After which there have been 4.
After a dramatic convention championship weekend that noticed two of the nation’s high 4 groups undergo losses, the committee finalized one of many least controversial fields within the historical past of the School Soccer Playoff: Georgia, Michigan, TCU, and Ohio State.
There was little drama heading into Sunday’s choices, however there’s loads of intrigue throughout the matchups themselves. Can Georgia preserve its title protection towards a gifted and hungry Ohio State squad? And can Michigan keep undefeated towards this plucky TCU squad?
Listed here are the percentages at BetMGM for the 2 semifinal matchups and our early lean on every:
School Soccer playoff predictions and picks
No. 1 Georgia (-6.5, 60.5) vs. No. 4 Ohio State (Dec. 31, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
After I first noticed the percentages for this sport, I used to be shocked that Georgia wasn’t dealing as a landing favourite or larger. Certain sufficient, bettors have already pushed this line to six.5, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see this one cross the important thing quantity earlier than kickoff later this month.
That’s no disrespect to Ohio State, which clearly owns one of many three greatest rosters within the nation. In reality, the argument for the underdog right here is easy: These groups have been seen as near-equals when the season started, and the Buckeyes misplaced one sport all 12 months to one of many different playoff finalists.
Clearly, that’s an oversimplification. That loss got here on the heels of a difficult win at Maryland, which got here two weeks after a near-stumble at one-win Northwestern. Evaluate that to Georgia, which made fast work of LSU in final week’s SEC last — flashing elite offensive upside with a 50-piece to go alongside essentially the most dominant protection within the nation.
Sure, there’s loads of expertise on this Ohio State roster. That wasn’t sufficient to carry up towards Michigan’s offense, which gashed this unit with 4 touchdowns of 69-plus yards even with celebrity Blake Corum (knee) on the sidelines for many of it — a considerably predictable consequence for a Buckeyes secondary that hadn’t really been examined all 12 months.
I’m skeptical of that unit holding up towards Stetson Bennett and this resurgent Bulldogs offense, whereas C.J. Stroud and Co. have their hardest check but towards this monstrous Georgia entrance. Kirby Sensible’s staff blew out Michigan in an identical spot in final 12 months’s semifinals, and I don’t anticipate this one to be all that a lot nearer.
Decide: Georgia -6.5 (BetMGM)
No. 2 Michigan (-9, 59.5) vs. No. 3 TCU (Dec. 31, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN)
The most important query heading into this 12 months’s playoff choice wasn’t actually whether or not TCU deserved to be one of many high 4 groups within the nation. Its résumé answered that. The larger subject at hand: are the Horned Frogs any good?
Clearly, that’s a bit hyperbolic. This staff needed to be good to outlive a sneakingly loaded Huge 12 unscathed earlier than dropping within the convention title sport to a staff it had already beat earlier this season. It additionally ranked within the high 10 by most superior metrics with a Heisman Trophy contender at quarterback in Max Duggan.
Did this group ever actually look the a part of a playoff staff, although? The Horned Frogs gained seven straight video games by 10 or fewer factors at one level, usually falling behind earlier than counting on late-game heroics. That got here again to chew them final week, when their second massive deficit of the 12 months towards Kansas State was too massive to beat.
There was not often a doubt for Michigan, which led the nation in common scoring margin (+26.7) and gained 9 of its 12 video games by at the very least 20 factors. That features the very best win by any staff this season: a 22-point romp over the very Ohio State staff that the majority take into account to be higher than TCU, rankings apart
Dropping Corum late within the season was a troublesome blow on paper, however quarterback J.J. McCarthy has come alive late within the 12 months to spherical out one of the full groups in soccer. TCU deserves credit score for its phenomenal season thus far, however that ought to finish in convincing style on the large stage.
Decide: Michigan -9 (BetMGM)
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