Sure hope the Bulldogs can flip the switch come New Years Day against Michigan State. The bowl game scene can be pretty laid back, with a lot of distractions to deal with. The break for Christmas can take you away and some guys have a hard time getting back...physically and mentally. You wonder who will be late. During the season, there is this strong sense of urgency to take care of business. That's not there in the bowl game, unless you are playing for the title.
    The teams I played on at Georgia had two big showdwn games in the Sugar Bowl. Notre Dame for the National Championship and Pittsburgh in a grudge match the next year. Those two games got a lot of pub because of the national title implications, but I also have some good memories of our 1978 Bluebonnet Bowl trip to Houston my freshman year. We took on the great Bill Walsh and his Stanford team. 
    You hear so much about what these guys are getting these days for being the the bowl game...believe the 'Dogs are getting a Best Buy gift card worth $400, a commemorative watch and a gift bag. In the '78 Bluebonnet Bowl we got a watch and a trip to a local store to pick out some cowboy boots, which was entertaining. We were told to jump on one of the three buses outside our Houston hotel for a surprise trip. No one (except the seniors) knew where we were going. Then, the buses stopped a few minutes later outside this western/cowboy store. We were told to go pick out a free pair of boots. It was a mob scene, with ninety of us walking in at the same time. Some of the city boys had a hard time finding something they liked. Others were done in 5 minutes. 
    I went with some black pair, with some red stitching. Probably wore'm once or twice. Not a big cowboy boot kind of guy. Not real comfortable. Wonder what happened to those things? 
    Anyway, we led Stanford at the half 15-0. Coming off that wild 29-28 win over Georgia Tech a few weeks earlier (where I helped bring the team back to win), I was anticipating some playing time in the bowl game. In the 2nd quarter, Coach Dooley sent me in and we drove for a TD (hit Prince on an out route for a 22 yard TD). But that was about it. Didn't get much time after that. Still wondering why. 
    Coach Walsh hit us with some big plays in the second half, and Stanford outscored us 25-7 to win 25-22. 
    Years later, bumped into Coach Walsh before a 49ers-Falcons game in Atlanta and he asked me why I didn't play in the 2nd half. Didn't have an answer for him. That man was sharp. He told me the adjustments they made at the half (protection wise) that allowed for those big plays in the passing game (Steve Dils to Ken Margerum). Still have the watch.