CFP Championship: TCU vs Georgia Early Look
Good luck topping what transpired on the final day of 2022.
Texas Christian, unranked at the start of the season, never trailed in a wild 51-45 win over favored Michigan in the first national semifinal while Georgia had to hold on as Ohio State’s late field goal was no good in a 42-41 win.
Georgia has a chance to become the first team to win back-to-back national titles since the start of the College Football Playoff format in 2014. The 2011 and 2012 Alabama teams were voted as the national champions in the major national polls before a playoff system was in place.
TCU said it felt disrespected going into the game against Michigan and there could be a similar feeling as the college football playoff odds list Georgia as a 13-point favorite.
This is just the start of the coverage leading into the crowning of the national champions. Keep looking for predictions, analysis and more previews as a wild college football season will culminate with the Jan. 9 title game.
Let’s check the latest college football odds, stats, injury reports, and college football lines for TCU vs Georgia. We’ve plenty of NCAA football odds for you to consider.
TCU vs Georgia Game Information
- When: Monday, Jan. 9, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Where: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA.
- Line: Georgia -13
- Moneyline: Texas Christian +385, Georgia -500
- Total: 62
No. 3 Seed TCU Horned Frogs
- Record: 13-1
- Record Against the Spread: 10-3-1
- Head coach: Sonny Dykes, first season
- Head coaching record: 13-1 at Texas Christian, 133-51 college coaching record
- Best CFP finish: First appearance
Despite an undefeated regular season, the doubters remained. Watching TCU answer every challenge against a favored Michigan team.
Two interceptions were returned for touchdowns as a Horned Frogs team that demonstrated the ability to come from behind never trailed against the Wolverines.
When top rusher Kendre Miller was knocked out of the game, Emari Demercado tore through Michigan’s defense for 150 yards on 17 carries while Heisman Trophy finalist Max Duggan had a pair of TD runs. Quentin Johnston looked every bit like the player expected to be the first receiver selected in the 2023 NFL Draft. A 76-yard catch and run with 13:07 provided what proved to be the winning points for TCU as Johnston had 163 yards on six catches.
QUENTIN JOHNSTON OH MY GOODNESS!!!
— PFF College (@PFF_College) January 1, 2023
What a first season it has been for Dykes at TCU. After leading Southern Methodist to a 25-10 record over the previous three seasons, the former Cal head coach got another chance to be a head coach for a Power-5 program.
After having one 300-yard passing game in the last two seasons, Max Duggan has thrived under Dykes’ watch. He leads the Big 12 with 3,321 passing yards, 30 touchdown passes and a passer rating of 165.48.
Miller (1,399 rushing yards) and receiver Quentin Johnston (59 catches, 1,066 yards) are other offensive stars. Dylan Horton had four tackles for loss against Michigan while Dee Winters (14½ tackles for loss, 7½ sacks) and Bud Clark (five interceptions) are key players for a defense that went from allowing 462 yards per game to 395.
TCU has covered against the college football odds in six of its last eight games.
No. 1 Seed Georgia Bulldogs
- Record: 14-0
- Record Against the Spread: 7-7
- Head coach: Kirby Smart, seventh season
- Head coaching record: 80-15
- Best CFP finish: 2021 national champions
Georgia’s defense paved the way to a run to the national title a season ago. With five players off that unit selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, this is a much different unit.
Georgia still leads the country in rushing defense, allowing 79.9 yards per game. The Bulldogs do allow 224.6 passing yards per game and the passing rating of 117.64 is tied for 17th nationally.
Georgia still leads the country in rushing defense, allowing 79.9 yards per game. The Bulldogs do allow 224.6 passing yards per game and the passing rating of 117.64 is tied for 17th nationally.
The defense has allowed 850 passing yards and seven touchdown passes in the last two games.
Kenny McIntosh, Daijun Edwards and Kendall Milton have shared the rushing load. McIntosh is also a threat in the passing game to go along with tight end Brock Bowers and receiver Ladd McConkey. It was uncertain if McConkey would be able to play against Ohio State and he wasn’t much of a factor with two catches on his six targets. Arian Smith led the Bulldogs with 129 yards on three catches while Adonai Mitchell caught the pass that put Georgia ahead with 54 seconds left to play.
The defense took a hit with the loss of Nolan Smith. Six of the top seven tacklers are either freshmen or sophomores with Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Smael Mondon Jr. and Malaki Starks leading the way.
Four of Georgia’s last five games went over the college football betting lines total.
Injury Concerns
Tight end Arik Gilbert and offensive lineman Earnest Greene (leg) are questionable to play for Georgia and the Bulldogs are already without linebacker Nolan Smith and defensive back Dan Jackson.
For TCU, leading rusher Kendre Miller was knocked out of the Michigan game with a knee injury but said he will be ready to face Georgia.
Road to the CFP
The matchup against Dykes’ former SMU team was the most challenging of the non-conference games for TCU. The Horned Frogs’ 55-24 win over Oklahoma in the conference opener was a sign of things to come.
TCU beat Kansas by seven points, Oklahoma State by three in overtime, Texas by seven and Baylor by one. The four wins over ranked teams was enough for the Horned Frogs to absorb a loss in the Big 12 title game and still earn a spot in the playoff field.
Other than a narrow escape against Missouri, it was business as usual for Georgia which takes a 16-game winning streak into the national-title game. During the regular season, Georgia won three games against ranked teams by an average of 28.3 points per game and that included a season-opening 49-3 win over Oregon.
Next Stop: NFL
There aren’t as many potential high draft picks in this game as in some previous national title contests. There were 11 players from the 2021 Georgia and Alabama teams selected in the first two rounds of the 2022 draft.
Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter is a candidate to be the first player selected in the 2023 NFL. TCU’s leading pass catcher, Johnston, has a chance to go in the top 10.
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