Revisiting Florida State and Georgia's Music City Bowl History

Yet another future marquee FBS non-conference matchup will move off campus to an NFL stadium. Yesterday, Ira Schoffel of Warchant.com reported that Florida State and Georgia will move their 2028 matchup to Nashville after reducing their home-and-home series to one game.

Both schools have one Music City Bowl appearance each, with both coming over a decade ago. Georgia appeared in the 2001 Music City Bowl after LSU's upset of Tennessee in the SEC Championship Game set off a wild domino effect. After the #20 Tigers upset the #2 Volunteers bound for the BCS Championship Game at the Rose Bowl, Tennessee landed in the Citrus Bowl as the first domino. The Cotton Bowl then opted for a team from the SEC West, nearby Arkansas.

The Outback Bowl would have originally chosen 8-3 Georgia, but instead opted for South Carolina. The bowl cited the Gamecocks’ win over Georgia as a tiebreaker since both teams had matching 8-3 overall and 5-3 SEC records.

The Peach Bowl then passed on Georgia for Auburn due to the prospect of increased hotel and restaurant revenue from Auburn fans. This left the Bulldogs available for the Music City Bowl.

Interestingly enough, Georgia went through another Music City Bowl shuffle the previous year. In 2000, Music City Bowl officials passed on Georgia over a fear of hosting a disinterested fanbase reeling from the Bulldogs losing three of their last four games. The Bulldogs' punishment was to go to the Oahu Bowl against Virginia instead.

Georgia would lose to Boston College in the 2001 Music City Bowl, thanks to 149 rushing yards from the Eagles’ William Green. The Bulldogs outgained Boston College 410 to 306, but two turnovers were costly.

Florida State’s path to its lone Music City Bowl in 2007 was much simpler. Towards the end of November, the 7-5 Seminoles were in contention for the bowl with Georgia Tech and Wake Forest. Wake Forest’s trip to Nashville to play Vanderbilt in November eliminated the Demon Deacons. Thus, the Music City Bowl opted for Florida State’s brand power over Georgia Tech.

Notoriously, a cheating scandal deemed 36 players ineligible for the bowl game. The depleted Seminoles allowed Andre Woodson to throw for 358 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-28 loss.

While having the game on either campus is more desirable, both fanbases get a rare trip to an NFL team’s home they have not visited in years. This time around their games at the Titans’ home mark the beginning of hopeful seasons and not consolations for disappointing campaigns.