As the infamous Joker would say, “and here – we – go”. It’s time to showcase the four best teams in the country as the college football Playoffs are set to get underway. The #3 Dawgs from Georgia will match up against the Wolverines from Michigan in this year’s Orange Bowl game in Miami Florida.
The Orange Bowl serves as the home of one of the college football semi-final games. Can Michigan ride their late-season hot streak and take out one of the best teams in the SEC; punching their ticket to the National Championship? Or will Georgia be able to rebound from their lone loss in the SEC Championship and set up a potential rematch for the National Championship? I’ll touch on each team, give three players to watch out for, and finish with my game prediction.
Michigan
We’ll start this one off by talking about the 12-1, reigning Big Ten Champions. Michigan marches into this game coming off an excellent month of November. They beat their arch-rival Ohio State, won the Big Ten in a dominant 42-3 fashion vs Iowa, and finished it off with Aidan Hutchinson finishing 2nd in the Heisman race. The Wolverines success has translated to the recruiting trail, as they currently sit at 9th in the composite 2022 rankings with a huge early signing day period.
Offense
What a turnaround it has been for this U of M offense. Just a month ago the Wolverine faithful were calling for OC Josh Gattis to lose his job. The month of November came with versatile playcalling by Gattis, catapulting him to a win against their arch-rival and capturing a Big Ten title. Gattis also won the Broyles Award for being the top college football assistant coach in the country.
Michigan closes out the regular season with the #18 total offense in the college football, ranking 67th in passing offense and 10th in rush offense.
This offense has flourished with the emergence of Gattis as a formidable play-caller. Junior quarterback Cade McNamara has been a huge beneficiary. McNamara finished off a great regular season, completing 199 of his 308 passes thrown for 2,470 yards and 15 touchdowns. He was only intercepted 4 times, which is the 8th best in college football. His play is key to igniting one of the best rushing attacks in the nation and keeping Michigan’s National Championship hopes alive. Thus making Cade McNamara my first ‘Player to Watch’.
The Michigan rush attack has been lethal since day one, with Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins both having incredible seasons. The two backs have over 2,000 combined total yards this season. Haskins has 1,288 total yards, averaging 99 yards per game and 4.9 per carry. Corum has 939 total yards, averaging 84 per game and 6.7 per carry. Corum’s 6.7 yards per carry ranks him 7th in college football in that category. Hassan Haskins also broke Michigans single-season rushing touchdown record with 22, previously held by the current running backs coach and U of M legend, Mike Hart.
Defense
Ending the year at 2-4 a season ago, I don’t think anybody could have predicted how dominant this Michigan defense would be. The Wolverines rank 12th total defense. Their rushing defense ranks 21st in college football, with a similar rating for their pass defense which comes in at 22.
Michigan’s star-studded defense starts up front with two of the best edge rushers in college football. Senior Aidan Hutchinson and Junior David Ojabo put the entire college football world on notice this season. The pair has 25 sacks and 7 forced fumbles! Hutchinson broke the Michigan’s single-season sack record with 14 this year. Hutchinson tops the legendary Lamar Woodley’s 12 sack season in 2006.
Big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games. Hutchinson’s dynamic play on the field and his leadership has been truly remarkable to see thus far. Aidan Hutchinson is my 2nd ‘Player to Watch’ in this game.
The Michigan secondary has played well this season, making a lot of improvements since we last saw them in 2020. Michigan ranks 22nd in the county against the pass, giving up 194 yards per game and 10 yards per completion. For the Wolverines to be victorious in this game, defensive backs such as Daxton Hill and Brad Hawkins will have to step up.
Can Michigan make it to college football’s biggest game, or will they crack under the pressure? Let’s see how they fare as they take on an SEC powerhouse in the unfamiliar lights of prime-time. If this matchup is considered David versus Goliath, I’ll take the underdog every time.
Georgia
Georgia enters this game after suffering their first defeat of the year In the SEC Championship game. This comes at the hands of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Other than that, the Dawgs have looked invincible, making a tough task for the Wolverines. Let’s take a look at how Georgia has made it this far and who has helped them get there.
Offense
This Georgia team comes into the game with the 27th ranked total offense. Their passing attack is ranked 55th in the country. That must improve if they want to take down the Wolverines. Their rushing attack has faired a bit better with a ranking of 31st. Point blank, their offense has to be better. Playing against a hungry Michigan defense is a lot easier said than done.
Quarterback Stetson Barnett didn’t assume the full-time starting role until Week 5, taking over for an injured J.T Daniels. So far this season Barnett has accounted for 2,325 yards passing, tossing 24 touchdowns to only 7 ints.
Running backs James Cook and Zamir White have been non-existent in this Georgia offense. During his Senior campaign, James Cook has 101 carries for 619 yards; running for 6.1 yards per carry with 7 touchdowns. Junior Zamir White has had relatively the same stat line, recording 135 carries for 719 yards averaging 5.3 per carry with 10 touchdowns.
Barnett’s supporting cast hasn’t been the greatest, but tight end Brock Bowers has been very solid this season. Bowers has had four games with over 100 yards receiving. In the SEC title game, Bowers recorded 10 receptions for 139 yards and a touchdown in the loss to Alabama.
Defense
The Georgia offense may not be elite, but you definitely can’t say the same about their defense. With the second best defense in college football, there’s no doubt they’re ready. The stellar Georgia defense comes in with the third ranked rushing defense. They pair that by ranking 3rd in passing yards allowed this season.
The Georgia front seven has been a big part of the success. They’ve accounted for 41 sacks and 8 forced fumbles. Senior defensive tackle Jordan Davis sticks out as a potential gamechanger. Davis has contributed 28 tackles and 2 sacks.
His real contribution comes in the run game, where his 6’6, 340-pound frame makes it almost impossible to run the ball. One of the biggest factors for Georgia to win this game will be stopping the lethal Michigan rushing attack. I believe Jordan Davis will have to play a big part in that, making him my final ‘Player to Watch’.
The Georgia secondary has benefited greatly from that defensive line, recording 12 interceptions and 52 passes deflected. Their cornerback group headlined by Junior Lewis Cine will be tasked with stopping a Michigan passing attack that has been on a tear as of late.
Who will be crowned Orange Bowl champions and punch their ticket to the college football National Championship?
Game Predictions
- Cade McNamara throws for 275 and 2 TD’s
- Hutchinson records 2+ TFL/Sacks
- Jordan Davis holds helps hold Michigan to under 125 rushing yards
Score Prediction: Michigan 24, Georgia 17
