Most Likely Bulldogs Bowl-Game Matchup
According to ESPN's Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach, it was projected that the Georgia Bulldogs will meet the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl on Jan. 1. The bowl game will kick off at 12:30 EST and will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The last meeting between the two programs happened over 44 years ago when the Bulldogs took down the Bearcats (31-17 during the 1976 season. The programs have met met twice in history with the Bulldogs coming away with victories on both occasions.
Cincinnati is currently undefeated with an 8-0 record, and the College Football Playoff Committee placed them as the No. 7-ranked team in the country in their latest rankings. The Bearcats have their biggest game of the season Saturday when they visit the No. 25-ranked Tulsa Golden Hurricane. As for the Bulldogs, the Vanderbilt Commodores come to Athens on senior day between the hedges.
Georgia has played in the Peach Bowl on five occasions and has a 3-2 record in those contests. The last time the Bulldogs appeared in the Peach Bowl resulted in a 31-24 victory over No. 14-ranked Virginia Tech. Former UGA quarterback Matthew Stafford led his team to a comeback victory after being down 21-3 at halftime, earning him Peach Bowl MVP in the process.
Under head coach Kirby Smart, Georgia teams have traveled to Atlanta to play in Mercedes-Benz Stadium four times: The 2017-2019 SEC Championships and the 2018 National Championship with the Bulldogs owning a 1-3 record in those games.
If this projection holds, it would be Georgia's fourth appearance in the New Year's Day six bowls since the College Football Playoff was implemented. The only programs in the country with more appearances are Clemson, Oklahoma, Alabama and Ohio State.
Whatever the bowl game may be, story lines will revolve around which Georgia players actually participate in the game. During the Sugar Bowl, Georgia was down 14 key contributors between early draft declarations and academic issues. Safety Richard LeCounte will be the main player Georgia fans would love to see one more time before he heads off to the NFL and if it's his choice, LeCounte will be playing again in the Red & Black before the end of the season.
