The brief wait is over: No. 3 Georgia will face No. 2 Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl during the first round of College Football Playoff on New Year’s Day. No. 1 Clemson will face No. 4 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl in the other bracket.
Each team enters with just one blemish. The Bulldogs lost to Auburn, 40-17, on Nov. 11. They avenged that loss on Saturday, turning a 10-7 fourth-quarter grinder into a comfortable 28-7 win in the SEC Championship.
The Sooners were upset, 38-31, by Iowa State on Oct. 7. The Cyclones (7-5) also topped then-No. 4 TCU and gave then No. 12 Oklahoma State a fight.
While Oklahoma didn’t get the chance to avenge their loss, their dominance otherwise made it forgettable. The Sooners scored at least 29 points in every game, and at least 40 in nine games. It beat Ohio State 31-16 on the road. It blew out TCU, the Big 12’s second-best team, twice.
The uniqueness of this matchup lies with Heisman contending quarterback Baker Mayfield against Georgia’s defense. Mayfield starred against mostly poor defenses outside his performance against the Buckeyes.
But Mayfield hasn’t seen physicality like Georgia’s defense. On the flip side, the Bulldogs took advantage of the offensively challenged SEC East and haven’t seen a quarterback of Mayfield’s caliber.
The difference may lie in defenses. Georgia boasts one of the nation’s best, while Oklahoma has had to overcome theirs at times. If the Sooners win, it will be because of Mayfield and their ability to temper UGA’s run game.
It’s Georgia’s first appearance in the playoff. Oklahoma is making its second showing after losing 37-17 to Clemson in 2015. The Bulldogs are the second SEC team to qualify (Alabama) while Oklahoma remains the only Big 12 team to reach the playoff.
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