Tag: orange bowl

A look at the hectic upcoming 2024-25 College Football Playoff schedule

The college football schedule in December could look a bit hectic this upcoming season with the playoff expansion.

It was a foregone conclusion that once college football went into a playoff format it would be expanded for more teams than just four.

That expansion begins this coming year as the College Football Playoff will include a total of 12 teams with the top four receiving a first-round bye. Those first-round games will be played on campus sites.

Expansion doesn’t just mean more teams, however.

The football calendar will also be pushed to the limit and will resemble the NFL playoffs and will last nearly that long. The days of college football ending on New Year’s are long over.

For those two teams that make the National Championship, they would have played 15 or 16 total games. There was a reason the regular season ended in late November and most bowl games were played in the southern part of the country.

The weather.

A December game played at Wisconsin or Michigan won’t be fun for players or fans, but these extra playoff games will rack in the dough for schools to spread around.

On top of just the new playoff games, coaches and programs will also have to deal with the transfer portal and the early signing period, both of which will come in early December as well. Here’s a look at the upcoming schedule for the 2024-25 season, wich dates set for games this postseason.

Watch: FSU coach Mike Norvell’s speech after Orange Bowl defeat

Florida State head coach Mike Norvell made a moving speech after Florida State’s 60-point loss to Georgia in the Orange Bowl.

Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell made an emotional speech after the Seminoles lost 63-3 in the Orange Bowl to the Georgia Bulldogs. Florida State had many opt outs for the Orange Bowl after completing an undefeated season and winning the ACC championship. The Seminoles were understandably down on themselves a little bit after becoming the first undefeated Power Five team to miss the College Football Playoff.

Georgia’s dominant performance in the Orange Bowl showed how broken the bowl system is. The Bulldogs showed how deep their team is in an impressive victory.

Here’s Mike Norvell’s intense speech in the moments following Florida State’s ugly Orange Bowl defeat.

Florida State achieved a lot in 2023 and should not be exclusively judged for their final game of the season. Georgia deserves credit for coming out to play in a bowl game that far too many folks tab as meaningless.

Social media reacts: Georgia decimates FSU 63-3 in historic win

Georgia football’s 63-3 win over Florida State proved a point to the selection committee

The Georgia Bulldogs broke their own record for the largest margin of victory in a bowl game. Georgia defeated Florida State 63-3 in a dominant display.

Georgia raced out to a 42-3 halftime lead and did not let up. The Bulldogs pulled many of their starters in the second half, but continued to have success against a depleted Florida State team.

Georgia outgained Florida State 673 yards to 209 yards in a performance that reminded many fans of last year’s 65-7 win in the national championship over TCU. The Bulldogs totaled 36 first downs while FSU moved the chains just 11 times. Georgia forced four Florida State turnovers add to the Bulldogs’ edge.

The Dawgs sent a message: Georgia is obviously one of the four best teams in the college football. The College Football Playoff selection committee can’t deny that Georgia would easily be able to handle a team like Michigan or Washington.

Georgia’s convincing victory means that Georgia’s senior class goes out as the winningest senior class in Georgia football history with 50 career wins. Quarterback Carson Beck was sharp as the Bulldog offense scored nine straight touchdowns after being stopped on their first possession.

How did Georgia football fans and members of the media react after Georgia’s historic win over Florida State in the Orange Bowl?

Kirby Smart called for changes within college football after Georgia’s lopsided Orange Bowl win

Kirby Smart didn’t mince words here.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart did not sound too pleased with how Saturday’s Orange Bowl went for his Bulldogs and Florida State.

While Georgia blasted Florida State with a comfortable 63-3 victory, Smart called for changes within college football that would prevent an understaffed team like Florida State having to compete in a game like this.

He told reporters that it wasn’t fair that Florida State had to play under these circumstances, with the team suffering a flurry of opt-outs and transfers after missing out on the College Football Playoff’s final four despite a perfect season.

“People need to see what happened tonight, and they need to fix this,” Smart said after the game. “It needs to be fixed.”

Bowl games like the Orange Bowl can be ultimately meaningless for the teams playing in them outside of a temporary celebration and bragging rights for the immediate future, and that can deeply affect teams like Florida State.

