Orange Bowl preview: Tale of the tape for Michigan vs. Georgia
After Alabama and Cincinnati get New Year's Eve going in the Cotton Bowl, the night is capped by a blockbuster matchup between No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 Georgia in the Orange Bowl.
It's the Wolverines' first trip to the College Football Playoff under Jim Harbaugh, while the Bulldogs return for a second trip under Kirby Smart.
Here's how the two teams stack up heading into Friday's contest.
No. 2 Michigan
Record: 12-1
Conference champion: Yes
Average scoring margin: 21.6 points (4th)
Opponents' combined record: 84-74 (.531)
Points per game: 37.7 (9th)
Points allowed per game: 16.1 (2nd)
Best wins: 42-27 vs. Ohio State, 42-3 vs. Iowa, 38-17 at Wisconsin
Close calls
Outside of its rivalry loss to Michigan State, there was one close call that stood out for Michigan: an away win at Penn State.
Trailing 17-14 with under four minutes to play, the Wolverines dialed up a perfect play for tight end Erick All to race 47 yards for the game-winning score.
The Wolverines would build off that dramatic win, going 3-0 to end the season by a combined score of 143-48. The fact that two of those three contests were against Ohio State and Iowa makes the cumulative scoreline even more impressive.
How Michigan scores
This Wolverines offense plays an ideal form of Harbaugh football, with the power-running attack leading the way. Michigan ranks 12th in the nation in yards per rush attempt at 5.3 on over 42 attempts. Hassan Haskins sits third in the country with 20 rushing touchdowns and piled up 1,288 yards on the ground. Blake Corum wasn't far behind with 939 yards and 11 scores.
The ground-and-pound attack opens up an efficient passing game, with Cade McNamara at the controls. The junior passer from Nevada had a solid 145.4 quarterback rating with 15 touchdowns against four interceptions. Talented freshman J.J. McCarthy will likely also see time as a dual-threat option that can keep the defense guessing.
How Michigan defends
Michigan's defensive strategy is simple: Get after the opposition's quarterback. That's a great plan to have when blessed with the pass-rushing duo of Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo.
Hutchinson ended the year with a new school record for sacks in a season, earning a trip to New York as a Heisman finalist in the process. He's likely to be one of the first names called at the 2022 NFL Draft, with Ojabo not far behind.
With the pass-rushing duo creating havoc up front, the Wolverines allow just 4.5 yards per play, placing them seventh in the country.
No. 3 Georgia
Record: 12-1
Conference champion: No
Average scoring margin: 28.3 points (1st)
Opponents' combined record: 86-69 (.554)
Points per game: 38 (8th)
Points allowed per game: 9.8 (1st)
Best wins: 10-3 vs. Clemson, 37-0 vs. Arkansas, 30-13 vs. Kentucky
Close calls
Outside of its loss to Alabama in the SEC title game, Georgia didn't have a close call all season. The only game that finished within one score was the Bulldogs' season-opening 10-3 win over Clemson, and that only got within seven points on a very late Tigers field goal. That dominance kept the Bulldogs at No. 1 for the majority of the season.
How Georgia scores
Despite not having much of a "wow" factor, Georgia boasts one of the nation's most efficient offenses. The Bulldogs rank fourth in the country in points per play and eighth at the FBS level at 38 points per game.
Stetson Bennett doesn't grab many headlines, but the former walk-on ranks fourth in the country in quarterback rating and threw 24 touchdowns against just seven interceptions this season. His pass-catching options are headlined by star Brock Bowers, a freshman who emerged as one of the nation's best tight ends the moment he stepped on campus. Ladd McConkey is another reliable weapon, and standout wide receiver George Pickens is back after missing most of the season due to injury.
Buoyed by one of the nation's top offensive lines, the rushing attack is one of the most balanced in the SEC, as six players have gained more than 175 yards on the ground this season. Zamir White and James Cook may be the key to slowing down the Wolverines' pass-rush with quality receiving options out of the backfield.
How Georgia defends
There is no better defense in the country than Georgia's. The unit allowed a whopping 34 points to Alabama's offense in the SEC title game and is still averaging fewer than 10 points allowed per game on the season.
Future pros litter the field for Kirby Smart, but it is massive defensive tackle Jordan Davis and linebacker Nakobe Dean who grab the attention on a weekly basis. Both are absolutely game-wreckers for Georgia and should be able to snuff out Michigan's rushing attack and force the Wolverines to win the game through the air.