OSU's Noah Ruggles' 50-yard FG attempt goes wide left, Georgia wins Peach Bowl 42-41

Ohio State football faces its toughest opponent of the season in its biggest game on New Year's Eve.

The Buckeyes, No. 4 in the country with an 11-1 record, face the reigning national champions and No. 1-ranked 13-0 Georgia at 8 p.m. in the Peach Bowl, which doubles as a College Football Playoff semifinal showdown.

The last time the Buckeyes played, they lost to Michigan in Columbus and their College Football Playoff hopes seemed to be on life support. But after an upset by Utah, whom Ohio State beat a year ago in the Rose Bowl, over USC in the Pac-12 championship game, the Buckeyes were back in the picture.

Now they play the team many picked in August to repeat as champions.

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The Bulldogs looked vulnerable at times this season, but it was rare. For every close game against Kent State, Missouri and Kentucky, there was a 50-30 blowout of LSU, a 48-7 win over South Carolina and a 49-3 win over Oregon.

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Ohio State has its work cut out if it wants to move on to the national championship game on Jan. 9.

Can the Buckeyes get there? Follow the action live with score and news updates from The Columbus Dispatch's team of reporters and photographers in Atlanta.

Final stats:

Ohio State football finishes the season 11-2. Georgia improves to 13-0 and will head to the national championship game against TCU.

Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud completed 23 of 34 pass attempts for 348 yards and four touchdowns.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart told ESPN that Ohio State "probably deserved to win the game."

Ohio State's Noah Ruggles 50-yard field goal attempt sails wide | Final Score: Georgia 42, Ohio State 41

With eight seconds remaining, OSU kicker Noah Ruggles attempted a 50-yard field goal, but it went wide left.

Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud had put the Buckeyes in field-goal range with a 27-yard scramble up the middle.

Stetson Bennett leads Georgia touchdown drive | Score: Georgia 42, Ohio State 41

Ohio State will need to rally with :54 left on the clock after Stetson Bennett's 5-yard touchdown pass to Kenny McIntosh.

OSU's Noah Ruggles adds another second-half field goal | Score: Ohio State 41, Georgia 35

Noah Ruggles has a new personal best as Ohio State's kicker. His 48-yarder has extended OSU's lead with 2:43 left in the Peach Bowl. Not taking a sack into account, Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud ran for 26 yards on three carries during that drive.

Stadium record crowd on hand for Ohio State, Georgia Peach Bowl

They've now announced tonight's attendance as 79,330 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

OSU's Lathan Ransom trips, allows long Stetson Bennett TD pass | Score: Ohio State 38, Georgia 35

Georgia's Arian Smith was wide, wide open and Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett found him for a 76-yard touchdown pass. Smith was able to make it behind the Buckeyes' defense because OSU's Lathan Ransom stumbled and fell on the play. UGA then successfully converted a 2-point attempt to narrow Ohio State's lead further.

Ohio State fake punt attempt foiled by timeout

Ohio State showed punt on fourth-and-1 and snapped the ball to Mitch Rossi, who appeared to run for a first down, but officials ruled that Georgia coach Kirby Smart had called a timeout. OSU punted the ball away after that.

Ohio State's defense holds Georgia to field goal | Score: Ohio State 38, Georgia 27

Jack Podlesny is 2 for 4 on field goal attempts after making a 31-yard field kick for Georgia.

Marvin Harrison has his helmet taken away

It's traditionally a sign that a player's day is done: Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison is on the Buckeyes' sideline sans helmet.

Third-quarter stats:

Noah Ruggles makes chip-shot field goal | Score: Ohio State 38, Georgia 24

With the incompletion to Marvin Harrison on a rainbow desperation throw by C.J. Stroud, OSU was forced to turn to kicker Noah Ruggles, who was good from 25 yards to extend the Buckeyes' lead.

Marvin Harrison victim of ugly hit

Trainers immediately rushed to Ohio State's Marvin Harrison after the wide receiver took a hit from Georgia defensive back Javon Bullard. The play was reviewed, and it was ruled there was no targeting. Harrison has been taken to OSU's medical tent.

Ohio State's defense stymies Georgia again

Ohio State's Zach Harrison and Javontae Jean-Baptiste recorded a 5-yard sack on third down that forced another long Jack Podlesny attempt, and the Georgia kicker missed from 52 yards.

Harrison leads OSU with 1.5 tackles for loss. Steele Chambers has six tackles overall to pace the Buckeyes. That's in addition to his interception. And J.T. Tuimoloau has two pass breaks up for Ohio State.

