The College Football Playoff is here, as the sport sends out the year 2022 with a pair of compelling semifinal clashes. In the first, undefeated No. 2 Michigan battles No. 3 TCU, a program making its first CFP appearance, at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN. In the second, two football bluebloods will meet as unbeaten No. 1 Georgia takes on upset-minded No. 4 Ohio State at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. The winners will then play for the national championship on Monday, Jan. 9 in Los Angeles.
Who will prevail in the Playoff semifinals? A quartet of college football writers preview each game, complete with score predictions and their pick for game MVP.
Peach Bowl: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 Ohio StatePat Forde: Georgia 35, Ohio State 21
If the Buckeyes had trouble holding up in the second half against the power of Michigan, what are they going to do here? Georgia is the most physically dominant team in the nation, punishing on both sides of the ball, and Ohio State flunked a test it had a year to study for in that regard against the Wolverines. The Buckeyes have five weeks to get better in an area where that’s not easy to do. If they are going to pull this off, they will need their best players to perform like superstars—quarterback C.J. Stroud and receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka, specifically. That’s certainly possible, which is underscored by the roasting the Georgia secondary got from LSU in the SEC championship game. But the Ohio State defense will also need to avoid the glaring lapses it had against Michigan, because Georgia can befuddle the Buckeyes with misdirection and eye candy to spring some big plays in the passing game and on the perimeter—then finish them off between the tackles with the power running attack.
Forde’s pick for game MVP: Stetson Bennett. The Georgia quarterback is a master distributor of the ball who can also make plays with his legs. He could have another in a series of big games in big spots.
Ross Dellenger: Georgia 31, Ohio State 20
The Bulldogs are a more complete team than the one that won it all last season. Sure, their defense is rock solid as always, but QB Stetson Bennett and his offense have put together one of the best offensive seasons in the country. The unit ranks eighth in total offense, 17 spots better than last season. It’s scored more than 30 points in all but three games this season, hitting 45 points in five games. Don't sleep on the Bulldogs’ offense. We don't expect the Buckeyes to be napping defensively, but we do expect Kirby Smart's defense to swallow an Ohio State offense that, while talented and explosive, has struggled against good (and some bad) teams this year (it didn't score more than 23 points in games against Notre Dame, Northwestern and Michigan).
Dellenger’s pick for game MVP: Georgia TE Brock Bowers. Bowers will add to his three rushing touchdowns and six TD catches this year in route to the MVP honors.
The Buckeyes offense, led by receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., will push the Dawgs on defense like they haven't been yet this season. But in the end, Georgia’s offense surprisingly will be the thing that takes it over the top when Stetson Bennett outduels C.J. Stroud thanks to the help of his matchup-nightmare tight ends.
Johnson’s pick for game MVP: Georgia TE Brock Bowers
John Garcia: Georgia 34, Ohio State 24
The more I read into the game, from a casual personnel perspective or a more specific research-based one, it keeps coming back to Georgia. The program has been the juggernaut of the sport since the 2020 pandemic season and could be wrapping up its best campaign relative to its offensive ability climbing closer to the dominant nature of the Bulldogs’ defense. The Buckeyes argument has me playing more hypotheticals than pure matchups—IF Ohio State can establish the run against the vaunted UGA front, then the passing game could open up. IF C.J. Stroud uses his legs and Ryan Day’s staff works a mobile pocket, perhaps Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka and a talented wide receiver corps can win one-on-one matchups with the Bulldogs’ secondary.
It’s the opposite on the defending champions’ front, where the feel is Georgia can adjust to whatever nature the game presents with ease. It could dominate time of possession and combine its run game and short passing game to keep the ball away from Stroud, creating fewer possessions and a fresher defense to attack the Buckeyes in the process. Even in the event of a shootout, Georgia has shown the capabilities to operate more freely offensively in 2022 with the best tight end room in the country and an all-of-a-sudden healthy wide receiver group available for the first time since its demolition of Oregon to open the season. Familiarity seems to be the best formula to slow down Stetson Bennett & Co., as select SEC teams have come close over the years, compared to nonconference opponents that have been met with Georgia power and aggression on both sides of the ball.
The last non-SEC program to beat the Bulldogs was the “We’re Back!” Texas Longhorns and Sam Ehlinger back on Jan. 1, 2019. Nearly four years to the day later, it’s tough to imagine it happening again.
Garcia’s pick for game MVP: With Ohio State’s defensive focus on Brock Bowers & Co., Georgia RB Kenny McIntosh will make big plays on the ground and in the air against an OSU defense vulnerable to a power scheme. The last time we saw the Buckeyes, Michigan ran for 250-plus yards without its lead back.
