No. 1 Georgia, No. 3 TCU to play for national championship

After the very best semifinal day within the nine-year historical past of the Faculty Soccer Playoff, the title sport will match the defending nationwide champion towards the closest factor the game has had in years to a Cinderella staff.

It is going to be No. 1 Georgia (14-0) on the lookout for its second straight championship towards upstart and No. 3 TCU on Jan. 9 at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

The four-team playoff has been plagued by lopsided semifinal video games, however Saturday — and into early Sunday and the brand new yr — delivered two thrillers and a mixed 179 factors.

The Bulldogs got here from 14 factors down within the second half to beat No. 4 Ohio State 42-41 within the Peach Bowl and advance to the CFP championship sport for the third time underneath coach Kirby Sensible.

“If we wish any probability of successful a nationwide championship we’ve to play loads higher soccer than we performed tonight, however we’ve to maintain the resiliency and composure together with us,” Sensible stated.

The Bulldogs and Buckeyes performed a traditional that got here right down to a missed area purpose by Ohio State with three seconds left. Amazingly, it was even higher than the wild opener of the semifinal doubleheader between No. 3 TCU and No. 2 Michigan.

The Horned Frogs (13-1) upset the Wolverines 51-45 within the Fiesta Bowl, the second-highest scoring CFP sport ever.

“We will have fun it,” TCU quarterback Max Duggan stated. “Clearly, we’re excited, however we all know we received a giant one developing.”

TCU, the primary Huge 12 Convention staff to win a playoff sport, shall be on the lookout for its first nationwide title since 1938. Underneath coach Dutch Meyer, the Horned Frogs beat Carnegie Tech 15-7 within the Sugar Bowl to finish a 10-0 season.

The Southeastern Convention champion Bulldogs opened as a 13 1/2-point favorites, in accordance with FanDuel Sportsbook, in what would be the fifth assembly between the colleges.

Georgia has gained all of them, together with the final within the 2016 Liberty Bowl.

Coming off a 5-7 season in 2021 and picked to complete seventh of their convention earlier than the season, the Horned Frogs have embraced the underdog position and thrived on the being doubted.

“We all know we’ll hear it once more. It is not going to cease now,” first-year coach Sonny Dykes stated. “We received to do what we did this sport (towards Michigan). We have got to reply that criticism and present up and do what we’re imagined to do. If we expect that is going away, I feel you guys all know that is not. That is simply the best way it’s.”

TCU can be the primary staff to win a nationwide championship the yr after having a shedding season since Michigan State in 1965.

Georgia, No. 1 for a lot of the season, is on the lookout for its third nationwide title, making an attempt to change into the primary back-to-back champions within the CFP period and the primary since Alabama gained the BCS in 2011 and ’12.

It is going to be a matchup Heisman Trophy finalist quarterbacks, with Duggan and Georgia’s Stetson Bennett.

Neither is a future first-rounder, and each had ups and down within the semifinal however got here by way of within the largest spots.

Brynn Anderson/AP

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Duggan ran for 2 scores and threw two TD passes because the Frogs held again a surging Michigan within the second half.

Bennett threw for 398 yards and two touchdowns within the fourth quarter, together with the game-winner with 54 seconds left.

These Bulldogs rely extra on Bennett and their offense than final yr’s championship staff, which fielded the most effective defenses school soccer has had in latest historical past. Georgia ranked fifth within the nation in yards per play (6.97) coming into the playoff.

The Frogs have have a strong offense, too, with Duggan and star receiver Quentin Johnston, who had 163 yards on six catches towards the Wolverines.

That is the penultimate season of the four-team model of the playoff earlier than it expands to 12 groups within the 2024 season.

Earlier than Saturday, solely three of 16 semifinals had been determined by single-digits, and all these blowouts helped gasoline a need to develop the sector within the hope of making some extra fascinating postseason video games.

This New Yr’s Eve, the four-team playoff turned out to be an eight-hour school soccer celebration.

After shedding to TCU, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh summed up his staff’s sport, and because it seems, the day.

“The winner,” he stated, “was soccer.”