The 2018 Rose Bowl marks the Georgia Bulldogs' first College Football Playoff entry in a matchup with the Oklahoma Sooners, who make their second trip to the semifinal round.
During the regular season, the Bulldogs stumbled once in a 40-17 blowout loss to Auburn then avenged their only defeat in the SEC Championship Game to solidify a spot in the top four. Throughout the year, Georgia has dominated its competition, for the most part, winning 11 out of 12 contests by double-digit margins.
Oklahoma garnered early spotlight with quarterback Baker Mayfield under center. The senior signal-caller went on to win the Heisman Trophy with 4,430 passing yards and 41 touchdown passes to only five interceptions. The offense earned praise with every high-scoring output and finished No. 4 nationally in points.
Which team will smell the roses and advance to the CFP national championship game when it's all said and done? Here are the odds and viewing information for the 2018 Rose Bowl matchup:
Date: Monday, January 1
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Location: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
TV: ESPN
Odds: Oklahoma (-1.5) via OddsShark
Live stream: WatchESPN
Prediction
Don't worry about Mayfield missing out on extra-curricular activities with his teammates throughout the week. According to ESPN.com reporter Kyle Bonagura, the Heisman winner still went through practices before addressing the media Saturday.
As long as Mayfield's offensive line continues to provide protection as they've done all year, the Sooners signal-caller will have some highlight moments throwing the football against Georgia.
Mayfield's ability to move outside the pocket and pinpoint accuracy will frustrate the Bulldogs secondary resulting in a few blown assignments. As a big target downfield junior wideout Mark Andrews should have a productive day—potentially his fourth 100-yard receiving performance in 2017.
NORMAN, OK - OCTOBER 28: Running back Rodney Anderson #24 of the Oklahoma Sooners scores against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on October 28, 2017 in Norman, Oklahoma. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
It's also worth mentioning Sooners running back Rodney Anderson will suit up after a ruling on his legal matters, per ESPN.com reporter Jake Trotter:
"The district attorney's office for Cleveland County, Oklahoma, determined that criminal charges were not warranted against University of Oklahoma running back Rodney Anderson after a police investigation into whether he sexually assaulted a woman who filed an emergency protective order against him."
Anderson provides balance to the Sooners' explosive offense. He's registered five 100-yard performances during the regular season.
Georgia signal-caller Jake Fromm will pick and choose his spots after handing off several times to Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, who have a combined 2,123 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns apiece this season. In order to secure a win, the backfield duo must control the game flow to minimize Oklahoma's time of possession.
At times, we've witnessed weaknesses within the Sooners front seven. Oklahoma State running back Justice Hill gashed this defense for 228 rushing yards. Without much of a passing attack, West Virginia ball-carriers Kennedy McKoy and Justin Crawford combined for 234 yards on the ground against Oklahoma.
If Chubb and Michel find success early, Fromm will see the field open up as the game progresses, which will allow him to take shots to his receivers downfield. Mayfield will outplay Fromm on the big stage, but the Bulldogs ground attack should serve as the equalizer on offense.
Georgia's defense ranks No. 4 in the country, but this program hasn't seen an offensive unit comparable to Oklahoma's group. The Bulldogs need takeaways to tilt the game in their favor. They're not going to force many three-and-outs without yielding scores through the air.
Keep in mind Mayfield has only thrown five interceptions, which occurred in a streak of four games. He's yet to throw a pick since his outing with Oklahoma State.
Oklahoma wins this contest pulling away in the fourth quarter with its aerial attack finding holes in Georgia's secondary. Chubb and Michel will experience early success but fade after the Sooners make second-half adjustments.
Prediction: Oklahoma 31, Georgia 28