ATHENS — With Georgia winning the SEC championship, there was little doubt about the Bulldogs making the College Football Playoff.

Georgia finished as the No. 3 ranked team in the final College Football Playoff rankings. By locking up a bye, Georgia will have to wait to play its first playoff game.

Georgia will take on the winner of No. 6 Ole Miss against No. 11 Tulane. The game will be played in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

The 2026 Sugar Bowl is scheduled for an 8 p.m. ET start. ESPN will broadcast the game.

Georgia has plenty of history in the Sugar Bowl, including playing in last year’s version of the game. Georgia lost 23-10 against Notre Dame.

But this is a very different Georgia team. Whereas last year’s team struggled to stop the run and run the football, the 2025 Georgia team has been much improved in those areas. After rushing for 124 yards per game last season, the Bulldogs have averaged 186 yards per game this year.

The rush defense has been even better, limiting teams to just 79 yards per game. Georgia ranks fourth in the country in that metric.

Against Alabama, Georgia held the Crimson Tide to -3 rushing yards. Ty Simpson was sacked 3.0 times on the afternoon as well.

“The defensive staff got those guys to believe and played hard,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said after the game. “They had a little chip on their shoulder. They wanted another shot. We executed better, affected the quarterback more.”

Ole Miss and Tulane will play at 3:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 20.

The 2026 Sugar Bowl will air after the 2026 Rose Bowl, which is set for a 4 p.m. ET start on ABC. The Sugar Bowl will be played on the same as the Orange Bowl. The Cotton Bowl, the fourth College Football Playoff quarterfinal, will be played on Dec. 31.

Georgia football game time, TV Network for Sugar Bowl

Game time: 8 p.m. ET

TV Network: ESPN

Date: Jan. 1

Location: New Orleans

Teams: Georgia against the winner of No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 11 Tulane