When the 2022 season began, many people had these two teams playing each other for a national championship. Instead, they’ll meet in a semifinal after Ohio State stumbled against Michigan in the regular-season finale.
The Buckeyes are going to have to play a nearly flawless game to knock Georgia off.
Let’s start on the defensive side of the ball. This will be the most balanced offense Jim Knowles’ unit has seen this year. And while the UGA offense sputtered at times against lesser opponents (Kent State and Missouri), it always seemed to step up in the biggest games (Oregon, Tennessee and LSU). I expect the Bulldog offense to be on top of its game and the defense had better come ready to play.
The Stetson Bennett-led offense hasn’t been a premier passing attack by anyone’s standards, but neither was J.J. McCarthy and the Wolverines. Either Knowles refused to make adjustments or the secondary was just plain out of position against Michigan, resulting in big play after big play. The secondary cannot afford to give up the long pass plays it did against TTUN and tackling must be sure.
Georgia has all world tight ends Darnell Washington and Mackey Award winner Brock Bowers. Ohio State must account for both. Bowers leads the Bulldogs with 52 receptions and over 700 yards with six touchdowns. The good news is the Buckeye defense has seen a great tight end (Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer) and held him in check in September.
Georgia also runs the ball very well with a three-headed attack that features Kenny McIntosh, Daijun Edwards and Kendall Milton. Each averages more than five yards per carry. Again, sure tackling as well as containment will be huge in slowing down the UGA offense.
On the offensive side, Ohio State should be able to throw the ball. If the Dawgs’ defense has a weakness, it seems to point toward the secondary. While very talented, the corners have been exposed from time to time, and this will be the best set of receivers Georgia has seen…
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