ATHENS — Georgia will be heading down to Miami to end its season, as the Bulldogs were selected to play in the Orange Bowl.

The Bulldogs will take on the Florida State Seminoles, who were also left out of the College Football Playoff on Sunday. While Georgia lost 27-24 to Alabama on Saturday, Florida State beat Louisville to win the ACC.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart said his opening thoughts on playing Florida State, where Smart was once a graduate assistant.

“On behalf of our team and especially our seniors we are looking forward to the opportunity to play in the Capital One Orange Bowl,” Smart said “Playing in a city and game with such rich tradition will be a rewarding experience and it represents a great challenge playing a team like undefeated Florida State which has proven to be one of college football’s most accomplished programs. It also presents a great opportunity for our fans who have been so supportive of our team throughout the season at home and on the road. We had the opportunity to play in the Orange Bowl a couple of years ago and know firsthand how welcoming the people of South Florida can be.”

Georgia last played in the Orange Bowl in 2021, when it beat Michigan 34-11 in the College Football Playoff.

Mike Norvell also released a statement on Sunday, but his was more directed at the College Football Playoff committee, rather than playing Georgia.

“I am disgusted and infuriated with the committee’s decision today to have what was earned on the field taken away because a small group of people decided they knew better than the results of the games,” Norvell said. “What is the point of playing games? Do you tell players it is okay to quit if someone goes down? Do you not play a senior on Senior Day for fear of injury? Where is the motivation to schedule challenging non-conference games? We are not only an undefeated P5 conference champion, but we also played two P5 non-conference games away from home and won both of them. I don’t understand how we are supposed to think this is an acceptable way to evaluate a team.

“I’m hurting for our players who have displayed a tremendous amount of resilience and response this season. What happened today goes against everything that is true and right in college football. A team that overcame tremendous adversity and found a way to win doing whatever it took on the field was cheated today. It’s a sad day for college football.

“I’m proud of the work we have put in and the players I have the privilege to coach. We have one more opportunity to define this 2023 team in the Orange Bowl, and I believe in how our team will respond.”

The last time Georgia played Florida State, the Bulldogs won 26-13 in the 2003 Sugar Bowl. Smart was an assistant on that staff, working under Bobby Bowden.

Georgia is a 13-point favorite over the Seminoles. Both sides are likely to see players opt out and enter the transfer portal given the calendar. The transfer portal officially opens on Monday.

Georgia and Florida State will meet on Dec. 30 in Miami Gardens, Fla. The game is set for a 4 p.m. ET start, with ESPN broadcasting the game.