Rose Bowl 2018: Updated Odds and Comments for Georgia vs. Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Sooners played their way into the College Football Playoffs even though they struggled on defense for the majority of the season.

The Georgia Bulldogs have gotten there primarily because they have an overpowering defense and an effective ground game.

Georgia allowed 13.2 points per game this season, ranking fourth in the nation for head coach Kirby Smart.

Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley is an offensive mastermind. He took over the role in June when Bob Stoops retired prior to the start of the season, and he put together an offense that has scored 44.9 points per game.

When quarterback Baker Mayfield won the Heisman Trophy last Saturday, he thanked everyone who helped in his development. He thanked Stoops for giving him his opportunity to play at Oklahoma and for "hiring Coach Riley."

Smart knows his defensive troops are going to have a difficult assignment trying to contain Mayfield.

"It's really almost like when you would watch Brett Favre back in the day," Smart said in a teleconference, per John Durham of The Red and Black. "Obviously he's a better athlete, but he's got the gunslinger mentality to make all the throws. He enjoys the game and plays the game with so much passion."

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"To see Nick Chubb, Sony Michel, Roquan Smith, hugging on the stage in tears because they care about each other so much, that's why I do this." -- Kirby Smart pic.twitter.com/QIrvpYjeAY

— UGA Football Live (@UGAfootballLive) December 10, 2017"

Georgia's running attack dovetails nicely with its defensive strength. Nick Chubb and Sony Michel are the team's primary ball-carriers, with D'Andre Swift adding an element of explosive speed to Chubb's power and Michel's versatility.

"I don't know if we've seen anybody with the caliber of the backs that they have there. ... It's certainly going to be a big challenge for us here for the quality of backs Georgia has," Riley said in the teleconference on Dec. 3.

Oklahoma's defense is a work in progress, and it will be tested severely by the Bulldogs. The Sooners gave up 31 points or more five times this season, and that unit is likely to have a difficult time with Georgia.

If the Georgia running attack has success, it should be able to keep Mayfield and the Oklahoma offense on the sidelines more than Riley would like. If the Bulldogs can keep the ball on long drives, that will keep the defense fresh.

That's a huge factor because if highly regarded Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith does not get overworked, he has as good a chance as anyone of at least slowing down Mayfield.

Smith has 113 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks this season, and when he can turn the corner on the pass rush, he is nearly impossible to stop.

The oddsmakers have given the Bulldogs the edge in the game, favoring them by two points, according to OddsShark. However, they don't believe that defense will rule the day. The total in the game is 60 points, 13 more than the Alabama-Clemson semifinal.