CFP National Championship 2023: Location, Odds and Guide for Georgia vs. TCU
Georgia and TCU have each proven to have a top-tier college football team throughout the 2022 campaign. The Bulldogs (14-0) are the SEC champions who took down Ohio State in the Peach Bowl. The Horned Frogs (13-1) had an undefeated regular season and defeated Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl.
But only one of these two programs can end the season as the national champions. Georgia and TCU will face off Monday night in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, with the winner capturing the national title.
This isn't new territory for the Bulldogs. They're the defending national champions and will be playing in the title game for the third time in six years. The Horned Frogs, however, have never reached this point, as they're making their first appearance in the CFP.
Here's everything else you need to know heading into Monday's season finale.
CFP National Championship Odds, Information
Game Info
When: Monday, Jan. 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: ESPN.com and ESPN app
Odds
Spread: Georgia (-12.5)
Over/Under: 63 total points
Moneyline: Georgia -435 (bet $435 to win $100); TCU +350 (bet $100 to win $350)
Can Georgia Repeat as National Champions?
It's not easy to win a national championship. It's even more difficult to win two in a row. That's why no program has accomplished that feat since Alabama captured back-to-back national titles in the 2011 and 2012 seasons, prior to the College Football Playoff era (since 2014).
Georgia has an opportunity to repeat as champions on Monday night. And unsurprisingly, the Bulldogs are overwhelming favorites to win the CFP National Championship Game. After all, they're the only undefeated team remaining in the country.
In the CFP semifinals, though, Georgia was tested. It pulled out a narrow 42-41 victory over Ohio State in the Peach Bowl, with Stetson Bennett throwing a go-ahead 10-yard touchdown pass to Adonai Mitchell with 54 seconds remaining.
Buckeyes kicker Noah Ruggles missed a 50-yard field-goal attempt in the closing seconds, and the Bulldogs came out on top once again. They've now won 32 of their past 33 games, with their only loss during that stretch coming against Alabama in the 2021 SEC Championship Game, a defeat they avenged in last season's CFP National Championship Game.
Georgia's most recent victory over Ohio State on Dec. 31 proved yet again why the Bulldogs are so tough to beat. One reason? Their resilience when facing rare adversity late in games.
"If you give up, it's almost a selfish thing because people out there are relying on you. And you're not just playing for yourself," Bennett said, per Anthony Dasher of UGASports.com. "And so there really wasn't an option but to keep going. And things worked out and we played really well at the end."
Bennett is the leader of a balanced Georgia offense that has been among the best in the country this season. The Bulldogs defense has always been strong under head coach Kirby Smart. And the team's roster is just loaded with overall talent.
So it wouldn't be surprising in the least if Georgia is again crowned the national champions on Monday night at SoFi Stadium.
TCU Looks to Cap 1st Year of Dykes Era with Title
Sonny Dykes has been successful at every stop in his college head-coaching career. The way he turned around programs at Louisiana Tech (2010-12), California (2013-16) and SMU (2017-21) led to him getting hired by TCU at the end of the 2021 campaign.
It seemed likely the Horned Frogs (who went 23-24 over the previous four seasons) would improve under Dykes. But few could have expected it to happen so drastically in the 53-year-old's first year at the helm.
TCU fell to 13-1 when it lost to Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship Game, but its resume was still impressive enough for it to earn the No. 3 seed in the College Football Playoff from the selection committee. Then, in the Horned Frogs' CFP debut, they outlasted Michigan for a 51-45 victory in the Fiesta Bowl.
Now, TCU is only one win away from capturing its first national title since the 1938 season.
Even if the Horned Frogs fall short in a challenging matchup on Monday night, they've provided the College Football Playoff with a fresh face. They had never previously reached the CFP, and they're only the second Big 12 program to make it there, joining Oklahoma (2015, 2017, 2018, 2019).
"I've always believed that the cream rises and the more opportunities that schools outside of the traditional brands get, the more those schools can become traditional brands," Dykes said, per Paul Newberry of the Associated Press.
Perhaps TCU will soon solidify itself as a perennial CFP contender. An upset win over Georgia on Monday would further prove that the Horned Frogs belong in the conversation of top programs in the country.
While unlikely, TCU could end up on top as the national champions. It's played competitive games throughout the season and has had a knack for winning close games. It wouldn't be surprising if the Horned Frogs at least make things interesting against the Bulldogs.
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