The college football playoff has officially been SET! 1. Georgia will play 4. Ohio State in the Peach Bowl and 2. Michigan and 3. TCU will face off in the Fiesta Bowl, with Alabama and Tennessee being the first two teams to miss out this year. With the format soon to expand from 4 teams, this will be one of the last chances to see only the elite versus the absolute elite.

Let’s begin by saying this is the correct 4 and most definitely in the correct order. If you thought a different 4 team arrangement should have been made after Championship Saturday, like putting Bama in, you are delusional. I can somewhat understand, though it would not be right, if you thought Ohio State and TCU should have exchanged seeds, but otherwise, I do not know if you understand how selecting the top 4 teams works. These are the teams that held strong the longest and were most consistent with their respective difficult schedules in a season where everyone seemed to slip up in games they should not have. With this being established, let’s take a look at these semifinal matchups.

1. Georgia vs. 4. Ohio State

Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl | December 31 | 8:00 p.m.

Georgia is a no brainer 1 seed. The defending champs open up as a 7 point favorite over the Nuts. The Bulldogs have been completely dominate throughout the year, minus the one major scare against Missouri. Kirby Smart and Stetson Bennett have led this team to be an easy favorite for the title. But I keep thinking back to that Mizzou game. It should scare Georgia fans a little bit that this really happened, because it has been prevalent in a few quarters this year, yet in these games, Georgia was better about making necessary minor adjustments. Georgia has rolled teams like Oregon, Tennessee, and LSU in the SEC Championship. However, they have shown signs of inconsistency. Now, they have definitely hit a real stride and it looks as if no one in the country can keep up with them. That Missouri game was definitely just a fluke, but we

could see that team show itself again, my guess, if it happens, would be in the national title game. Ohio State, on the other hand, backed up into the top 4. After USC’s blown game to Utah for the second time this season, Ohio State was the last FBS team outside of the top 4 with less than 2 losses, their only one being to Michigan. It makes sense that they have made it. The Buckeyes, once again, have an incredible offense, most of the support coming from the WRs, like Marvin Harrison Jr. Their offense contends pretty well with Georgia’s, actually averaging 44.5 ppg to Georgia’s 38.7 ppg, and this matchup may look closer than a normal 1 v 4. This stat is very misleading though. Unlike the Bulldogs, Ohio State has been completely inconsistent this year. To say the Northwestern game was not an obvious sign of a weak-minded team is an understatement. To give the excuse of extreme wind being the reason for winning barely by two touchdowns against a one-win team when you claim to be one of the best teams in the country is not valid. And Ohio State’s defense has struggled against most all competent offenses. Maryland, Michigan, Penn State, why, even IOWA scored a touchdown (it was defensive but let a Hawkeye fan go). Don’t get me wrong, OSU has a solid defense for the most part, but paired with a consistently dominate Georgia offense, I have a bad feeling they will torch the secondary on a play or two and that will look to be the story of the game. With that, I have Georgia defeating Ohio State 48-26.

2. Michigan vs. 3. TCU

Vrbo Fiesta Bowl | December 31 | 4:00 p.m.

This should be a really fun matchup. An honestly entertaining and fun Michigan team versus America’s hero this season, Texas Christian. I’m happy TCU is getting a shot at the CFP. This will be their first appearance in the CFP, making it 8 out of the 9 years of this 4 team format where a team will make its playoff debut. Michigan appeared last year after a historic season, finally beating OSU, only to get pummeled by a Georgia team that hasn’t seemed to slow down much since winning the title last year. Michigan currently opens up as a 9 point favorite over the Frogs, but how much does Vegas really know (usually, a lot more than us). I am a big fan of Max Duggan for how he plays the game. I love a nice underdog story, and TCU is the unexpected team this year. After a difficult defeat in the Big 12 Championship, listening to Duggan in his postgame interview, tearing up, was inspirational for the TCU fan base. He is definitely the right leader for this Frogs team. I am definitely rooting for him and TCU to

win in the playoffs, but it is highly unlikely. Just for the way Duggan has been able to pull his team to victory, constantly in close games, should be enough reason to at least consider him for Heisman, especially after Caleb Williams’ loss to Utah, though I don’t know if he has done enough with his individual stats to win the award in that regards. TCU is ranked 16 in total offense this year, ahead of Michigan, placing at 27. TCU has scored more than 30 in all but three games this year, which I think is notable for a team in such an environment that we constantly see require winning teams to score frequently. However, a lot of these games have still been pretty close. Granted, TCU has clawed and fought better than any team in this country, and should be prepared for difficult situations against the Wolverines. They keep finding ways to stay in games and pull away week after week. This game, however, will come down to defense, and I do not know how much TCU will be able to rely on that.

Michigan is ranked 3 in total defense, while TCU does not even crack the top 50. Michigan’s defense has been dominate in overshadowing powerful offenses, like Ohio State and Penn State. Like TCU, Jim Harbaugh has done an incredible job of bringing in an extremely talented group of player and helping them form into a fantastic team, seeming to eternally be in sync. After their past two wins, Ohio State in The Game and Purdue in the Big 10 Championship, they look to be playing with some swag. I think J.J. McCarthy has done well at composing himself in games while still letting that confidence carry him to make top-level plays. This is a team I would not want to have to face right now. Even so, I think the power of the Hypnotoad, the fierce determination, is too strong. In as crazy of a season we have had, what would it be without a crazy upset to end it all. I believe that the Horned Frogs will stun the Michigan Wolverines and come out swinging, and Michigan will have no response. I’ve got TCU surprising the Michigan faithful 28-17.

Now, let’s just say this happens, and the 2022-2023 season’s champion will be crowned winner of Georgia vs. TCU, go ahead and ship the trophy to Atlanta. The National Championship may not be one to watch unfortunately. TCU just won’t be able to rely on their grit enough against such a powerhouse. Kirby Smart will end the magic of the Hypnotoad.