ATHENS, Ga. — No, it was not necessarily the way the Georgia Bulldogs wanted to qualify for the College Football Playoff, but after Saturday night’s 41-24 loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship game, they are just happy to still have a chance at the championship.
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The Bulldogs were picked Sunday afternoon to take part in this year’s College Football Playoff and earned the No. 3 spot.
They’ll play the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines New Year’s Eve in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium just north of Miami. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
After the big win against Georgia, the Alabama Crimson Tide will enter the playoff as the No. 1 seed.
They will play the No. 4 Cincinnati Bearcats also on New Year’s Eve in the Cotton Bowl. That game will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The semifinal winners will play each other Jan. 10 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for the College Football Playoff championship.
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For Georgia, the matchup with Michigan will provide a huge challenge. Michigan enters the game 12-1 after flattening Iowa 42-3 in the Big Ten Championship Game Saturday night.
The Wolverines won the Big Ten on the back of a stout defense led by DL Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo. The offense, under QB Cade McNamara and RB Hassan Haskins has done their job well enough to get Michigan 12 wins this season.
Georgia and Michigan have squared off only twice in each programs storied history.
The Dawgs beat Michigan 15-7 in an October 1965 game played in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines won the first meeting between the two 26-0 in 1957.
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Channel 2 Action News will be with the Bulldogs every step of the way in during the playoffs. Channel 2′s Zach Klein, Alison Mastrangelo and Heather Catlin will have the latest developments with the team. You can also watch Bulldogs Game Day on Channel 2 Saturday’s beginning at 11 a.m.
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