College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Preview: Matchups to watch and predictions

• Oregon–Ohio State: We have a rematch of one of the best games of the year between the Ducks and Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl.

• Georgia–Notre Dame: The Bulldogs try to take down a red-hot Fighting Irish squad on a backup quarterback making his first career start.

• Unlock your edge with a PFF+ subscription: Get full access to all of our in-season fantasy tools, including weekly rankings, WR/CB matchup charts, weekly projections, the Start-Sit Optimizer and more. Sign up now!

Estimated reading time: 25 minutes

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The first round of the College Football Playoff was underwhelming, to say the least, as at least 10 points decided all four games. However, it whittled the field down to eight and we have four juicy matchups in the quarterfinals.

We’ve decided to make our previews more expansive for the playoff. We’ll be diving into two matchups to watch for each offense in these games, one for the passing game and one for the running game. And of course, we’ll be predicting who will advance to the semifinals as well. 

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No. 3 Boise State Broncos vs. No. 6 Penn State Nittany Lions (Fiesta Bowl on Tuesday at 7:30 P.M. ET on ESPN)

Boise State’s pass game against Penn State’s pass defense (Max): Getting Maddux Madsen into obvious passing situations

Not only is Boise State’s run game centered around Ashton Jeanty but so is its aerial attack. The Broncos know defenses are focused on stopping the Heisman Trophy runner-up which is why they’ve run play action 36.7% of the time (32nd in the FBS). Quarterback Maddux Madsen has been effective on play action, posting an 80.2 passing grade that’s 43rd in the country. The redshirt sophomore is far less efficient when operating on standard dropbacks with just the 98th-best passing grade in America (64.5). Penn State meanwhile is 13th in defensive grade on passing plays where there isn’t play action but is 38th in defensive grade on play action. 

If the Nittany Lions force Boise State into obvious passing situations where they don’t need to worry about Jeanty’s historically good rushing ability, their pass rush could shine. Penn State’s 87.6 pass rush grade is seventh in the country while its 39.5% pressure rate is ninth. The Broncos’ offensive line has been just average this season, even against Mountain West competition. Their 69.7 pass-blocking grade is 68th in the nation while their 21.9% pressure rate allowed is 54th. The individual matchup to watch there will be Penn State edge defender Abdul Carter against Boise State left tackle Kage Casey. Carter, a top-five prospect on PFF’s 2025 NFL Draft big board, is third among FBS edge defenders with a 91.9 pass-rushing grade while Casey is fifth among the nation’s tackles with an 89.5 pass-blocking grade. 

Madsen is also 114th among FBS quarterbacks with a 40.7 passing grade under pressure, tallying one big-time throw and eight turnover-worthy plays. And on obvious passing downs (third/fourth down with four-plus yards to go), Madsen is 118th in passing grade with a 60.6 mark. If Boise State stays ahead of the chains and allows Madsen to work off play-action, it can pull off the upset. But if the Broncos give him too many standard dropbacks, it could be a long day for their offense. 

Boise State’s run game against Penn State’s run defense (Dalton): Penn State’s tackling woes vs. Ashton Jeanty

Penn State figures to have several physical advantages in this game considering the difference in talent level between the two rosters, especially in the trenches. However, tackling is one of the few areas where its defense has struggled lately.

Penn State ranks just 85th in tackling grade as a team this season. The Nittany Lions have struggled down the stretch to bring down ball carriers. Since Week 10, they have missed 85 tackles, second-most in the FBS. While that ranking is a bit unfair because they’ve played two more games than most teams, their missed tackle rate in that timeframe is 18.3%, the 11th-highest percentage in the country.

Tackling is a massive priority when facing the best running back in college football, Ashton Jeanty, who is aiming to break Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record in this game. He’s gotten this far by setting single-season PFF records with 1,889 yards after contact and 135 missed tackles forced on the ground.

Boise State’s offensive line isn’t an elite group, as the Broncos rank right around the national average creating 1.7 yards before contact per carry. If the Nittany Lions can bottle up Jeanty before he gets his momentum going beyond the first level, their lives on defense could get pretty easy. No other team has figured out that puzzle yet, though, and Jeanty can score from anywhere on the field.

Penn State’s pass game against Boise State’s pass defense (Dalton): Drew Allar vs. Boise State’s middle-of-the-field coverage

One of the trademarks of Drew Allar’s success this season has been his ability to rifle passes over the middle of the field.

