The first of four New Year’s Day bowling games starts early in Atlanta, when No. 9 Georgia faces No. 8 Cincinnati at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It is one of the most intriguing games of the bowl season, where we will see the AAC champions take on one of the big guys at the SEC. Georgia has been on fire since turning to the transfer of USC QB JT Daniels and opening the attack. The Bulldogs have won three consecutive wins while playing their best offensive games in terms of yards per move.
Meanwhile, the Bearcats are trying to close one of the most successful seasons in the show’s history with a victory over an SEC opponent. Cincinnati may have missed the College Football Playoff, but the AAC champions hope to follow in UFC’s footsteps in 2017 with a New Year’s Six victory. Coach Luke Fickell is among the hottest names on the coaches carousel and has built a well-balanced team.
Surprisingly, these two schools have met twice before, but not since 1976. Unsurprisingly, Georgia won both. Will Georgia get three straight wins over Cincinnati or will the Bearcats end a magical season with a New Year’s Six bowl win? Let’s take a closer look at the plots and clashes to follow before making some expert choices both upward and against spread.
Storylines
Georgia: The question of motivation always faces the Power Five teams in New Year’s Six bowl games against the Group of Five teams. Linebacker Monty Rice, cornerback Eric Stokes, tight end Tre ‘McKitty and point guard Ben Cleveland are some of the stars who should be left out. But defender Richard LeCounte is struggling hard to come back from the motorcycle accident and the attack will certainly set the tone for what should be a full season with Daniels in charge in 2021. It will be interesting to see how coach Kirby Smart and offensive coordinator Todd Monken use the backfield. Zamir White, James Cook, Kenny McIntosh and Kendall Milton are scheduled to return next season, providing the basis for a championship level attack. The tone can be set on Friday.
Cincinnati: Quarterback Desmond Ritter was one of the sport’s superstars in 2020. He managed 232.2 yards in passes per game and 67.67 yards in races, and finally became the puzzle he showed before the season. He will put pressure on Georgia’s defense, which will be short of players due to injuries and opt-outs. It will be interesting to see how Fickell handles this situation. It is the biggest game of his coaching career in Cincinnati, and a win could not only raise the program’s status to a level we haven’t seen in the Group of Five since the Boise State race, but also set him up to be the candidate for the country’s hottest coach in the next off season.
View information
Games: Peach bowl
Meeting: Friday, January 1 | Time: ET noon
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta
TV: ESPN | Live broadcast: fuboTV (try for free)
Peach Bowl Bowl prediction, choices
Most recent odds:
Georgia Bulldogs -9.5
This will be a barn burner. Daniels will have his hands full against the Bearcats’ strong defense, but will find enough energy to finish the job late. With that said, Ridder will make the Bulldogs’ head spin enough to give his team the ball in the end with a chance to get back on top. They will not be able to finish it, but it will be within a touchdown. Choose: Cincinnati (+7) | Georgia 31, Cincinnati 27
So who wins Cincinnati vs. And which side of the spread reaches more than 70% of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of Georgia vs. Cincinnati has spread backwards, everything from the advanced model in a 56-36 race in his top-tier college football choices this season, and find out.