It’s here. Months of anticipation throughout one of the most spectacular college football seasons has led to this. On January 9th, 2023– a Monday, TCU and Georgia will face off in SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles to crown the 2023 winner of the College Football Playoff. It certainly wasn’t the matchup we were expecting, as TCU enters in as massive underdogs to the reigning champions in the Bulldogs.
In David vs. Goliath, David may have gotten most of the attention, but make no mistake, there still was a Goliath.
The big and bad Dawgs from Athens are poised to put their crown on the line, following a thriller vs Ohio State that seemed desolate for them at times. Georgia punched their ticket with a 42-41 comeback win after trailing 38-24 in the 4th quarter. Vested veteran quarterback Stetson Bennett enters the game in his 7th year in college football after leading UGA to a national title last year, their first since 1980. Georgia has everything to lose, especially after a near scare versus CJ Stroud and the Buckeyes, and they’ll be looking to put that behind them as they seek to make easy work of a shocking Horned Frogs team.
Georgia was no surprise to most when they steamrolled their way to the Playoff, suffering no losses in the season even to heavy hitting ranked SEC teams like Tennessee, LSU, and Mississippi State. Their potent offense is spearheaded by quarterback Stetson Bennett IV and runningback Kenny McIntosh. A stout defense is also one of the best in the NCAA.
If there ever was a time for a Cinderella story, now would be the time for TCU. The team has quickly turned into America’s darlings after resounding wins over multiple ranked schools and powering their way to a one-loss season. Flying deep underneath the radar in the preseason, this TCU team looked to merely rebuild, much less pave a path to the national championship game. Fresh off the boat from a head coach firing in Gary Patterson and hiring local SMU coach Sonny Dykes to lead the program seemed like a culture-changing move, one that would take years to set in. Yet, the Horned Frogs are cocked to face up against what seems like an insurmountable opponent, but never count them out.
TCU beat out No. 3 ranked Michigan with a red-hot JJ McCarthy in the Fiesta Bowl in order to wiggle their way into the championship. It was the biggest upset in playoff history with the Horned Frogs entering as 8-point underdogs. With their shocking duel in the desert with the Wolverines the Frogs are fresh in everyone’s minds as a team that can defy expectations… after all, they’ve been doing it all year.
The Horned Frogs first caught the eye of the Playoff Committee after defeating No. 19 Oklahoma 55-24 in a statement victory. That landed TCU at No. 17 the following week and the team never looked back. The leader of the team is soft-spoken quarterback Max Duggan, a peculiar story that encapsulates what the Horned Frogs season has been.
After losing his job to QB Chandler Morris, Duggan began the 2022 season behind him. Forced to watch from the sidelines as Morris took the field against Colorado, Duggan got his shot when Morris injured his knee. From then, it became the Duggan show, and he’ll try to ride off into the sunset and put an end to this fairytale in Los Angeles on Monday.
Predictions and Picks
Chris Claybon
Georgia- 41 TCU- 27
Prediction: Georgia pulls away in the fourth quarter due to the trenches being more physical. Georgia’s defense is no match for TCU’s offense, no matter how fairytale-esque the game ends up being.
How Does TCU Get the Upset?: Get the ball in #1’s hands as much as possible and give Duggan time to throw. Duggan is a superstar when he’s got time, but it’ll be a tall task with the Dawgs’ defensive line.
Yuva Chandana
Georgia- 34 TCU- 37
Prediction: I believe in underdogs, and I believe that Sonny Dykes has this Horned Frogs team riled up enough to go head-to-head with the number one team in the nation. Duggan throws a pair of picks but TCU’s defense will be able to match up well with Georgia’s offense… especially when Trevius Hodges-Tomlinson is playing corner.
How Can Georgia Keep The Throne: Keep out muscling TCU’s Big 12-esque line. With great physicality comes great rewards. Throw Duggan off his game early and the Horned Frogs will have an uphill battle all 60 minutes.
Jackson Stambaugh
Georgia- 35 TCU-41
Prediction: TCU’s Max Duggan has been lights out over the past year, playing on a sublime level, leading to him being a Heisman finalist. He’s their key to victory and I think he can outplay Stetson Bennett.
Georgia Defense vs. TCU Offense: Georgia’s defense is great, but TCU’s offense is just better in my book. Duggan to #1 Quentin Johnston is an unbeatable duo, especially after the pairing put up 163 yards together versus a stellar Michigan secondary.
Betting Odds
Spread: Georgia -12.5
O/U: 62.5 points
Moneyline: Georgia -450, TCU +350
