Ohio State vs Georgia College Football Playoff Preview and Odds

Ohio State vs Georgia is the most anticipated of the two College Football Playoff matchups. The two powerhouse programs are set to meet each other for only the second time ever. The first game was in the 1993 Citrus Bowl where Georgia was able to get the better of the Buckeyes. This year’s matchup will take place in Atlanta where Georgia will essentially be the home team. 

We’ll preview this College Football Playoff game and give the betting odds for it.

The Georgia Bulldogs are favored to win over Ohio State to advance to back-to-back national championships. This isn’t a surprise given Georgia has looked like the best team in college football this year. 

Last year it was the Bulldog defense that led the way but this year it’s been quarterback Stetson Bennett. Bennett was a Heisman finalist after throwing for 3,425 yards and 20 TDs. The senior quarterback starred in the SEC championship victory over Georgia when he torched LSU and threw four touchdowns.

Brock Bowers will be Bennett’s primary target on Saturday. The sophomore, Bowers, is a highly touted tight end prospect with plenty of NFL potential. 

After losing nearly its entire starting unit to the draft last spring, Georgia’s defense has managed to still be elite. They have the top-run defense in the nation. Their elite line is complimented by a secondary that is fast and knows how to tackle in the open field.

Head coach Kirby Smart deserves a lot of credit for putting together another elite defense. They’ll have their hands full this Saturday against a premier passing offense in Ohio State.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are 6.5-point underdogs in their contest with Georgia. It will be the first time the Buckeyes will be underdogs since the 2021 National Championship against Alabama. They got pummeled in that game, 52-24. Saturday will be a position many of them are unfamiliar with.

C.J. Stroud will lead the way on the offensive side of the ball. Stroud was a Heisman finalist and was projected to have a good year coming into the season. His top targets will be Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka, each of whom went for over 1,000 yards receiving this year.

If Georgia’s defense has shown any holes this year it’s in the passing game. You can expect Stroud to have a lot of passing attempts in this one, which is something Kirby Smart’s team is surely planning for. 

Ohio State’s defense may not be as good as the likes of Georgia and Michigan, but they’ll still represent problems for the Bulldogs. They’re a group that’s been able to force turnovers and get to the quarterback. They’ll want to get Stetson Bennett out of his rhythm. A big turnover or two could end up swinging this game in their direction.

Odds courtesy of FanDuel.

Ohio State lost their previous game to Michigan and looked sloppy in a few other games this year which is contributing to their underdog status. They still managed to sneak into the playoff thanks to USC’s Pac-12 Championship loss.

Georgia on the other hand has looked dominant all year. They suffered only one scare and that was in Week 5 against Missouri. We’ve already seen them have playoff success. They won the National Championship last year.

Ohio State is 5-6-1 against the spread this year, while Georgia is 7-6. Those records don’t uncover much in terms of what will happen on Saturday. What could be meaningful is the over has hit in nine of Ohio State’s past ten contests. The one that didn’t was against Northwestern in a wind storm.

Ohio State likes to move the ball with tempo. Don’t let Georgia’s elite defense prevent you from taking the over. Expect both teams to lay it all on the line Saturday night in Atlanta, but for Georgia to ultimately come away on top.

Prediction: Georgia 35 – Ohio State 31