Georgia, TCU, an unlikely pair of college football playoff title games
Georgia was supposed to be here all the time. TCU was supposed to finish seventh in the Big 12.
The Bulldogs will seek a second straight national championship as prohibitive favorites against the Horned Frogs after both teams narrowly escaped the college football playoff semifinals.
That’s nothing new for TCU, which was buoyed by Michigan’s obvious confidence heading into the Fiesta Bowl. Rather than control the line of attack, the Wolverines were outmatched on the ground and rocked by the aggressiveness of the Horned Frogs, resulting in an unexpected defensive collapse.
Whether TCU can do the same for Georgia will be the deciding factor in the game. And while the challenge is daunting, the fact that Ohio State was able to force the Bulldogs into an up-and-down shootout in the Peach Bowl suggests the defending national champions might have a hard time slowing down one of the best offenses in the league. Bowl Subdivision.
The Frogs rank third nationally in scoring (41.1 ppg), 11th in yards per play (6.9), eighth in quarterback efficiency (160.5), and seventh in touchdowns terrestrial (36).
Follow all the games: Latest NCAA college football scores and schedules
“Now we have to take care of business,” said Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett. “We have to prepare. We have nine days or whatever to play a very good team from TCU. So we have to prepare.”
Georgia will be the fourth opponent TCU faces this season ranked in the top 20 nationally in yards allowed per game, joining Texas, Iowa State and Michigan. The offense struggled against the Longhorns, averaging just 3.9 yards per play in a 17-10 victory, then used three points to spark off the Cyclones 62-14 in TCU’s only game. since beating Oklahoma on Oct. 1. decide on more than 10 points.
PERFECT DAY:Stunning Georgia rally capped sensational semi-finals
BRAVE FROGS:TCU silences skeptics again to Michigan chagrin
HARD TO KILL:Georgia’s Bennett puts in another legendary effort
Balanced offensive attack of the frogs
The Frogs were able to rock Michigan with one of the most impressive offensive performances of the season: 263 rushing yards, the most allowed by the Wolverines since Wisconsin attacked them during the COVID season, and another 225 passing yards on average. overall 6.9 yards per play.
Michigan’s focus on defense and perceived strength along the line of scrimmage were nullified by the tempo. Against Georgia, the Frogs will try to establish a similar balanced offensive attack built around quarterback Max Duggan, who had a combined four touchdowns in the Fiesta Bowl despite struggling with his accuracy on the field.
Ohio State was able to force Georgia into awkward territory without establishing a consistent running game. The Buckeyes rushed for 119 yards on 32 carries with four gains of 12 or more yards, led by quarterback CJ Stroud’s 27-yard run with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter. But Stroud passed for 348 yards and four touchdowns on 10.2 yards per attempt, marking the second straight sour game for Georgia’s pass defense after stifling teams for most of the regular season.
Defensive problems for the Bulldogs
Before the SEC championship game against LSU, the Bulldogs had allowed 11 touchdown passes with eight interceptions. After giving up 502 yards to the Tigers and failing to keep Stroud under wraps, Georgia has allowed seven touchdown passes on 9.9 yards per throw in the past two games, a remarkable defensive swoon at the worst of times.
But TCU will have to get more out of Duggan. The Heisman Trophy runner-up has been inconsistent in the passing game, connecting on a combined 32 of 65 passes with three touchdowns and three interceptions in games against Kansas State and Michigan. While his impact remains unquestioned, the Frogs can’t thrive against Georgia if the senior has trouble connecting with Quentin Johnson and the rest of his receiving corps.
Flat for a dislike
In short, the championship game will be decided by Duggan’s precision and ability to loosen up one of the most intimidating defensive fronts in college football. For TCU, the clearest path to victory is to rely on pace and unpredictability to force Georgia to go shot-for-shot on offense.
However, even then, the Peach Bowl proved that Georgia can win in multiple ways against the best teams in the FBS. While they are outside of the program’s preferred comfort zone under coach Kirby Smart, the Bulldogs won’t be intimidated by the Horned Frogs’ speed of play after overcoming multiple double-digit deficits against Stroud and the Buckeyes.
Georgia trailed by 14 points in the first quarter and again going into the fourth quarter. But the Bulldogs made a field goal to cut OSU’s lead to 38-27, hit deep on a 76-yard touchdown pass to get within a field goal, then drove 72 yards in five plays to take the 42-yard lead. -41 with less than a minute left The comeback was fueled by Bennett, who rebounded from a rocky start to complete 11 of his last 13 shots and finished with 398 yards and three touchdowns.
At TCU, Bennett and the Bulldogs will find themselves up against an opportunistic pass defense that made big strides in the second half of the regular season. Overall, the Frogs head to the championship game allowing opponents to complete just 54.3% of attempts, fourth best in the Power Five, with 16 interceptions, sixth among the Power Five.
Look to Georgia to combat TCU’s speed and aggression by relying on the running game. While not as ground-dependent this season compared to 2021, when the Bulldogs ran the ball on 57.2% of snaps, the offense can be brutally effective at establishing the physical game up front and dominating in the red zone.
With the Fiesta Bowl being the brightest example, TCU is able to slow down Kenny McIntosh and the Bulldogs’ backfield. Michigan rushed for 180 yards, but 54 came on the opening play of the game. From there, the Wolverines averaged just 3.2 yards per carry and were unable to move bodies at scrimmage.
In the end, TCU might be able to force Georgia to at least partially drop out of the race and trust Bennett to run the offense. That worked against Ohio State, but just barely.
The plan is in for a surprise: TCU has to be the aggressor and force Georgia into a reactive role, making up for the clear gap in overall talent and depth. Failure to do so could result in a double-digit loss and the Bulldogs’ second straight championship.
