Jamaree Salyer knows the bright lights will shine squarely on him come Friday night.
Georgia's senior left tackle will battle two of the nation's top pass rushers in Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo. It will be on Salyer, as well as the rest of the offensive line, to keep Stetson Bennett clean in the pocket.
After battling a foot injury over the last few weeks, Salyer is now healthy and looking forward to the challenge.
"I'm sure they're as excited to play me as I am to play them," Salyer said. "We've got great talent, they've got great talent, and we've both played great talent all year, so best on best, we're excited for it."
Hutchinson and Ojabo present perhaps the strongest pass-rushing tandem Georgia has faced all season. The Wolverine duo has combined for 25 sacks and 27.5 tackles for loss in Michigan's 13 games.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart has seen how Hutchinson and Ojabo can wreck an opponent's game plan. From his point of view, their dominance starts with effort and intensity.
"You talk to people that have played them, it's one of the first things they talk about is, 'Man, we didn't take into account how hard they played, how much effort, how much want-to, how much desire,'" Smart said. "That has to come from within. That doesn't come from a star that was given to you out of high school. That doesn't come from a reputation you got."
Smart added Georgia's offensive line embraces challenges like this. The Bulldogs want to be measured against the best, and what better place to do that than the College Football Playoff.
The Georgia lineman with the most focus is Salyer, the player tasked with protecting Bennett's blind side. He's battled a foot injury over the past few weeks, but told reporters on Tuesday that he is feeling "really good" ahead of the Orange Bowl.
Salyer has often been pegged as a candidate to slide down to offensive guard. His frame is more of a stereotypical interior player, and the Bulldogs have Broderick Jones waiting in the wings behind Salyer at left tackle.
Without the prototypical tackle measurables, Salyer admitted that at times, "it's tough." But he said his mindset is the key to holding down the left side.
"If you allow that to hold you back, then it will. If you allow that to slow you down, then it will," Salyer said. "But if you go out there and you work hard every day and you take the mindset that I can do this and I will do this and nothing's going to stop me from doing it, it will happen for you, no matter what that is in life."
Guard could be Salyer's future home in the NFL. Right now, however, he's not focused on that.
Salyer is looking squarely ahead to Friday night and the Orange Bowl, where he will have the chance to prove he can hold his own against two of the best pass rushers in the nation.
"If they say a guy is the best, I want to play against the best," Salyer said. "That's what you come to college football for. That's what you play in the SEC for, that's what you come to Georgia for, you play against the best every single day."
