As soon as Saturday's first College Football Playoff semifinal turned into Clemson's 30-3 rout of Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl, Georgia players began voicing their displeasure with the playoff selection committee through social media.
That continued Saturday evening when Alabama, a team that rallied past Georgia 35-28 in the Southeastern Conference championship game exactly one month ago, took a 28-0 lead against Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.
The final media availability for Georgia players previewing tonight's Sugar Bowl matchup with Texas occurred Sunday, and their playoff exclusion remained a sore subject.
"We all know we should be there," sophomore running back D'Andre Swift said, "but the reality is that we're not. We really can't focus on that, because there is nothing we can do about it. We just have to play Texas."
Georgia can produce a much bigger statement tonight inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome than any Twitter typing could provide, as a triumph over the No. 14 Longhorns (9-4) would give the No. 5 Bulldogs a 12-2 record and a potential No. 3 final ranking behind the CFP title-game participants. The Bulldogs are 12.5-point favorites to defeat Texas, which defeated Oklahoma 48-45 in early October but lost to the Sooners 39-27 in the Big 12 championship contest.
This time last year, Georgia was on the verge of knocking off Oklahoma in a thrilling Rose Bowl to advance to the CFP title game, which the Bulldogs would lose barely to Alabama, but tonight will be the season finale regardless of the outcome.
"I am not going to lie - it is different when you are in the national championship playoff from a player's perspective, because you feel like you are going toward something," senior defensive end Jonathan Ledbetter said, "but we're Georgia, and if we are in a game, we are going to play our hearts out and give it all we've got.
"That is the cool thing about our team. We are going to show up no matter who we play. We like to play good football games. It's what we do."
Tonight's matchup contains a pair of highly efficient sophomore quarterbacks, Jake Fromm of Georgia and Sam Ehlinger of Texas.
Fromm has thrown for 2,537 yards with 27 touchdowns and five interceptions, with his 68.4-percent completion rate on track to topple Hutson Mason's school record of 67.9 in 2014. Ehlinger has thrown for 3,123 yards with 25 touchdowns and five interceptions, giving tonight's starters a combined 52 aerial scores and just 10 interceptions.
Tonight could mark the Georgia finale for backup quarterback Justin Fields, who is exploring transfer options.
The Bulldogs will be countering Ehlinger and the Texas passing game without senior cornerback Deandre Baker, who has decided to skip tonight's contest to prevent risking injury for the expected NFL first-round draft pick. The Longhorns possess two towering receivers, 6-foot-6 Collin Johnson and 6-4 Lil'Jordan Humphrey, who have combined on 144 catches for 2,054 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said Monday that senior outside linebacker D'Andre Walker, who sustained a groin injury during the SEC title game, could be used situationally tonight. Smart added that freshman defensive lineman Jordan Davis is questionable with a back injury, so the Bulldogs could be motivated to show they can excel even without key defensive components.
"We are amped up," sophomore safety Richard LeCounte said. "We are going to come out and play just as hard as we have played any other game. There are no added incentives or things on our mind. Everything that has happened in the past is in the past, so we are geared up and ready to play this last game."
Said Smart: "Everything that we'll be judged on is how we finish. We want to finish the right way."
More gratitude
After posting a Twitter message of respect for former Georgia coach Mark Richt on Sunday, Smart expressed more gratitude in Monday's news conference. Smart was running backs coach for the Bulldogs in 2005 under Richt, who announced his retirement Sunday following three seasons with the Miami Hurricanes.
"Mark gave me an opportunity to coach on the offensive side of the ball, which I've always said was a different perspective for me," Smart said. "He had enough confidence in me as a coach and as a recruiter to hire me as running backs coach, and it was one of the most valuable years of my career, because it was the most different. I wouldn't have had that opportunity were it not for him and his wife Katharyn.
"What they've done for the city of Athens and the University of Georgia is incredible, and they are great people."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.