Georgia is headed to Pasadena.

Thanks to its 28-7 drubbing of Auburn in Saturday’s SEC championship game, Georgia earned the No. 3 spot in the final College Football Playoff rankings, released Sunday. That sets up a Rose Bowl matchup with Big 12 champion Oklahoma, which snagged the No. 2 spot. The winner of that contest will face either No. 1 Clemson or No. 4 Alabama in the national title game Jan. 8 in Atlanta.

It is only the second Rose Bowl appearance in Bulldogs history. In 1943, Georgia topped UCLA 9-0.

This will be the Bulldogs’ 53rd bowl and they are 30-19-3 in previous appearances. Only Alabama (67 including this season), Texas (54) and Southern California (54) have been to more bowl games, and Georgia stands level with Nebraska. Sunday’s selection lifted Georgia out of a tie with archrival Tennessee, which has been to 52 bowls.

And the Bulldogs have been a familiar face in the postseason, as they are bowling for the 21st year in a row. That’s the third-longest active streak in the nation, trailing only Florida State (36) and Virginia Tech (25).

Much like Georgia, Oklahoma is a postseason veteran, appearing in a bowl for the 19th straight season, the fourth-best active streak in the country. The Rose Bowl will be Oklahoma’s 51st bowl appearance; its all-time bowl record is 29-20-1.

Both programs have storied histories but this will be the first time the two have ever squared off.

Now, let’s go a bit more in depth on Georgia’s foe in the Rose Bowl, which will kick off at 5 p.m. Eastern on Jan. 1.

Opponent: Oklahoma
Best regular-season win: Ohio State. In just its second game of the season — and the second game of Lincoln Riley’s career as a head coach — Oklahoma went on the road and beat one of college football’s best programs (and best coaches) in Ohio State and Urban Meyer. Up just 17-13 after three quarters, the Sooners used a strong final quarter to win 31-16 over the eventual Big Ten champions.
Worst regular-season loss: Iowa State. It was Oklahoma’s only setback, after all. Even so, the “ugliness factor” wore off as the season wore on, as Iowa State also went on to beat TCU. This proved to be the best Cyclones team in more than a decade, as they will play in the postseason for the first time since 2012 thanks to their 7-5 record.

And here are 5 things to know about the Sooners.

1. Oklahoma is arguably the nation’s hottest team.

Make that white hot. And we’re not talking about the 2017 campaign alone: Dating back to last season, the Sooners have won 18 of their past 19, with that sole loss coming in that shocking home defeat to the Cylcones in October.

2. The Sooners boast the likely Heisman Trophy winner.

It’s hard to overstate how good Baker Mayfield has been this season. A senior, he leads the nation in a plethora of passing categories, including completion percentage (.710), passing efficiency rating (203.8, on pace to break his own FBS single-season record set in 2016), yards per pass attempt (11.8), yards per completion (16.6) and pass of plays of 20-plus yards (75).

Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Mayfield also ranks second in passing touchdowns (41), fourth in total offense per game (357.7) and fourth in passing yards per game (333.8).

In sum, Mayfield has connected on 262 of his 369 attempts this year for 4,340 yards and 41 touchdowns against just five interceptions (8.2-to-1 ratio). He also has added 310 yards and five scores on the ground.

Needless to say, the Bulldogs’ defense will have their hands full with Mayfield. And if they need any reminder how difficult he can be to defend, just ask Auburn. Mayfield toyed with the Tigers in last season’s Sugar Bowl.

3. Mayfield might make the offense go, but …

The playmaking signal-caller hogs most of the headlines — and deservedly so. But he’s far from the only offensive weapon the Bulldogs will have to worry about. The Sooners boast dangerous players at nearly every skill position. Running back Rodney Anderson has 11 rushing touchdowns this fall, tied for second-most in the Big 12. And Oklahoma has plenty of options when Mayfield throws as Mark Andrews, Marquise Brown and CeeDee Lamb each boast 40 or more receptions, 700-plus yards and at least six touchdowns.

Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Simply put, the Sooners boast the nation’s best offense, leading the FBS in both yards per game (583.3) and per play (8.4). Only one team in the history of major college football has averaged more yards per play than Oklahoma: Hawaii averaged 8.6 per play in 2006.

4. Oklahoma isn’t afraid of the SEC.

The SEC has unquestionably been the premier conference in college football since the turn of the millennium, capturing nine national titles since 2000. But the Sooners haven’t had much trouble with the league in that same span, going 7-3 against SEC programs. Three of those victories have come at the expense of Alabama.

Oklahoma has won its past four matchups versus SEC teams, a streak Georgia will look to snap.

5. Lincoln Riley is looking to make history.

It has been quite a debut season for Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley. When Bob Stoops abruptly retired in June, Riley was promoted from offensive coordinator to the top job. And now, he stands two victories from winning a national championship in his first season. That feat has been accomplished only twice since the inception of the Associated Press poll in 1936 — by Michigan’s Bennie Oosterbaan (1948) and Miami’s Larry Coker (2001).