Final Thoughts: Georgia vs. Cincinnati

As the 2020 college football season comes to a close, here are our final thoughts heading into the Peach Bowl matchup between Georgia and Cincinnati.

As the 2020 college football season comes to an end, so does Georgia’s road to Atlanta. Although it was not the road to Atlanta that Georgia had in mind, a New Year’s Six Bowl game is an excellent ending to an unprecedented college football season.

Every year, we see SEC schools play in bowl games like the Peach Bowl, and they do not perform at the level they typically could. Why is that? There is always a lot of talk about not wanting to be there.

A team cannot go into a big game with that mindset if they want to finish their season on a high note.

When teams have a lot of players opt out and declare for the NFL Draft, skipping the bowl game, it does impact the level the team will play. Florida is a good example. 

However, that should not be an excuse for losing to a team that be handled.

Friday, Georgia plays a Cincinnati team they should have no problem beating.

The last thing anyone wants to hear Georgia say is they do not want to be there. There have been a lot of ups and downs for the Bulldogs this season, and the players have stayed motivated all year. When there are players like Jordan Davis working as hard as he can to get back for a game against Missouri, it can't be said that they are not motivated to finish strong late in the season.

After a difficult season, not playing in the game they wanted to play at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Georgia still has a lot to play for.

The opt-outs are not an excuse to play poorly. After all, there’s only five: Monty Rice, DJ Daniel, Eric Stokes, Tre' McKitty, and Ben Cleveland. It is a great opportunity for young players to get a chance to start a game against a ranked opponent for the first time. This is a great way for Georgia to see what they will have next season when they begin the 2021 campaign against Clemson.