Georgia was the top-ranked team entering the 2023 college football season, maintained the No. 1 spot throughout the regular season and was one win away from getting a shot at three-peating as national champions.
That is, until Kirby Smart's crew lost to Nick Saban and Alabama in the SEC championship, dropping their record to 12-1 and leaving Georgia without a conference title. As a result, the Bulldogs won't get the chance at defending their title.
Georgia slotted in at No. 6 in the final CFP rankings, washing away the opportunity to play in either of the national semifinal games. Instead, the Bulldogs will have to settle with an Orange Bowl appearance against Florida State.
MORE: Tracking the selections for all 41 college football bowl games in 2023-24
It's hard to fathom that a program that's coming off back-to-back national championships and nearly completed another perfect season won't be in the playoffs. However, the Bulldogs' loss came at the worst time, giving the CFP committee a tough choice to decide who to put into the final two spots — Georgia, Texas, Alabama or Florida State.
Ultimately, Georgia was passed over for the Tide and Texas, who both had one-loss seasons and the conference hardware to back it up. Now, the Bulldogs have to settle for bragging rights down in Miami.
What is Georgia's bowl game in 2023?
- Bowl: Orange Bowl
- Location: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, Fla.
Georgia is set to play in 2023 Orange Bowl. This marks the program's fifth time appearing in an Orange Bowl and its first appearance since 2021, when Georgia defeated Michigan in the national semifinals. The Bulldogs are 3-1 in its Orange Bowl history.
The game is being played at Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Dolphins. The venue has been the site for the Orange Bowl since 2000.
When is Georgia's bowl game?
- Date: Dec. 30
- Time: 4 p.m. ET
Georgia will be playing on Saturday, Dec. 30 in the middle of the afternoon. The Orange Bowl has a scheduled kickoff for 4 p.m. ET.
Who is Georgia playing in its bowl game?
- Opponent: Florida State
Before championship weekend, the likelihood that both the Seminoles and Bulldogs would be outside the College Football Playoffs seemed slim. Georgia was ranked No. 1 for the whole year before losing to Alabama in the SEC championship, knocking them out of contention.
Meanwhile, Florida State was a surprise omission from the playoffs. The Seminoles went a perfect 13-0 concluding the season with an ACC championship win over Louisville. However, the CFP committee elected to give Big 12 champs Texas and Alabama the edge over Florida State, leaving Mike Norvell's crew as the No. 5 team.
MORE: Why Florida State missed the College Football Playoff
What channel is Georgia's bowl game?
- TV channel: ESPN
- Live stream: ESPN+, Fubo
The Orange Bowl, like all New Year's 6 bowl games, will be on ESPN.
Viewers hoping to stream the game can find it on ESPN+ or with Fubo.
New Year's Day 6 bowl games
| Bowl | Date | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Cotton Bowl | Dec. 29 | No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Missouri |
| Peach Bowl | Dec. 30 | No. 10 Penn State vs. No. 11 Ole Miss |
| Orange Bowl | Dec. 30 | No. 5 Florida State vs. No. 6 Georgia |
| Fiesta Bowl | Jan. 1 | No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 23 Liberty |
| Rose Bowl (CFP semifinal) | Jan. 1 | No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 4 Alabama |
| Sugar Bowl (CFP semifinal) | Jan. 1 | No. 2 Washington vs. No. 3 Texas |
