Georgia football: Bulldogs would be better off declining bowl invites

Georgia football fans may want to see the Bulldogs playing in a bowl game, but it might not be the best move.

Just like the rest of the nation, Georgia football fans have been on a wicked rollercoaster ride this season. All things considered, the Bulldogs came out decently, despite losses to Alabama and Florida.

It seems the Dawgs have found themselves a genuine quarterback in JT Daniels, and the youth on the roster seems to have matured quickly. The future is looking bright for the program in just about every respect.

The Bulldogs’ goal for this season was another SEC East title, a conference championship, and a shot at the College Football Playoff. With those doors slammed shut after the loss to Florida, and the Gators’ subsequent winning streak before being upended by LSU, it might be time to just close the book on the 2020 season altogether.

Meaning, the Bulldogs shouldn’t play in a bowl game.

A shocking, unimaginable thought? Maybe not.

Chances are, No. 8 Georgia would get an invite to one of the New Year’s Six bowls not involved in the College Football Playoff – the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, the Playstation Fiesta Bowl, the Capital One Orange Bowl, or the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.

Even in a normal year, playing in one of those major bowls seems like a bit of a consolation prize … but in 2020? What’s really to be gained?

Not a thing.

Georgia already has several players opting out of the remainder of this season, with probably more to come. It would be senseless to see a depleted Bulldog team unnecessarily upset by Cincinnati or Coastal Carolina, who would come in full of piss and vinegar, ready to show the world that the Power-5 doesn’t really hold all the power.

Is it worth risking the health of JT Daniels — who is just now getting back to being healthy — on a meaningless bowl game against an opponent Georgia fans don’t really know or care about?

Does the Bulldog Nation really want to spend another offseason potentially making excuses for a bowl loss because key players decided to sit it out?

And what if Georgia beat (insert unknown school name) in a big bowl game? Is that going to help recruiting? Considering the haul Kirby Smart just had during the early signing period and what’s yet to come in February, it’s doubtful.

Sometimes it’s best to know when to walk away, and as far as 2020 goes, that’s the best any of us can hope for. You made it through the regular season. Call it a win and hope things are back to semi-normal by next spring.

Teams are being arbitrarily replaced in conference championship games, other title games (such as the Sun Belt) are being completely canceled. There’d be no shame in Kirby Smart saying “for the health and safety of our players, and for the good of the program, we’re calling the 2020 season complete.”

“What about the fans?” you may ask. Fan attendance at any bowl game will be limited, if allowed at all. Tailgating has already been prohibited. The electricity of the “traveling fan base” at a bowl game won’t be present at all. There’s nothing for the fans other than a few more hours in front of the television.

What about the fans? What about the players. They’ve put themselves on the line all season with the hopes of giving Georgia fans that deseperately-wanted championship. That’s not going to happen. It’s time for the fans to be flexible for the players for once this year.

This season probably never should have happened. It makes little sense to test fate for one more game.