For the first time during Rick Catlett's tenure as Gator Bowl president, the outcome of the Georgia-Florida game will have a bearing on the two teams that will play at EverBank Field on Jan. 1 — just not the way anyone expected.
The winner Saturday between the Gators (4-3, 2-3) and the Bulldogs (4-4, 3-3) will become one of the prime Southeastern Conference candidates to play in the Gator Bowl, even though that team will still have control of its own destiny in the SEC East race.
That destiny could be difficult to control, based on the stumbles each team has taken this season and the difficult schedules remaining. The minute the Georgia-Florida winner is eliminated from the East race, the Gator Bowl might lock onto that team to fill one half of the matchup against a Big Ten member under the new conference affiliation deal that began this season.
The Gator Bowl will select an SEC team after the BCS, Capital One, Cotton, Chick-fil-A and Outback bowls. The pecking order for a Big Ten team before the Gator is the BCS, Capital One and Outback.
Florida last played in the Gator Bowl in 1992, beating North Carolina State 27-10. Georgia's last Gator Bowl appearance was 1989, a 34-27 victory over Michigan State that marked Vince Dooley's final game as the Bulldogs' coach.
Catlett said the odd thing about the 57th consecutive Georgia-Florida game he's witnessed personally (which began when he was 3) is that the Gator Bowl even has a chance at getting the winner.
"It seems as if the Florida-Georgia winner would be headed for the BCS for about the last 20 years," Catlett said. "Both teams have faced some challenges this season, but we think if we have the chance to invite one of them, their fan base in this area would be very supportive in buying tickets."
Catlett has always had a personal conflict the week of Georgia-Florida. His father went to Georgia, and he was born in Athens. But after the family moved to Jacksonville when Catlett was 2, he evolved into a Florida fan.
In the first 15 years Catlett ran the Gator Bowl, the matchups involved the ACC, Big East, Big 12 and Notre Dame.
Now, he will be watching Saturday's game with a business perspective, rather than simply a fan's rooting interest.
"It might make it more stressful," he said. "It's been easy for me to know who to root for in the past. Now, I've got to think of all the elements involved with this game as it relates to the Gator Bowl. But it also will make the game fun, because it might be meaningful to the city in a couple of months."
Just because Florida and Georgia play every year in Jacksonville two months before the Gator Bowl has never made the game's selection committee shy about bringing one of them back. The Gators have played in the Gator Bowl eight times and Georgia three times. Florida's four appearances since 1969 have averaged 70,688 fans, and Georgia's two appearances since 1971 averaged 73,722.
While Florida fans and a significant number of Georgia fans might tend to arrive the day before or the day of the game and not spend much money in hotels or restaurants, Catlett said a strong Big Ten opponent would more than make up for it.
"A team such as Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Michigan or Penn State will bring a ton of fans here," Catlett said. "Florida or Georgia against one of those teams would satisfy our three main components, which are ticket sales, room nights in hotels and TV ratings."
One Big Ten game the Gator Bowl is watching with interest this week is Michigan at Penn State.
