The first semifinal game between the 3rd ranked Georgia Bulldogs and the 2nd ranked Oklahoma Sooners tips off at the 2017 Rose Bowl. Which team will get the chance to compete for the national championship? Keep reading to find out.
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2017 Rose Bowl: Georgia Bulldogs vs Oklahoma Sooners
When: January 01, 2018, 5:00 PM ET
Where: Rose Bowl
Spread: Georgia -2
Total: 60
Moneyline: Georgia -125 vs Oklahoma +125
Betting on Georgia Bulldogs
Until the Bulldogs lost to the Auburn Tigers, they were considered the best team in the country.
The loss knocked them off the top-four pedestal, but they managed to climb back up by beating Auburn in the SEC Championship game.
However, Georgia will go up against a Sooners team that will give them a run for their money.
The Bulldogs will stick to their guns and rely on the dynamic duo of Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, who had 1,175 yards and 13 touchdowns and 948 yards and 13 touchdowns respectively. Chubb and Michel are also third and ninth in the SEC in rushing yards.
The main concern for Georgia is over freshman quarterback Jake Fromm, but the 19-year old has proved he’s up to the task as an efficient signal caller.
Georgia’s main quality is their top-notch defense that is full of talent.
Their linebacker unit is arguably the most talented group in all of college football. Butkus Award winner Roquan Smith has had a stellar season, leading in tackles, sacks and quarterback hurries.
And the backend is chock-full of upperclassmen who understand their role in defending and work as a well-oiled machine.
If the Bulldogs can fire up their running game, they’ll control the clock and keep Oklahoma’s offense on the sideline and stay away from Mayfield’s deadly passing game.
If the Sooners do stop the Bulldogs’ running game, they’ll have to rely on Jake Fromm, who had 2,173 yards, to lead them to victory. But, it’s something that didn’t work for Georgia in their loss to Auburn
Bettting on Oklahoma Sooners
After being defeated by Iowa State early in the season, the Sooners bounced back by winning their last eight games.
The fact that they blew out every single opponent except the Texas Longhorns, gives them even more confidence.
The matchup between Baker Mayfield and the high-octane Sooners’ passing game and the ball-hawking skills of safety Dominick Sanders will be interesting to watch.
The Sooners passing attack is among the top five in the nation in yards, yards per attempt, completion percentage and touchdowns. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs defense is among the top 10 in passing yards allowed and yards per pass attempt.
The newly crowned Heisman winner, Baker Mayfield, is expected to lead the Sooners to another victory and to the championship game.
He’ll be looking for his preferred target of choice, tight end Mark Andrews, who is second on the team in receiving and first in receiving touchdowns.
However, Andrews will be pushed to his limits against the experienced safety duo and the best linebacker unit of Georgia.
The Sooners main weakness is its defense; Oklahoma ranks 81st in the nation in yards allowed, but their “bend-don’t break” defense has held opponents to a respectable 25 points per game.
Also, even if the defense will be under pressure heading into the Rose Bowl they’ve held ranked opponents to 20 points or less in three of four matches this season.
Mayfield and the Sooners offense have had a great year, finishing 4th best in scoring while averaging 44.9 points per game.
Unlike the Bulldogs, who rely on the run, the Sooners are excellent in passing and on the ground. Oklahoma finished the season averaging 215.9 rushing yards per game, which was 27th in the country, and 367.4 passing yards per game which was 3rd.
Because they’re able to run and pass well, they can put the Bulldogs defense in a bind hitting on both ends.
If the Bulldogs focus on Mayfield, Oklahoma will seek to find open running lanes; if they focus on the stopping the run, Mayfield will turn to the passing game.
Despite their advantage on offense, the Sooners will have their hands full with Chubb and Michel because if they can’t stop Georgia’s running game they’ll have a hard time winning the game.
Bulldogs vs Sooners Betting Trends
- Oklahoma is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games.
- The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Oklahoma's last 8 games against the SEC.
- Oklahoma is 5-1 SU and ATS in its last 6 games as an underdog.
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oklahoma’s last 6 games in bowl season.
- Oklahoma is 4-0 ATS in its last 4 games vs the SEC.
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Georgia's last 7 games against the Big 12.
- Georgia is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games in bowl season.
- The favorite is 7-2 SU in the last 9 Rose Bowls.
H3 Expert Prediction
The Bulldogs are the 1.5-point favorites to win the game; the Sooners look like the better team on paper, but have a tendency to choke on big game. I’m going with the Bulldogs at -1.5 points.