The College Football Playoff hits big time as it transitions from first-round campus games to quarterfinals and major bowl games. In Georgia, it is a common occurrence. The Bulldogs haven’t lost a bowl game in six years. Not so for Notre Dame, which hasn’t won a major bowl game since 1994 in the Cotton Bowl, before the advent of the BCS and then the CFP.
Is this Notre Dame’s breakthrough season? Or is the Big Easy still another easy place for the Bulldogs, whose last bowl appearance also marked the largest margin of victory in bowl history? The Bulldogs beat Florida State by 60 points in the Orange Bowl last season and won the national title by beating TCU by 58 points in 2023.
But this year seems to be different, doesn’t it? Georgia’s top five defenses of the past season have fallen as low as 11 years ago in the top 35. Notre Dame is not just winning, but winning big with a rushing offense and a top-10 defense, including the best pass rush defense ( opponent’s rating of 96.9). In addition, Georgia intends to send first-time starter Gunner Stockton to battle at quarterback. He’ll try to get the gun out and sack his teammate Riley Leonard, who has more career tackles (75) than Stockton’s pass attempts (51).
The Sugar Bowl is a place of fond memories for the Georgia faithful, who celebrated their first national championship in 1980 with a win against Notre Dame. The Bulldogs won 3-0 against the Irish. The question is whether the past matters at all in the new Irish character that is emerging.
The Sugar Bowl was originally scheduled to be played on New Year’s Day, but after the deadly truck attack in New Orleans, the game was eventually postponed to Thursday.
Georgia vs. Notre Dame: You need to know
Can Gunner Stockton deliver big hits in key situations? Let’s face it: the quarterback position hasn’t been as important to Georgia’s success compared to years past, but losing Carson Beck is still a tough one to stomach. There is a silver lining, however, and perhaps a small chance found for the Bulldogs with Beck out for the season. Stockton certainly doesn’t have Beck’s NFL-ready arm, but the backup is a better runner than his predecessor. It’s fitting, perhaps, that Beck owned and drove a Lamborghini this season while Stockton continued to drive a 1984 Ford F-150. Stockton is a rugged racer, and, we daresay dare to say, a “gritty” player. Those are qualities that could help a team in a tough game, even if he’s not the type known to give up 30-plus yards. He led Georgia with three scoring drives in the second half of its overtime win against Texas in the SEC Championship Game, so big-game experience is no longer in question.
Notre Dame will be without a top defensive lineman: Notre Dame has managed to win despite losing multiple players to injuries throughout the season, but will the Irish’s depth be challenged more than ever against Georgia? The Irish lost All-American defensive tackle Rylie Mills to a knee injury in their playoff win over Indiana. Mills was a dominant force in the last half of the season and led the team with 7.5 sacks, including 4.5 over the last five games. He also had 27 quarterback pressures. In a season that saw the loss of rushers Jordan Botelho and Boubacar Traore, can the Irish afford another loss? Mills is not only a sack leader but also a team captain, and one coach Marcus Freeman relied on to rally teammates on the field. “You can’t replace Rylie Mills,” Freeman said.
Gabriel Rubio stepped in for Mills and gave a solid performance, especially when he chased down an Indiana receiver on a screen to force a third-and-short. Senior All-American Howard Cross III returned against Indiana after missing the final three games of the regular season with an injury, but is he full speed for the quarterback?
Who benefits from ditches? Notre Dame’s success depends on running the ball; Georgia’s success depends on stopping the run. Notre Dame is averaging 222.4 yards per game compared to Georgia’s 35th-ranked rushing defense (127.8 ypg). Running back Jeremiah Love (rushing TDs in every game this season) and quarterback Riley Leonard (15 rushing TDs) are important for the Bulldogs, especially as the Irish struggle to throw to many opponents ( No. 101 nationally in ypg). Georgia’s defense is nowhere near the impenetrable walls that have built the championship Bulldogs in recent years, but they are still focused on slowing down the game. If that fails, Notre Dame, which has rushed for 42 touchdowns as a team (most since 1989), has a big chance.
Where to watch Georgia vs. Notre Dame to live
Sun: Thursday, January 2 | Time: 4pm ET
Location: Caesars Superdome – New Orleans, Louisiana
TV: ESPN | Most watched: fubo (Try free)
Notre Dame vs. Georgia predictions, elections
Georgia is a slight favorite (-1.5), according to the SportsLine consensus, which gives me pause. The Bulldogs enter the game 1-9 against the spread as the heavy favorite this season. There’s no doubt that Georgia played a tougher schedule than Notre Dame, and the tension was evident with a double overtime win to end the season, but one wonders if the Bulldogs let their opponents controlling the tempo of those games well, resulting in closeness – the expected result. Gunner Stockton looks like a quarterback, even if he’s not the most talented passer, but that plays into Notre Dame’s hands with one of the best defenses in the country. Everything points to success for Notre Dame, even with Kirby Smart’s knack for preparing his teams for the playoffs. Pick: Notre Dame SU
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