Georgia a team in transition against Penn State

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Earlier this week, Georgia receiver Malcolm Mitchell said he hadn't had much time to think about his college career coming to a close.

On Friday, just 24 hours before his final game, in the TaxSlayer Bowl, Mitchell let it known that he's now embracing the little time he has left before putting on a Georgia football jersey for the final time.

Mitchell said a few of his fellow receivers shared photos with him of them practicing, dancing to the blaring music over the loudspeakers and having a good time with one another. While a lot has occurred since the regular season ended, the Bulldogs have one game remaining and it's evident that there is plenty of meaning for this group to finish out on a high note.

"When I look at the pictures, it was kind of a flashback throughout the season, that this would be my last time with those guys having fun, out there practicing with them," Mitchell said. "It's definitely moments I'll forever cherish. These will be our last ­memories of being with UGA. It's definitely been one to ­remember. We've had a great time this week ­preparing for the game, hanging out with teammates, just enjoying everything this ballgame offers."

Georgia is in a major transition period, going from 15 years of Mark Richt to a new head coach in Kirby Smart. Both regular-season coordinators are gone, with John Lilly (offense) and Kevin Sherrer (defense) calling plays instead.

Penn State, to a much lesser extent, has dealt with its own issues as a coaching staff. Penn State head coach James Franklin fired offensive coordinator John Donovan after losing its regular-season finale to Michigan State 55-16. Quarterbacks coach Ricky Rahne is stepping in as Penn State's interim offensive coordinator for the game against Georgia.

It's almost fitting to pair both teams together for a bowl game based on where the programs are at the moment. Franklin is forced to re-tool his offensive thinking and Georgia's administration felt the need for new blood to energize its program.

But Georgia enters the game on a four-game winning streak compared to Penn State's three consecutive losses.

"Neither staff is going to reinvent the wheel for the bowl game," Franklin said. "You're going to do the things you've done in the past," Franklin said. "You're going to tweak a few things because you have time with bowl prep and things like that. I think you're going to see similar things from Georgia, I think you're going to see similar things from Penn State. Again, it's about going out and playing and executing."

With only four teams reaching the College Football Playoff, it's easy to think teams won't be ready or prepare as hard for bowl games that aren't played with a national championship in mind. But to each of the players on both teams, this game still holds plenty of significance.

For Georgia, it's a chance for the seniors to get 40 career wins. For Penn State, it would represent a bit of a comeback for a program which hasn't won consecutive bowl games since the 2006-07 seasons.

"It's been a blast for me with these seniors," inside linebacker Jake Ganus said. "I'm just thankful for my teammates and coaches for taking me in this year. We've been trying to take it all in. When we've faced adversity this year, we've shown we'll come back fighting even stronger. We've had a really good week of practice, even back to Athens. We're really looking forward to the game."

This story was originally published January 1, 2016 at 9:28 PM with the headline "Georgia a team in transition against Penn State ."