We’ve been slackin’ on our Chick Fil A Bowl coverage, but there’s a whole lot going on around here these days. Still, a day before the ACC-SEC showdown between the South Carolina Gamecocks and Florida St. Seminoles, here’s a party pack of info for anybody planning to watch or attend.
TV time: 7:30 pm ET, Dec. 31 on ESPN. Bang.
Location and directions: The Georgia Dome on Google Maps. I think you should park at the first MARTA station you come across and ride in from there, but nobody ever listens to me when I say that. Actually I kind of hope you don’t, because if everybody does it I’ll need a new easy trick for getting in and out of downtown. Next question.
History: The Chick Fil A has the nation’s third-longest sellout streak and is the best-attended non-BCS bowl, as befits a bowl being played in the heart of the nation’s college football capital. It’s been played since 1968, making it one of the oldest still-running bowls, and has been played at Georgia Tech’s Grant Field, Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, and the Dome. It used to be called the Peach Bowl, and if you would ever like to convince someone you’re a Georgian, call it that.
Since it became an SEC vs. ACC deal, the conferences have fought to a tie. The first two teams to lose Peach Bowls? FSU and South Carolina. Last year the Virginia Tech Hokies beat the Tennessee Volunteers in that one game where Lane Kiffin refused to shake Frank Beamer’s hand.
Tickets: I’d go here. We got good seats there last year for $50 each, but scalping is always an option. Finding scalpers in Atlanta
Weather: The game is played indoors, but you knew that. Weather before and after game time should be in the lower 50s or upper 40s, though the chance for rain will only increase as the night goes on. There’s a chance of thunderstorm early New Year’s morning.