College Football Playoff: The Orange Bowl
(3) Georgia Bulldogs at (2) Michigan Wolverines
Georgia: They were able to coast through the regular season. I can say that much. If you look back at their regular season schedule, their toughest game was week one against Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers. After that, they imposed their will on their remaining opponents. However, when they got to the SEC Title Game, they were humbled at the hands of the Alabama Crimson Tide. The defense that many were considering one of the best in college football history gave up 41 points in their first loss of the season. Entering that game, the Georgia Bulldogs were the number one ranked team in the nation, and I even said on the radio whether they won or lost, they would be in because of the one-loss and they were a division champion. Despite the struggles on December 4th, this is still one of the best teams in the country. Even with key guys out on the offensive side, Stetson Bennett has come in and given them a boost. Last season, Stetson struggled, and his frustrations would get in his way. With a year of learning the offense, he’s more comfortable and settled in. For the first time since 2017-18, they are back in the playoffs. They’ll look to advance against arguably the hottest team in the country.
Michigan: Finally! They’ve been able to get over the hump. For years, their kryptonite has been not being able to get by the Ohio State Buckeyes. This year, they finally did it and Jim Harbaugh got that coveted victory over the arch-rivals, and they won the Big Ten East for the first time in his coaching tenure. I thought they looked scary against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten title game because they were clicking in all phases of the game. The offense was potent yet balanced with the nice mix of run and pass. The defense held the Hawkeyes offense to a single field goal. What’s carried Michigan to this point is two things. The first is the ground game anchored by running backs, Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum. When they run the football, this is one of the scarier teams in the country because they will continue to run it down your throat until you can clamp down and stop it. Blake and Hassan have been the top rushing tandem this year. Next has been their defense which has been led by Heisman candidate, Aidan Hutchinson. He decided to come back for one more season and I think he made the right choice. This Michigan defense has been stout all year long. They make their playoff debut today in Florida!
Georgia X-Factor: Zamir White– When I watch him, I’m often reminded of Clinton Portis. He’s a powerful, yet shifty runner that can bounce outside and run it in between the tackles. Zamir has breakaway speed when he gets to the third level of the defense. He’s also a patient runner that waits for the lanes to open, then he bursts through. Any bit of room that presents itself, Zamir will capitalize.
Michigan X-Factor: Hassan Haskins– The Wolverines led the Big Ten in rushing this year and Hassan is a big reason why. During the regular season, he had 100 yards or more in six of their 12 games. One of those games was against Ohio State when he ran for 169 yards and five touchdowns. Good things happen for the rest of the offense when Michigan is committed to running the ball. Hassan must churn out yards on first and second down to keep the chains moving.
Final Thoughts: I’m stoked for this one. Two of the best defensive teams in the nation will be on full display here. Both these coaches are very similar in a way. Remember how Jim could never beat Ohio State? Kirby Smart has never defeated Alabama, a team that’s been a thorn in his side. Both of these teams have defensive duos that each stands out. For Georgia, it’s Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean. They are the anchors of that front seven. On Michigan, it’s David Ojabo and of course, Aidan Hutchinson. The key matchup in this game is the Georgia offensive line against the Michigan defensive front. This will determine the outcome of the football game. In the SEC title game, Georgia couldn’t push as they had all season long in the running game. Whichever team can bottle up the run better will
come out on top.
Prediction: Georgia 27, Michigan 23
