Score Predictions: Georgia vs. Cincinnati

The Cincinnati Bearcats will meet the Georgia Bulldogs in the 53rd annual Peach Bowl in Atlanta. The game will be played at Mercedes Benz Stadium and will kick off at 12:30 EST. The Bearcats are coming off a win against No. 24-ranked Tulsa to complete an undefeated regular season to win the American Athletic Conference, while the Bulldogs finished the season with a record of 7-2.

Coming into the game, all the anticipation will be on whether Georgia can stay hot on offense. In their last two games, with JT Daniels under center, the Bulldogs have posted 45-plus points in both contests. On defense, expect some younger players to step in for the Bulldogs, due to multiple opt-outs such as Monty Rice and Eric Stokes Jr.

Brooks Austin: Lead Editor

Georgia 38, Cincinnati 17

Upon film review, I found an offense that struggled to maintain an explosive nature throughout the season. This means, in order to score, Cincinnati will need to sustain long and methodical drives against Georgia. That's not exactly a winning proposition, especially considering Georgia will ultimately take away the run game early on.

As for the Cincinnati defense, in order to be successful running an odd front defense, there have to be a nose guard and defensive ends that can hold the line of scrimmage with just three players. I don't see the Bearcats being able to do that.

Kyle Funderburk: Lead Writer

Georgia 41, Cincinnati 10

Since Georgia is wearing black jerseys, why not throw back the score prediction to the last time the Bulldogs wore black in a bowl game? Just like Hawaii 13 years ago, Cincinnati faces Georgia on the wrong side of a physical mismatch. The Bearcats are giving up a ton of size, especially at the line of scrimmage. Cincinnati rushes for 225 yards per game, but it hasn't seen a front seven that includes Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt, Nakobe Dean or Azeez Ojulari.

On offense, the Bulldogs have been rolling since JT Daniels claimed the starting job and they should be able to impose their will against Cincinnati. The Bearcats use an odd front, but they don't have enough size to penetrate Georgia's offensive line. Running backs Zamir White, Kenny McIntosh and the returning Kendall Milton should all have big games Friday.

Against the pass, the Bearcats like to keep plays in front of them, which is fine for Georgia. Wide receivers George Pickens, Jermaine Burton and Darnell Washington are likely the most physical receivers Cincinnati will have played all year. Expect a lot of tough intermediate catches for those three targets.

While the 41-10 prediction is in honor of the 2008 Sugar Bowl, this game won't play out the same way. Cincinnati will likely give Georgia some fits early. The Bulldogs are not going to dominate from the opening whistle, but the physical mismatch will eventually be too much to the Bearcats.

Jeremiah Stoddard

Georgia 42, Cincinnati 17

The game will be won in the trenches. Cincinnati’s offense averages 225 rushing yards per game, and Georgia’s defense allows 69.3 rushing yards per game on average. Something must give. What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? Well, in this case, it stops. With Jordan Davis being in the lineup on Georgia’s defensive line, I do not see Cincinnati keeping up this type of rushing attack. If Georgia can force Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder to become one-dimensional, it will be a long 60 minutes for a player that has 609 rushing yards in nine games this season.

Chris Allen

Georgia 38, Cincinnati 17

Yes, Georgia will be without quite a few defensive starters that have opted out, declaring for the NFL draft. Fortunately under head coach Kirby Smart and coordinator Dan Lanning, this defense continues to get better year in and out, and similarly to Alabama, Georgia is starting to not just rebuild but reload. Combine that with offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who is just getting started, proving to be an excellent “chameleon” coordinator all year long with a stable of backs and quarterback JT Daniels' performance to finish the season, I don’t expect it to be close from start to finish. This team is bigger and faster, and to those saying they are worried Georgia won’t be hungry, pulling a 2018 Sugar Bowl, I can guarantee Smart has learned his lesson.