UGA Football has the SEC title game against Alabama this weekend. Regardless of the matchup’s outcome, they will most likely make the College Football Playoff bracket. Considering that they look like they are the best team in CFB by a landslide, it’s also safe to say that they run a good chance of making the national championship game. With that said, the Bulldogs could have had three more games this season, and none of them are particularly “easy.”
Their first of the three games, as previously established, is the SEC title game against Alabama. This is the only game that has been officially set to take place. While UGA Football sits at the top of the CFP top 25 today, the Tide sits at third. With Bama already having a loss, Georgia winning would kick the Tide out of the playoff race for sure.
According to ESPN, the Dawgs are currently 6.5-point favorites. However, them winning by much more is not that difficult to imagine. Folks can say what they want, but it doesn’t change the fact that Bama just does not look the part this year. As of recently, they have not even looked like they can compete with the Bulldogs.
The point spread is probably set where it is for a couple of reasons. For starters, the Crimson Tide still has the talent and coaching to compete with anyone in America. Also, the standard that Bama has been held to does not exactly match up with them losing by three scores (a more accurate-sounding result).
Will UGA Football Finally Top the Tide?
The short answer is yes. Viewers have doubted Georgia all season long, and why? Because they are expecting them to blow a big game. And this conference title game is easily UGA’s biggest moment of their season since its opener with Clemson.
But remember, viewers have expected Georgia to fall all season long. And yet, they’ve found a way to go 12-0 with little-to-no struggling involved. Alabama, on the other hand, has learned a thing or two about struggling this year.
Despite 2021 being a lackluster showing from the Tide, though, they are still just one win away from another playoff berth. They are no strangers to that kind of stage, and will certainly be competitive. However, four quarters with UGA Football is something that no one has been able to survive this year, and Alabama won’t change that trend. This is Georgia’s year to put everyone down, and they will prove that too many this Saturday. The Dawgs will take this one, 37-20.
How Will The CFP Bracket Look?
Assuming that Georgia, Michigan, and Cincinnati all win their conference title games (as expected), they will take spots one, two, and four in the playoff bracket, respectively. With the Tide tumbling, the fourth spot will be available. But not for long, as Oklahoma State is favored over Baylor and, already being ranked fifth in the country, another win over a top-10 opponent will put them in the bracket without a doubt. Being a Power 5 program with superior wins, OKST will also probably jump Cincy and take the 3-seed for themselves.
With that in mind, the playoff will have Georgia, Michigan, Oklahoma State, and Cincinnati. That means the Bulldogs will face the Bearcats while the Wolverines battle the Cowboys. Of those two semifinal affairs, only one will most likely be competitive.
Could Cincy Down The Dawgs?
Cincinnati gave Georgia quite the run for their money the last time they faced off. In last season’s Peach Bowl, UGA Football prevailed in a 24-21 deathmatch that was, somehow, even closer than the final score indicated.
That will not be the case this time around, however. The Cincinnati Bearcats have been quite the underdog to root for this season. But, people have spoken out against their playoff hype for a reason. It’s just a fact that Group of 5 programs do not have the arsenal to keep up with the best of the Power 5 conferences.
Sure, if Cincy played a team like Kansas State or Miami, a win would not be far out of reach. Georgia is visibly the best team in America, though, and they’ve looked that great despite playing in the SEC–the toughest league in CFB. The Bearcats will be completely out of their element in this one. As a result, the CFP committee will probably look down on the Group of 5 more than they already do. Following their 45-16 blowout win, the Bulldogs will be on their way to another national championship game.
As for the Michigan/OKST matchup, the suspense meter should rise some. Now Michigan still looks superior to the Cowboys, just not on as large of a scale. The Wolverines will take their semifinal game by 13 points or so, and be looking to claim their first national title since 1997.
Who Takes the Crown: Georgia or Michigan?
Today, these two are the best-looking teams in America. This is a national title game that most fans should not object to, as at this point, no pair of teams would deserve to be on this stage more than this one. That being said, the Dawgs will still win convincingly here. But that should not take away from the season that these Wolverines have had.
Michigan failed to truly wow the majority, in the beginning, having to escape both Rutgers and Nebraska. Not too long after that, they lost to rival Michigan State (the toughest team they had played up to that point). Meanwhile, Ohio State was winning more and more hearts. However, entering “The Game,” the two were still expected to be a good matchup, especially since both were top-5 teams at the time.
Unfortunately, some thought that the hype was just more wishful thinking. Michigan has been a “worthy adversary” for OSU before, all just for things to end in a beatdown.
The tide had finally turned, though, as the Wolverines went on to beat the Buckeyes by two scores. The victory skyrocketed them into the top two, which is what set them up for this hypothetical fight with the mighty UGA Football. But all good things must come to an end.
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The Takeaway For UGA Football
Does Michigan have the talent to compete with Georgia? Absolutely. Is Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh good enough to compete in a battle of wits with Dawgs HC Kirby Smart? Definitely. But Michigan has done something this season that UGA has not, in that it shows a limit. The Wolverines hit their limit against MSU, while Georgia hasn’t hit any limits all season. The Dawgs are just a different breed here, with too much under their belt to lose one now.
The Wolverines have played some physical ball week-in and week-out. They have also shown an ability to put up some points. But the Bulldogs’ physicality (especially on defense) is just on an entirely different level. Georgia will outlast Michigan, 38-24, and win their first national title in over four decades.
