GAME PREVIEW: No. 6 Georgia and No. 5 Florida State meet in the 2023 Capital One Orange Bowl

The highest-ranked non-semifinal matchup this Bowl Season kicks off from Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday, December 30 at 4 p.m. ET (ESPN)

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – One of the oldest traditions in college football returns this year when No. 6 Georgia (12-1, 8-0 SEC) meets No. 5 Florida State (13-0, 8-0 ACC) in the 90th edition of the Capital One Orange Bowl. This year’s game is slated to kick off on Saturday, December 30 at 4 p.m. from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens and will be broadcasted on ESPN and ESPN+. Coverage will also be available on ESPN Radio.

Featuring the first two teams out of the College Football Playoff, the 2023 Capital One Orange Bowl serves as the highest-ranked non-semifinal matchup this bowl season, and the highest ranked traditional Orange Bowl since No. 5 USC met No. 3 Iowa in 2003.

This year’s game is the last traditional Capital One Orange Bowl as the College Football Playoff transitions into a 12-team model following this season. In the new model, the Capital One Orange Bowl will serve as a semifinal in the 2024 season and a quarterfinal in the 2025 season.

Fans will also be able to follow the action on social media via X (@OrangeBowl), Instagram (@OrangeBowl) and Facebook (Capital One Orange Bowl).

Two Juggernauts Meet in South Florida

Florida State comes into this game with an unblemished record (13-0, 8-0 ACC) and an ACC Championship under its belt, the Seminoles’ first since 2014. Meanwhile the two-time defending national champion Bulldogs (12-1, 8-0 SEC) have a single loss, a 24-27 contest against No. 4 Alabama in the SEC Championship game, their first loss since the 2021 SEC Championship.

Bulldogs Return to South Florida for Second Time in Three Years

After not appearing in an Orange Bowl for more than six decades, Georgia will make their second Capital One Orange Bowl appearance in three years. In 2021, the Bulldogs met Michigan in a Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl, running through the Wolverines 34-11 en route to the program’s first National Championship since 1980.

In 1960, the Dawgs downed Missouri 14-0 behind the play of Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton to secure their first bowl victory in 13 years. Georgia also appeared in the Orange Bowl in 1942 and 1949, facing off against TCU and Texas, respectively. They hold a 3-1 record in the Orange Bowl and are tied for second most appearances by a SEC school (Florida, LSU, Tennessee).

A Rich Orange Bowl History for the Seminoles

The 2023 Capital One Orange Bowl marks Florida State’s 11th appearance in the Orange Bowl, holding a 5-5 record in its previous 10 games. This year’s game moves the Seminoles into sole possession of third-most Orange Bowl appearances of all-time, behind only Oklahoma (21) and Nebraska (17).

Most recently, Florida State matched up against Michigan in the 2016 Capital One Orange Bowl, emerging victorious behind running back Dalvin Cook, who finished the game with 145 rushing yards and 62 receiving yards on his way to a MVP selection.

However, the fondest memory that Florida State fans have of the Orange Bowl is in the 1994 edition of the game, where the Seminoles captured its first National Championship behind the performance of legendary quarterback Charlie Ward. With one second left on the clock, Nebraska attempted a 45-yard field goal that sailed wide left to secure the win for the Seminoles.

Two Storied Programs Meet

This year’s game marks the 12th meeting all-time between the two storied programs, with Georgia leading the series 6-4-1 overall. They last met in the 2003 Sugar Bowl, when Mark Richt’s Bulldogs defeated Bobby Bowden’s Seminoles 26-13. Richt had previously spent 14 seasons at Florida State as an assistant coach and later offensive coordinator, coaching in four Orange Bowl games.

The teams will meet again in a home-and-home series in the 2027 and 2028 college football seasons.

South Florida Representation

Known as a recruiting hotbed, both teams will have South Florida representation on their roster for the 2023 Capital One Orange Bowl. More than 25 players are from the tri-county area and are sure to have an impact on the game hosted near their hometowns.

While he’s not playing due to injury, star quarterback Jordan Travis was born and raised in South Florida and participated in the Orange Bowl Youth Football Alliance in the Western Community Football League, which services the western communities of Palm Beach County. The Orange Bowl Youth Football Alliance is home to more than 13,000 youth football players and cheerleaders stretching from Lake Okeechobee to Key West.