Drew Allar passing over the middle-third of the field (min. 25 attempts):

When throwing over the middle third of the field, Allar’s numbers stack up well with someone like Heisman finalist Cam Ward. Meanwhile, defending the middle has been a problem for Boise State. The Broncos rank just 88th in coverage grade against throws over the middle this season. They are much more comfortable defending on the outside with a solid group of cornerbacks led by A’Marion McCoy.

The Broncos' biggest concerns will be their ability to defend the seam and post routes that Allar has excelled at throwing this season as well as how their linebackers and box safeties match up with tight end Tyler Warren. If Boise State can prevent easy access to these throws, it stands a better chance of taking away the most explosive element of Penn State’s passing game.

Penn State’s run game against Boise State’s run defense (Max): The Nittany Lions’ heavy man scheme against the Broncos’ struggling defense 

Two run concepts make up the majority of Penn State’s ground game: man and outside zone. The Nittany Lions are ninth in America in both outside-zone rushing attempts (156) and man-rushing attempts (121). Penn State is very effective in both concepts, averaging 5.9 yards per carry on outside zone and 4.8 yards per carry on man. 

Boise State’s defense has been the best in the country at containing outside zone this year, allowing just 1.7 yards per attempt. The next-closest school is Arkansas at 2.4 yards per attempt allowed. But as good as the Broncos have been against outside zone concepts, they’ve been equally bad against the man concept. Boise State has allowed 10.2 yards per attempt on such plays, the worst mark in the country by 2.8 yards. 

The man concept is designed to create vertical displacement, often through double teams. Then, it’s the running back’s job to read the middle linebacker. If he is caught up in the carnage up front, the running back can bounce it to the outside for a big gain. If he tries to set contain along the edge, the running back can take advantage of his double-team blocks inside. The issue for Boise State is that Penn State has a thunder-and-lightning pairing in Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton to beat the Broncos both inside and out. 

Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki would be wise to call man as often as possible in this game considering the Broncos’ immense struggles against it. 

Predictions

Max: Penn State 34, Boise State 21

Both teams will look to establish the run early and often in this game. I trust the Nittany Lion defense to be able to come up with enough stops to win, even against an all-time great like Ashton Jeanty. And when it comes to each team’s passing game, I feel much better about Penn State with Drew Allar and Tyler Warren leading the way than I do about Maddux Madsen against the Nittany Lions’ elite pass rush. Penn State wins the Fiesta Bowl and will take on either Georgia or Notre Dame in the semifinal. 

Dalton: Penn State 31, Boise State 20

Penn State’s run game has played at an elite level when Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton are both healthy. They have more avenues to win this game and even though Ashton Jeanty is the headliner, I’m even more concerned about the Broncos’ ability to tackle those two plus Tyler Warren. Penn State proves it is the more well-rounded team.

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No. 4 Arizona State Sun Devils vs. No. 5 Texas Longhorns (Peach Bowl on Wednesday at 1 P.M. ET on ESPN)

Arizona State’s pass game against Texas’ pass defense (Dalton): How many explosive plays can Arizona State create with their dynamic screen game?

No team in the FBS has run a higher percentage of screens this season than Arizona State, who have done so on 24.1% of their pass plays. Not only have they done so more often than anybody else, but they have managed to be incredibly effective and explosive when doing so.

Arizona State screen passes:

Given the above statistics, it’s clear that head coach Kenny Dillingham and offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo have emphasized the screen game in addition to allowing their athletes to make plays after the catch. These aren’t just simple bubble screens either. The Sun Devils show a variety of looks that give defenses plenty to decipher.

Predictably, running back Cam Skattebo leads that way with 20 receptions on screens this season, but 11 players in total have caught a screen this season for the Sun Devils. Slip screens, quick swing passes, tunnel screens, throwbacks and even the occasional tight end screen all are featured as a means of creating explosive plays.

As they have done all season while so far leading the nation with a 92.7 team coverage grade, the Longhorns will need to play at a high level with regard to eye discipline and open-field tackling in order to slow down a dangerous aspect of Arizona State’s passing grade. One player to watch in these scenarios is linebacker Anthony Hill Jr., who ranks among the national leaders with a 92.5 coverage grade and 13 tackles against screens.

