The Granddaddy of Them All is back in the College Football Playoff as a semifinal and you won't find a more compelling, diverse matchup than the one between No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 3 Georgia. It's a complete clash of styles: the Sooners spread you out and have one of college football's best scoring offenses, while the Bulldogs crush opponents with the ground game and run more than just about any other team on first down (80.5 percent).
Not only that, but both offenses are built to exploit the other's weakness, so this should be a fun matchup. Both teams are led by first-time coaches, meaning either Lincoln Riley or Kirby Smart will be playing for a national championship next week, and both have the team to win it all, too.
Viewing information
Date: Monday, Jan. 1 | Time: 5 p.m. ET
Location: Rose Bowl -- Pasadena, California
TV: ESPN | Live stream: Watch ESPN, Watch ESPN apps
Storylines
Oklahoma: Quarterback Baker Mayfield has been battling an illness this week. While that likely won't affect his status for the game, it is something to monitor. But given Mayfield's tendency to get up for big games, this could literally be his own "Flu Game" a la Michael Jordan. Mayfield can also further cement his legacy as one of college football's best quarterbacks -- he's already won the Heisman Trophy -- by at least getting to the national championship.
Georgia: Georgia has grown into one of the premier jobs in college football given the rise of blue-chip, in-state talent in recent years. However, this playoff appearance is still one of firsts for the Bulldogs. As the great Berry Tramel wrote, Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm could be the first true freshman quarterback to win a national championship since (of all people) former Oklahoma quarterback Jamelle Holieway did it in 1985. Smart is a second-year coach and has been the one good recent example of an SEC program successfully plucking the Nick Saban coaching tree. To have a shot to make history, though, it needs to get past the Sooners.
Prediction
The over/under for this game is now at 60, and the over still seems appealing given how well these two offenses work. That would seemingly play into Oklahoma's favor. And if there's one thing Mayfield has proved, it's that it is hard to bet against him. This one is setting up to be a classic. Pick: Oklahoma +2.5
So what side do you need to be all over in the Rose Bowl? Visit SportsLine now to get a strong pick for Oklahoma vs. Georgia from insider Emory Hunt, who's on a 14-5 run in college football against the spread picks.
