Five most likely bowl destinations for the Georgia Bulldogs
With the 13-7 win over Auburn, Georgia is bowl eligible for the 20th straight season.
Related Story: Kirby Smart gets first signature win over Auburn
Now that the worry of whether or not the Bulldogs will make a bowl game or not is finally over, we can begin looking ahead to which bowl games Georgia will play in.
At best right now Georgia can finish 8-4 which would put them in a mid-tier bowl game. At worst they’ll be 6-6 which would garner one of the SEC’s lowest bowl games. Because of their ineffective offense, Georgia isn’t entertaining enough for one of the higher bowl games to invite as a 6-6 or 7-5 team. If Georgia want to compete in a more prestigious bowl game, they’re going to have to win out.
Plus the SEC West has cannibalized itself so much this season, most bowl’s will look at Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Arkansas and LSU well before they look at Georgia. They’re all seen as superior teams to Georgia despite having similar records.
But either way, Georgia is in for a unique and intriguing match-up no matter where they end up.
Here are the five most likely bowl games Georgia could end up going, as well as three potential opponents.
AutoZone Liberty Bowl-Memphis, Tennessee
The last time Georgia only won 6 games in a regular season they played in the Liberty Bowl. That was 2010 and the opponent was Central Florida, then of the Conference USA. The conference match-up has changed since then. Now the SEC plays the Big 12.
Georgia will probably end up here if they lose one or both of their final two games. The Liberty Bowl is one of the lowest bowls in the pecking order for SEC teams.
Likely opponents: Kansas State, TCU, or Texas
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl-Nashville, Tennessee
Another one of the lowest tier bowl games for the SEC. Georgia hasn’t played in the Music City bowl since 2001 when they lost to Boston College in Mark Richt’s first year. Back then it was SEC vs. Big East, then it switched to SEC vs. Big 10. Since 2006 the SEC and ACC have clashed in Nashville, but a Big 10 team or Notre Dame might play there instead of an ACC team.
Georgia will end up here for the same reason as the Liberty Bowl.
Likely opponents: Wake Forest, NC State, or Miami
Birmingham Bowl-Birmingham, Alabama
Almost everything that was said about the last two games can be said here. Those are the three lowest bowl games for the SEC. Georgia has never played in the Birmingham Bowl, and it would be the Bulldogs first trip to Legion Field since 1984 when Vince Dooley’s Dawgs beat Alabama 24-14.
The Birmingham Bowl is an SEC vs American Conference game
Likely opponents: Temple, Central Florida, or Tulsa
TaxSlayer Bowl-Jacksonville, Florida
The game played in Georgia’s home away from home in Jacksonville. The Bulldogs have made two appearances in the game recently, a loss to Nebraska in the 2013 Gator Bowl, and a win over Penn State in this past years TaxSlayer Bowl. This is a SEC vs Big 10 game mainly.
Georgia could end up back in Jacksonville of they win one or both of their next two games. The organizers of the TaxSlayer Bowl know they can count on Georgia to bring fans to Jacksonville.
But can we all agree that the game lost a lot of credibility and prestige when they changed the name from the Gator Bowl to the TaxSlayer Bowl?
Likely opponents: Indiana, Minnesota, or Iowa
Belk Bowl-Charlotte, North Carolina
Tied with the TaxSlayer Bowl for prestige on this list, the Belk Bowl pairs the SEC with the ACC or Notre Dame. Since the Fighting Irish are 4-6 and end their season with Virginia Tech and Southern California, we’re going to assume the Belk Bowl will be SEC vs ACC this year.
You wouldn’t know by the name, but the Belk Bowl has been around since 2002. Originally it was Continental Tire Bowl and then the Meineke Car Care Bowl. It became the Belk Bowl in 2011. Georgia defeated Louisville in the 2014 Belk Bowl which was the first year of the SEC’s deal with the bowl game.
Likely opponents: Virginia Tech, North Carolina or Florida State