Georgia vs. TCU today: Live updates, odds for 2023 College Football Playoff national championship game
It all comes down to this as Georgia and TCU are set to square off in the College Football Playoff national championship game today.
Georgia is college football's defending national champion and the consensus No. 1 team in the rankings, coming off an SEC championship and a dramatic one-point victory over Ohio State in the Peach Bowl semifinal.
More: College Football Playoff national title game schedule for Georgia vs. TCU
TCU, unranked in the preseason and playing under first-year head coach Sonny Dykes, has consistently surprised everyone all season with a series of comeback wins and a powerful offense, defeating Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal game.
Now, the Bulldogs are seeking their second-straight national title and their third since 1980, and the Horned Frogs their first since 1938.
Here are your latest updates and storylines from the scenes at the College Football Playoff national championship game today.
Georgia vs. TCU: College Football Playoff live national championship updates
TCU vs. Georgia College Football Playoff national championship live updates
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TCU health concerns. The team listed Emari Demercado as the starter at running back over Kendre Miller, who ran for 1,399 yards and 17 touchdowns while going over 100 yards in seven games. Miller was dealing with a lower body injury dating back to the Fiesta Bowl.
The line is historic. No national championship game in the College Football Playoff era has opened with this wide of a spread. Georgia comes into the game as 13 point favorites, according to the lines at SI Sportsbook.
It's the biggest line for a national championship game in the 21st century and the widest since 2013, when Florida State was a 12 point fave over Auburn and won the BCS title by a field goal.
What the computer says. Football Power Index takes a stab at predicting the likelihood of both Georgia and TCU to win the national title game.
National championship preview. College Football HQ offers a preview and prediction of the national championship game.
S-E-C. S-E-C. No conference has performed better in the playoff since its inception, winning five of the eight national championships. Ohio State won one and Clemson won two. TCU's trip to the CFP title game marks the first appearance for the Big 12, and that league's first overall since 2009.
More: Georgia vs. TCU College Football Playoff picks, predictions
Close games. TCU comes into the CFP title bout with the lowest point differential — plus 14.7 — of any national champion since Colorado in 1990.
Georgia's health concerns. Star tight end Darnell Washington left the Peach Bowl win with an ankle issue and couldn't return to the game. Exact information isn't known, but Kirby Smart expressed confidence that Washington will be ready. One of the premier blocking ends in college football, his presence is crucial to Georgia's offensive success, which depends in part on fielding two tight ends at the same time.
Related: Where things stand for Georgia's Darnell Washington amid injury
Quentin Johnston against Georgia. The Bulldogs' elite defense had no answer for Ohio State's passing attack, which went over 300 yards with four touchdowns. Johnston is one of the nation's top receivers and is coming off a 163 yard, 1 TD effort against Michigan in the semifinal.
More: College Football Playoff: How Georgia can beat TCU
Georgia at the line. For the Horned Frogs to have a chance at keeping its offense on schedule, they'll have to contain the Bulldogs' expert interior pass rush, led by consensus top-5 draft pick Jalen Carter at defensive tackle. His stats don't leap off the page, but Carter is a blue-chip run-stopper and can disrupt the pass from the inside like few others. TCU will have to counter his burst and physicality up front.
Related: How TCU can beat Georgia and win the national championship
TCU betting trends. Horned Frogs are 3-0 straight up as an underdog this season, including wins over OU, Michigan, and Texas. Moreover, TCU is 6-1 in games decided by 8 points or fewer. TCU is 4-0 against the spread in its last four non-conference games. The under is 4-0 in TCU's last four after an ATS win.
Georgia betting trends. The Bulldogs are 6-2 against the spread in neutral site games and 5-0 ATS when favored by 20 points or fewer and 3-1 against the spread against ranked opponents. Georgia is 4-0 ATS in its last 4 non-conference games and the over is 4-1 in its last 5 games after a straight up win.
Red zone. Georgia was No. 1 in college football playing offense inside the opponents' 20, finishing with a .972 scoring percentage in the regular season. Defensively, TCU allows teams to convert in the red area 81.25 percent of the time. Georgia is 2nd nationally on defense, keeping teams to just 66.7 percent in the red zone. TCU is 38th overall converting 87 percent of the time on offense.
When is the game? Georgia and TCU will meet on Mon., Jan. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time on the ESPN network and live on fuboTV (Try for free).
More college football from SI: Top 25 Rankings | Schedule | All Teams