10 College Football Playoff storylines that can decide who meets for the National Championship

Bowl season is winding down.

But the 2 greatest video games of the season are approaching kickoff.

On Saturday, TCU and Michigan will tangle within the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, adopted by Ohio State and Georgia within the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

Here are the ten storylines that might decide who will meet within the National Championship recreation.

TCU (12-1) vs. Michigan (13-0)

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Can Max Duggan and firm discover success towards the Michigan protection?

Heisman finalist Max Duggan led one of many nation’s high offenses this season. TCU averaged 40.3 factors per recreation this season, rating sixth within the nation, they usually averaged 473 yards of offense per recreation, rating fifteenth. For his half Duggan ranked seventh within the nation with 9.0 Yards per Attempt, sixth within the nation in Adjusted Yards per Attempt, and he threw 30 landing passes towards simply 4 interceptions?

The downside? Duggan and the TCU offense haven’t seen a protection like Michigan’s but this season. The greatest protection the Horned Frogs confronted this 12 months, no less than when it comes to scoring protection, was Kansas State, who tied for the 19th-best scoring protection within the FBS, permitting 20.03 factors per recreation.

TCU beat the Wildcats through the common season, however misplaced to them within the Big 12 Championship recreation.

Michigan? The Wolverines enter the Fiesta Bowl with one of many high scoring defenses within the nation, permitting simply 13.38 factors per recreation, tying the Wolverines with Air Force for fourth-best within the nation. Michigan additionally allowed simply 277.1 yards per recreation, third-best within the nation.

TCU followers searching for a silver lining will level to Iowa State. The Cyclones ranked sixth within the nation, permitting simply 285.6 yards per recreation this 12 months. But again in November, the Horned Frogs hung 62 factors on Iowa State, and gained 377 yards of offense within the 62-14 rout.

How does the Michigan secondary maintain up towards Quentin Johnson?

Not to get too far forward of ourselves, however the 2023 NFL Draft class at extensive receiver may be thinner on the high than we now have seen in years previous. But a receiver that may very well be close to the highest of not simply the receiver class, however all the class, is TCU’s Quintin Johnson. Johnson is a prototypical X receiver, with the scale, athleticism and ball abilities to be a featured goal in an NFL offense.

You see these traits on this landing towards Kansas State, as he run a vertical route alongside the left sideline towards a press-aligned defender:

Johnson will get on top of things instantly, placing the cornerback in chase mode. As the defender tries in useless to catch up, the receiver accelerates away from the protection for the landing.

How would possibly Michigan deal with Johnson? An reply may very well be discovered of their win over Ohio State. In that recreation, the Wolverines secondary was examined by Marvin Harrison Jr., the gifted Buckeyes receiver. Harrison additionally has the mix of dimension, route-running, velocity, and ball abilities supreme for an X receiver function on the subsequent stage.

Harrison caught 7 passes for 120 yards and a landing towards Michigan, so it’s not just like the Wolverines fully stored him quiet. But they discovered a strategy to restrict the injury via a mix of off-coverage, and press-man. They additionally used a number of completely different defenders towards Harrison, as an alternative of getting a devoted cornerback journey with him. Both freshman Will Johnson and senior D.J. Turner snaps towards him, as did Mike Sainristil when Harrison aligned within the slot.

That may be one thing to observe Saturday: How usually the Horned Frogs use Johnson out of the slot. The Buckeyes had success utilizing Harrison out of the slot towards Michigan, and as for Johnson, he had 68 snaps this season out of a slot alignment. That consists of lengthy touchdowns towards each West Virginia and Kansas.

Can TCU cease the run?

Any group that has confronted Michigan this season has gone into the sport with a singular focus: Stopping the run. The Wolverines sport among the finest speeding assaults within the nation, averaging 5.64 yards per carry — rating fourth within the nation — and 243 yards per recreation, rating fifth.

So whereas groups have tried to decelerate that speeding assault, they’ve met little success within the try.

Still, TCU head coach Sonny Dykes made it clear just lately, that stopping the run is their concentrate on the defensive facet of the soccer. The coach advised Colin Cowherd that the Michigan run recreation is their chief concern:

“Yeah, actually, I believe everyone that performs Michigan in all probability is a little bit bit involved with that.

“They’ve got a really good offensive line — I think it’s the strength of their football team. They’re big up front on both lines of scrimmage. They’ve got three tight ends that can jump into some 13 personnel and do some interesting things from a run-game perspective; they’ll play with six, seven offensive linemen at different times. So you can tell that they want to run the ball.”

The Wolverines throw rather a lot at a protection within the operating recreation, from zone designs to hole and energy ideas that check the attention self-discipline of the linebackers, and the energy and energy of the gamers alongside the defensive entrance. Plus, they create the Joe Moore Award winners — given to the nation’s greatest offensive line — to the desk.

Finding a strategy to decelerate the Michigan run recreation will probably be an enormous job for TCU.

But right here’s the factor.

Doing that’s simply a part of the battle.

If they do, will J.J. McCarthy make them pay?

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Ohio State stopped the run recreation Michigan run recreation within the first half.