Arizona State’s run game against Texas’ run defense (Max): Tackling the menace that is Cam Skattebo

Skattebo has been one of the best running backs in college football this season. The senior finished fifth in Heisman voting and second to only Ashton Jeanty among the nation’s tailbacks. His 92 forced missed tackles on runs lead all Power Four backs while his 1,085 yards after contact stand third in the nation. He did it all while running behind a Sun Devil offensive line that was just 104th in run-blocking grade (56.7). 

That could be a major issue against a talented Longhorn front. Texas allows just 1.2 yards before contact per attempt, the 24th-best rate in the nation. The leader of that unit is Alfred Collins, whose 87.9 run-defense grade is fifth among Power Four defensive tackles. However, the Longhorns are just 103rd in the FBS in missed tackle rate on runs (17%). 

If Skattebo is going to be successful on the ground, he’ll likely need to put on his Superman cape and make many defenders miss against the best defense in America. 

Texas’ pass game against Arizona State’s pass defense (Max): Will Quinn Ewers have all day to throw?

Texas has arguably the best offensive line in college football, especially in pass protection. The Longhorns’ 89.6 pass-blocking grade is more than two points higher than anyone else in the FBS while their 16.2% pressure rate allowed is 10th. In its seven games against a defense with a top-50 pass-rushing grade, Texas earned an 82.6 pass-blocking grade and allowed pressure only 20.3% of the time. 

Not only does Arizona State not have a top-50 pass-rushing grade, it has one of the lowest in all of college football. The Sun Devils’ 56.8 mark is the third worst in the country while their 24.8% pressure rate is the 11th worst in America. Arizona State is seemingly okay with having virtually no pass rush, sending a blitz just 25.4% of the time (121st in FBS). The Sun Devils do send a stunt at a top-25 clip, but the Longhorns have the third-best pass-blocking grade in the nation against stunts (81.6).

Quinn Ewers certainly hasn’t always punished defenses from a clean pocket as his 78.4 passing grade in those situations is just 86th in the FBS. But he’s decidedly worse under pressure, posting a 48.1 passing grade. If Arizona State is going to pull off the upset, it’ll likely need to find some way to put him under duress. 

Texas’ run game against Arizona State’s run defense (Dalton): Can the Sun Devils contain Texas’ outside zone runs better than Clemson did?

Arizona State’s run defense certainly improved this season from the dreadful outfit they took the field with last year. That was a huge reason for their success against a run-heavy Big 12 loaded with talented ball carriers.

However, the Sun Devils still rank just 80th in run-defense grade this season and have shown at times this year that they are vulnerable up front with a defensive line that ranks just outside the top 100 in run-defense grade.

That is a big problem against a Texas offensive line that ranks seventh among Power Four units in run-blocking grade. The Sun Devils actually played two of the six teams ahead of Texas in those rankings, Kansas and Utah. On both occasions, they allowed at least 5.0 yards per carry for the game.

One bit of optimism, though, is how the Sun Devils performed against outside zone runs in those two games. They allowed a combined 65 yards on 23 carries when Utah and Kansas ran outside zone, making 17 stops and missing just four tackles along the way.

That level of execution will help in this game as Texas just mauled Clemson with outside zone in their previous game. They ran that scheme 23 times against the Tigers, gaining 249 yards and scoring 2 touchdowns in the process. For the season, Texas ranks among the national leaders in several categories when running outside zone, including yards per attempt, explosive runs and yards after contact.

Predictions

Max: Texas 35, Arizona State 20

Texas should dominate in the trenches on both sides of the ball. While it’s certainly possible that Skattebo gets red hot and/or Ewers gets ice cold, this is a game the Longhorns should win. Texas wins the Peach Bowl and will face either Oregon or Ohio State in the semifinal.

Dalton: Texas 38, Arizona State 24

Similar to Clemson’s task in the first round, it feels like Arizona State will either have to play a perfect game or Quinn Ewers will have to melt down in order to win. This is likely to be the game where the Sun Devils miss star receiver Jordan Tyson and his ability to win downfield. I could certainly see a competitive game unfolding, but Texas has too much depth for the Sun Devils to handle, barring a slew of turnovers.

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No. 1 Oregon Ducks vs. No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes (Rose Bowl on Wednesday at 5 P.M. ET on ESPN)

Oregon’s pass game against Ohio State’s pass defense (Max): Will the Buckeye corners fail them again?

