ATHENS — Florida State football has wiped away the tears and set sights on the Orange Bowl, according to Coach Mike Norvell.

“We’ve been able to get quality work with a real big emphasis on fundamentals and technique, seeing young guys compete,” Norvell told reporters in Tallahassee on Tuesday.

“I’m proud of the guys from what I’ve seen this week, we’re introducing more of Georgia and getting into game plan for what’s ahead ….”

The undefeated No. 5-ranked Seminoles will face a 12-1 Georgia team that dropped from No. 1 to No. 6 in the rankings after losing 27-24 in the SEC Championship Game to Alabama.

Both programs have made a case that they belonged in the four-team playoff, but Norvell and Florida State have made the most noise, even pushing to get politicians involved.

Norvell fiercely reiterated on Tuesday that, “I will always have the feelings of what happened.”

Kirby Smart has said there’s a bit of a hornet’s nest at UGA, too, but the Bulldogs’ head coach has learned to channel his emotions into production.

Georgia tends to “let the helmets talk,” and how both programs perform when they meet at 4 p.m. on Dec. 30 in Hard Rock Stadium will speak volumes about the CFP Committee’s decision.

Norvell says it has been a challenging time for him and his players working through the adversity of missing the four-team CFP field.

“It’s been challenging, for all the things and how the season ended, you basically got 12 hours to celebrate what was an unbelievable accomplishment for this team,” Norvell said, reflecting on the aftermath of the Seminoles’ 16-6 ACC Championship Game win over Louisville.

“Then you had to learn how to work through disappointments hurt, frustration, anger every bit of it … it’s been the most challenging couple weeks of coaching I’ve ever had.”

Norvell may want to consult Smart after the Orange Bowl to learn how the Georgia head coach turned a heartbreaking CFP Championship Game overtime loss to Alabama into building a back-to-back CFP Championship program.

For now, Norvell said the Seminoles’ focusing is on dialing back into fundamentals.

“…. it still comes down to the little things, it comes down overall to our execution,” Norvell said, “our communication and being able to apply the things we’re learning in the meeting room and applying it on the practice field.”

The Georgia offense’s ability to change plays at the line of scrimmage will present challenges Florida State’s vaunted defense has not seen.

That is especially true now that Bulldogs’ quarterback Carson Beck has announced he’s coming back for another season at Georgia and will play in the Orange Bowl game.

To this point, UGA has not had any major players announce they are opting out.

It seems the connectedness Smart used to build a championship program is carrying over into the bowl season even as the UGA players are disappointed to miss the four-team CFP.

The 42-year-old Norvell, a rising star in the industry rebuilt Florida State into a championship contender, said he feels good about his program, too.

“I’m so proud of what and who this team is, and what they represented for 13 weeks of the season,” Norvell said.

“Whatever challenge presents itself moving forward, there’s going to be something that we’re going to point back to that says, ‘you know what, we’ve dealt with it, and we’ve grown from it, and we get to be better throughout it.’ "

That something to point back to could be the Seminoles Orange Bowl showing, the game just 11 days away.

Norvell was asked if he had a grasp on Florida State players who may choose not to finish the season with their teammates and opt out and replied, “We’ll see, I’ve got a grasp.”