Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray (11) and running back Todd Gurley (3) had their moments in the SEC title game but lost to Alabama. Their opponent today, Nebraska, lost in the Big Ten championship game.ORLANDO, Fla. – As millions of Americans try to shake off hangovers today, so will two storied college football programs at the Capital One Bowl.
Georgia and Nebraska have not played since losing their respective conference championship games one month ago. The Bulldogs suffered a 32-28 heartbreaker to Alabama in the Southeastern Conference title game, thus denying Georgia a berth in the BCS championship showdown, while the Cornhuskers had their Rose Bowl plans derailed in a 70-31 loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten title game.
“No matter what happens, you’ll never wipe that taste out of your mouth,” Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said during Monday’s final news conference before today’s kickoff.
Bowl games often are determined by which team is more motivated, and both the No. 5 Bulldogs (11-2) and the No. 21 Cornhuskers (10-3) claim they are ready. Georgia is a 9-point favorite to extend the SEC’s streak of impressive performances in this theme-park mecca, with South Carolina having thumped Nebraska 30-13 last year and Alabama having mutilated Michigan State 49-7 after the 2010 season.
The biggest question facing the Bulldogs is whether they’ve gotten over their loss to the Crimson Tide, which ended with Georgia on Alabama’s 5-yard line as time ran out.