UGA looking to bounce back from SEC title game loss in playoff showdown with Michigan
Georgia and Michigan are set to meet in the Orange Bowl on Friday with a spot in the National Championship game on the line.
Georgia is coming off its first loss of the season to Alabama in the SEC Championship. Michigan has continued to gain momentum since losing to Michigan State as the Wolverines have knocked off Ohio State before winning the Big 10 title over Iowa.
UGA coach Kirby Smart has coached after losses before in his career and he said Alabama defeat won’t impact how his team prepares for Friday.
“Biggest thing is to be technical about the process. Nobody wanted to win that game more than those kids and the coaches,” Smart said. “Don’t be judgmental, don’t say things if you do this and if you do that, you’re going to get your butt beat. You’re very technical about it; what can we do better from everything. That’s the way we approach anytime we have a loss.
“We approach every win that way, too, and believe it or not, there’s a lot of games we won this year that we didn’t play well.”
One of the biggest storylines heading into the game for the Bulldogs has been the quarterback position. Many fans and pundits called for former starter J.T. Daniels to be inserted back into the starting role after Stetson Bennett’s performance in the SEC Championship. While Bennett played well for the most part, he did throw a pair of costly interceptions including a pick-6 in the second half that all but sealed the win for Alabama.
Despite the noise surrounding the position, Smart and offensive coordinator Todd Monken have no plans to replace Bennett as the starter before the game on Friday.
“If you look at the plays (he has) made, he’s made national championship plays,” Monken said. “There’s no doubt in my mind we can win the national championship, and there’s no doubt in my mind we can win it with Stetson Bennett.”
Bennett will get the chance to lead Georgia into its second College Football Playoff appearance. The first time in 2017, Georgia beat Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl before losing in the National Championship to Alabama in overtime.
Bennett was a walk-on and a scout team quarterback the last time the Bulldogs were set to play in the semifinals. This time around it will be his chance to prove many of the doubters wrong. But the naysayers are something Bennett has blocked out not just ahead of this game but for his whole career.
“lf you listen to them when they’re telling you how good they are, then you’re going to listen to them when they tell you how bad you are. I don’t really care what anybody else says,” Bennett said. “It’s a bit frustrating sometimes, I guess, but like I said, I don’t have social media, so I don’t wallow in it. I don’t sit in it. I don’t think about it. All I’m thinking about is beating Michigan and being the best quarterback I can be for my teammates.”
THREE MICHIGAN PLAYERS TO WATCH
1. Defensive end Aiden Hutchinson: He is one of the five best players in the country regardless of position and finished runner-up for the Heisman trophy behind quarterback Bryce Young. Hutchinson is a special talent and has the ability to disrupt offensive gameplans by getting to the quarterback.
He finished third in the nation with 14 sacks and ranked first in quarterback pressures with 69. Michigan’s other defensive end, David Ojagbo finished in the Top 10 in sacks, too. The duo makes it hard to double team one guy as the other will likely get home. This will be a challenge for a Georgia offensive line that isn’t as strong as it has been in years past.
2. Running back Blake Corum: Much like their pass rush, Michigan boasts a duo at the running back position that has the ability to take over a football game. Hassan Haskins has handled the majority of the carries this season and has rushed for more than 1,200 yards and 20 touchdowns.
But Corum is the home run hitter for this offense. He averages almost 7 yards per carry and has rushed for nearly 1,000 yards in two fewer games and 120 fewer attempts. But this duo hasn’t faced a rush defense quite as good as the one UGA boasts on the other side. Georgia has the best-run defense in the country but it will be tested against arguably the best rushing duo in the country.
3. Quarterback Cade McNamara: This is where McNamara comes into play. With Georgia’s run defense being a strength, it will be up to the quarterback to make enough plays through the air to force the Bulldogs from stacking the box to stop the run. McNamara averages less than 200 yards through the air per game but he manages the game by not turning the ball over and making just enough plays through the air to keep the defense honest.
Against Georgia, he will likely need around 200 yards passing and no turnovers to give Michigan the best chance to win. If Georgia forces turnovers and puts the Wolverines in a position to have to pass their way back into the game, it could be a long night.
HOW TO WATCH
Who: Georgia Bulldogs (12-1, SEC) vs. Michigan Wolverines (12-1, Big 10)
Where: Hard Rock Stadium in Miami
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
TV: ESPN
Betting odds: Georgia is favored by 7.5 over Michigan