Ohio State vs. UGA: A look at how they match up in College Football Playoff semifinal
Over the span of a few weeks last month, it seemed Ohio State might face Georgia in the postseason.
The teams were No. 1 and No. 2 in three out of the six editions of the College Football Playoff rankings.
Only instead of meeting in the final, they will tussle in a semifinal in the Peach Bowl, a result of the Buckeyes’ humbling loss to Michigan at the end of the regular season that sent them down the rankings and nearly cost them a spot in the four-team bracket.
Ahead of their tilt on New Year’s Eve, here’s how the talent-loaded teams match up.
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Ohio State run game vs. Georgia run defense
The most formidable facet of Georgia’s vaunted defense is in the interior.
Only three teams have totaled even 100 yards on the ground against the Bulldogs’ top-ranked rush defense this fall, and no running back has crossed the century mark against them since 2020.
Between an imposing defensive line and swarming linebackers, they swallow up most backs, containing explosive plays. The Bulldogs have surrendered only 26 runs surpassing 10 yards or more, the fewest in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
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Whether the Buckeyes are equipped to fare any better remains an open question. Their backfield became a revolving door over the regular season’s stretch run due to injuries, and the five-week layoff can only do so much to improve their health. TreVeyon Henderson underwent surgery to repair a broken bone and torn ligaments in his foot that had nagged him since September, a procedure sidelining him for the postseason.
But they will be closer to full strength as Miyan Williams recovers from an ankle injury. Williams, who formed a tandem with Henderson, is a tough runner who muscles through defenders. He gained 552 of his 817 rushing yards after contact, according to Pro Football Focus data. His average of 4.42 yards after contact per attempt ranks fifth among Big Ten running backs.
Ohio State passing game vs. Georgia pass defense
The strength of one of the nation’s highest-scoring offenses is on the perimeter.
Ohio State boasts two 1,000-yard receivers with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka, a talented pass-catching duo that has stepped up in place of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who will remain out for the postseason as he continues to rehab a hamstring injury.
The emergence of Harrison and Egbuka has left quarterback C.J. Stroud, a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist, with targets to push the ball down the field vertically. Stroud averages 9.4 yards per pass attempt, a figure that ranks third among all FBS quarterbacks.
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If Stroud can operate out of a clean pocket, he and the Buckeyes’ receivers could pick on a secondary that has shown some cracks.
In its win over LSU in the SEC championship game, Georgia surrendered 502 passing yards to the Tigers, the most-ever allowed in the conference’s title game.
But the Bulldogs also held another prolific passing offense in check last month. When they defeated Tennessee, they limited quarterback Hendon Hooker to a season-low 195 yards through the air.
Kelee Ringo, who scored on a pick-six to seal last season’s national championship for Georgia, is its top cover corner.
Georgia run game vs. Ohio State run defense
Georgia leans on a three-headed rushing attack with Kenny McIntosh, Daijun Edwards and Kendall Milton, and the Bulldogs are in the top 20 nationally of FBS teams averaging 207 yards on the ground per game.
Coming out of high school in central California three years ago, Milton was among the Buckeyes’ top targets on the recruiting trail before signing with the Bulldogs as a member of their top-ranked 2020 recruiting class.
Part of the Bulldogs’ success is owed to an offensive line that was the runner-up to Michigan for the Joe Moore Award as the best in the nation. It’s cleared holes for all three of the running backs.
“They've got a good o-line, good running back and a good scheme,” Buckeyes linebacker Tommy Eichenberg said. “When you put all those together, you'll be pretty good.”
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The Buckeyes have been better equipped at stopping the run this fall and allowed only two running backs to surpass 100 yards against them before facing Michigan and allowing Donovan Edwards to go off for 216 yards, a result of touchdown runs of 75 and 85 yards in the fourth quarter.
Through the first three quarters against the Wolverines, Ohio State allowed 80 yards on 22 carries, an average of 3.6 yards per attempt, before giving up 172 yards on the ground over the final 15 minutes, a span when the Buckeyes allowed 13.2 yards per carry.
Were the breakdowns that emerged in the fourth quarter systemic issues or can be chalked up to a bad game? Georgia figures to provide a revealing answer.
Georgia passing game vs. Ohio State pass defense
A feature of Georgia’s passing offense is its core of tight ends.
Two of its four leading receivers are from that position, including Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington who have combined for 78 catches.
Bowers was the recipient of the Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end and is fed the ball in a variety of ways. Along with his 52 receptions for 726 yards and six touchdowns, he’s also run for three scores.
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How the Buckeyes answer to the Bulldogs’ use of double tight end sets makes for a compelling subplot.
Ohio State used three-linebacker looks to counteract heavier personnel teams like Iowa and Wisconsin earlier this season, varying from their base 4-2-5 formation that features only two linebackers, and could deploy a similar scheme Saturday. The extra linebacker would be matched up with one of the tight ends in coverage. Washington is an especially towering presence at 6-foot-7 and 270 pounds.
Stetson Bennett is the triggerman, a veteran quarterback who has gone 27-3 as the Bulldogs’ starter over the last three seasons.
His success behind center is part of a well-documented underdog story, rising from a walk-on who transferred from a junior college to a Heisman Trophy finalist.
Bennett’s mobility, often used to buy time to find his receivers, adds an extra layer to the passing offense.
Special teams
Noah Ruggles, a finalist for the Lou Groza Award last season, has remained a reliable placekicker for Ohio State, especially from short-range. After missing a 39-yard field goal wide left in the season opener against Notre Dame, he made 16 of 17 tries, the lone miss on a 53-yard attempt at Penn State.
Georgia’s Jack Podlesny maintains a similar accuracy, hitting 23 of 26 attempts, including all of them from within 40 yards. Podlesny made a game-winning field goal in a win over Cincinnati in the Peach Bowl two seasons ago.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Contact him at jkaufman@dispatch.com or on Twitter @joeyrkaufman.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: How Ohio State football, Georgia match up in Peach Bowl 2022
