LOS ANGELES — Monday night’s showdown between the TCU Horned Frogs and the Georgia Bulldogs is looking to be a battle of wills. Can the Horned Frogs’ offense be enough to take out the Dawgs’ defense? We will find out Monday night who will be the top team in the country. Max Duggan and company are looking to upset Georgia in what will likely be a great game we all talk about for years to come.
The TCU offense has been on a roll this season with Duggan under center. No wonder this offense has been able to make it to the National Championship. The big question is can Duggan and the TCU offense stop the Georgia defense? Duggan appears to be confident about the challenge ahead.
“We know what they are as a team. They’ve been so great on defense and creating trouble and challenges for all offenses this year. We know it’s going to be hard, but we’re looking forward to it,” Duggan said.
The Georgia defense is sure to cause problems for Duggan, but knowing your opponent and still having confidence in your offense could be what helps push TCU to the top. TCU has been one of the most efficient offenses in college football this year. That might be due to the tempo their offense likes to play.
“So I think it’s always the case when you play somebody you’re going to be much more effective when you can have a run threat. But in particular against a team like Georgia, it’s really important to be able to run the ball effectively,” TCU head coach Sonny Dykes said. Dykes is making it clear that to make the most of their offensive prowess they will need to open up the run game.
The Georgia defense has been solid all season long, only averaging 14.8 points allowed per game. The defense has helped propel this team to an undefeated record and another shot at a National Championship. The Georgia defense is ready for what the TCU offense has to throw at them.
Georgia co-defensive coordinator Will Muschamp stated, “They’re a balanced team. They run the ball extremely well. So whatever personnel grouping you’re looking at, it’s really 50/50 run/pass when it boils down to it.”
High praise comes from the Dawgs’ defensive coaching staff but let’s remember that Georgia is number 2 in the country in run defense. The Georgia defense will have to stop the tempo offense that TCU likes to run, and if they can accomplish that, the chances of Georgia winning become that much more possible.
Georgia co-defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann stated, “Our goal in every game is to limit what the other team does as much as possible. We don’t relax our standards based on who we’re playing or what they’re good at.” This mindset will help take on the TCU tempo and explosive offense, and the Georgia defense is prepared to take that challenge on.
This National Championship will determine whether the Georgia defense can keep up with the TCU tempo and explosive offense. We will have to wait and see, but from the looks of both teams, we will be in for a great ride and another amazing National Championship.
