nd, 2012
9:50 pm
CKGator, get a life man. You are on a Georgia blog badmouthing a great Georgia team that beat your team. You almost lost to ULL, Jax St., and FSU ain’t looking so great. Maybe go find a Gator site to talk smack on?
angela
December 2nd, 2012
9:50 pm
my family goes back to the 30s with ga football ——we knew tarkenton and our ancestors knew sinwhich and trippi
georgia simply cannot tackle strong runners and the nose guards etc simply are not the same brutes as alabama
this had nothing to do with richt who is not the greatest coach but is a class act and decent man
the problem with georgia is brute strength not at highest level
i do think with the speed of gurley he should have been pitched to the outside but frankly when alabama can get 8 yards before anyone wraps the runners legs up the defense was just not good enough
murray is not to blame he may not be a great qb but he is what we have and salute him since he played as hard as he could
georgia needed tommy nobis or dick butkus to stop lacy and that is all there is
it was a great tribute to the team that saban said they could not stop the pass rush—-be proud of that since we simply cannot stop the rushing attack of any above average runners on consistent basis
even ga tech had big gains on the run
being national champion is not all there is to life and herschel only comes once every 50 years perhaps another 20 pounds on gurley he will be up there but real strong defensive lineman and offensive dinosaurs is what richt needs to recruit to get to the top
anyone who is not happy with ga playing the best they could is not a real fan
i can understand critical analysis of the s carolina game but not this one
alabama is very strong and it amazes me that texas am tricked them but that is the only way they will lose this year but i doubt notre dame can trick alabama
BamaStan
December 2nd, 2012
9:50 pm
1980 was a long time ago. Say hi to Mickey and Domald for us. Go SEC!
Delbert D.
December 2nd, 2012
9:51 pm
“Wow a credit card bowl.”
At least they should call it the Festivus Bowl or something (classic Seinfeld; George’s family holiday.)
Mark Richts Press Agent
December 2nd, 2012
9:52 pm
UGA fans….I think we ended up great!
I love corn. Niblet or cream take your pick! Can’t wait to meet the Husker fans in Orlando.
Will there be any press covering the bowl?
BamaStan
December 2nd, 2012
9:54 pm
Truth teller, and Florida finished with one loss and beat LSU, Texas AM, S Carolina and FSU. You played a 3 game schedue and went 1-2. Just calling it how I see it…
flo-ri-duh
December 2nd, 2012
9:54 pm
Where would Bama be playing if they had lost? Since Florida had already been given the Sugar Bowl before the SEC champ game and it had been announced on TV – Bama would have gone to a non BCS bowl. That is why Saban was complaining before the game. He was not that confident that they would win.
Thouse
December 2nd, 2012
9:55 pm
Hey UGA fans, guess which team has a better rush offense, AND a better pass defense, than Alabama?
Uh huh, Nebraska Cornhuskers.
CPJ4ever
December 2nd, 2012
9:55 pm
I’m tired of my team being the second fiddle. This is Atlanta journal constitution. Last I checked we were in Atlanta. Yet I see UGA in bold letters about going to there bowl and us in small letters under it. This really makes me mad and makes me lose interest in this paper/ website. I bet in athens’ newspapers they dot Have “TECH IN SUN BOWL” blasted on the cover. Atlanta is a pathetic college city. Especially Hudson’s grille….which who sponsors us…yet…they all wear uga stuff on Saturdays. This city and state is a joke
Truth Teller
December 2nd, 2012
9:56 pm
Thouse=GayDawg
Erk Russell's Dog
December 2nd, 2012
9:57 pm
I know all of the Georgia fans are down about the outcome of yesterdays game ,but how would you like to be a Southern Cal fan? How the mighty have fallen,pre season #1 in some polls ,relegated to playing a 6-7 Georgia Tech team in the Sun Bowl. Hell,Orlando in January does not seem so bad.
Andrew
December 2nd, 2012
9:57 pm
South Carolina and LSU deserved to play in a BCS bowl more than UGA. UGA had ONE win against at top 25 team this year. They lost two games to top 25 teams and one of those losses was by 28 points. South Carolina had two wins against top 25 teams, Clemson and Georgia (by 28 points). LSU had two wins against top 25 teams (A&M and South Carolina. Georgia snuck into the SEC Championship because it did not have to play the good teams from the SEC West.
Delbert D.
December 2nd, 2012
9:57 pm
Oops! Karl Malone is very mad about this:
“Louisiana Tech will not play in a bowl game this season after finishing 9-3 and turning down an invitation to play in the AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl, a source told ESPN.”