The Buckeyes held Michigan to only ten speeding yards within the first half of their assembly. But the Buckeyes led by simply three on the halftime break, as a result of Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy created some huge performs within the passing recreation.

The first was a third and 9 catch-and-run landing from Cornelius Johnson, when Ohio State introduced strain and McCarthy hung within the pocket simply lengthy sufficient to make a throw:

The second got here on Michigan’s subsequent offensive snap, with McCarthy hitting Johnson on a deep submit route after doing an awesome job of climbing the pocket:

A 3rd landing go, coming early within the second half to tight finish Colston Loveland, gave the Wolverines a 24-20 lead. Their passing recreation stored them within the contest, after which within the second half the operating recreation took over, as backup operating again Donovan Edwards — taking up for the injured Blake Corum — had a pair of lengthy landing runs to assist Michigan salt away the win.

So even when TCU can cease the run, because the Buckeyes did within the first half, McCarthy would possibly make them pay.

Is this a Big 12 recreation, or a Big Ten recreation?

Ultimately, who wins this recreation would possibly come right down to that query.

Is this a Big Ten recreation, or a Big 12 recreation?

Michigan desires to play “bully ball,” as Dykes talked about earlier this month. They need to beat you up within the trenches, bringing the back-to-back Joe Moore Award winners to the battle.

And as Dykes mentioned, this recreation is a distinction in types. “A little big of contrasting styles. We’re a little bit more of a team that relies on speed.”

Which type wins out would possibly very effectively decide the course of this recreation. Does it find yourself like a Big Ten battle of the bullies, or a Big 12 monitor meet?

Ohio State (11-1) vs. Georgia (13-0)

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Can OSU match the physicality of Georgia?

The final time we noticed Ohio State on the sphere, they have been getting pushed round by Michigan to the tune of 252 yards speeding on 7.2 yards per carry as they misplaced gasoline within the second half. Now, you would say that’s as a result of Wolverines having a deep secure of operating backs and an offensive line that gained the Joe Moore award for the very best offensive line unit in faculty soccer.

Well, right here’s the factor: Georgia additionally has a deep secure of RBs and an offensive line that completed second to Michigan, and when Georgia desires to they’ll completely crush groups on the bottom—like operating for 255 yards on 5.8 yards per carry towards LSU within the SEC title recreation.

If Ohio State goes to make this recreation aggressive sufficient to finish the upset, they should match the physicality of Georgia, particularly defensively.

Can CJ Stroud make performs along with his legs?

Think about all the blokes which have given Kirby Smart’s Georgia group issues: Bryce Young, Baker Mayfield and to some extent Desmond Ridder. All of these guys made sufficient performs with their legs to both make the sport shut or pull off the upset. Last 12 months, Young solely ran for 40 yards, nevertheless it was his capacity to increase performs along with his ft that gave Georgia issues.

CJ Stroud is a bit more like Hendon Hooker of their capacity to cube you from the pocket. Stroud is an effective operator submit snap and has the accuracy to hit in any respect three ranges. However, one factor CJ Stroud doesn’t do is run the ball or lengthen performs along with his legs as usually as Young. Let’s use the Hooker instance. Hooker is extra of a runner than Stroud, however of their loss to Georgia he had 18 carries for 17 yards and was confined to the pocket. Stroud goes to have to make use of his legs to create home windows for himself on this recreation, or the offense will sputter out.

Can Georgia set up dominance up entrance early?

Georgia has been a extremely fascinating group all season. When they’ve wished to, they’ve been in a position to dominate up entrance and switch video games into slugfests, or win in shootouts. This 12 months’s Georgia group does will be predisposed for beginning sluggish, nonetheless. You assume again to the Missouri recreation, the place Georgia was down 19-12 going into the fourth quarter earlier than finally successful 26-22. To their credit score, when the lights are the brightest they step on the gasoline, however the Bulldogs can’t afford to start out sluggish towards a group like Ohio State, who can rating on each possession. Dominate up entrance early and infrequently, and make this recreation get out of hand early.

Will Stetson Bennett make sufficient performs via the air?

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In each huge recreation that Georgia has performed this 12 months, there was one fixed: Stetson Bennett has the sport of his life. Against Oregon in week one, Bennett threw for 368 yards and two TDs in a 49-3 beatdown. In the win towards Tennessee, Bennett threw for 257 yards and two TDs and ran in a TD as effectively. In the SEC title recreation, Bennett threw for 274 yards and 4 TDs within the 50-30 win.

Ohio State is significantly better towards the go than they’re the run (14th in passing yards allowed per recreation, twenty fourth in speeding yards allowed per recreation), however Michigan had some success hitting them with huge performs within the passing recreation. Can Bennett have the identical success?

How will OSU clear up the Jalen Carter downside?

Yeah…uhhh…if Ohio State desires to win they must decelerate this man:

A man that may raise opposing QBs with one arm like a father carrying his toddler to bedtime:

Jalen Carter is a large headache for any defensive coordinator on account of his burst, energy and approach, and he’s going to be a problem for Ohio State. If the Buckeyes need to make this a aggressive recreation, they should restrict Carter’s influence to a minimal.