We are a few days away from Georgia football and Michigan squaring off in the historic Orange Bowl for a shot at playing in the College Football Playoff National Championship game.
Excitement and nerves are at an all-time high as the No. 3 ranked Bulldogs embark on a quest to end the “1980” jokes and put a 41-year-old drought to rest.
It doesn’t take too much film study to realize that the strength of this 12-1 Georgia team has been their defense. Despite their disappointing showing against Alabama earlier this month, the Dawgs still rank in the top five in several defensive categories.
Georgia football has one of the best defenses in the country, and Michigan is their next victim.
This success helped defensive coordinator Dan Lanning land the head coaching job at Oregon. Lanning, however, will remain with Georgia throughout the CFP and continue to call plays.
The collection of talent on this defense is genuinely astonishing. Guys like Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, Travon Walker, Quay Walker, Nakobe Dean, Nolan Smith, Channing Tindall, Kelee Ringo, Derion Kendrick, and others have made impacts in some sort of way this season.
The Junkyard Dawgs have their work cut out for them against a very physical Michigan offense. Like Georgia’s offense, they are a ground-and-pound team built around a stable of great running backs and a talented offensive line. Quarterback Cade McNamara has also had a solid season, as well as freshman JJ McCarthy, who rotates with McNamara.
Looking ahead, here are three things the Georgia defense must do to walk out of Miami with a victory.