It’s hard to predict the outcome of tonight’s Orange Bowl. After all, Michigan wasn’t supposed to be here and Georgia was supposed to be on a way one train to a championship.
But then came Ohio State (for Michigan) and then came Alabama (for Georgia) and now here we are. Two really good but imperfect teams.
Here’s what they are really good at doing:
For Michigan, it’s running the ball. Their 2910 yards is 10th best in the country. They’ve been running it down the throat of the opposition, with 223.8 yards a game.
Problem is, Georgia’s run defense is nasty as they finished 3rd in the country. Before the Bama loss, they allowed less than a touchdown per game.
Ultimately, it may come down to Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara’s ability to stretch the defense with long passes. We’ve seen him do it from time to time this season already. Michigan may need a lot more of it tonight.
Michigan is an 8.5 point five underdog but they like it that way. Working with a chip on their shoulder has gotten them this far already but tonight, it might not going to be enough.
People forget Georgia was number one for most of the season. That was no fluke. Perhaps the Alabama loss was.
Final score: Georgia 31, Michigan 17
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