College Football Championship a Battle of Potential Dynasty Versus Cinderella

by Eric Fulton

The 2022 College Football season will conclude on Monday, January 10th in the National Championship game from So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles. The game will feature a University of Georgia Bulldogs team, who is looking to become the first team to win back-to-back national titles since 2012 when Alabama went 25-2 during their championship run. Georgia’s opponent is a team who no one thought would be in the national title championship game when the season started in September, the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs.  TCU was picked seventh in the Big 12 preseason poll and can conclude the greatest underdog story by winning the national championship, even though they did not win their own conference.
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We’re going to take a look at the comparisons between the two teams.

First, when you look at the quarterbacks, you see two veteran signal callers who have built a major legacy for each of their programs. Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett is looking to become the first starting quarterback since A. J. McCarron of Alabama (2011 &2012) to lead his team to two straight national championships and cement his legacy as one of the winningest quarterbacks in college football history.  Bennett is currently 24-3 as Georgia’s starting quarterback.  For TCU, Max Duggan has also won 24 games as a four-year starter for the Horned Frogs, but unlike Bennett, Duggan and TCU had some growing pains earlier in his career. Prior to this year, Duggan lost 16 games in his college career. However, Duggan has turned things around for the Horned Frogs throwing for 30 touchdowns with over 3,300 passing yards.  Duggan became the first TCU player to be named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy since running back LaDainian Tomlinson in 2000 and won the Davey O’Brien and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Awards for his performance in 2022. Quarterback is perhaps the best matchup between the two teams, but the advantage would be for Bennett based on experience and his role as a game-manager quarterback.

Skill players will always be a factor in big games. For TCU, look for Kendre Miller to possibly carry the ball. Miller was injured in the Fiesta Bowl vs. Michigan and is questionable for Monday’s game. If Miller can’t go, look for Emari Demercado to step up. Demercado was tremendous in Miller’s absence in the Fiesta Bowl rushing for 150 yards on 17 carries with a touchdown. Miller was the leading rusher for TCU this season with 1,399 yards, good for an average of 6.2 yards per carry, along with 17 touchdowns. Wide receiver Quentin Johnson was the Horned Frogs’ leading receiver with 59 receptions for 1,066 yards and six touchdowns.

The Bulldogs counter with three running backs whom each rushed for over 500 yards this season. They are led by Kenny McIntosh, who rushed for 779 yards with 10 touchdowns on 142 carries. Daijun Edwards is close behind McIntosh with 739 yards with seven touchdowns on 135 carries. Kendall Milton is third for Georgia with 559 yards rushing and seven touchdowns on 75 carries.  Georgia has had the best tight end in college football the last couple of years in Brock Bowers. Bowers led the Bulldogs in receptions, yards and touchdowns (56 receptions, 790 yards and six touchdowns). Ladd McConkey is second on the team in receptions, yards and touchdowns (53 receptions, 674 yards, and five touchdowns). TCU has some good players, but Georgia has the edge for their running backs and wide receivers/tight ends distribution.

The offensive numbers for both the Horned Frogs and Bulldogs are just about even. Georgia averages 39.4 points per game, while TCU averages 40.3 per game. Yardage-wise, TCU averages 473 yards per game, while Georgia averages 495 yards per game.

This game will likely be determined by which team plays better defense.

Looking at the numbers, Georgia is the best team defensively and it is not even close.  The Bulldogs only gave up 15 points and 305 yards per game. TCU, in a highly offensive Big 12 Conference, gave up 25 points and 385 yards per game. Georgia is a defensive team, although they did give up 41 points to Ohio State in the National Semifinal. Although they lost a lot of talent to the NFL a season ago, the Bulldogs still have excellent talent on defense led by Kelee Ringo at defensive back, Jamon Dumas-Johnson at linebacker and Jalen Carter on the defensive line.  TCU may not have the better defensive team, but they do have a very good defensive back in Jim Thorpe Award winner Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson. Also watch for safety Bud Clark, linebacker Johnny Hodges and defensive ends Dylan Horton (who led TCU in sacks with 10.5) and Terrell Cooper. The Horned Frogs’ 3-3-5 defensive scheme could give Georgia’s offense some issues, but Georgia’s speed and strength on defense will be a major challenge for TCU’s offense.

When you look at the coaching matchup, you have to give props to TCU head coach Sonny Dykes for just even making it to the national championship game. Prior to his arrival in Fort Worth, Dykes coached for three other programs, including four years at TCU’s rival, Southern Methodist University (SMU) (Louisiana Tech and California were the others). Under Dykes, SMU went 10-3 in 2019, their most wins since the Mustangs’ great teams in the early 1980s.  A win over a great team like Georgia could have Dykes in a great coming out of nowhere story to win a championship.

Kirby Smart is already one of the best coaches in college football. After being a part of Nick Saban’s coaching staff at Alabama, Smart has established his own staff to create a program to not only compete with the Crimson Tide but also become better than Alabama and the best in America.  In seven seasons, Smart is 80-15 at Georgia. Winning a second straight national title could put him amongst one of the greatest in college football history in just under 100 career games.  While it would be great to see Dykes win a national championship coming from out of nowhere, Smart has the experience and leadership to win for a long time.

Prediction: America always loves the underdog story. TCU fits that bill. If the Horned Frogs win, they will become the first team to win the National Championship since Georgia Tech (which shared the title with Colorado) in 1990 after a losing season.

For Georgia, it is about the opportunity of winning back-to-back national championships and putting the stamp on having your school become one of the ultimate elite teams in college football. The stock of Georgia football is at an all-time high. They are 32-1 in their last 33 games.  With the evolution of an expanded playoff, Georgia could become the last team to win consecutive titles for a long time.

Final: Georgia 42, TCU 31.