Gary Stokan, CEO and president of Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, discusses Tennessee-Georgia

Kickoff between the Vols and Bulldogs is slated for 3:30 p.m. EDT. CBS will televise the SEC East matchup from Sanford Stadium.

Ahead of Saturday’s SEC East matchup with College Football Playoff implications, Gary P. Stokan, CEO and president of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, discussed the game with Vols Wire.

“Credit to both Kirby (Smart) and Josh (Heupel), what they’ve done with both their programs, elevating them to the status of Georgia last year, winning the national championship for the first time since 1980, and obviously Tennessee putting itself in a position at No. 1 now since 1998,” Stokan told Vols Wire. “Both teams control their own destiny, so as always, it’s played out on the field.”

The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl will be played Dec. 31 and is a semifinal in the College Football Playoff.

“It’s really going to be a great opportunity to have the semifinal this year,” Stokan continued. “I think this, out of the nine years so far of the CFP, this will be the most challenging, potentially the most challenging decisions the CFP selection committee will have with all the teams that are either undefeated or only have one loss this late in the season.

“You can make a case for just about every team in the top 10 or top 12, to really still get into a CFP semifinal game. It’s a great time of the year, great to be able to see it, happen before our eyes with so many teams playing each other, even UCLA and USC playing each other still, so the playoffs are happening starting this weekend.”

The Tennessee-Georgia game is even bigger within Stokan’s family with his daughters.

“A little story on our side, my daughter went to Tennessee and my other daughter went to Georgia,” he said. “It will be an interesting weekend, so I’ll have a lot of fun watching both of them enjoy both their alma maters play.”

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