Georgia coach Mark Richt is making sure the Bulldogs' fans and players don't confuse the message.

Yes, Richt was lobbying for a spot in the Bowl Championship Series title game after the two teams separating Georgia from the No. 2 spot lost the final week of the season.

But no, the Bulldogs' Jan. 1 matchup with the University of Hawai'i in the Sugar Bowl is not being viewed as a consolation prize of any sort.

"You watch film of your opponent, and when they are as good as Hawai'i is, it doesn't take long for your guys to get excited about it,'' Richt said. "To play Hawai'i in the Sugar Bowl is a treat for us.''

Richt said it was his duty to appear on ESPN and plead for pollsters to keep LSU and Oklahoma ranked behind Georgia in the rankings.

"The rules of engagement in this BCS are that the teams that play for the BCS title have to win a beauty contest,'' Richt said. "You have to do the best you can to filibuster your team, and that's what I did, I wanted to say what I could about our team.

"The goal is to win the national championship, and as long as the goal is there, you fight for it.''

In the Nov. 25 BCS standings, Georgia was ranked No. 4 behind No. 1 Missouri, No. 2 West Virginia and No. 3 Ohio State.

But Missouri and West Virginia both lost the final week. Georgia figured the Nos. 3 and 4 teams would move up.

Instead, in the final BCS standings released Dec. 2 determining the bowl pairings, LSU (previously No. 7), Virginia Tech (No. 6) and Oklahoma (No. 9) jumped over Georgia.

Richt said once the final BCS rankings came out, Georgia's attention quickly turned to the task at hand.

"We moved on,'' Richt said. "We're definitely over it, I can promise you that.''

And the Bulldogs aren't taking the Warriors lightly.

Last year's Fiesta Bowl matchup between Western Athletic Conference champion Boise State and mighty Oklahoma has been in the back of Georgia's mind.

"Yeah, you look at that game,'' Bulldogs' quarterback Matthew Stafford said. "But you look at Hawai'i and no matter what conference they are coming from, they are 12-0, and that's enough motivation for us.''

Georgia safety Kelin Johnson agreed.

"We're excited to be playing against the only undefeated team in America,'' Johnson said, "so we have an opportunity to be recognized as well.''

Johnson acknowledged the Boise State upset, but he insists the Bulldogs won't make the same mistake the Sooners might have in underestimating a non-BCS conference opponent.

"We know what happened in that game,'' Johnson said. "We'll take care of our business; we can't worry about what happened to someone else.

"We know it will be competitive, but we have to look at ourselves in the mirror.''

Richt said the Sugar Bowl reflects a tantalizing matchup for players and fans alike.

"It's two contrasting styles of plays and different traditions,'' said Richt, who led the Bulldogs to Sugar Bowl appearances in 2003 and 2006. "Just the cultures are so different. I think it will be really entertaining and educational for the fans, too.''

Sugar Bowl CEO Paul Hoolahan was excited about landing Hawai'i before Georgia had been announced as the opponent.

"That's an exciting team right there, and we're looking to get some new blood in New Orleans.''

As it turned out, New Orleans won out on two counts: not only does the Sugar Bowl feature an intriguing matchup, but home-state LSU landed itself in the BCS title game against Ohio State a week after the Sugar Bowl.

Richt said Hawai'i could present as much of a challenge as anyone the Bulldogs might have faced in a BCS game.

"You can see Hawai'i is passionate about the game and very resilient,'' Richt said. "They will not panic and they will not quit. I've seen them down, and they got off the mat.''

Richt, who votes in the USA Today coaches' poll, said he saw enough of the Warriors in late-night games to know what to expect.

"San Jose State, they played in horrific weather, then Washington and Louisiana Tech, Hawai'i has had some games that are heart-pounding barn burners and they came out on the winning end, and that gives a team confidence,'' Richt said. "You turn the film on, and our guys are smart enough to know when they see a good team, it's undeniable. There's no complacency here.''

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