Florida State didn’t have much to play for after such a dramatic omission from the College Football Playoff, and it’s understandable a lot of their players wouldn’t want to risk injury if they were declaring for the NFL Draft or planning on playing for another team next season.

To Smart, this model is unsustainable, even with the pending changes to expand the College Football Playoff to more teams. If games like this keep happening, he’s only going to have a stronger point than he already does.

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Georgia sets records in dominant 63-3 Orange Bowl win over FSU

Georgia sets 3 records in 63-3 win over FSU in the Orange Bowl

Georgia’s commitment to finish out the 2023 season on a high note paid off in full on Saturday night with a 63-3 drubbing of No. 5 Florida State in the Orange Bowl.

The Seminoles’ numerous opt outs made up most of the storylines surrounding the matchup. Yes, Florida State was missing more than 20 players due to transfers and opt outs.

What wasn’t mentioned as much is Georgia missing five starters along with 19 transfers itself.

UGA didn’t miss a beat, though, and made a glaring statement to the College Football Playoff selection committee and college football itself with the most dominant win in bowl history.

Georgia set four records in Miami:

  • The largest postseason victory margin in history (UGA set the record last season vs TCU, 65-7)
  • The most total yards gained in Orange Bowl history (673)
  • The only team in history to score at least 63 points in back-to-back postseason games
  • The winningest class in UGA football history (50 wins)

This performance is a testament to the culture Kirby Smart has built in Athens. Multiple draft-eligible players could have opted out and prepared for the 2024 NFL draft. Instead, they helped make the difference against the Seminoles.

Senior running back Kendall Milton led all ball carriers with nine carries for an astounding 104 yards (11.6 yards per carry) and two touchdowns. Senior tailback Daijun Edwards wasn’t far behind with seven carries for 62 yards (8.9 yards per carry) with two scores of his own.

Sophomore wide receiver Dillon Bell led all receivers with five catches for 86 yards. Junior wideout Ladd McConkey had perhaps the most memorable performance of his career, catching a 22-yard pass and scoring on a wild 27-yard run in the first half.

Junior quarterback Carson Beck played like his usual self, efficiently, passing for 203 yards on 13-of-18 attempts with two touchdowns.

A few Bulldogs put their names in Georgia history books with their first touchdowns in wide receiver Anthony Evans and tight end Lawson Luckie. Quarterback Gunner Stockton connected with both Evans and Luckie, logging his first two scores in a UGA uniform.

In total, Georgia gained a whopping 673 yards of offense.

Defensively, the Bulldogs suffocated an inexperienced FSU offense led by freshman quarterback Brock Glenn. The Seminoles gained just 209 total yards, including 63 yards on the ground and 146 yards through the air.

Georgia’s defense came up big with four turnovers, including two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

Freshman linebacker C.J. Allen led all UGA defenders with six tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and one pass breakup. Sophomore defensive end Mykel Williams made his mark with four tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and a pass breakup.

Defensive backs Dan Jackson and Malaki Starks recorded the game’s two interceptions.

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Three-peat or not — Georgia fans have plenty to be excited about for the 2024 season with a team full of playmakers returning to Athens to make a College Football Playoff run.

 

Georgia outscores opponents 128-10 in last 2 postseason games

Georgia crushed Florida State after destroying TCU in the CFP Championship Game last season

Call it Dawg Nation domination.

Georgia destroyed Florida State, 63-3, in the Orange Bowl on Saturday. The Seminoles, who finished 13-1 like the Bulldogs, were without 20 players due to the transfer portal and opt-outs.

Georgia was missing players, too, but it did not matter

The Bulldogs’ margin of victory was the largest in postseason history, topping the 58-point margin in a 65-7 victory over TCU in the most recent CFP Championship Game.

That’s right, folks: In the Bulldogs’ last two postseason games, they have outscored opponents 128-10.

  • In the routs, Georgia had 1,262 yards of total offense compared to 397 for the opponents.
  • The Dawgs had 69 first downs; TCU and FSU had a combined 20.
  • Rushing yardage: Georgia 626, Horned Frogs + Seminoles 99.
  • Passing yardage: Dawgs 636, foes 298
  • Touchdowns Georgia 18, TCU and FSU 1.
  • Turnovers: Horned Frogs + Seminoles 7, Dawgs 0
  • Field goals: Georgia 1, TCU and FSU 1.