Oregon scored 32 points on Ohio State back in their Week 7 matchup, the only time the Buckeyes surrendered more than 17 points all season. In that game, the Ducks attacked the perimeter of Ohio State’s defense, avoiding the elite safety duo of Caleb Downs and Lathan Ransom. Of Dillon Gabriel’s 36 completions, only five came from inside the hashes. Cornerback Denzel Burke was the main culprit, allowing all seven of his targets to be caught for 162 yards and two touchdowns. While Burke turned in arguably the worst performance of his career in that game, Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart posted his best. The Texas A&M transfer caught seven of his eight targets for 149 yards and a touchdown.

The Buckeyes’ cornerbacks have been the Achilles heel of an otherwise elite defense all season. 

Where every position for Ohio State’s defense grades in the FBS:

Only 29% of Dillon Gabriel’s passing attempts have come from outside the numbers this season, but Oregon has proven to be very effective at it all year. The Ducks are 16th in EPA per play on passes thrown to the outside while placing 38th when it’s inside the numbers.

Ohio State ran a lot of Cover-1 in that game (30.8%), which essentially put its corners on islands and therefore in unfavorable situations. The Buckeyes would be wise to play with more two-high looks this time in an effort to slow down Oregon’s aerial attack as much as possible.

Oregon’s run game against Ohio State’s run defense (Dalton): Josh Conerly Jr. and Ajani Cornelius vs. JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer

One of the many premier matchups in this game features Oregon’s outstanding tackle duo of Josh Conerly Jr. and Ajani Cornelius squaring off with Ohio State’s pair of terrific edge defenders, JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer.

None of these four players performed at an elite level in the first matchup, but Tuimoloau and Sawyer both struggled to find their footing in the run game. The Ducks simplified their rushing attack, running zone plays at a 60% rate, which is far higher than their season average of 45%. They also put a greater emphasis on running behind Conerly on the left side. There are multiple reasons why this strategy worked.

First, Sawyer is generally the more active of the two edge defenders in run defense, but he almost always lines up over or outside the right tackle. Oregon ran its primary schemes to the left on 19 out of its 28 designed carries in the first game. The Ducks attacked either side of Tuimoloau with great success in that game, especially to his inside as he was more worried about containing Jordan James from hitting the sideline.

Being that the Ducks ran away from Sawyer and the Buckeyes’ emphasis was keeping contain, Sawyer was forced to play a bit more cautious on the backside. That led to him assisting on just one tackle in run defense for the game. As a result of each of these aspects of Oregon’s game plan, Sawyer and Tuimoloau both finished that game with their lowest run defense grade of the season. They’ll need to win their matchups against Oregon’s outstanding tackles in order for the Buckeyes to better defend the run this time.

Ohio State’s pass game against Oregon’s pass defense (Dalton): Can Will Howard continue his dominance throwing to the outside?

Chip Kelly and Will Howard have combined to create a passing game that has excelled when Howard throws to his excellent set of weapons at or outside the numbers. Through the use of elite slot receivers, variances in shifts and formations, and concepts run into the boundary, the Buckeyes have been able to dial up a variety of go routes, outs, corners and even deep crossers that have sliced defenses in the outer areas of their coverages.

Among 151 passers with at least 50 attempts at or outside the numbers this year, Howard is tied with Shedeur Sanders for fourth place with a 91.8 passing grade. Fourteen of his 19 big-time throws this season have come on these outside passes while he has the third-most completions behind Kyle McCord and Garrett Nussmeier, who both threw the ball far more than Howard this season.

It’s an interesting development for Howard, who owned just a 68.1 passing grade on these throws during his time at Kansas State. His ability this season to get the ball outside to uber-talented weapons like Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate, and even running back TreVeyon Henderson creates fun matchups against Oregon’s talented group of cornerbacks.

Jabbar Muhammad, Nikko Reed, Dontae Manning and Brandon Johnson make up that unit, which ranks third in the Power Four in coverage behind Texas and Colorado. Because the Ducks have these weapons at their disposal, they rank sixth in the Power Four in coverage grade versus throws at or outside the numbers, where the Buckeyes excel.

Of course, the Ducks gave up 186 yards on these throws in the first matchup against Ohio State. Johnson, their primary slot cornerback, was the most targeted player having allowed 11 catches for 82 yards and a Jeremiah Smith touchdown. Expect another heavyweight battle between these two teams on the outside that could decide the outcome of the game.

Ohio State’s run game against Oregon’s run defense (Max): Can the Buckeyes generate any movement up front?

