The Cincinnati Bearcats have one of the best curricula of any school in Group 5 in the history of the BCS / College Football Playoff, and they are still number 8 in this season’s final ranking. At the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl vs. Georgia (January 1 ET noon on ESPN and on the ESPN app), they will try to prove their worth against a Power 5 team that will be the 2021 title favorite.
Both Georgia and Cincinnati have been known for their defensive ability this season (numbers 1 and 2, respectively, in SP +). However, both teams enter this game with a more complete look than at any time of the season. Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder has been ardent since the Oct. 24 win over SMU as one of the best double-threat quarterbacks in the country.
Georgia finally has their quarterback on JT Daniels. In three outings, he has thrown 839 yards, nine touchdowns and just one interception. He has left Georgia fans wondering what he could have been this season if he had been healthy all year, but also excited about what’s to come, starting with the Peach Bowl.
This could be the most interesting of all six-year-old bowl games. Georgia may have some exclusion options, but this will be a game worth it, regardless.
Key Cincinnati player: Ridder. It could be argued that the quarterback is always a key player for any team, but Ridder’s impact will be greater in this game than any other Cincinnati has had this season. Georgia’s defense will probably be the best Ridder has seen so far in his college career. When Ridder is activated, Cincinnati is hard to beat (impossible, if you look only this season). But if he’s not up against Georgia, especially because of the way the Bulldogs offense has acted over the past five weeks, the Bearcats may not be doing well.
Key player from Georgia: LB Adam Anderson. If there’s one player Ridder can get acquainted with during the game, it’s Anderson. The junior from Rome, Georgia, is one of the Bulldogs ’best players when it comes to getting to the quarterback. With the departure of All-SEC Group second team Azeez Ojulari, Anderson will get many more snapshots in one of Georgia’s biggest challenges of the year.
Combination to see: Georgia’s offense against Cincinnati’s defense, though the idea here isn’t as broad as it sounds. Georgia’s offense has always been the missing piece this season, although the defense proved to be one of the most dominant units in college football. But since Daniels has taken over from the quarterback, the Bulldogs seem to finally have pace and consistency and will face their first real test since Daniels took control. If Todd Monken’s offense is able to move the ball against the Bearcats, Georgia will be one of the preseason favorites starting in 2021.
X Factor: We still don’t know who will opt for Georgia, which could end up being a factor if that means the Bulldogs lose some consistency in position groups. At the very least, we know that its precipitation may be affected by the loss of Eyelet. On the other hand, there is talent behind talent in Athens, and that will be a certain challenge and challenge for Cincinnati, no matter how much it is trained. What you need to keep in mind here is just that how lots of.
Motivation factor: The disrespect you feel Cincinnati. This will be a gigantic narrative the moment this game kicks off, but that has legitimacy. Cincinnati had arguably the best case of any group of five schools since the College Football Playoff started dancing, and yet it finished just No. 8 in the final rankings. The Bearcats face an opportunity against an elite Power 5 team in Georgia to prove they were one of the top four teams in the country this season.