NEW ORLEANS — Now, Georgia can ponder what might have been.
The Bulldogs set a school victory with 13 victories, but one loss might have kept them from reaching their ultimate goal.
Miami and Ohio State are getting set to play for the national championship in the Fiesta Bowl. Georgia's season ended Wednesday night with a 26-13 victory over Florida State in the Sugar Bowl.
"We've made a lot of believers out of people this year," said Billy Bennett, who kicked four field goals. "We are happy, but we aren't going insane because we know it could have been bigger."
No. 4 Georgia reached the Sugar by winning its first Southeastern Conference title in two decades, but any hopes of finishing on top slipped away two months ago with a 20-13 loss to Florida. The Bulldogs wound up third in the BCS standings, trailing the two teams that will meet Friday night in Tempe, Ariz.
Maybe next season. Certainly, the Bulldogs made their victory over 16th-ranked Florida State sound as if it's only the beginning.
"The players have an attitude now where you can tell they believe," coach Mark Richt. "They're not going to be intimidated by anybody. They're learning how to be great players."
Richt didn't take any pleasure from beating his former boss. He worked on Bobby Bowden's staff for 14 years before moving to Georgia in 2001.
"I'd rather not play Coach Bowden," Richt said. "I'd just as soon not play Coach Bowden again if I can help it."
Then, Richt added with a grin, "Unless we're playing them here next year. I would go for that."
The next national championship will be determined at the Sugar Bowl.
Musa Smith was selected the MVP after rushing for 145 yards, leading the way when Richt decided to go conservative against the short-handed Seminoles. Georgia threw a season-low 15 passes.
Bruce Thornton returned an interception for a touchdown, while backup quarterback D.J. Shockley produced the only offensive touchdown with his only pass of the night.
The Bulldogs decided to let Fabian Walker, making his first start at quarterback for the Seminoles, beat himself. Walker obliged, throwing two interceptions and also losing a fumble.
Florida State (9-5) was the only BCS team that came into a bowl with more than two losses. At the end, Bowden had to endure his first five-loss season since 1981.
"It's the kind of season where you're glad it's over," the 73-year-old coach said.
Plenty of Georgia fans were on hand to savor their team's return to the national stage. Red and black dominated the Superdome as the Bulldogs made their first Sugar Bowl appearance since the 1982 season — also the year of their last Southeastern Conference championship.
In all fairness, the Seminoles might have given a better showing at full strength. But they lost their top two quarterbacks and had to go with Walker, who had thrown only eight career passes.
Why was Walker playing? Adrian McPherson was kicked off the team in late November for allegedly stealing a check, while Chris Rix was suspended from the bowl after he overslept and missed a final exam.
Walker, a Georgia native, threw both interceptions when trying to force passes to well-covered receivers while being pressured. Thornton took his interception 71 yards for a touchdown, putting the Bulldogs ahead for good with 6 1/2 minutes left in the first half.
"If I could go back and change anything, it would just be to take the sack," said Walker, who was 7-of-12 for 68 yards. "It was a tough game for me."
On Florida State's first offensive play of the second half, Walker was stripped of the ball by Will Thompson and Ken Veal recovered for the Bulldogs, setting up Bennett's third field goal and a comfortable 23-7 lead.
The Seminoles gave star receiver Anquan Boldin a shot at quarterback, hoping he could spark the offense. It might have worked, too, if Talman Gardner had not dropped a perfectly thrown deep pass near the goal line.
Boldin hopped up and down in dismay after the ball slipped through Gardner's hands. On the next play, Boldin bruised his left hand when dragged down behind the line, knocking him out for the rest of the first half.
After getting his hand checked out, Boldin came back to throw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Craphonso Thorpe on the final play of the third quarter. It wasn't enough.
Boldin also caught a touchdown pass, hauling down a 5-yarder from Walker early in the second quarter to give the Seminoles a short-lived 7-3 lead.
The Seminoles have no plans to keep Boldin at quarterback next season.
"He's too valuable as a receiver," Bowden said.
Georgia's offense didn't do much, managing just one touchdown on its own — and even that score was set up by Damian Gary's 26-yard punt return.
Shockley, who played four series in relief of starter David Greene, took advantage of Gary's long return right away. The redshirt freshman lofted a 37-yard touchdown pass to Terrence Edwards on his only throw of the night.
Then it was Smith's turn to shine. He had 18 of his 23 carries in the second half, rushing for 108 yards over the final two quarters.
Bennett connected on field goals of 23, 42, 25 and 35 yards to give him 130 points for the season, breaking Garrison Heart's school record of 126 in 1992.
Richt saw no reason to open up the offense. The Bulldogs allowed just 262 yards.
"When your defense is playing good and your kicking game is so solid, it can get kind of boring," Richt said. "But winning is fun."
The Sugar Bowl was sponsored by Nokia.