Georgia Bulldogs, Florida Seminoles fans in South Florida for Orange Bowl
MIAMI - The Georgia Bulldogs are set to take on the Florida Seminoles in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday, and fans are all over South Florida.
Sandra Drawdy is decked out in Georgia Bulldog gear.
"I am here as a Christmas gift for my husband and my daughter," Drawdy said.
She was gifted tickets to Friday's Orange Bowl Luncheon and Saturday's game because she considers herself one of the biggest Georgia fans by choice. She was born in Germany, and did not attend Georgia.
"I became a fan because they were the underdogs for years and I always root for the underdogs, she said.
Shane and Christina Cline are FSU fans.
"We bleed it, garnet and gold," Shane said while showing his FSU tattoo.
They drove 21 hours to get to South Florida.
"We're actually from Arkansas, we drove all the way down here," Shane said.
They drove for this game and every FSU game.
"We have season tickets," Christina said.
Again. fans by choice. Neither of them attended FSU.
"Bobby Bowden when we were young, just watching the Noles," Shane said.
Leonor Hernandez didn't really have an option but to become a fan as a mom.
"My son was a walk-on on the team," Hernandez said. "He was an assistant student coach for the team when they won the national championship game, and I love all the players."
Hernandez says she still watches every game.
"I watch every game," she said. "I suffer every minute of each game."
FSU fans we spoke to were united in their conviction that the team should be in the playoffs instead of the Orange Bowl.
"I boycotted ESPN for the moment because of it," Shane said.
"It still hurts," another fan named Danny said.