Update on Ohio State tight end Cade Stover

The Peach Bowl has shared that the reason OSU's Cade Stover was taken to the hospital was as a precaution due to the tight end suffering back spasms. His parents are with him.

Emeka Egbuka extends OSU's lead over UGA | Score: Ohio State 35, Georgia 24

Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud has thrown four touchdown passes against Georgia, the latest a 10-yard toss to Emeka Egbuka. Stroud has 292 yards on 18 of 22 passing.

Tight game, injured tight ends mark Peach Bowl

In an exciting Peach Bowl, both Ohio State and Georgia have been playing without wounded tight ends. Buckeyes' starter Cade Stover hurt his lower back. Georgia's Darnell Washington, the other half of the Bulldogs' talented tight end combo along with Brock Bowers, has been out with a left ankle injury.

UPDATE: ESPN's television broadcast said Stover had been taken to the hospital for evaluation. Washington has returned to Georgia's sideline on crutches.

Halftime stats:

Xavier Johnson, OSU recapture lead with 49-second scoring drive | Score: Ohio State 28, Georgia 24

Getting the ball with 1:44 remaining until half, OSU scored, with the key play being a 37-yard touchdown pass from C.J. Stroud to Xavier Johnson.

Georgia field goal gives Bulldogs Peach Bowl edge on OSU | Score: Georgia 24, Ohio State 21

After missing a kick earlier in this game, Jack Podlesny made a 32-yarder to give UGA its first lead.

Ohio State held Georgia to the field goal try by stymying the Bulldogs on third-and-10, so Georgia is now 2 of 4 on third down, while the Buckeyes are 2 for 5 in that same category.

Ohio State gave the ball back to Georgia after taking a costly fourth-down illegal motion penalty that changed coach Ryan Day's strategy: Originally set to go for it, OSU instead opted to punt.

UGA gets run game going to tie up Peach Bowl | Score: Ohio State 21, Georgia 21

Georgia's Stetson Bennett has tied up the Peach Bowl with a 3-yard run, the 12th rushing touchdown of his career. The big play on that drive was a Kenny McIntosh 52-yard yard right up the gut of the Ohio State defense that would have resulted in a score had McIntosh not tripped with nary an OSU defender around.

UGA cuts into OSU's lead with a Kendell Milton rushing touchdown | Score: Ohio State 21, Georgia 14

The Bulldogs scored on a 4-play drive that included two pass plays and two runs. The touchdown was of the rushing variety as Kendell Milton bounced outside for 11 yards.

Georgia tight end Darnell Washington has left for the locker room to have an injury tended to. He entered tonight's game with 26 receptions for 417 yards and two touchdowns.

OSU's Marvin Harrison makes his second touchdown catch | Score: Ohio State 21, Georgia 7

Ohio State took advantage of the short field by getting the ball to Marvin Harrison in the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown catch and a 21-7 OSU lead. Harrison has 106 receiving yards; quarterback C.J. Stroud has 154 yards passing.

Ohio State's Steele Chambers picks off Georgia's Stetson Bennett

Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett attempted to throw a pass to Kenny McIntosh but missed that OSU linebacker Steele Chambers had slipped underneath. The end result is the Buckeyes getting the ball at the UGA 30.

OSU takes lead again thanks to a Miyan Williams run | Score Ohio State 14, Georgia 7

Miyan Williams plowed ahead for 2-yard touchdown to give OSU the lead back.

Emeka Egbuka and Marvin Harrison figured prominently in Ohio State's most recent scoring drive – Egbuka by making a 10-yard catch and drawing a third-down pass interference call, Harrison by recording a 24-yard reception. Harrison fumbled at the end of that play, but the ball went out of bounds.

Cade Stover is in the medical tent for Ohio State after tweaking something leaping for a 7-yard catch.

First-quarter Peach Bowl statistics:

UGA's Stetson Bennett piling up early numbers against Ohio State | Score: Ohio State 7, Georgia 7

Stetson Bennett has completed 9 of 10 pass attempts for 110 yards and a game-tying touchdown. His latest toss was a short completion to Kenny McIntosh, who ran straight up the middle for a 25-yard score. The Bulldogs are racking up some yards after catch (54), which is a big part of the reason the Peach Bowl is tied.

Ohio State opens scoring with Marvin Harrison TD catch | Score: Ohio State 7, Georgia 0

Ohio State capped its second possession with a 31-yard touchdown pass from C.J. Stroud to Marvin Harrison to give the Buckeyes a first-quarter lead. Harrison already has three catches for 66 yards. Stroud has 79 yards on 4-for-5 passing.

