Defending Champions Seek Return to Title Game
The big question is whether an Ohio State offense that is second nationally with an average of 44.5 points per game can keep up those lofty standards against a talented Georgia defense in the national semifinals.
The key could come when the Georgia offense is on the field against an Ohio State defense that has allowed at least 30 points in three of its last five games.
There has been little line movement in the Peach Bowl with Georgia favored by 7 points after the line opened at 6½.
Running back TreVeyon Henderson and receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba figured to be go-to offensive players when the season began. However, injuries forced them to miss 13 games this season. Neither will play in the game. Henderson is out with a foot injury and Smith-Njigba never got fully healthy due to a tender hamstring and he will sit out the game.
Keep an eye on running back Miyan Williams, who was slowed by an injury late in the regular season. Offensive lineman Matt Jones is another key player whose status needs to be monitored.
For Georgia, receiver Ladd McConkey and offensive lineman Warren McClendon were both hurt in the SEC title game and it is uncertain if they will play.
The NCAA football odds list Georgia (-140) as the favorite to win a second straight national title. Ohio State is priced at +375 to win the national championship for the first time since the 2014 season.
Top-seeded Georgia also received 121 of the 124 first-place votes in the Associated Press and American Football Coaches Association polls. Ohio State is third in the coaches poll and fourth in the AP ranking.
Let’s check the latest college football odds, stats, injury reports, and college football lines for Georgia vs Ohio. We’ve plenty of NCAA football odds for you to consider.
Georgia Looks to Pass Another Test
The passing game will look a little different if McConkey is unable to play. Tight end Brock Bowers has four touchdowns in the last eight games and he figures to be rather busy in this one.
Quarterback Stetson Bennett is coming off a season-best passer rating of 204.19 in a win over LSU in the SEC Championship Game as he had four touchdown passes and no interceptions. Bennett has the best passer rating in the country (185.2) against ranked teams. He has 13 touchdown passes and two interceptions while completing 73.2% of his passes in five games against ranked foes.
The defense had its issues in the SEC title game, allowing 502 passing yards, so there was some work to be done leading into this game. All-Americans Jalen Carter and Christopher Smith will lead the defense.
Unanimous All-America. @breadmanjalen @cpsmithdb #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/RxbhTjg5R5
— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) December 17, 2022
There could be the opportunity for plays to be made versus an Ohio State team that ranked sixth in the Big Ten in total defense.
The Las Vegas odds total has gone under in 10 of Georgia’s last 15 games.
Buckeyes Have a Chance to Silence Doubters
It is pretty remarkable that Ohio State had two of the first three receivers selected in the 2022 NFL Draft and saw very little production from its top returning pass catcher (Smith-Njigba). Yet, quarterback C.J. Stroud still leads the nation in passer rating.
Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka are both over 1,000 receiving yards. They have combined for 19 catches of at least 30 yards this season.
Ohio State had just one sack in the loss to Michigan. The Buckeyes will need to be more disruptive in this matchup.
Ohio State is allowing nearly 100 fewer yards per game this season than it did just two years ago.
Tommy Eichenberg leads the defense with 112 tackles, the most by an Ohio State player since Raekwon McMillan’s 119 stops in 2015.
Ohio State has covered against the college football predictions in just one of its last five games.
Georgia vs Ohio State Head-to-Head
This is the second meeting between the Bulldogs and Buckeyes. Georgia topped Ohio State 21-14 in the 1993 Citrus Bowl.
Ohio State has lost six of the last eight games against SEC teams, with each of them coming in January bowl games. That includes a pair of losses to Alabama in the College Football Playoffs. Five of the last seven matchups finished over the total.
Georgia will be facing a Big Ten team in the national semifinals for the second year in a row after rolling past Michigan 34-11 a season ago. The Bulldogs are 8-2 in their last 10 games against the Big Ten with three of them finishing under the total.
Georgia vs Ohio State Game Information
- Game: Georgia (13-0) vs Ohio (11-1)
- When: Saturday, Dec. 31, 8 p.m. ET
- Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
- Georgia vs Ohio Live Stream: ESPN
Georgia vs Ohio State Betting Lines
Georgia vs Ohio State Picks & Prediction
With five players taken in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, this is a much different Georgia defense, especially after top pass rusher, Nolan Smith was lost for the season.
Smith is still tied for second on the team with seven tackles for loss despite missing the last five games.
Ohio State needed Utah to defeat Southern California in the Pac-12 title game to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff field. The way the Buckeyes faded in the second half in a home loss to Michigan had many believing that the Buckeyes aren’t worthy to be among the last four teams competing for the national title. They have a chance to prove that they do belong.
Ohio State has covered in just two of its last eight games against SEC teams.
The Georgia Bulldogs are listed at -270 in our Vegas college football lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Bulldogs, you have a chance to win $137.00. The Ohio State Buckeyes are +220, offering a chance to win $320.00 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Georgia a 72.97% chance to win, with Ohio State at 31.25%.
