Georgia vs. Ohio State: Odds and Score Prediction for Peach Bowl 2022

Ohio State was the first national champion of the College Football Playoff era, as the Buckeyes captured the title at the end of the 2014 season. Georgia is the most recent national champion, with the Bulldogs winning their first title via the CFP format last season.

Either Georgia or Ohio State will get another chance to play for a national championship in the near future. On Saturday, the No. 1 Bulldogs and the No. 4 Buckeyes are set to face off in the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. It's a CFP semifinal matchup, with the winner advancing to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Jan. 9.

This will be only the second time these programs have met. Georgia previously defeated Ohio State in the Citrus Bowl at the end of the 1992 season.

Here's everything else you need to know heading into this season's Peach Bowl matchup.

Date: Saturday, Dec. 31

Start Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: ESPN.com and ESPN app

Spread: Georgia -6.5

Over/Under: 62.5 total points

Moneyline: Georgia -265 (bet $265 to win $100); Ohio State +225 (bet $100 to win $225)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

The Bulldogs are on a 15-game winning streak that dates back to the College Football Playoff in the 2021 season. They defeated Michigan and Alabama in that CFP to capture the program's first national championship since the 1980 campaign.

Georgia carried its momentum over into the 2022 season, as it owns a sterling 13-0 record while entering the College Football Playoff as the No. 1 seed. The Bulldogs cruised through the regular season, then defeated LSU 50-30 in the SEC Championship Game earlier this month.

Like last season, Georgia has relied heavily on its dominant defense. The Bulldogs are allowing only 12.8 points per game, the second-fewest among all FBS teams. They also rank ninth with 292.1 total yards allowed per contest.

But Georgia's offense has put up impressive numbers as well, ranking 10th in points (39.2) and ninth in total yards (491.9) per game. It has especially thrived on the ground, with the team averaging 207 rushing yards per contest.

However, the Bulldogs have a formidable passing attack. Senior quarterback Stetson Bennett was named a Heisman Trophy finalist after throwing for 3,425 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions in 13 games.

It's no surprise that Georgia has reached the College Football Playoff for the third time in six seasons. Head coach Kirby Smart has led the Bulldogs to 11-plus wins five times during that span, as they've consistently been one of the top programs in the nation in recent years.

The Buckeyes are the only one of the four CFP teams who didn't play in a game during conference championship weekend. They dropped their regular-season finale to Michigan (the eventual Big Ten champion and No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff), which prevented them from reaching the Big Ten Championship Game.

However, that didn't stop Ohio State (which had won its first 11 games) from getting a Playoff opportunity. The Buckeyes were at No. 5 in the CFP rankings when USC lost to Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game, which allowed them to move up to No. 4 and seize the final berth.

Like Georgia, Ohio State has a Heisman finalist leading its offense. Redshirt sophomore quarterback C.J. Stroud passed for 3,340 yards, 37 touchdowns and six interceptions in 12 games for the Buckeyes, who ranked eighth among FBS teams with 492.7 total yards per contest. They're also scoring 44.5 points per game, second most in the country.

Ohio State has a strong defense, and it could have some success against Georgia's offense. But the key for the Buckeyes will likely be whether their offense can move the ball against a stout Bulldogs defense and how often they can get into the end zone in a tough matchup.

Since Ryan Day became head coach prior to the 2019 season, Ohio State is 42-5. However, the Buckeyes haven't won a national title during his tenure. They lost to Alabama in the CFP National Championship Game at the end of the 2020 campaign, then missed the College Football Playoff last season.

Ohio State is a solid team, as it proved for much of the season. But Georgia is better.

Many players on the Bulldogs' roster know what it takes to have success in the College Football Playoff, with quite a few of them having experienced a run to the national title last season. Their balanced offense should fare well, while their stingy defense is likely to make things tough on Stroud and the Buckeyes.

Plus, it should be a pro-Georgia crowd in Atlanta. That will only make the challenge even greater for Ohio State, which will be playing in a hostile environment.

The game could stay competitive early, but Georgia should pull away in the second half. Expect the Bulldogs to cover the 6.5-point spread and win the Peach Bowl by two possessions.

Prediction: Georgia 31, Ohio State 21

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