Peach Bowl Prediction: No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes Vs. No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs
Fourth-ranked Ohio State travels to Atlanta to take on top-ranked Georgia in the Peach Bowl on Saturday night with a trip to the College Football Playoff National Championship on the line.
This marks just the second all-time meeting between the Buckeyes and Bulldogs, who come into the game as the defending national champs and on a 15-game winning streak.
That said, here's how our staff at BuckeyesNow expects this weekend's matchup to go down:
What's The Betting Line For Ohio State Vs. Georgia?
OHIO STATE vs GEORGIA – Saturday, 8 p.m. on ESPN
Spread: Georgia (-6.5)
O/U Total: 62.0
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Ohio State Vs. Georgia Predictions
Brendan Gulick: Ohio State 32, Georgia 30
I think this is going to be an epic game and I love that Ohio State isn’t getting enough credit coming in. Georgia’s defense is elite and they rarely give up more than 400 yards to an opponent. But they haven’t seen a QB/WR combo like C.J. Stroud and Marvin Harrison Jr. this year and their secondary at times has been vulnerable.
If Ohio State can give Stroud time to throw, I think the Buckeyes will move the ball well. I’d be surprised if OSU runs wild, as Georgia’s rush defense (particularly up front) is as good as anyone.
I think Stetson Bennett is a really good player and that their offense thrives on tight end production. Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington make an incredibly difficult combination. I don’t expect Bennett to throw for huge yardage because I think Ohio State will play a bit more conservatively at safety after what happened against Michigan, but I anticipate they’ll tackle better too. Denzel Burke is as healthy as he’s been all year, which should really help.
This game is going to be tough. I expect both teams to stub their toe a couple times and I don’t think it’s going to be an offensive explosion either way. Whoever has the ball last wins - and thanks to a terrific day from Harrison and Cade Stover, I’m picking Ohio State to punch a ticket to Los Angeles.
Andrew Lind: Georgia 38, Ohio State 35
I’ve gone back and forth on this for several days now, and my feelings might change again as we continue to get closer to kickoff. But I’ll say this up front: Ohio State is capable of beating anyone in the country and winning the national championship.
There are two things that stick with me that would lead me to pick against the Buckeyes, though, including the lack of consistency the team showed in the second half of the season and how dejected the players looked in the fourth quarter of last month’s loss to Michigan.
Ohio State put so much time and effort into The Game after losing the year prior, and with all that was on the line again, for them to not only get beat, but to allow things to get as sideways as they did doesn’t instill a lot of confidence heading into the playoff.
That’s why I find the comparisons to the 2014 championship season interesting. That team was coming off a 59-0 win over Wisconsin and was playing as well as anyone in the four-team field. This team backed in, meanwhile, needing USC to lose its conference title game while they were sitting at home.
On the other hand, second chances are a beautiful thing. The Buckeyes probably shouldn’t be here, aren’t expected to win and that could lead them to playing freely and as well as they have all season. That will have to happen if they’re going to beat the defending national champs.
Ohio State should have success through the air against a secondary that looked vulnerable in the SEC Championship, but running the ball feels like it will be virtually impossible against the nation's best run defense. Avoiding turnovers and capitalizing in the red zone will be key in a game that will come down to the final minutes.
With that, I think this game will play out in a similar fashion to the 2019 Fiesta Bowl, minus the controversial calls. Ohio State will take a late lead, with Stroud finding Harrison for the go-ahead touchdown, but the defense – though much improved this year – will fail to get a stop on the most important drive of the season.
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