January 1st 12:00 PM ET
Everbank Field in Jacksonville, Florida
Nebraska Season Review
The Cornhuskers, led by head coach Bo Pelini, won eight games in the regular season and finshed tied with Iowa for second place in Big 10's Legends Division. A former national powerhouse that has fallen on tough times in recent seasons, Nebraska started out the season with blowout wins against two two less-than-stellar opponents in the form of Wyoming and Southern Mississippi before losing be 20 points to the then No. 16-ranked UCLA Bruins at home. After winning three consecutive, including two in a row against bottom feeders Purdue and Illinois in the Big 10, Nebraska was upset by Minnesota on the road in late October. That loss coupled with setbacks against Michigan State and Iowa late in the season disabled Nebraska's ability to vie for a division championship and spot in the Big 10 Title game.
Junior running back Ameer Abdullah finished second behind Ohio State's Carlos Hyde in rushing yards with 1,568 on the ground. He also finished with 232 receiving yards on the season. Senior quarterback Taylor Martinez will likely be on the sideline in this one, meaning that Nebraska will have to rely on Tommy Armstrong Jr., who missed Nebraska's final regular season game with an ankle injury. The freshman put up nearly 1,000 total yards with nine touchdowns and seven interceptions in parts of eight games.
Georgia Season Review
2013 has been nothing less than a major disappointment for a Georgia team that came into the year with BCS expectations. Ranked No. 5 heading into the season, the Bulldogs fell to Tajh Boyd and Clemson 38-35 in the opener before running off an impressive four-game winning streak, including victories against two teams, South Carolina and LSU. They then fell to Missouri 41-26 in a game that saw senior quarterback Aaron Murray throw two key interceptions. Overall, this talented Georgia team lost three of its last seven games to finish the regular year with an 8-4 record, which was good enough for third in the SEC East.
Murray, a four-year starter in Athens, had another stellar campaign with 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions before tearing his ACL. He will not be available in this one.
Game Matchup
Georgia enters this New Year's Day game as nine-point favorites against a Nebraska team that has lost three consecutive bowl games.
It does so with junior Hutson Mason under center. The backup signal caller put up 299 passing yards and two scores in Georgia's rivalry game against Georgia Tech.
He will be going up against a Nebraska defense that ranked fourth in the Big 10 against the pass during the regular season.
Georgia, on the other hand, will have to find a way to stop Husker running back Abdullah. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs gave up an average of 148.5 rushing yards and allowed 24 touchdowns to running backs this season.
If Abdullah gets going, Nebraska will be in a good position to come away with an upset win. With that said, it's clear that Georgia is the more talented team.
Prediction
Georgia: 34
Nebraska: 23
Draft Impact
Aaron Murray, Quarterback, Georgia: Murray entered his senior season as a possible late first-round pick. While his statistics were solid, he didn't improve in certain aspects of the game that scouts look for. This coupled with a torn ACL has led Murray to fall off the map of the scouting community. Unable to participate in postseason events, including the Senior Bowl, it appears that Murray is destined for the mid rounds.
Arthur Lynch, Tight End, Georgia: Projected as a mid-round pick, Lynch is more of a block-first tight end. He has elite size and has put up some decent receiving numbers, but lacks the necessary athleticism that the NFL looks for in the new-breed tight end. If Lynch can put up a good receiving game, especially with Georgia's backup quarterback in the game, he could see his draft stock increase. He's underrated in the grand scheme of things and can cause matchup problems between the hashes due to plus hands and an imposing build.
Spencer Long, Guard, Nebraska: The Cornhuskers top-rated NFL draft prospect was lost for the season in October and is considered a mid-round pick.