The field goals are not a moral victory.

A Georgia player, um, went on Instagram live during the game.

Georgia’s Warren Brinson hopped on Instagram and trolled Florida State from the sideline during Orange Bowl rout

A Georgia player literally livestreamed during the Orange Bowl to troll Florida State.

Saturday’s Orange Bowl between Georgia and Florida State got so out of hand that a Bulldogs player turned on an Instagram livestream during the actual game.

Sometime in the midst of Georgia routing Florida State, senior defensive lineman Warren Brinson apparently started streaming himself on his Instagram account (@warren) from the sideline and was reportedly shaking his head, per WJCL sports director Amy Zimmer.

While the live feed was taken down, it really says something that Brinson got so bored during the game that he had time to start an Instagram livestream and make fun of the opponent.

It’s 2023, folks. This stuff can absolutely happen now.

Georgia didn’t give Florida State much of anything in this game, but Brinson definitely got in a little sideline trolling in the most unexpected way.

It’s surely a sign of the times that football players can literally start livestreams during football games, even if Brinson didn’t really have much else to do in this uneventful bowl matchup.

Florida State will want to put this game quickly behind them, while Georgia will undoubtedly relish the chance to remember this one for some time. For Brinson, he even got a little trolling in for his troubles.

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Social media reacts: Georgia demolishes FSU in first half

Georgia dominates FSU with a monster 42-3 first half

The Georgia Bulldogs came to play in the Orange Bowl against Florida State. Georgia holds a 42-3 lead over the Seminoles after an absolutely dominant, historic first half.

Georgia scored 35 points in the second quarter. The Bulldogs outgained Florida State, 383-185, in the first half. Georgia averaged an incredible 11.3 yards per play and picked up 20 first downs in the first half.

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck threw two touchdown passes in the first half. The Bulldogs scored four rushing touchdowns, including two from senior running back Kendall Milton.

The Bulldogs forced three turnovers before the first half mercifully ended for the Seminoles. Georgia will have a chance to break the record for the largest margin of victory in bowl game in the second half. Georgia’s 65-7 win over TCU in the national championship last year is the biggest bowl win ever.

What did social media have to say after Georgia’s insanely dominant first half?

Watch: Georgia WR Ladd McConkey scrambles for wild TD vs FSU

Watch: Georgia WR Ladd McConkey scrambles for wild TD vs FSU

It’s all Georgia right now in the Orange Bowl. The Bulldogs lead Florida State, 28-3, with just over seven minutes remaining in the first half.

This will likely be the last game in a Georgia uniform for several Bulldogs, including star wide receiver Ladd McConkey.

Despite the opportunity sit out this game to prepare for the 2024 NFL draft, McConkey decided to play and has already made his presence felt.

McConkey caught what appeared to be a screen pass from quarterback Carson Beck, but then set up to make a double-pass. Florida State’s secondary covered the play well, but McConkey took it upon himself to gain positive yardage and ended up in the end zone.

McConkey has a catch for 22 yards and this rush for 27 yards and a score on the day thus far.

You can watch the game live on ESPN.

Multiple Georgia starters not dressed out for Orange Bowl

Multiple Georgia starters not dressed out for Orange Bowl

No. 6 Georgia is leading Florida State, 14-0, early in the second quarter of the Orange Bowl.

While the Bulldogs didn’t have any official opt outs ahead of the game, multiple key players aren’t in uniform.

The list includes tight end Brock Bowers, wide receiver RaRa Thomas, offensive tackle Amarius Mims, linebacker Smael Mondon Jr., defensive tackle Christen Miller and cornerback Julian Humphrey.

Each Bulldog mentioned is nursing some sort of injury suffered during the regular season. For Bowers and Mims, this is likely their last chance to play in a Georgia uniform with the 2024 NFL draft looming.

The good news for Dawg fans is the return of wide receiver Ladd McConkey. Despite being draft eligible and dealing with an ankle injury, McConkey is active today and recorded a 22-yard catch that went for a first down in Georgia’s second touchdown drive.

You can watch the game live on ESPN.