College football fans are in for a special treat in this year's College Football Playoff, with two of the sport's most storied programs set to face off in the semifinals.
The Ohio State-Georgia game in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl marks just the second time the powerhouses have ever played each other -- the first coming in the 1993 Florida Citrus Bowl.
The significance of this landmark showdown isn't lost on Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart, who senses the anticipation for both fanbases.
"It's a premier matchup," Smart told 92.9 The Game's Steakhouse on Friday morning. "I know the Peach Bowl are fired up to have this matchup. When it came out, you knew it would be a really hot ticket. Their fans have been waiting on this, our fans have been waiting on this opportunity."
For Smart, a game of this magnitude epitomizes the highest caliber of college football, and why the College Football Playoff was implemented in the first place.
"It really probably wouldn't matter who we were matched up with in this game, it was going to be a big game because of the playoffs. But the fact that it's two national powers make it that much bigger. And both of us recruit on the national stage, so it's really what college football is about, and really what the CFP was created to have -- is these two matchups, and then another matchup for the winners."
The other semifinal game will see Ohio State's mortal rivals, the Michigan Wolverines, take on the TCU Horned Frogs.
Both games are scheduled for New Year's Eve, with TCU-Michigan kicking off at 4 p.m. ET, and Ohio State-Georgia set for 8 p.m. ET.
In the meantime, players and coaches will have a break for the Christmas holiday.
Smart said his players will have 2-3 days to observe the holiday, with many of them travelling to visit family and friends. Others stay nearer to school -- but all are expected to get in some running to maintain their conditioning.
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Elsewhere, Smart discusses how recruiting and signing day have extended the college football season, how some of his former players are faring in the NFL, and what he plans to do with his sons in the offseason.