Georgia vs. TCU: Who has the edge?

Los Angeles, Calif. — Georgia has arrived in L.A. for its National Championship matchup with TCU. The Bulldogs are 14-0 and 12.5-point favorites. They’re looking to win back-to-back titles for the first time in school history but they’ve got a tall task ahead.

TCU just won’t quit. The Horned Frogs have had a bad case of the wants all season, earning 13 victories in 14 tries. They’ve won in different ways — shootouts, comebacks, and low-scoring battles.

Who is going to win this one? Only time will tell but DawgsHQ is going to break down five areas to determine which team has the edge.

When Georgia runs it…

The Horned Frogs struggle against the run and Georgia runs it well. TCU ranks 69th in the country in yards per carry allowed. It ranks 107th nationally in runs surrendered of 20 yards or more. This is an area where Sonny Dykes’ team is going to try and piece it together. Michigan had some big-play success but it wasn’t very efficient. Georgia will want to do both of those things and has an excellent shot to do so. Edge: Georgia

When TCU runs it…

Dykes is known as an Air Raid guy but he loves running the football with this team. Kendre Miller is a stud but we don’t yet know if he’ll be available. Emari Demercado is an interesting back. He’s explosive and powerful but he’s most comfortable when he can make on cut and go.

TCU is good on the ground but Georgia’s run defense is going to present problems for every offense in the country. The Bulldogs have a sound, tried-and-true run-stuffing scheme and they don’t have to borrow players from the secondary to make it happen. It starts with the two-gap front and the second level defenders clean up. Edge: Georgia

When Georgia throws it…

TCU isn’t all that impressive against the pass, either. It’s yards-per-attempt numbers are pretty average, ranking it No. 53 in the country. But if you look at opponent passing plays of 20-plus yards, the Horned Frogs have given up 57. That’s good for 125th nationally.

Georgia is coming off a game where it had eight connections of 20 yards or more. Seven different receivers caught those eight passes. Stetson Bennett had stretches where he didn’t play well and UGA still did that. This is a mismatch the Bulldogs can exploit. Edge: Georgia

When TCU throws it…

The Bulldogs have had their issues of late when it comes to defending the pass. Max Duggan isn’t a super precise with his passes but he’ll do whatever it takes to make plays. That could be a huge factor in this game. There isn’t a more resilient, tough quarterback in the country other than maybe the one behind center for Georgia. Quinten Johnson might be the most complete receiver the Bulldogs have faced this side of Marvin Harrison Jr. He’s big, fast, and loves fighting for the football.

Kelee Ringo was good against Ohio State, much better than his detractors would say. Kamari Lassiter really struggled. Malaki Starks also did a nice job putting a bad SEC Championship game behind him. It’s going to take a group effort from the Bulldogs to win this matchup. Edge: Push

Georgia vs. TCU special teams…

These two teams are really similar in the special teams department. Georgia punts it a little better. TCU is a little more accurate with field goals after Jack Podlesny’s two misses last week. The return games are similar. The coverage games are similar. There really isn’t much to break down. Edge: Push

Who has the edge?

Georgia is favored and rightfully so. If the Bulldogs play clean football and execute well, it’s going to be really tough for TCU to win this game. But the Horned Frogs have heard that all year. They’re the underdog and they like it that way. If they can muddy the game, it will get interesting. But Georgia would have the edge even in that scenario. Edge: Georgia