Bulldogs ready to roll ahead of Orange Bowl vs. Florida State

MIAMI — The Georgia Bulldogs will not have a chance to play in their third consecutive College Football Playoff National Championship. On the bright side, they will spend the final day of December in Miami playing in the Orange Bowl, where they will face the Florida State Seminoles.

The game pits the two teams who were reportedly “next in line” to make the four-team College Football Playoff.

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There are several storylines for Saturday afternoon’s game in which the Bulldogs are a 16-point favorite. Perhaps the biggest storyline is not the game being played, but rather who will or won’t be playing.

For Georgia, 20 players have entered the NCAA Transfer Portal since the season ended with a loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship game. Of those 20, a majority of them will not be playing in the bowl game. Several have been practicing with the team in Miami.

Players such as TE Brock Bowers and CB Kamari Lassiter are still deciding on their draft status. Both are eligible for the draft and have not yet decided if they’ll play in the game.

As for Bulldogs starting QB Carson Beck, he’s ready to go on Saturday and plans to be back under center for the 2024 season. Beck told Channel 2 Sports Director Zach Klein his decision was made seconds after the loss to Alabama.

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Florida State comes into Saturday’s game with a very limited roster. Their top two quarterbacks won’t be playing. Starter Jordan Travis is still recovering from a bad ankle injury suffered late in the regular season and his backup, Tate Rodemaker opted out of the bowl game after entering the Transfer Portal.

Their top three wide receivers, Keon Coleman, Johnny Wilson and Jaheim Bell will also not play.

FSU enters the game undefeated and as champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

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The Orange Bowl kicks off just after 4 p.m. on Saturday, December 30th at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

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