Ohio State’s ground game struggled mightily back in its October matchup with Oregon. TreVeyon Henderson rushed for 90 yards on 11 carries, but 70 of those yards came on two runs in the first quarter. Quinshon Judkins was held to just 23 yards on 10 attempts, the fewest in his career. The biggest issue, as it often is with a floundering rushing attack, was the five men up front on the offensive line. The Buckeyes finished with a 48.4 run-blocking grade against the Ducks, their second-worst mark of the season. The only game where they scored lower was in its only other loss this season, Michigan. Since that game against Oregon, Ohio State’s 48.4 run-blocking grade is 98th in the country. The Buckeyes also had Rimington Award-winning center Seth McLaughlin in its loss to the Ducks, and he is now out for the season with a torn Achilles.

Ohio State largely stayed within the tackles on Oregon as 17 of its 29 carries came on inside zone/man concepts. The Ducks have been strong in run-defense between the tackles, placing 21st in defensive grade thanks to stars like defensive tackle Derrick Harmon. But they’re just 109th in defensive grade on outside zone though, an area the Buckeyes should look to exploit if they want to find more success. Ohio State calls outside zone just 14% of the time though (72nd in the FBS).

Predictions

Max: Oregon 31, Ohio State 27

Just like their matchup in October, this Rose Bowl should go down to the wire. I think the Ducks will once again stifle Ohio State’s ground game inside, making this game once again come down to Dillon Gabriel against Will Howard. I trust Gabriel and company more to make enough plays to win this game against the Buckeyes’ struggling corners. Oregon wins the Rose Bowl and will face either Arizona State or Texas in the semifinal. 

Dalton: Ohio State 34, Oregon 30

Ohio State’s offensive line played its second-worst game of the season in the first matchup between these two teams. Its defensive line played its worst. One thing that’s been forgotten is that the Buckeyes would have won this matchup if not for a pass interference on Jeremiah Smith and Will Howard’s mistake on the final play. Oregon has been the college football’s most consistent team this season, but it’s hard to beat a team of this caliber twice.

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No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs vs. No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Sugar Bowl on Wednesday at 8:45 P.M. ET on ESPN)

Georgia’s pass game against Notre Dame’s pass defense (Dalton): What is Georgia’s plan for Notre Dame’s elite man coverage?

Gunner Stockton’s first collegiate start coming against Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl is challenging enough on the surface. That challenge is magnified by the fact that the strength of Notre Dame’s defense is its elite man-coverage ability.

No team in the FBS this season has played Cover 1 at a higher rate than Notre Dame’s 50.7%.  Also, nobody has been more effective than the Fighting Irish when deploying man coverage. When they deploy it, they lead the nation with a 94.1 coverage grade. They also lead the FBS with 13 interceptions and 34 coverage stops while they allow just a 53.8 NFL passer rating when in man coverage.

One of Georgia’s primary issues in the passing game has been its receivers’ inability to separate and finish plays when given these one-on-one matchups. When facing man coverage this season, the Bulldogs have earned a lowly 61.7 receiving grade this season that ties for 100th in the FBS. Explosive plays have been hard to come by in these scenarios. Georgia has created just 19 explosive receptions against man coverage this season, and six of those came in its game against UMass.

It’s entirely possible that Notre Dame’s secondary held a decided advantage in this game even if Carson Beck was playing. With Stockton at the helm, though, the scales tip further in the favor of the Fighting Irish unless Georgia’s receiving weapons can win more consistently on the outside than it has all season.

Georgia’s run game against Notre Dame’s run defense (Max): How will the Bulldogs perform against the Fighting Irish’s heavy boxes?

As Dalton illustrated, Notre Dame’s elite secondary will be trusted to cover Georgia’s struggling receivers one-on-one, especially with a backup quarterback in place. And the Fighting Irish’s heavy Cover-1 rate allows them to move defenders up into the box to help stop the run and send blitzes. Notre Dame has had eight or more box defenders on 211 defensive snaps this season, the fourth most among Power Four schools. That’s helped the Fighting Irish surrender an explosive run just 11.9% of the time, a top-20 mark in the nation. 

While Georgia’s run game has been strong all year (18th-best rushing grade), the Bulldogs haven’t performed very well against heavy boxes. They average just 2.8 yards per carry against heavy boxes which is 96th in the nation. Georgia also averages just 1.8 yards after contact per attempt, which is 109th in the nation. 

