National media outlet unified in prediction for Georgia vs Notre Dame matchup in College Football Playoff
The Georgia Bulldogs will return to action next week when they take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Sugar Bowl in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff.
Notre Dame advanced past the first round of the playoff via their 27-17 win against the Indiana Hoosiers.
Georgia, meanwhile, earned a first round bye via their win against the Texas Longhorns in the SEC Championship game earlier this month.
The Bulldogs are always one of the top favorites this time of year — it’s never a great idea to bet against Kirby Smart — but Georgia won’t have starting quarterback Carson Beck for the rest of the season due to the elbow injury he suffered in the win against Texas. That makes the Bulldogs less of a “sure thing” in the 2024 College Football Playoff.
Despite the fact that Georgia will be leaning on redshirt sophomore quarterback Gunner Stockton, 247Sports’ Chris Hummer and Brad Crawford both think the Bulldogs will get the win against the Irish.
Hummer has Georgia winning 21-20 while Crawford has the Bulldogs winning 27-20.
From 247Sports: Fun matchup in this one. Neither team is close to full strength with key injuries across the board. To me, this matchup comes down to Gunner Stockton’s ability to operate against the best pass defense in college football. If he can play turnover free and keep drives moving with his legs, UGA finds a way to win this one. If he can’t, the Irish have the formula – a mobile QB, competitiveness along the lines of scrimmage and an elite defense – to pull the upset. I think Stockton manages to get it done in a very close game.
Stockton, of course, is the wild card here. If the former four-star recruit plays at a high level, then Georgia probably wins by multiple scores.
If Stockton struggles, then Notre Dame will have a great chance to pull off the upset.
Stockton has just 354 passing yards in his collegiate career. It’s a big moment for a player that doesn’t have a lot of on-field experience. But if Georgia is going to win it all, it’s going to be because Stockton exceeds expectations.
