The moment has officially arrived.
The No. 1-ranked defending champion Georgia Bulldogs are headed to the College Football Playoff National Championship (again), taking on the No. 3 Texas Christian University Horned Frogs Jan. 9.
On one end, you have an absolute powerhouse on a 16-game winning streak with national championship rings on their fingers, ready to elevate their program with a victory in the title game to confirm their status as the next Alabama-esque program. On the other, you have a team that most didn’t have in this position, fresh off a huge 51-45 upset win in the CFP Semifinals, bringing Michigan’s undefeated season to a shocking end.
It all comes down to this 🍿
No. 1 Georgia vs No. 3 TCU.
Monday, 7:30 PM ET | #NationalChampionship pic.twitter.com/KzLyPrpzkV
— ESPN (@espn) January 8, 2023
Heading into the game, the Bulldogs are a heavy 13.5-point favorite in Las Vegas, according to Barstool Sportsbook, which once again has TCU as a heavy underdog just like they were in the Michigan game. However, what’s going to make this game very intriguing is the fact that the two teams are quite similar. Both are fans of spreading out defenses with a speedy horizontal passing attack, and on the defensive end, they’re both fond of the 3-3-5 style.
In other words, this isn’t going to be a blowout for Georgia like most think. In fact, I have TCU covering the spread. I’m pretty confident on that one.
And who do I have winning the game?
I expect this to be a very high-scoring and intense affair. With the way TCU rolled all over Michigan’s defense, and with the weaknesses that Ohio State exposed in Georgia in their game (I’ll also throw in there that the Bulldogs are potent offensively), I’m expecting both offenses to deliver heat — expect to see a lot of bombs in the air. Both teams should move the ball well with this being the case. (RELATED: REPORT: NCAA Investigating Michigan, Jim Harbaugh Expected To Remain)
Georgia is also facing the same kind of threat with TCU that they encountered against the Buckeyes. The Horned Frogs, like OSU, have a dynamic quarterback capable of making big-time plays both in the air and on his feet. And that quarterback, Max Duggan, has a 6’4″ wide receiver to work with in Quentin Johnston. However, Duggan isn’t as polished as Heisman Trophy finalist C.J. Stroud in terms of mistakes, so the Bulldogs will be able to take advantage of that.
On the flip side, I see a big game for quarterback Stetson Bennett and the Georgia offense. TCU’s defense likes to take risks to create chaos, but all it’s going to take is one or two slip-ups to give the ‘Dawgs the ring. You can’t make many mistakes against Georgia’s offense, so TCU is going to have to be extremely calculating. The Horned Frogs irritated the Wolverines all night long in their semifinal game, but with Stetson being a lot quicker in the passing attack than Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, it’s going to be tougher on TCU as a result.
I don’t trust Georgia’s defense in this game against the Horned Frogs’ high-powered offensive attack, so I expect them to put a ton of points on the board and hang with the Bulldogs throughout the game. However, I don’t think TCU will be able to outlast Georgia’s potency and quickness. And that’s what this entire game will come down to.
As a result, give me the Georgia Bulldogs for the dub in a game full of fireworks.
Georgia and TCU fans interacting this weekend #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/oR6ttEyZGL
— UGA Spike Squad (@UGASPIKESQUAD) January 8, 2023
And not only am I picking the Bulldogs for the win, I’m rooting for them as well — screw all of this “fairytale underdog Cinderella story” nonsense.
Not only did TCU take out my Michigan Wolverines (which is reason enough for me), but I’ve also got family who went to the University of Georgia, and on top of that, my daughter’s name is Georgia. And yes, she’s named after the state, a state that I love. We even call her ‘Peach’. And I’m an Atlanta Braves fan as well. There’s tons of reasons for me.
Oh yeah, it’s an easy choice here. Peach State dominance, baby. The new Alabama. Go Bulldogs!