Peach Bowl 2022: Latest Odds, Prediction for Georgia vs. Ohio State Playoff
If Georgia is going to have an opportunity to try to win a second consecutive national championship, it will first need to get past Ohio State. And that may not be the easiest task.
The Bulldogs and Buckeyes are set to face off in a College Football Playoff semifinal matchup on Dec. 31, when they'll go head-to-head in the Peach Bowl. It should be close to a home atmosphere for Georgia, considering the game will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Not only will Ohio State have farther to travel, but it will be looking to pull off an upset. Georgia is the No. 1 seed in the CFP after going 13-0 and winning the SEC championship. Ohio State is the No. 4 seed despite not reaching the Big Ten Championship Game after finishing the regular season at 11-1.
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Here's everything else you need to know heading into this year's Peach Bowl.
Latest Peach Bowl Odds
Spread: Georgia -6.5
Over/Under: 62 points
Moneyline: Georgia -260 (bet $260 to win $100); Ohio State +220 (bet $100 to win $220)
Preview, Prediction
Georgia and Ohio State have been two of the top college football programs in recent years. Yet it's been quite some time since the Bulldogs and Buckeyes have crossed paths.
The only previous meeting between Georgia and Ohio State came at the end of the 1992 season, when the Bulldogs defeated the Buckeyes 21-14 in the Citrus Bowl. Could there be a similar result this time?
It's no surprise that Georgia is favorited to win. It stormed through the regular season in impressive fashion, then beat LSU 50-30 in the SEC Championship Game.
The Bulldogs have mostly relied on their dominant defense to win games. They're allowing only 292.1 total yards per contest (ninth best in the country), and they're especially tough against the run, giving up an FBS-low 77 rushing yards per game.
It will be interesting to see whether Georgia's defense can shut down a loaded Ohio State offense led by redshirt sophomore quarterback C.J. Stroud, one of the four finalists for the Heisman Trophy. He'll be looking to frequently get the ball into the hands of talented sophomore wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart is hoping to see his defense perform better than it did in its last showing against LSU.
"We can't play the defense we played [in the SEC Championship Game] and expect to be any kind of champions," Smart recently said, per Chase Brown of Eleven Warriors.
When Georgia has the ball, it will have a Heisman finalist of its own leading its offense. Sixth-year quarterback Stetson Bennett has again done a strong job of guiding the Bulldogs this year, and he knows what it takes to win when the stakes are raised.
That will be the case for quite a few players on Georgia's roster. The Bulldogs defeated Michigan and Alabama in the College Football Playoff last season to capture the program's first national title since the 1980 season.
Because of that experience and its shutdown defense, Georgia will be heading back to the CFP National Championship Game on Jan. 9. Ohio State could keep things close early in the Peach Bowl, but it's going to get a bit overmatched in the second half.
The Bulldogs will start to pull away late and come up with some big stops, taking down the Buckeyes to move on.
Prediction: Georgia 31, Ohio State 21
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.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
