college football playoff

The playoffs are set: Michigan has to face a team that was a few freak plays and literally an inch away from being undefeated and a conference champion, with a legit Heisman candidate at QB and one of the most talented secondaries in the nation.

Georgia just has to face Ohio State.

Specifically #2 Michigan faces Max Duggan and #3 TCU in the Fiesta Bowl at 4PM EST (2PM local) on New Years Eve. #1 Georgia gets a virtual home game against the #4 Buckeyes in the Peach Bowl. Both top seeds should be favored, though the opening line for Michigan-TCU is 9 points. It was the correct matchup, but it's also a better draw. Going 13-0 and boatracing one of the other Playoff teams on their home turf has its advantages.

[After THE JUMP: What I know about Frogs]

Well, Michigan's first ever trip to the College Football Playoff could've gone better. In what many hoped would be a coronation on the Wolverines' dream season from heaven, it instead turned out to be a frying pan to the face called reality. Michigan should be immensely proud of how far they've come to get to this point, but also now are on high alert about how far the program still has to go in order to compete with a team of Georgia's caliber.

Only two teams in the country have more than 1,000 talent points on 24/7's team talent composite. Those two teams are slated to play in the national championship game, after soundly coasting over previously very good teams today. Michigan is down at 15th on that metric, and the gap between the elite and the very good in college football has never looked larger for millions of fans in Maize & Blue worldwide. The need to keep climbing continues. 

Michigan won the opening coin toss and deferred to the second half, needing a good defensive series to set the tone. That didn't happen. Georgia appeared to self-scout very well and knew Michigan would expect the run, responding by testing the boundary with screen after screen. Star TE Brock Bowers burned Jaylen Harrell deep for the big play of the drive and then the big man was able to walk in for a TD on a screen. 

The Michigan scripted drive went alright, driving into Bulldog territory thanks in part to a Cade McNamara 18-yard scramble. On 3rd & 4, the Wolverines had Luke Schoonmaker open but a Cade McNamara throw was deflected at the line just so slightly and it fell incomplete. Going for it on 4th down from the UGA 41, Cade just missed a semi-open Erick All and turned it over on downs. 

It didn't take long for the Dawgs to respond. Screens, screens, and more screens attacked the Wolverine defense. James Cook ripped off a long run in between after Junior Colson couldn't locate the hole and then Todd Monken dialed up the cherry on top playcall, a trick play that saw RB Kenny McIntosh throw a TD pass to a wide open Adonai Mitchell, who Vincent Gray had lost track of in the end zone. 14-0 Georgia. 

Stetson Bennett IV was good [Bryan Fuller]

The Wolverines now were in trouble and couldn't get the necessary offensive answer. They picked up a big 3rd & short under pressure, but McNamara took a bad sack on the next play. Michigan had Hassan Haskins open on 2nd down but McNamara's pass again got deflected at the line. After Nakobe Dean tracked down Blake Corum on 3rd down, Michigan punted. 

The first stop came on the next series but it didn't come until well into Michigan territory. A pair of 3rd down conversions and a 20-yard Stetson Bennett IV scramble drove Georgia deep, but finally the Michigan defense got off the field. Nevertheless, it was 17-0 Georgia. Michigan got points on the next drive, snapping the shutout. A beautiful 42-yard ball from McNamara to Roman Wilson got Michigan deep into Georgia territory, but another sack forced Michigan to play for the field goal, which Jake Moody nailed from 36 yards away. 17-3. 

At this moment in time, it seemed that there could be a narrow path for the Wolverines to claw back into the game, if they could procure a stop and a TD before halftime. That didn't happen. A 50-yard bomb to James Cook against Junior Colson got Georgia right back into Michigan territory and set up a field goal to push the margin back to three scores, 20-3.

James Cook had himself a game [Fuller]

The final sequence of the second quarter is when the dam broke- Michigan went three and out gaining two yards, and then Georgia scored a TD in just three plays. For the second time on the night, Vincent Gray inexplicably stopped running mid-play and let Jermaine Burton toast him for 57 yards and a TD. Cade McNamara threw an odd INT on what appeared to be a flagrant defensive pass interference on the next Michigan play and the rout was on. Michigan went into halftime down 27-3. 

The second half saw the Wolverines fight valiantly on defense, holding UGA scoreless in the third quarter and the offense gained some yards, but they just kept making mistakes. Their opening possession of the second half took them into the Georgia redzone, but a miscommunication between McNamara and Daylen Baldwin ended in an interception in the end zone. A good AJ Henning punt return started a Michigan drive close to midfield, but Blake Corum fumbled at the 50, and the Dawgs recovered, making it three straight Michigan possessions to end in a turnover at one juncture. 

Michigan didn't lay down in the fourth quarter, twice reaching the Georgia ten with JJ McCarthy at QB and Donovan Edwards shining as a receiver. The first trip ended in a turnover on downs, while the second netted Michigan a TD on a 35-yard bomb to Andrel Anthony (AJ Henning added a two-point conversion). Georgia got another TD from Bennett to James Cook matched up on a LB, and time ran out with the Bulldogs holding the ball deep in Michigan territory. Final score: Georgia 34, Michigan 11. 

[AFTER THE JUMP: Click for a few takes]

Things discussed:

• Georgia mindset: They got 2018 Ohio State gamed vs Bama, think they’re going to beat Michigan and lose to Bama again.
• Hoping there’s some non-linear stuff going on: What UGA does to offenses in the 30s or 50s may not be what they do to a Top 5 group.
• Michigan has to get their explosive plays, a la Wisconsin.
• They’re 2018 Michigan on defense, if Ryan Glasgow was 6’6”/340. Want to put 8 in the box and cover 1.
• Dealing with Davis? Trap trap trap trap. Want to see a great Michigan gameplan.
• Georgia’s offense like throwing to the TE and RB so if Michigan can put them in long downs they put the Dawgs in a bad spot where they are using their best offensive weapons to chip Hutchinson/Ojabo.
• Brian recalls Andre Seldon broke up a fade in an all-star game vs their 6’7”/265 TE Darnell Washington.
• Basketball vs UCF: Michigan has to fix their turnover problem and their guards getting blown by problem. One of these problems probably gets fixed this game. Key to the game: hit your threes, because they play two bigs.

[Hit the JUMP for the player, and video and stuff]