The Bulldogs are likely going to need their run game to thrive with a backup quarterback and an underwhelming receiving corps going against an elite secondary. To do that, Georgia is going to need to find more success against a Notre Dame defense that will sell out to stop the run.

Notre Dame’s pass game against Georgia’s pass defense (Max): Getting pressure on Riley Leonard with a four-man rush

As the table below shows, Leonard is a bit of an enigma at quarterback.

Riley Leonard’s grading splits this season:

Normally when there is a massive split between a quarterback’s grade when kept clean versus when he’s under pressure, there’s a similar split for his grade against the blitz versus a standard rush. After all, the entire point of a blitz is to create pressure on a quarterback as quickly as possible. While there is a considerable gap, it’s in the opposite direction. Leonard is outstanding against the blitz this year, tossing 10 big-time throws and no turnover-worthy plays. Of the nation’s quarterbacks with no turnover-worthy plays against the blitz, Leonard’s 10 big-time throws are four more than the next-closest signal caller. 

A reason for that could be that blitzes often coincide with man coverage, an area where Leonard’s performed well this year with eight big-time throws and no turnover-worthy plays. He’s far less effective against zone, tossing six big-time throws compared to seven turnover-worthy plays. Man-coverage also means that the defenders' backs are turned to the quarterback, which is dangerous to do against Leonard given his fantastic rushing ability (15 rushing touchdowns are tied for fifth among FBS quarterbacks). 

Georgia sends a blitz 50.5% of the time, the seventh-highest rate in the country. But the Bulldogs also spend a good amount of the time in zone coverage, doing so 72.4% of the time. 

If Georgia decides to hang back in coverage rather than sending a blitz against Leonard, a key area to watch is how Notre Dame handles the Bulldogs’ stunts. Georgia stunts at the 22nd highest rate in America (37.5%) while the Fighting Irish have the 82nd-best pass-blocking grade against stunts (57.7). 

If the Bulldogs can consistently pressure Leonard while hanging back in zone coverage, they’ll stifle Notre Dame’s passing attack that features an average receiving corps and average pass protection.

Notre Dame’s run game against Georgia’s run defense (Dalton): Who wins the battle between the tackles?

Considering Notre Dame’s elite rushing trifecta of Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price and Riley Leonard, Georgia has plenty to worry about when it comes to stopping the run in this game. The first priority, though, is slowing down Love’s elite production between the tackles, which is an area where the Bulldogs have had plenty of success this season.

Love’s 93.3 rushing grade between the tackles is tied with Ashton Jeanty for the best this season among running backs with at least 40 such carries. He is averaging an absurd 8.3 yards per-carry on runs between the tackles as well. A big part of that success has been Notre Dame’s offensive line, which has earned a 76.3 run-blocking grade in these scenarios, a top 15 mark in the country.

Georgia’s defense has shut down inside runs this season. The Bulldogs have allowed just 3.8 yards per carry and 12 explosive runs between the tackles this season, both of which are top 10 marks in the nation. Edge players Chaz Chambliss and Mykel Williams have done a terrific job keeping contain while interior defenders like Nazir Stackhouse, Christen Miller, and Smael Mondon Jr. fill gaps and prevent ball carriers from gaining momentum.

Georgia does need to be wary of Love or Price bouncing outside and of Leonard keeping the ball on read options. The Fighting Irish have a different element of speed in their run game than they have in years past. If the Bulldogs make stops between the tackles, though, they will cut off one element of a run game that has kept defenders in conflict all season.

Predictions

Max: Notre Dame 24, Georgia 21

This game could end up in the teens. This will come down to which rushing attack finds more success and who can find a handful of explosives in their passing attacks. While Georgia’s defense is incredibly well-coached, I have more faith in Riley Leonard and Jeremiyah Love to make some timely plays than I do with a quarterback who’s making his first career start in Gunner Stockton. Notre Dame wins the Sugar Bowl and will play either Boise State or Penn State in the semifinal.

Dalton: Notre Dame 20, Georgia 13

This game is bound to be ugly and physical. Georgia’s stout run defense and Kirby Smart’s game planning give the Bulldogs more than a puncher’s chance to win. However, it’s hard to envision their passing game having a ton of success unless Mike Bobo calls a near-perfect game. Similar to the Texas A&M game that Notre Dame started the year with, the Fighting Irish will get enough out of the ground game while their defense carries them to victory.