Purdue (9-3) vs. Georgia (10-3)
Official Bowl Site

The bidding on Capital One Bowl rings on eBay is already up to $1.50. Georgia usually plays well in the postseason. But this is a huge letdown after losing to LSU.

Georgia hasn't had a lot of success offensively as David Greene has only thrown 10 touchdowns, while leading rusher Michael Cooper has only six touchdowns. Purdue has two of the best wide receivers in the nation in John Standeford and Taylor Stubblefield.

Great defenses and special teams will make this game a treat.

What Georgia must do to win ... Hope WR Fred Gibson shows up for this game so the Dawgs can complete some passes downfield, not always three-and-four yard long handoffs. Gibson didn’t make any big grabs upfield for 15 and 16 yards in the SEC Championship game that would have tightened down the LSU defense and stopped the blitzes. QB David Greene was at fault, too, for making some late throws. You can bet Purdue will study the film of the SEC final and come from different angles, though not with the same talent as LSU.

What Purdue must do to win ... Turn Shaun Phillips loose at defensive end to get to Georgia QB David Greene. The Boilermakers have to force the Bulldogs to use some maximum protection to complete passes so it will take more than Phillips. If Phillips does charge ahead, the Boilermakers have to make sure Georgia doesn’t pop a play over Phillips head against a wide-open side of the field. QB Kyle Orton has to complete the third-down slants to John Standeford to keep the chains moving. Purdue is the best team not in a BCS game and can match Georgia's talent.

Story Line: All signs pointed to a repeat for Georgia in the SEC this year but things didn’t work as planned. I was down on Purdue for most of the year but I have to admit they turned out to be much better than I imagined, especially on defense where they were more than just Shaun Phillips and Stuart Schweigert.

Football.com Cam: The loss of Purdue starting cornerback Jacques Reeves because of academic reasons is a big loss for the Boilermakers. The Boilermakers are a team that can spread the ball around and they are very sound on special teams. Georgia has struggled for consistency most of this season on offense and with only 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions quarterback David Greene was the poster child for such a performance. I think this game comes down to the defense that forces the most turnovers or even the kicking game. Both teams have reliable kickers in Ben Jones and Billy Bennett.

Bold Prediction: Take the Bulldogs here in what could be a dull matchup. Georgia 23 Purdue 15

Story Line: After losing to LSU in the SEC Championship game, the Bulldogs must bounce back in a hurry. The Bulldogs and the Boilermakers each had solid seasons and playing in this bowl game is an excellent way to cap off the season.

Football.com Cam: The defenses can really bring pressure. For the Boilermakers, defensive end Shaun Phillips and for the Bulldogs defensive end David Pollack. Both defenses can make plays in their secondary, and most importantly force turnovers. The Bulldogs offense has struggled this season. With the new starters along the offensive line, David Greene has been blitzed and that has forced interceptions and he has taken a beating. The Bulldogs must protect Greene and establish a running game if they want to win this game. When the Boilermakers have the ball, the match-up against the Bulldogs secondary is one to watch. The secondary has been solid all season, and they will be going up against a solid corps of receivers.

Bold Prediction: Another tough call, but after watching the Bulldogs this season, each time they’ve played someone who can get after the quarterback, they’ve struggled. I think that will continue in this game as the Boilermakers pull off a minor upset and take home the victory. Purdue 24 Georgia 17

Story Line: The Purdue Boilermakers basically earned a berth in the Capitol One Bowl by going 6-2 in the Big Ten. While they hung tough in their loss to Ohio State, Michigan waxed the Boilermakers. The loss to Michigan snapped a six game winning streak Purdue had after an opening day loss to Bowling Green. The Georgia Bulldogs went 6-3 in SEC competition with a trip to the title game where they lost for the second time this season to LSU. Their other loss was to Florida and that killed a four game winning streak.

Football.com Cam: Purdue will come out throwing with Kyle Orton, who threw for over 2,600 yards and 14 touchdowns. When Orton drops back to pass, he will be looking for two main targets, John Standeford and Taylor Stubblefield. Standeford hauled in 70 passes worth 1, 048 yards and four touchdowns. Stubblefield caught 78 passes for 736 yards and three touchdowns. Purdue is not a true running team, but when they do run, look for Jerod Void to tote the mail. Void rushed for 889 yards with 13 touchdowns in 2003. While the offense grabs much of the attention, Purdue also has a very capable defense that is led by All Americans defensive end Shaun Phillips and safety Stuart Schweigert.

Quarterback David Greene, who threw for 2908 yards with 10 touchdowns this season, will lead the Bulldogs. His main targets will be Fred Gibson and Reggie Brown who combined for nearly 1,100 yards receiving and three touchdowns. Like Purdue, the running game is not a real strength, but when the Dogs run, look for running back Michael Cooper, who sparked the running attack this season with 672 yards and six touchdowns. All Americans safety Thomas Davis, rover Sean Jones and defensive lineman David Pollack lead the Georgia defense, which was ranked fourth in the nation against Purdue. Pollack will wreak havoc all over the field, which is one reason why he was named winner of the Ted Hendricks Award for the nation's best defensive end.

Bold Prediction: Both Purdue and Georgia should come doing what they do best, throw the ball. How the defenses adjust will obviously be a big factor in deciding who comes out on top. Look for both Pollack and Phillips to play key roles for their respective defenses during the course of the game. Purdue will play tough early, but Georgia will come out on top. Georgia 21 Purdue 14