The Georgia Bulldogs are not willing to concede anything to Indiana and Ohio State, the top two seeds in the College Football Playoff. Ohio State may be the defending champions and the Big Ten has garnered greater respect than it has for years, but the Bulldogs should be ready to stand up for the Southeastern Conference.
Georgia has had a notable season as the Bulldogs go into the CFP with a 12-1 record. They won the SEC title for the second year in a row. Head coach Kirby Smart's team did not seem to have the talent of some of his previous championship teams and the expectations were not an elite level this season. However, the team picked up speed as the season moved along and Georgia has a top quarterback in Gunner Stockton who can make key throws when the Bulldogs need them most.
Georgia also has a running game and an offensive line that have overachieved this season and that's why this team has an excellent chance to survive and advance past the quarterfinals after facing Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl.
In addition to getting the job done on offense, the defense has played its best football during the 4 games leading up to the Sugar Bowl. Georgia has dominated against the run as no opponent in that span has gained more than 81 yards on the ground. Georgia has put the clamps on Texas, Charlotte, Georgia Tech and Alabama, and Ole Miss needs to be prepared to play against this talented, physical unit.
Gunnar Stockton will throw for 200-plus yards and 2 TDs
Gunner Stockton has done an excellent job running the Georgia attack this season and he has put excellent numbers on the board. He has completed 251 of 355 passes for 2,691 yards with 23 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He has completed 70.7 percent of his passes and he has developed a solid rapport with receiver Zachariah Branch.
The 5-9, 180-pound Branch has excellent speed and moves, and he has caught 73 passes for 744 yards and 5 touchdowns. He is 4 catches away from breaking Georgia's single-season record for catches in a season
In addition to Branch, Colbie Young and Dillon Bell have also made complementary contributions. Young has caught 23-336-1 while Bell has added 27-279-2.
The running game has been consistently productive. Nate Frazier has been the team's primary ball carrier and he has gained 861 yards on 158 carries with a long run of 59 yards. Frazier has 6 TD runs. Fellow running back Chauncey Bowens has 98 carries for 516 yards and he has also scored 6 touchdowns.
Stockton has gotten the job done as a runner, especially when the Bulldogs have the ball near the goal line. He has rushed for 442 yards and 8 scores.
The key to Georgia's offensive production has been the solid play of the offensive line. There were major questions about this unit at the start of the year, but those questions have been answered affirmatively.
The Bulldogs are averaging 31.9 points per game.
Defense will slow down the Ole Miss offense
It didn't look like the Georgia defense would be strong enough to get the team deep into the postseason at the start of the year. However, defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann has turned this unit into one of the more effective defenses in the SEC. In addition to shutting down the opponents' running game, the Bulldogs have done an outstanding job on third-down plays. Georgia has been holding opponents to a 20.8 percent success rate on key third-down plays.
The Bulldogs are allowing 15.9 points per game and that ranks 9th in the nation. Linebacker C.J. Allen is leading the Bulldogs with 85 tackles and he also has 3.5 sacks and 8.0 tackles for loss Allen also has 4 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery. Fellow linebacker Raylen Wilson has contributed 70 tackles 2.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss.
When it comes to putting pressure on Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, the Bulldogs are going to look to Chris Cole and Quintavius Johnson. Both of these sophomores have the ability to turn the corner and put the heat on the passing game. Defensive back Ellis Robinson IV has 7 passes broken up and 4 interceptions. He is the team's best cover man.
Georgia has the weapons to win rematch
This is likely to be the most entertaining of the 4 quarterfinal games. When the two teams met at midseason, Georgia rallied from a 35-26 third-quarter deficit to score 17 points in the 4th quarter and earn a 43-35 victory over the Rebels.
This game should also be close, but because the Georgia defense is playing so much better at this point, it will most likely be somewhat lower scoring. Look for Georgia to come away with a 28-17 triumph.
