Georgia Football: 3 Burning Questions Ahead of the Bulldogs' Bowl Game

Bowl season has kicked off, and the Georgia Bulldogs will have to wait until Jan. 2 to join the party. They will face Penn State in the TaxSlayer Bowl and are well into their preparations for their final game of the 2015 season.

This is an interesting time for the Bulldogs. They are in between head coaches, and there are a lot of questions marks heading into the bowl game, the offseason and the 2016 regular season. So Jan. 2 will be the start of the new era for the Bulldogs.

Here are the burning questions for UGA as it heads into its bowl game.

Is Greyson Lambert Playing for His Future?

According to Dawgs247.com, Bryan McClendon has announced that Greyson Lambert will be the starter for the TaxSlayer Bowl. It has been an interesting ride for the Virginia transfer, as he has had good moments and bad moments this year.

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QB Greyson Lambert will start for #UGA in the #TaxSlayerBowl against Penn State. pic.twitter.com/4bhLlo4z9Q

— UGA Football Live (@UGAfootballLive) December 22, 2015"

Overall, his numbers are not that bad, as he threw for 1,844 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions. But when he needed to play his best in the big games against Alabama and Tennessee, Lambert came up short.

With Jacob Eason committing to Georgia, some people believe that Lambert is playing his final game as a starter for the Bulldogs because Eason is going to come right in and start next year. That well could happen, but if Lambert has a strong outing against Penn State, the quarterback competition will be intriguing next season, especially with a new coaching staff at the helm.

Can Bryan McClendon Handle the Pressure?

Speaking of the coaching staff, interim head coach Bryan McClendon is in a position that former head coach Mark Richt was in for the last 15 years. So this is something new to him, and it will be unusual to see a different head coach on the Georgia sidelines.

However, McClendon has been working up to this point. He was a graduate assistant in 2007 and climbed his way up the coaching ladder. This year, he was not only the receivers coach but the recruiting coordinator and assistant head coach.

There will be pressure for McClendon to lead the Bulldogs to their 10th win of the year. But the players think he will have no issues doing that on Jan. 2.

“It's going to be interesting to see his coaching style because we've seen him as a position coach,” defensive lineman Sterling Bailey said, per Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald. “I'm looking forward to seeing him as a head coach. I know he's going to be good, he's going to be fun. He brings a lot of energy as a position coach and I can't wait to see the energy he brings as a head coach." 

Will the Bulldogs Be Motivated?

That will be the biggest thing for McClendon and his coaching staff as the Bulldogs continue to prepare for the TaxSlayer Bowl.

This is not the bowl game the Bulldogs envisioned at the start of the season. The media picked them to win the SEC East and have a chance to play in the College Football Playoff. So there could be some players who will not be enthusiastic about playing in the TaxSlayer Bowl.

Brett Davis/Associated Press

However, the Bulldogs can accomplish a few things with a win against Penn State. Not only will the Bulldogs have a chance to win their 10th game, but they also will have a chance to give the seniors their 40th career win.

“A lot of the guys on the team realize, especially with all we’ve been going through these last few days, that we still want that 40th win and be a part of the select group of individuals who can say they’ve been a part of 40 wins,” senior outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins said, according to David Paschall of the Albany Herald.

Also, the Bulldogs will want to win this game for Richt. He has done a lot for the Bulldogs and the city of Athens, and it would only be fitting for the team to go out and get the 10th win of the season in honor of the former head coach.