2017 ROSE BOWL – GEORGIA vs OKLAHOMA
GEORGIA -2.5 OKLAHOMA (61.5)
MEGALOCKS LINE – Georgia -3
Sagarin ratings – Georgia -1.5
“Vegas” Implied Projected Score: Georgia 32 Oklahoma 29.5
The Game
It does not get much better than this, baby ! Two great teams in the Rose Bowl.
The Sooners finished up at 12-1 and have rattled off eight consecutive wins after their home loss to Iowa St, which as things turned out, was not as bad as it first appeared. Georgia was remarkably consistent this season losing only one game (a bad performance on the road at Auburn) and are proud winners of the SEC Championship. Can they take the next step and get to the College Football Championship game ? A REALLY dangerous team stands in their way. Let’s goooo !
The Match-Up
Georgia offense vs Oklahoma defense
It really is a great way to play football on offense. Pound the running game without mercy (#10 FBS rushing attack) and be super efficient when MATRICULATING down the field in the passing game (#109 passing yards; #6 in passing efficiency). The Sooners are sure to get a big dose of the 1-2 combo of Nick Chubb and Sony Michel (2,100+ yards, 26 TDs combined) and they have depth behind those two great players. They also have a pair of WRs who bagged 6 TDs each (J Wims, T Godwin). QB Jake Fromm is a true freshman but shows great poise for a young player (21-5 TD to INT ratio; led team to CFB playoff). If the Dawgs stay on schedule and keep the 3rd and longs to a minimum they should be in great shape. The Sooners do not get much PENETRATION (#80 FBS in sacks per game and tackles for loss per game) BUT they are a better overall stop unit than you might think. We also believe they have been getting better. They are ranked #49 in the FBS in yards per carry allowed (4.02). As a frame of reference, Georgia is ranked #20 at 3.47. We worry the most about the Sooners pass defense in this game, and if Georgia gets the ground attack working effectively, there are going to be plenty of great opportunities to make plays. Oklahoma will have to gut it out on 3rd down (GA – #6 FBS) and force a turnover or two on defense to win this game.
Oklahoma offense vs Georgia defense
Yup. The offense is FILTHY. Baker Mayfield had another incredible campaign (congrats MEGALOCKS HEISMAN FUTURES CLUB +800 MEMBERS) tossing 41 TD passes, rushing for 5 whilst throwing for over 4,300 yards. He led them to a yuuuuge road win over Ohio St and a 12-win campaign. RB Rodney Anderson continues to fly under the radar but he is a REALLY dangerous weapon (960 rushing yards; 16 receptions at 17.7 yards a pop), #1 WR Marquise Brown is sure to eclipse 1,000 yards in this game (981) and they have one of the best TEs in college football in Mark Andrews (906) who is a big part of making this offense virtually unstoppable. They have a seemingly endless parade of playmakers at RB and WR. Mayfield does a great job extending plays and killing you with the deep ball. Can Georgia slow them down ? Well they only allowed 20+ points in two games all season (!) and bring the #4 ranked defense in the FBS into the Rose Bowl. They really have no weakness. The ONLY bone to pick is their ability to get PENETRATION (#11 in SEC in sacks per game) and we wonder if they can stop the Sooners from going nuts without putting pressure on Mayfield. One thing is certain. They have the speed to run him down and he will not have the time that he is normally afforded to scan the field. Just a GREAT match-up.
Motivation / Intangibles
Georgia – Not much to say. They wanna win, yo. They will be ready.
Grade – Very Good.
Oklahoma – Ditto.
Grade – Very good.
MEGA BOWL BITES
The head coaching match-up is really intriguing as BOTH men have done great work with their respective teams BUT not much experience in big games…….The difference in this game could easily be a big return from GA ace return man Mecole Hardman who is extremely dangerous on punt and kick returns.
Summary
This was the toughest game of the year to handicap for our intrepid team of worldwide INSIDERS. Two excellent teams. One team is comically explosive with some questions on defense. The other team has a top-notch defense with a really young QB. We watched a lot of both teams this season and one thing we noted is that Georgia seemed to be a bit more sloppy with ridiculous penalties at inopportune times. We also think that Sooners’ HC Lincoln Riley is a rising star. Tough call on this game.
Conclusion
Official play: None.
Best play on the game. Gun to the head selection would lay the -2.5 with GA based on their defense but we are just gonna sit back and enjoy this game.
Dude, not even playing this for small potatoes, yo ? Nope.