The Georgia Bulldogs take on the Baylor Bears in the 2020 Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
The Bulldogs are making their 11th appearance in the Sugar Bowl, third-most in the history of the Bowl. This is also their second straight appearance as the Bulldogs lost to Texas in the bowl game last season. The Bears are making their second-ever appearance at the Sugar Bowl. They have faced the Bulldogs four times before and have lost all four meetings although the last of these games came in 1989.
The Georgia Bulldogs are in the Sugar Bowl for the second straight season and they are looking to avenge last year’s loss to the Texas Longhorns in this bowl game. Coach Kirby Smart has steered Georgia to three consecutive major bowl appearances including the 2017 College Football Championship game.
Jake Fromm has thrown for a total of 2,610 passing yards with 22 touchdowns and five interceptions. However, Fromm hasn’t completed 50% of his passes in each of his last five appearances. D’Andre Swift leads the Bulldogs’ rushing attack with a total of 1,216 rushing yards with seven touchdowns while Brian Herrien has 490 rushing yards with six rushing touchdowns. George Pickens has caught 37 passes including seven touchdown grabs.
Georgia is scoring an average of 31.2 points per game this season and they have topped the 30-point mark five times this year. The offense produces 220.9 yards through the air and 190.2 yards on the ground. The Bulldogs’ defense is allowing only 12.5 points per game and they have shut out three opponents this season.
The Baylor Bears have made a 360-degree turnaround since head coach Matt Ruhle replaced Jim Grobe in 2017. Ruhle only had one win during his rookie year as coach and then won seven games last season. But this year, the Bears have won a school-best 11 games and are looking for their first-ever 12-win season with a win against Georgia on the first day of 2020.
Charlie Brewer has passed for a total of 2,950 yards with 20 touchdowns. Brewer also has 10 rushing touchdowns. The dual-threat quarterback has logged five consecutive 250-yard passing games. John Lovett and JaMychal Hasty are the team’s top rushers while Denzel Mims leads the receiving corps.
The Bears rank 17th in the nation in scoring at 35.2 points per game. Baylor is putting up 256.7 passing yards per game and rushing for an average of 174.5 yards per contest. On defense, Baylor has allowed opponents to score just 19.3 points per game and only two opponents have scored more than 30 points against their defense this season.
Georgia is 6-1 SU in their last seven games played. The Bulldogs are 10-5 SU in their last January games played. Baylor is 13-2 SU in their last 15 games played. The Bears are 2-1 SU in a neutral venue this season.
This is Georgia’s second straight appearance at the Sugar Bowl. Last year, they lost to Texas 21-28. The last time we saw them, LSU mauled them 37-10 in the SEC title game. Jake Fromm needs a big bounce-back effort if the Bulldogs are to win this time around. With fewer players headed to the NFL, the motivation should be better this time.
Two seasons ago, the Bears were 1-11 in Matt Rhule’s maiden season as head coach. They went 7-6 last year and were just one win outside the College Football Playoff. Now they have a chance to win the Sugar Bowl. But Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer suffered a concussion during the Big 12 championship game and his health is the main issue for the Bears right now.
Even if Brewer plays, Baylor will be at a disadvantage when it comes to experience. Georgia has been here before and they are looking to avenge last year’s defeat at the hands of Texas. The Bulldogs aren’t just the more experienced team, they convert third downs better and do a better job at red zone scoring opportunities.
PREDICTION: GEORGIA BULLDOGS
The Bulldogs are 4-2 ATS in their last six games played. Georgia is 4-0 ATS away from home and 2-1 ATS in a neutral site. The Bears are 5-0 ATS in their last five games played. Baylor is 9-0 ATS in their last nine games as the betting underdog.
Georgia is coming off a blowout loss to LSU in the SEC championship game but this is a team that has bounced back well from adversity. The Bulldogs are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games after an SU loss, 7-1 ATS in their last eight games after an ATS loss and 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games played after scoring less than 20 points in their previous game. Whether Brewer plays or not, I think the Bulldogs will win this game and cover the spread. Fromm hasn’t shown great form as of late but I think he rises to the occasion and lead Georgia here.
PREDICTION: GEORGIA -5.5
The total has gone under in seven out of the last eight games played by Georgia. The under is 6-3 in the Bulldogs’ last nine games against the Big 12 Conference. The total has gone under in four out of the last six games played by Baylor. The under is also 2-1 in the Bears’ last three games in a neutral site.
These are two of the best defensive teams in the nation. Georgia plays a good basic football defense while Baylor likes to create turnovers by putting the pressure on the opposing quarterback. The Bulldogs’ defense has given up a total of 88 points in their last seven games played while the Bears have given up 46 total points in their last three games played. The under is 6-2 in the Bears’ last eight games as an underdog and the under is also 4-1 in the Bulldogs’ last five bowl games.
PREDICTION: UNDER 41
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