Georgia players and coaches hoped for a spot in the national championship game after losses by the nation's two top-ranked teams Saturday night. Instead, No. 4 Georgia didn't budge in the polls but instead saw Southeastern Conference champion Louisiana State move past the Bulldogs into the national title game against Ohio State.

Georgia coach Mark Richt said he is excited that his team would face No. 10 Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, but he also expressed disappointment that Georgia was denied a spot in the biggest game in New Orleans one week later.

"I do believe that all the media who had the voice, who had the ears of the nation and the voters, they basically disqualified us and Kansas," Richt said.

"They said we're out because we didn't win the conference championship, which I thought was wrong because the rules don't say that."

Added Richt: "It's a very, very imperfect system. It becomes a beauty contest at a certain point."

Richt said that by dismissing Georgia because it didn't win its conference or even play in Saturday's SEC championship game, poll voters "really didn't get to compare the full merits of the season," including Georgia's six-game winning streak.

"Basically a rule that didn't exist got imposed on us, which I didn't think was fair," Richt said. "If everybody had been unbiased, do I think we would have gotten in? Maybe. We were fourth. It'd be different if we were like seventh."

Late-night lobbying by Richt after losses by Missouri and West Virginia Saturday night didn't sway voters.

"I think the hopes of playing in the national championship game, just to even get this far and thinking you're still in it, was quite an experience for everybody," Richt said. "Even though we didn't get in it, it was nice to be in the middle of it."

Richt said he voted Ohio State No. 1, Georgia No. 2 and LSU No. 3 in the coaches poll.

Georgia was fourth in The Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday as well as the coaches poll and the Harris Interactive poll. LSU and Oklahoma passed Georgia in each poll.

"Of course we got our hearts broken with that decision, but at the same time the Sugar Bowl is a great bowl," said senior running back Thomas Brown.

"As far as the BCS, of course it makes sense if you're No. 4 and two teams ahead of you lose, you move up. There was just that media push."

Added safety Kelin Johnson: "We feel like we got shafted a little bit. The numbers don't add up. The numbers do not add up. The numbers do not lie. That's what is confusing. I don't know what's going on."

Even Hawaii coach June Jones, whose team is undefeated, put in a plug for Georgia as worthy of playing for the national championship.

"They are a team that's deserving," said Jones, the former Atlanta Falcons coach.

Jones said he would support a one game playoff.

"If they beat us and the winner of the (LSU-Ohio State game), if they played one more game it would solve all the problems," Jones said.

After the Sugar Bowl announcement, Richt told his players they will wear the black jerseys they unveiled in an emotional win over Auburn.

Richt also called on Georgia fans to again wear black.

"Let's see if we can relive a little of that excitement," Richt said.

Richt said the Georgia players celebrated the announcement about the black jerseys.

"We're excited obviously to get to play in those," said quarterback Matthew Stafford. "It's going to be fun, but it really boils down to us playing a great football team."