National Championship Game: 5. Georgia vs. 2. Clemson
In all likelihood, the actual College Football Playoff is heading towards a matchup between the SEC’s Alabama Crimson Tide and the ACC’s Clemson Tigers. That’s not a certainty, sure, but with how the oddsmakers and prognosticators are seeing it coming into these matchups, that’s the most likely outcome for the National Championship Game. With Georgia getting revenge on Bama in this bracket, however, we end up with another SEC-ACC matchup for all the marbles.
One thing that Jake Fromm and Georgia’s offense has proven this season is that, no matter the defense, they can put up points on them. In fact, this matchup with Clemson reminds me a great deal of what we saw with the Bulldogs taking on Alabama. The Tigers’ secondary is their weakest point and, if Georgia’s talented wideouts attack that early, that opens up the run game and the Dawgs can hum on offense.
Having said that, the Tigers offense is more than capable of moving the ball on the Georgia defense, especially with the Bulldogs not having a great deal of elite pass rushers up front to get into the face of Clemson’s young quarterback. Thus, there should be plenty of scoring in this National Championship Game matchup.
Yet, when it comes down to it, whether it’s Georgia or Alabama up against Clemson, the SEC team gets the nod from me. The talent and explosiveness of the Bulldogs, specifically on offense, is too much for the Tigers to handle for 60 minutes. It definitely won’t be a blowout and it would be a fun affair, but in this simulated 16-team College Football Playoff bracket, the Georgia Bulldogs are champions.
Prediction: Georgia 34, Clemson 27