We can't get the Sugar Bowl...

Our bowl situation is as follows:

We should end up as the highest ranked team in the BCS that is not a conference champion, so we should get one of the at-large spots.

If the SEC champion is not playing in the BCS National Championship Game, which they won't this year, they are contractually obligated to host the Sugar Bowl. So, either LSU or UT is going to the Sugar, and they will not pick UGA to play in it because they don't want two teams from the same conference playing each other in a BCS bowl.

If the Big-10 champion and the Pac-10 champions are not in the BCS National Championship Game, they are contractually obligated to play in the Rose Bowl. There will be no representative from the Pac-10 in the title game, so their champ is in the Rose. Ohio State may end up in the title game, provided that the Kansas-Missouri winner loses to Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game. If that's the case, there are no other Big 10 teams worthy of a BCS bid, so it is possible UGA could end up in the Rose Bowl against the Pac-10 champ if Ohio State goes to the title game.

If the Kansas-Missouri winner wins the Big 12 championship game, they will face West Virginia in the BCS National Championship Game (Since West Virginia was #3 and they clinched the Big East with their win over UConn and LSU lost, they have basically wrapped up a spot in the title game). That will leave two spots open in the Fiesta Bowl, so it could be us in the Fiesta vs any other at-large team. If Oklahoma wins the Big 12 championship, they will go to the Fiesta Bowl, which is the contractual home of the Big 12 champ if they are not in the National Championship Game. If that's the case, we could end up facing Oklahoma in the Fiesta.

The ACC champion is contractually obligated to play in the Orange Bowl against some at-large team, so we could end up there.

So, it's like this:

If Ohio State is not in the National Championship game, then we can go to the Fiesta or Orange, but not the Sugar or the Rose.

If Ohio State is in the National Championship game, then we can go to any BCS Bowl except the Sugar Bowl.

My personal preference would be to have us play in the Rose Bowl, simply because it is the rarest of the BCS bowls for an SEC team to be able to play in, and might be a once-in-a-lifetime experience to tell the grandkids about.

After that, I would want to play in the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma if they win the Big 12 title, so that we have the opportunity to strut our stuff against a traditional power in the national spotlight.

If Oklahoma doesn't win the Big 12, I'd like to see us in the Fiesta Bowl against Hawaii, again for the once-in-a-lifetime novelty factor like the Rose.

The worst case for us is to end up in the Orange Bowl against Virginia Tech in a rematch of last year's Chick-Fil-A Bowl, simply because I'd like to see us face someone we haven't faced recently in the post season.

If OSU goes to the NC game we could play the Rose Bowl against USC since Oregon lost today (assuming USC beat UCLA), right, UGaChemDawg? Would love to play USC.

Yes. If OSU goes to the title game, there will be a spot in the Rose Bowl for an at-large team to fill against the Pac-10 champ, because the Big 10 champ won't be available. That is my dream matchup right now, Dawgs vs USC in the Rose Bowl.

In reality, it depends upon the bowl selection order. Since we will be the highest ranked team in the BCS without an automatic bid, and because of the media firestorm we've created for our program with the intentional celebration penalty against Florida and the blackout game against Auburn, I expect us to be the first at-large team picked in the BCS.

So, what BCS bowl besides the Sugar gets the first at-large pick? The answer to that question is probably the bowl we'll end up in.

Would love to beat USC in their house. Think we might get a little respect for that?!!?

ChemDawg, thanks a bunch for laying this out so clearly. Amazing! I would love it; I would salivate over seeing UGA go to the Rose Bowl.
To bring that about then, we need OSU to play in the BCS title game right? And for that to happen, Oklahoma will need to beat Mizzou next week. But regardless, we should be in position for a great bowl game somewhere. And right now, we are playing well. We should be competitive with anyone.

Actually, the Sugar gets the LAST at-large bid, so if Hawai'i runs the table, (they stand at BCS #12 right now, guaranteeing them an at-large bid), it'll be either LSU or UT vs. Hawai'i.

Let's not assume that Va Tech will win the ACC Championship, either. Don't forget that BC beat the Hokies in the regular season. So we could face BC in the Orange Bowl, which I wouldn't mind because I'd LOVE retribution for the Music City Bowl in 2001.

The Fiesta Bowl is probably out of the question. If Mizzou wins and goes to the NC game, Fiesta will pick Kansas; if Oklahoma wins, they'll go to the Fiesta. If Arizona State manages to beat Arizona but doesn't win the Pac-10, they'll go as an at-large to the Fiesta. If ASU does win the Pac-10, that's really our only chance to play in Glendale.

The Rose Bowl would be wonderful. I'd love to play USC or Arizona State there, so I'm kind of pulling for OU to beat Mizzou. I don't wanna go to stinking Miami.

Of course, the ULTIMATE scenario involves Pitt upsetting WVU, Oklahoma beating Mizzou and Tennessee beating LSU in the Georgia Dome. Then you've got 1-loss Ohio State versus -- YOU GOT IT -- 2-loss Georgia for the National Championship. And I think we all know how that one would turn out.

Oh, and NO ONE can tell me that Georgia isn't playing the best football in the nation right now. No one. If we were going to Atlanta next weekend, we'd leapfrog OSU for the #3 spot easily, and if OU beat Mizzou in that scenario we'd have a New Orleans rematch with WVU for the National Championship. Stupid freaking Kentucky can't hit a @#$** field goal!!!