“Louisiana Tech said it was in line to play in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, but when Oklahoma missed out on the BCS, it caused a chain reaction that pushed Iowa State out of the Heart of Dallas Bowl and into the Liberty Bowl in the Bulldogs’ place.”
NYC Dawg
December 2nd, 2012
9:57 pm
BCS is a travesty. Everyone knows it. The fact that NIU is in the Sugar while UGA, LSU, Tex A+M, So Car and Oklahoma are ALL left out proves quod erat demonstrandum that the BCS system is fatally flawed. Sorry to go Latin on you…I am upset!
Mickey
December 2nd, 2012
9:58 pm
Husker Dawg — UGA has TWO National Championships.
Truth Teller
December 2nd, 2012
9:59 pm
CPJ4ever, just post on the UGA blog…that is what most of the Tech fans do anyway. You can pretend to be a Dawg fan and slam Murray and Richt, or you can pretend to be a Bama Fan and talk down to us. Fantasy is necessary to cope for some…
UgaDawg97
December 2nd, 2012
9:59 pm
We are lucky to be I’m the Cap 1. We won 1 real game all year. Hopefully AM plays well on jan 1 and someone tells him he’ll get drafted.
Beast from the East
December 2nd, 2012
10:01 pm
December 2nd, 2012
9:47 pm
BCS is a Joke! When you don’t get huge points for playing a 13th game and you loose to number two in the country and a team who only played 12 games is ahead of you at the end is ridicules! Sorry you played a championship game in your conference that is big and should be rewarded. We are asked to watch games that are set to us on computer formulas that don’t make sense. First get rid of pre season polls and start the team rankings on week six of the season. Drop the tie in to certain bowls and start a sixteen play-off system right away so that all games have importance, here it is again and I may watch three games if that many during the bowl season. BCS only gaurantees number one plays number two that is what is wrong with the system.
———————
By your logic, Tech and Kent State should get better bowl bids than UF, as well? Newsflash…you get rewarded for WINNING your conference championship game. Not just participating.
Mark Richts Press Agent
December 2nd, 2012
10:01 pm
Cap 1 yes! This was my dream pick!
Erk Russell's Dog
December 2nd, 2012
10:02 pm
More Bad News for Tech Fans,
Due to the low attendance of Tech fans at last nights ACC Championship game ,CMR has announced some changes at his weekly Fish Fry and Pep Rally. Due to new budget restraints CMR can only provide a small sack of filet of fish sandwiches and will raffle them off ,so the 25 fans who went to Charlotte please bring your ticket stub to the Fish fry and have a chance too win .
Ckgator
December 2nd, 2012
10:02 pm
Truth Teller -
What’s in your wallet?
>”–,,—-,,—-/
Erk Russell's Dog
December 2nd, 2012
10:02 pm
My mistake should be CPJ.
Send in the clowns
December 2nd, 2012
10:05 pm
Nebraska will slaughter Richt’s clowns.
Erk Russell's Dog
December 2nd, 2012
10:06 pm
Beast from East
What reward should you be entitled to for finishing 2nd in your division? I would say 2nd in conference trumps 2nd in division,just sayin.
flo-ri-duh
December 2nd, 2012
10:07 pm
In the playback shown on TV and sent to the SEC there are two refs watching the cowardly helmet to helmet cheap shot on Murray – one from the side 10 yards away and one from the back further away. The DVD will be reviewed and anything but suspension of Dial is unacceptable. Don’t think Saban would even argue with that.
playmeortrademe
December 2nd, 2012
10:08 pm
Yeah, New Year’s Day used to be the greatest day for college football. The early games were like an appetizer, the Hall of Fame and Citrus Bowls, and the Cotton Bowl was a meaningful game, then you had the Rose Bowl all by itself back when the Rose Bowl meant something, then you spent the night watching the Sugar Bowl and checking in on who Miami’s other pro team was killing in the Orange Bowl and seeing what the Fiesta Bowl had going on. Then E$PN happened…..
christophorm
December 2nd, 2012
10:09 pm
They have to do away with the conference championships games due to teams like alabama last year and this year florida ,not playing in them, yet get better bowls for not doing so.
UgaDawg97
December 2nd, 2012
10:09 pm
Stop the whining. We man up and win the game you don’t have to worry about any of this. We had our moment and didn’t seize it. Now that window of opportunity is probably closing. Watch most of our key juniors go pro…
NYC Dawg
December 2nd, 2012
10:09 pm
Dawgs need to get ready. Nebraska has weapons and will be eager to rebound from a terrible performance against UW. If Dawgs limp in thinking about “what might have been” we will have a long day. We need to bring the intensity, like we did yesterday.
