College Football Playoffs 2023: Georgia vs. TCU Championship Game Odds, Info

The TCU Horned Frogs and the Georgia Bulldogs will meet in the College Football Playoff national championship game on Jan. 9 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, following their victories in the Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl, respectively.

TCU defeated the Michigan Wolverines 51-45 in the Fiesta Bowl behind an impressive performance from quarterback Max Duggan, while Georgia defeated Ohio State in the Peach Bowl 42-41 thanks to Stetson Bennett.

This will be the first time since December 2016 that TCU and Georgia meet and just the fifth matchup overall. The Bulldogs have won each of their first four games against the Horned Frogs, but a lot has changed since then.

Both programs will put everything on the line to claim the national title, but with the big game a week away, here’s a look at the odds, information and a preview of the matchup.

2023 National Title Game Information

Who: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 TCU

When: Monday, Jan. 9, at 7:30 p.m.

Where: SoFi Stadium

How to Watch: ESPN

Odds

TCU Preview

The Horned Frogs entered the 2022 season unranked in the AP Top 25 poll, and they’re now in the CFP championship game thanks to tremendous coaching from Sonny Dykes, who is in his first year as head coach at TCU.

Entering Saturday, Dykes had led TCU to a 12-1 record this year, and the Horned Frogs captured their 13th win of the season in an upset of Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl to become the first Big 12 team to reach the title game in the CFP era.

TCU is led by none other than Duggan, who was a Heisman Trophy finalist this year. Entering the Fiesta Bowl, he had completed 64.9 percent of his passes for 3,321 yards and 30 touchdowns against four interceptions in 13 games, in addition to rushing for 404 yards and six scores.

Against Michigan, Duggan completed 14 of 29 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns against two interceptions, in addition to rushing for 57 yards and two scores. He was dominant.

The TCU offense has also relied heavily on wide receiver Quentin Johnston and running back Kendre Miller this season.

Johnston entered the Fiesta Bowl having caught 53 passes for 903 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games, while Miller had rushed for 1,342 yards and 17 touchdowns in 13 games.

Against Michigan, Johnston caught six passes for 163 yards and one touchdown, while Miller posted eight carries for 57 yards before exiting with a knee injury.

Miller’s status for the national title game is uncertain, but if he’s sidelined, the TCU offense will undoubtedly be hurting. Emari Demercado would be in line to be the team’s starting running back if Miller can’t go.

Demercado entered the Fiesta Bowl having rushed for 472 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games. He rushed for 150 yards and one score in the team’s win over Michigan.

With TCU’s win over Michigan, they proved they belong in the College Football Playoff. Can the Horned Frogs continue their storybook season with a win over Georgia in the title game?

Georgia Preview

It’s really no surprise that the Bulldogs are back in the College Football Playoff national title game for the second consecutive season.

Georgia had been the No. 1-ranked team in the nation for much of the 2022 season, and there was little doubt it would make the CFP. However, the Bulldogs faced their most challenging matchup of the season against Ohio State in the Peach Bowl.

Quarterback Stetson Bennett has been the heart and soul of the Georgia offense, but he didn’t have the best performance against Ohio State, completing 23 of 34 passes for 398 yards and three touchdowns against one interception.

Bennett’s lone interception was costly as Ohio State capitalized on the ensuing drive, taking a 21-7 lead. However, he kept the offense in it all night long and bounced back late in the game, leading Georgia on a game-winning touchdown drive with less than one minute remaining in the game to put the Bulldogs up 42-41.

While the team’s most challenging matchup came against Ohio State in the Peach Bowl, Georgia has been impressive all season.

Entering the Peach Bowl, Bennett, a Heisman Trophy finalist, had completed 68.1 percent of his passes for 3,425 yards and 20 touchdowns against six interceptions in 13 games.

Tight end Brock Bowers has been his top target throughout the season. He entered Saturday’s game having caught 52 passes for 726 yards and six touchdowns in 13 games, and he caught four passes for 64 yards against Ohio State.

Running back Kenny McIntosh has also been a huge part of the offense, having rushed for 709 yards and 10 scores in 13 games. He rushed for 70 yards and caught five passes for 56 yards and one score against Ohio State.

While the Georgia offense is respectable, its defense is the heart and soul of the team. Entering the Peach Bowl allowing 292.1 yards of total offense, it ranked seventh in the nation.

If the Georgia defense can come up big against TCU, the Bulldogs will become the first team in CFP history to win back-to-back national titles.