Georgia misses early field goal attempt | Score: Ohio State 0, Georgia 0

The Bulldogs got into field-goal range (Jack Podlesny has a career-long of 50 yards), but Podlesny missed a 47-yard attempt, so the Peach Bowl is still scoreless.

Ohio State's opening possession results in a punt

OSU quarterback C.J. Stroud threw a first-down pass to Marvin Harrison on the opening offensive play for the Buckeyes, but after that, things stalled for coach Ryan Day's crew. That included Stroud being sacked for the ninth time this season.

Dallan Hayden starts at running back for Ohio State

Although Miyan Williams is, according to the Ohio State coaching staff, healthy, freshman Dallan Hayden was the running back on the field for the Buckeyes' first offensive snap of the game.

Georgia wins the opening coin toss

With honorary captains Mike Doss (Ohio State) and Champ Bailey (Georgia) accompanying each team's captains to midfield, Georgia won the toss and deferred to the second half. The Buckeyes will receive the opening kick, and the Bulldogs will defend the east goal.

TCU to play in 2023 national championship against either Ohio State or Georgia

Ohio State will not have a chance at a rematch against Michigan in the national championship.

No. 3 TCU survived against No. 2 Michigan Saturday afternoon, beating the Wolverines 51-45 in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl.

Both teams combined for 96 points — the most points ever scored in a Fiesta Bowl — with 1,012 total yards offense, including a stretch in the third and fourth quarters where TCU and Michigan traded eight touchdowns in eight minutes.

Kirk Herbstreit and Will Muschamp take Ohio State vs. Georgia back to 1993 Citrus Bowl 

Ohio State’s first bout with Georgia during Peach Bowl week came between a former Buckeye quarterback and the Bulldogs’ co-defensive coordinator

At the end of his media availability ahead of the College Football Playoff semifinal, Georgia’s Will Muschamp reflected on the Bulldogs’ only previous matchup with Ohio State in the 1993 Citrus Bowl — a 21-14 Georgia win.

In doing so, Muschamp called out Kirk Herbstreit, who will be on ESPN’s call for the Peach Bowl Saturday.

“We had a… luncheon, and (when) Herbstreit got up and threw a pass across the room, I knew we had a shot to win,” Muschamp said. “Make sure he knows I said that.”

Herbstreit said he didn’t remember Muschamp making much of an impact against Ohio State during the Citrus Bowl, but did remember the throw the Georgia co-defensive coordinator spoke of.

“It was one of those autograph balls, those white-panel balls,” he said. “I remember throwing it and not being real happy with how far I had to throw it because I couldn’t grip the ball. So I kind of shot putted the ball. That’s all I remember.”

Former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer enjoys the Fiesta Bowl from Atlanta

With less than an hour before Ohio State vs. Georgia, former Buckeyes head football coach Urban Meyer is paying attention to what's going on in Arizona.

Starting with a 34-yard touchdown pass from Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy to wide receiver Ronnie Bell, the Wolverines and TCU traded eight touchdowns in eight minutes, ballooning to a 48-38 TCU lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

How do C.J. Stroud’s stats compare to Stetson Bennett’s? 

Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud ended his regular season in the same place as Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett: New York City.

Both Bennett and Stroud finished the 2022 season as Heisman Trophy finalists, finishing behind TCU quarterback Max Duggan and USC quarterback and Heisman winner Caleb Williams.

Ahead of both meeting for the first time in the Peach Bowl, here’s how Stroud’s and Bennett’s stats compare from the 2022 season.

C.J. Stroud (12 games): 3,340 passing yards, 66.2% completion rate, 37 total touchdowns, six interceptions

Stetson Bennett (13 games): 3,425 passing yards, 67.9% completion rate, 27 total touchdowns, six interceptions

Who is officiating Ohio State vs. Georgia?

Ohio State vs. Georgia will see a Pac-12 officiating crew during the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Peach Bowl.

Here's a look at who will be on the officiating crew Saturday night.

• Referee: Chris Coyte

• Umpire: Greg Adams

• Head lines: Darryl Johnson

• Line judge: Dale Keller

• Field judge: Steve Currie

• Side judge: Jeff Dahle

• Back judge: Joe Johnston

• Center judge: John Love

• Alternates: Steve Strimling

• Replay: Jerry Meyerhoff

• Communicator: Terry Leyden

Ohio State vs. Georgia spread narrowing as kickoff nears

Ohio State is still an underdog against Georgia, something it hasn't been since the 2021 national championship game against Alabama. But the margin is getting slimmer.