Beast from the East
December 2nd, 2012
10:10 pm
Erk Russell’s Dog
December 2nd, 2012
10:06 pm
Beast from East
What reward should you be entitled to for finishing 2nd in your division? I would say 2nd in conference trumps 2nd in division,just sayin.
—————–
UF went 4-1 against ranked teams. UGA went 1-2. That is the way the pollsters and computers see it…along with everyone who is not looking through red and black glasses.
UgaDawg97
December 2nd, 2012
10:11 pm
Flo-ri-duh, go away. You are embarrassing real dawgs fans.
NYC Dawg
December 2nd, 2012
10:11 pm
The Chick-fil-a Bowl…LSU vs Clemson…has a better match up than the Orange Bowl
SORRYDAWGS
December 2nd, 2012
10:11 pm
Dawgs… really, get over yourselves… no one cares about 2nd place and 1980 was a LONG time ago.
- Steve Spurrier
Crazy Uncle Joe Biden
December 2nd, 2012
10:12 pm
so now that its all said and done, UGA’s season ended worse than Tech’s.
NYC Dawg
December 2nd, 2012
10:12 pm
You Trolls really need to get a life.
Delbert D.
December 2nd, 2012
10:12 pm
At least Georgia Tech has an established fan base in El Paso. Still have the GPS routes saved, too.
Gen Neyland
December 2nd, 2012
10:13 pm
OK Dawgs, move on. Nebraska. I was hoping against it. Nebraska isn’t as bad as Wisconsin made them look and a month to get ready for Georgia is in their favor…but it’ll do them little good. UGA is too strong. I’ll go out on a limb here and say UGA wins IF, if Gurly heads into the game ready without getting an earful from the coaches at the half on Georgia football. He’s a good one and needs to be ready snap 1…
DawgFan
December 2nd, 2012
10:14 pm
Looking forward to this matchup. Hope to see a lot of Dawgs in Orlando for New Years. Would love to put a whooping on the Huskers. Time to nail down a couple more great recruits as well. Go Dawgs
O Town Welcome Waggon
December 2nd, 2012
10:15 pm
Hey Dawg Fans. Come on down and enjoy the weather. We have a blimp and stuffed characters.
GT General
December 2nd, 2012
10:15 pm
Valiant effort last night Bulldogs! A break here or there and you guys are playing for the National Title.
Sorry for all the Tech trolls on this site. 98% of Tech and UGA people are solid Georgians… It’s the 2% of our fan bases that are idiots whose entire lives hang on the outcome of a game played by 18-22 year old young men.
You guys have an outstanding team this year… I just hope we can make the rivalry competitive again some day.
You deserve better than the Cap One Bowl.
flo-ri-duh
December 2nd, 2012
10:16 pm
Andrew – Georgia “snuck” as you called it (snuck is not a word) because they won the SEC EAST by bating #2 (at the time) ranked Florida. It wasn’t given to them like the Sugar Bowl was given to Florida. Schedules change every year. Three years ago UGA had the #1 rated schedule in the country and not by coincidence a very bad year. Next year their schedule will be more difficult. Bama had the #39 ranked schedule and UGA had the #42 ranked schedule – no much difference. So if you are going to bad mouth UGA for that schedule add in Bama too. Bama played none of the top SEC east schools this year. Michigan turned out to be a joke.
BamaStan
December 2nd, 2012
10:17 pm
DawgFan, say hi to Mickey, and Donald for us. And as for the recruits, I think Muschamp has them already nailed down. Have you seen the recruiting rankings?
Chuck
December 2nd, 2012
10:17 pm
Coach,
Let’s get past the question about your failures against any team in the top 20 over the past decade.
Next Question: Your fans are notorious, delusional whiners.
Any comments?
Erk Russell's Dog
December 2nd, 2012
10:17 pm
Beast from East
It was not a great game but if I recall UGA beat Florida this year. It most real situations in real leagues and tournaments ,head to head match ups is the only tiebreaker that is considered. But only FBS college football use a subjective system to rate their teams ,and that is how we have these wonderful match ups in the BCS bowls this year.I am not trying to take anything away from the Gators ,in this screwed up system they are where they belong. I just think the rest of the SEC teams and the viewing public are getting the shaft from the BCS.