#4 Ohio State Buckeyes vs #1 Georgia Bulldogs (12/31 @ 8:00 PM EST)
Spread: Georgia -6.5
Money Line: Ohio State +204 / Georgia -251
Total: 62
Overview and Betting Info
The #4 Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1) will take on the reigning champion #1 Georgia Bulldogs (13-0) Saturday night in the CFP Semifinal Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. These two schools have only played once, with Georgia winning their 1993 matchup. Georgia won the SEC, while Ohio State missed the Big 10 championship game after losing to Michigan.
The Buckeyes are 5-6-1 against the spread this season and have covered five of their last ten games. They have gone over the point total nine times this season, including in nine of their last ten games.
The Bulldogs are 7-6 versus the spread and have covered five of their last ten games. They have gone under the point total in eight games but have been over in their previous two.
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State offense averaged 492.7 yards (7th in FBS) and 44.5 points (2nd in FBS) per game this season. They are led by quarterback and Heisman finalist CJ Stroud who has thrown for 3,340 yards and 37 (4th in FBS) touchdowns. The quarterback has been elite all season and is coming off a loss where he threw for 349 yards and two touchdowns. He is supported by an elite receiving duo in Marvin Harrison Jr (1,157 yards, 12 TDs) and Emeka Egbuka (1,039 yards, 9 TD). Harrison has been fantastic all season, though Egbuka has been quieter in the second half of the season, with 655 of his 1,039 yards coming in the first six games. The Buckeyes will need both receivers at their best as they take on one of the nation’s elite defenses in Georgia.
The Buckeyes backfield is led by Miyan Williams, who leads the team with 817 yards and 12 touchdowns. He will be without one of his backfield partners in TreVeyon Henderson (571 yards, 6 TD), who is out with an injury. This will likely lead to Dallan Hayden (510 yards, 5 TD) seeing more carries on Saturday. The loss of Henderson hurts this offense, meaning the other two backs will need to step up to win on Saturday.
The Ohio State defense allowed 303.9 yards and 19.3 points per game this season. They are coming off back-to-back games that saw them give up a combined 75 points. They have been led by a duo of pass rushers in Michael Hall Jr (4.5 sacks) and Jack Sawyer (4.5 sacks), as well as linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, who leads the team with 112 tackles to go with 2.5 sacks and 1 interception. The Buckeyes’ secondary is led by Tanner McCalister (3 INT) and Ronnie Hickmans (6 PD, 1 INT). Keep an eye on linebacker JT Tuimoloau (3.5 sacks, 2 INT, 1 TD) as well, as he has been making plays all over the field all season.
Georgia Bulldogs
The Georgia offense averaged 491.9 yards (8th in FBS) and 39.2 points this season. They’ve been led by quarterback Stetson Bennett who has thrown for 3,425 yards and 27 combined touchdowns. The senior has been solid all season, including in the SEC championship game, where he threw four touchdowns and completed 79.3% of his passes. He is supported by tight end Brock Bowers, who leads the team with 726 yards and six touchdowns. They’ll need him on Saturday as the Bulldogs will again be without top wide receiver Ladd McConkey (675 yards, 5 TDs). Look for Bennett to look toward Darnell Washington (417 yards, 2 TD) and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint (303 yards, 2 TD) to make up for McConkey’s absence.
The Bulldogs are led by pair of running back in the backfield in Kenny McIntosh (709 yards, 10 TD) and Daijun Edwards (681 yards, 7 TD). McIntosh is also one of the team’s top receiving options, with 449 yards and a touchdown this season. We expect to see Bennett look his way a few times on Saturday with McConkey out. Edwards has been hot on the ground lately, averaging an impressive 6.7 yards per carry over his last two games. They will be up against a Buckeyes defense that allows 119 rush yards per game, so they’ll have their work cut out.
The Georgia defense is arguably the best in the nation, allowing just 292.1 yards and 12.8 points per game. Though they allowed 30 points to LSU in a blowout win, they have held opposing teams to under 20 points in four of their previous five games. The defense is balanced, with 16 players with at least 0.5 sacks. They are led by Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Nolan Smith, and Jalen Carter, whom all have three sacks. Dumas-Johnson also leads the team in tackles with 64. In the secondary, the Bulldogs are led by Christopher Smith (5 PD, 3 INT), Kelee Ringo (6 PD, 2 INT), and Malaki Starks (64 tackles, 7 PD, 2 INT). Starks has been one of their top players this season and should play a crucial role in containing Stroud and this dangerous Buckeyes offense.
