NEW ORLEANS — Do the Georgia Bulldogs want to play in this bowl game?

That is the question facing one of the best teams in the country heading into Tuesday night’s AllState Sugar Bowl inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. After winning the Southeastern Conference championship and playing in last season’s national championship game, UGA fell short of being a playoff team this time around as a defeat to Alabama in SEC Championship kept them out of the national semifinals.

So how locked in is Georgia for its matchup with Texas?

“I don’t think it’s anything to do with the bowl game,” third-year head coach Kirby Smart said. “I think it’s week to week you would question as a head coach where are we from a standpoint of focus and concentration. I don’t think you ever know that.

“We just want to coach and get better,” Smart added. “The last, I would say, ten days we really focused on Texas, and our kids have understood that. They have understood the importance of that.”

That is a sentiment shared by sophomore quarterback Jake Fromm.

“I think guys are starting to dial in and get focused on this football game,” said Fromm who has thrown for 2,537 yards and 27 touchdowns this season. “It is New Orleans. We have been here for a couple of days and seen the city. We are getting ready to go out and get ready to show what we can do.”

Texas (9-4) takes on Georgia (11-2) Tuesday night inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Kickoff slated for 7:45 p.m.

Fromm and the Bulldogs enter the game with no intention of changing their offensive approach. The Longhorns are giving up 401.2 yards per game, including 135.9 on the ground. Georgia has a pair of running backs in D’Andre Swift and Elijah Holyfield who have combined for 1,993 yards and 17 rushing touchdowns.

“We are not going to change much of what we do,” Fromm said. “We are going to set the tone and run the football. We are going to throw the ball and take our shots, and we will have guys make plays. We really are not changing a whole lot. Understanding what they are going to do helps with a few concepts here and there. But we are going to come out and play our football game.”

UGA’s defense meanwhile will try to slow down Texas’ dual-threat quarterback Sam Ehlinger who has combined for 3,541 yards and 38 total touchdowns.

“We need penetration,” senior defensive lineman Jonathan Ledbetter said. “He (Sam Ehlinger) is a great quarterback. He is mobile. He likes to run and lower his shoulder. He is not afraid of contact. He has some great receivers with some great size. DB’s have to be locked in and on the same page communicating with each other.”

UGA will look to shutdown Texas’ large wide receivers in Lil’Jordan Humphrey (6-foot-4) and Collin Johnson (6-foot-6), and do so without star cornerback DeAndre Baker. The Jim Thorpe Award winner is skipping the bowl game to focus on the NFL Draft.

“They are pretty good,” sophomore defensive back Richard LeCounte III said. “From what I have seen on film, they are physical, big-bodied receivers. They remind you a lot of Mike Evans, who played for Texas A&M and the Buccaneers. They are a pretty good group, but I think we are still the best DB core in the nation, so we are going to go out there and show everybody what we can do.”

“We’ve faced some big wideouts a couple times at LSU,” Smart added. “We’ve faced some wideouts of good size in our offense but none quite like these two. So this dynamic will be unique, and we tried to simulate that but not necessarily with just Riley and J.J. We’ve had Matt Landers and Tommy Bush who were good size‑wise, maybe not the bulk as those two, but we’ve been able to get some good matchups and some good contests out there with those guys.”

As for if the Bulldogs will be ready to play in the Sugar Bowl, Smart also points to the fact that his team has already proven this season that the Bulldogs can bounce back from a tough loss and refocus.

“As far as what our players have learned from this season that might help them next year, I think the biggest thing is focus and concentration on every game,” Smart said. “For us we played in a tough, hostile environment at LSU and we didn’t play our best game. We didn’t coach our best game, me in particular. So I think when you start with that, you’ve got to be at your best every single game because, in the end, they all matter, especially in the SEC.  

“So whether it’s that game, another game, you’ve got to continue to grow and get better, which I really feel like our team developed and got better throughout the year,” Smart added.