My Process for Tracking the Georgia Player Bowl Opt-Outs
Alright, so the regular season wrapped up, and Georgia landed in the Orange Bowl. Wasn’t the playoff spot everyone hoped for, obviously. Whenever that happens, the next thing on my mind, and probably yours too, is which guys are gonna play in the bowl and who might sit it out, thinking about the NFL draft or maybe just transferring.
So, here’s kinda how I went about figuring out the situation this time around. It’s become sort of a routine practice for me each December.
First Steps: Hearing the Buzz
It always starts with the background noise. I started seeing chatter online, you know, the usual spots where fans talk. Lots of guessing. “Is player X gonna play?” “Heard player Y is leaning towards opting out.” Most of it is just speculation early on, but it gets the ball rolling in my head. It tells me, okay, time to start paying closer attention.
Next Up: Checking Reliable News
My next move was hitting up the places I usually go to for actual sports news, especially the folks who cover Georgia day-in and day-out. I spent a good chunk of time just reading through their latest posts and updates. I wasn’t looking for rumors anymore; I was trying to find confirmed reports. Did any reporters actually say, “Sources confirm this player is out”? That’s what I needed.
Looking for Official Confirmations
Then, I specifically went looking for anything official. Did the university release a statement? Did any players post something themselves on their social media? You gotta try and verify, right? So, I checked the team’s official channels. Sometimes players will put out a graphic or a short message thanking the fans and announcing their decision. This part takes some digging sometimes, scrolling through feeds.
Making My Own List
As I started finding confirmed names – guys definitely opting out – I began putting together a simple list. Just keeping track for myself. It helps organize things instead of just remembering random names I saw somewhere. Usually, the big names expected to go pro are the first ones you confirm. I started seeing reports about key guys pretty quickly. So, I jotted those down.
- Checked major sports news outlets.
- Looked for beat writer confirmations.
- Scanned player social media accounts.
- Checked the official team sources.
- Compiled names as they were confirmed.
It’s an Ongoing Thing
This whole process isn’t something you just do once and you’re done. Especially in the weeks leading up to the bowl game. More news can drop anytime. A player might change their mind, or maybe someone who was quiet decides to announce. So, I basically kept checking back every day or so. Just a quick scan of the usual places to see if any new names popped up or if anything changed. It’s just part of the deal now if you follow college football closely.
So, that’s pretty much my routine. Just following the news cycle, trying to sort out what’s real and what’s just talk, and keeping my own notes. It gives me a better sense of what the team will actually look like when they hit the field for the bowl game. It’s become standard practice for me at the end of every season.