The No. 4 Buckeyes are not facing a 4.5-point spread against the No. 1 Bulldogs, according to Tipico Sportsbook, with the money line set at +180.

Ohio State, which has won 11 of its 12 games during 2022, is 5-6-1 against the spread this season and 9-3 on the over/under.

Miyan Williams, Matthew Jones available, Gee Scott Jr. a game-time decision for Ohio State vs. Georgia

Ohio State tight end Gee Scott Jr. is a game-time decision ahead of the Buckeyes’ College Football Playoff semifinal matchup against Georgia Saturday.

In 12 games this season, Scott has five catches for 28 yards, including two-yard touchdown reception against Michigan State: his first career score.

The Buckeyes also have 11 players listed as unavailable against the Bulldogs: wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, RB TreVeyon Henderson, WR Kamryn Babb, OL Avery Henry, RB T.C. Caffey, WR Corban Cleveland, LB Mitchell Melton, LB Jalen Pace, RB Evan Pryor, SAF Kourt Williams and LS Bradley Robinson.

Both running back Miyan Williams and offensive lineman Matthew Jones are not listed on the Buckeyes’ injury report.

What time is the Ohio State vs. Georgia game?

Kickoff: 8 p.m., Dec. 31, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

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What channel is the Ohio State game on against Georgia in the Peach Bowl?

The Buckeyes will play the Bulldogs on ESPN and it may be the last Ohio State game on the "World Wide Leader" for some time.

The Big Ten signed new television deals with Fox and CBS this summer. However, if Ohio State beats Georgia, the national championship game will also be on ESPN.

Columbus Dispatch coverage:The Dispatch has you covered for the Ohio State vs. Georgia College Football Playoff semi

Is Kirk Herbstreit calling the Buckeye game? Yup.

Ohio State football's College Football Playoff appearance will be called by ESPN's top college football crew.

Play-by-play announcer Chris Fowler, color commentator Kirk Herbstreit, a former Ohio State quarterback, and sideline reporters Holly Rowe and Laura Rutledge will call the No. 4 Buckeyes' Peach Bowl appearance against No. 1 Georgia Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. on ESPN.

Ohio State football radio station, broadcast information

The Ohio State game will be broadcast in Columbus on 97.1 FM and 1460 AM.

Here are the announcers:

• Paul Keels (play-by-play)

• Jim Lachey (analysis)

• Matt Andrews (sideline)

What is the 2022 College Football Playoff schedule?

While the Buckeyes play Georgia at 8 p.m., TCU and Michigan will play at 4 p.m. at the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.

The winners of the two games will meet at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 9.

When is sports betting legal in Ohio? Can you bet on Ohio State vs. Georgia?

When the ball drops and 2023 arrives, sports betting in Ohio will officially be legal. But it's unclear whether live betting will be available in Ohio if the Buckeyes-Georgia game carries into Jan. 1.

If the Buckeyes win, Ohio State fans can bet on the national championship game.

Ohio State football schedule 2022

• Sept. 3: Ohio State 21, Notre Dame 10

• Sept. 10: Ohio State 45, Arkansas State 12

• Sept. 17: Ohio State 77, Toledo 21

• Sept. 24: Ohio State 52, Wisconsin 21

• Oct. 1: Ohio State 49, Rutgers 10

• Oct. 8: Ohio State 49, Michigan State 20

• Oct. 22: Ohio State 54, Iowa 10

• Oct. 29: Ohio State 44, Penn State 31

• Nov. 5: Ohio State 21, Northwestern 7

• Nov. 12: Ohio State 56, Indiana 14

• Nov. 19: Ohio State 43, Maryland 30

• Nov. 26: Michigan 45, Ohio State 23

Georgia football schedule 2022

• Sept. 3: Georgia 49, Oregon 3

• Sept. 10: Georgia 33, Samford 0

• Sept. 17: Georgia 48, South Carolina 7

• Sept. 24: Georgia 39, Kent State 22

• Oct. 1: Georgia 26, Missouri 22

• Oct. 8: Georgia 42, Auburn 10

• Oct. 15: Georgia 55, Vanderbilt 0

• Oct. 29: Georgia 42, Florida 20

• Nov. 5: Georgia 27, Tennessee 13

• Nov. 12: Georgia 45, Mississippi 19

• Nov. 19: Georgia 16, Kentucky 6

• Nov. 26: Georgia 37, Georgia Tech 14

• Dec. 3: Georgia 50, LSU 30

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State score vs. Georgia in 2022 Peach Bowl: Live CFP news