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It all comes down to this. The 2022 college football season has reached its apex and all that remains is the National Championship Game on Monday. Georgia football meets TCU at SoFi Stadium in college football’s version of David vs. Goliath.
Everyone expected Georgia to be here long before the season began. The Bulldogs won the national championship just last season and boast an absurd level of talent on their roster. On the other hand, TCU began the season unranked and has defied expectations all season long to get to this point.
The spread in this game reflects the vast difference in perception between the teams. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Bulldogs are 12.5-point favorites heading into this game. Although underestimating the Horned Frogs would be incredibly foolish, that spread does bode well for the Bulldogs’ chances.
With that said, here are a few reasons why Georgia football will beat TCU and claim its second straight national title.
3. Weapons all around
The Bulldogs have earned a reputation as a defense-first team over the last couple of years, and for good reason. However, they also have a ton of playmakers on offense that tend to go under the radar. Of course, there’s quarterback Stetson Bennett, who is far from the flashiest quarterback in the world but can turn it on when he needs to. However, the weapons around Bennett are what truly elevates him and the offense as a whole.
Georgia boasts three dangerous running backs in Kendall Milton, Daijun Edwards, and Kenny McIntosh, all of whom have over 550 yards and seven touchdowns this season. There’s also Brock Bowers, a near-generational tight end who can be a threat anywhere on the field. Wide receiver is probably Georgia’s weakest skill position on offense, but Ladd McConkey leads a unit that can still make a ton of plays.
Bowers is the only true star of the group, but the sheer number of weapons makes life difficult for opposing defenses. If the Bulldogs’ skill players perform as advertised on Monday, they will likely hoist the trophy once again.
2. Stingy run defense
The Bulldogs do a lot of things very well, but one of the things they do better than anyone else is defend the run. Georgia football has allowed just 77 rushing yards per game this season, the lowest in the entire FBS. Yes, the Bulldogs did allow 119 rushing yards against Ohio State in the Peach Bowl, but no single player reached the 50-yard plateau.
The Horned Frogs are at their best when they can run the ball effectively. In fact, they just torched Michigan, another tough run defense, for 263 yards on the ground. Although, leading rusher Kendre Miller left the game with an injury and his status for Monday is in question. Backup running back Emari Demercado is a very capable rusher as well, but losing Miller would be a huge blow for TCU.
Georgia must defend the run as well as it has all season to win this game. The Bulldogs pass defense has been rather poor recently, so the run defense needs to pick up the slack. Holding the Horned Frogs under 100 or 150 rushing yards is absolutely critical for Georgia football to defend its crown.
1. The quest for immortality
Both TCU and Georgia are on the verge of history, but especially Georgia. With just one more win, the Bulldogs would become the first back-to-back champion in the CFP era, and the first overall since Alabama in 2011 and 2012. Obviously, both teams will play extremely motivated, but that fact might give Georgia even more drive.
To be fair, there’s also the chance that the hype gets to the Bulldogs’ heads and they overlook their opponents. However, given how much success they have had recently and the culture Kirby Smart has instilled, that doesn’t seem likely. He’ll have his players ready to go out there and cement themselves in history.