MACON, Ga. — The countdown is on. Bags are packed, and some lucky fans have enviable tickets in hand to see the Georgia Bulldogs face off against the rivaled Alabama Crimson Tide.
"I'm excited to see a national championship, to see Stetson Bennett, a two-star walk-on, lead this team to a championship," said Tony Heath. "I think he's going to do it."
Father and daughter Tony and Sarah Beth Heath from Macon are looking forward to the big game. They call themselves lifelong Dawg fans.
In fact, Tony made travel plans in early October, hoping the Bulldogs would make it to the Championship.
"I booked airline tickets. I booked the hotel, which I'm glad I did, because airline tickets now up there are really expensive," Heath said.
Former UGA football player Ryan Schnetzer is another Dawg fan making the trip to Indy.
"It's one of the things kind of a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I was there in 2017 in Atlanta, the heartbreaking loss there. I felt like, 'Win or lose, I want to be there [in Indianapolis],'" Schnetzer said.
Schnetzer and the Heaths say this will be the year the Dawgs win it all, and that there's just something different about the energy from the team this season.
"When you watch the team and hear the interviews that they do, they seem more unified, more team-focused, more together. I think everyone's excited. I think this is our year. You know the Braves broke their curse, so maybe the Dawgs can break our curse," said Sarah Beth Heath.
"It's certainly a reflection on the coach. Kirby was there when I was there. He's a high-energy person. He has been ever since I met him back in 2003 when he first came in, and the team is a reflection of him," Schnetzer said.
That high energy also comes from the die-hard fans willing to make the over 600-mile trip and stand the 7-degree low in Indy to hopefully see the Georgia Bulldogs win the National Championship Monday.