College football has had a crazy season in 2022 and it all comes down to this! Playoffs will be here right around the corner and both games are set to kickoff January 31st! The Big 10 has managed to secure two spots surprisingly with Michigan and Ohio State making it to the showdown. The defending FBS champions, the Georgia Bulldogs, certainly won’t give up their title without a fight and they’re the favorite now to win it all again. And last but not least, the TCU Bullfrogs surprised the nation by going nearly undefeated until they lost to Kansas State in overtime in the Big 12 Conference Championship game.
So that’s right… Alabama won’t have a chance to contend for a championship for the first time since the 2018- 2019 season. Can the Bulldogs secure supremacy in the SEC? Can TCU be the season’s Cinderella story or can the title end up in the hands of a Big 10 Conference team. We’ll know the answers to those questions next year on January 9th, 2023 at Sofi Stadium. Let’s take a quick look at some matchups and odds for these crucial games.
Futures:
Georgia -150
Michigan +260
Ohio State +325
TCU +1400
Odds Provided by Stations Casinos
#4 Ohio State Buckeyes vs #1 Georgia Bulldogs
Dec 31, 2022
8PM Eastern
Peach Bowl, Atlanta, Georgia
Spread -6.5 Georgia, +6.5 Ohio State
Total 61.5 O/U
Moneyline: GA -250, Ohio St +210
The Georgia Bulldogs will unofficially appear to have a home field advantage based on the venue which will prove to be a huge advantage in this matchup. Ohio State fans travel well but they will have to deal with hoards of faithful Bulldog fans in the stands, considering this game is in the capital city of Georgia. That’s one of the reasons why I’m backing Georgia in this game. If you bet against the 13-0 Bulldogs you had a really rough season. Memorable victories include a 49-3 beatdown against Oregon, a 27-13 win over Tennessee, and a 50-30 win over LSU.
I was not impressed with Ohio State’s defense during their recent Michigan matchup and I don’t believe they’ll have enough offense either to upset the defending champions. Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud made some questionable decisions against a stout Wolverines defense and it won’t get any easier in the Peach Bowl. Georgia should win big in this matchup and I was expecting a -10 type of spread in this game. The Dawgs know how to win big games and they are 8-2 ATS in the month of December. This shows how they step up this time of year. Ohio State is also 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games and I see the trend continuing to get worse while their questionable injuries pile up. I’m picking Georgia -6.5. Get this line before it moves up to -7!
#3 TCU Horned Frogs vs #2 Michigan Wolverines
Dec 31, 2022
4PM Eastern
State Farm Stadium, Fiesta Bowl, Glendale, Arizona
Spread: -8 Michigan, +8 TCU
Total: 60
Moneyline: Mich -310, TCU +255
This venue will be about as neutral as it gets but its location is slightly closer to TCU than Michigan. Both teams are happy to get into the playoffs after having outstanding regular seasons. Jim Harbaugh coached the Wolverines to a 12-0 undefeated season which definitely earned them a spot in the College Football Playoffs. Their dominance of the Big 10 will hopefully translate to success when they face the Big 12’s Champion, the TCU Bullfrogs for the first time in history. TCU only lost 1 game and it was just by a field goal in overtime against Kansas State; a team they had beat already this season. In any case, the committee decided it was time for TCU to enter the dance this time around.
I know Michigan has had a great season and they deserve the utmost respect but I’m a firm believer in the QB for TCU, Max Duggen. He’s completed 30 touchdowns this season while only allowing 4 interceptions. That kind of ball handling will be crucial when it comes to crunch time in a big game and this Senior quarterback has what it takes to lead the team. I’d be a little bit surprised to see TCU pull off the upset completely but it’s certainly possible with the way they’ve been playing lately. JJ McCarthy for Michigan has also put up some decent numbers this season but still has 33.3 % less touchdowns than Duggan. TCU is no stranger to being the underdog and winning straight up as 7 point dogs to Texas and 5 point dogs to Oklahoma. Over the last 10 games they are 6-3-1 against the spread. Give me the +8 with the Frogs and maybe sprinkle a little change on the juicy moneyline +255. The spread is also going down a bit in some places too so be sure to get it before it drops to only +7.
