Oklahoma and Georgia meet for the first time ever with a spot in the College Football Playoff national championship on the line at the Rose Bowl.
Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield will arrive in Pasadena hoping to keep his season alive for one more game. Other than a loss to Iowa State, Oklahoma was one of the scariest teams in the country all season long. The Sooners ran away with the Big 12 title, claimed a statement non-conference win on the road against Ohio State, and booked their ticket to the Rose Bowl.
Their opponent in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl will be SEC champion Georgia. The Bulldogs relied on a freshman quarterback, Jake Fromm, as they gained revenge for their only loss of the season against Auburn. Georgia won their rematch against the Tigers for the conference title, and now they will take on the Sooners for the first time in school history.
In the bowl game that steered the course of the college football postseason for more than a century, a historic first matchup will come with the highest stakes possible. One team will earn a trip into the national championship game, while the other will head home a conference champion but a postseason loser.
Which team will emerge victorious in Pasadena on New Year’s Day? Here’s how to watch the College Football Playoff semifinal showdown between Georgia and Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl:
Date: Monday, Jan. 1
Time: 5:00 p.m. ET
Location: Pasadena, Calif.
Venue: Rose Bowl Stadium
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Keys to Victory
Naturally, Oklahoma needs Baker Mayfield to explode and break down a Georgia defense that has been spectacular all season long. Mayfield already has the season accolades in his pocket, and the career record for passing efficiency is still within reach. Another clinical performance by the veteran would put the Sooners in position to prepare for one more game.
Oklahoma will also need to put up a strong showing against the running game. The Sooners gave up 145 yards per game on the ground, and they could have their hands full against a backfield led by Sony Michel and Nick Chubb. If they can’t win the battle at the line of scrimmage, it could be a long day for the Sooners defense.
Georgia seemed in some ways to be playing with house money all season. They need Jake Fromm to emerge as a game changer rather than just a game manager to have a chance of keeping up with an explosive Oklahoma offense. The Bulldogs were quite conservative for much of the season, but they will need to open up the playbook and put their trust in Fromm.
Roquan Smith and the Bulldogs defense will need to find ways to generate turnovers. If they let Oklahoma continue to drive unhindered down the field, it will prove costly in the long run. Georgia will need to get at least two takeaways and win the turnover battle to give themselves a chance at victory.
Betting Odds
Odds courtesy of Sportsbook Review
Point Spread: Georgia -2
Over/Under: 60
Prediction
Georgia heads to Pasadena as a nominal favorite, with the oddsmakers installing Oklahoma as a two-point underdog. The Bulldogs, though, will have trouble keeping Mayfield and the Sooners offense in check for a full 60 minutes.
Chubb and Michel will each run for between 80 and 100 yards and a touchdown apiece. But Fromm will be stymied as he finishes with fewer than 150 passing yards. Fromm will also throw an interception or two that the Sooners turn into points. Kirby Smart’s squad will be unable to stem the bleeding once they start falling behind.
Next: SMQ: Are we really seeing more bowl blowouts in 2017?
In his first season as a head coach, Lincoln Riley will bring the Sooners within one more win of becoming the 2017-2018 national champion. Oklahoma will take a quick lead, and a few late Georgia touchdowns will make this final score look closer than it was for the entire game. Mayfield is going to throw for 300 yards and three or four touchdowns, and he won’t even have to play the entire game.
Final Score: Oklahoma 38, Georgia 24