No. 12 Michigan State vs. No. 18 Georgia
Jan. 2, 1 p.m. ET, ABC
At Tampa, Fla.
It’s tough to pick which of these teams is in more dire need of bowl redemption.
On one hand you have the Spartans, who got annihilated by Alabama, 49-7, in last season’s Capital One Bowl. Further down the postseason pecking order, but no less embarrassing, you’ve got the Bulldogs’ 10-6 Liberty Bowl loss to UCF. Yikes.
Georgia (10-3) also has to deal with the unceremonious way LSU brought a halt to its 10-game winning streak with a second-half thumping and 42-10 defeat in the SEC championship game.
For its part, Michigan State (10-3) has to overcome the heartbreak of its 42-39 loss to Wisconsin in the inaugural Big Ten championship game, which meant that the Spartans were tantalizingly close to a BCS berth for the second consecutive year.
It’s also difficult to choose between the the two defenses, which each excel collectively and have standout individuals. But it’s an SEC world, so we’re rolling with the fourth best team in that league over the second best in the Big Ten.
We just keep envisioning Bulldog outside linebacker Jarvis Jones chasing Spartan quarterback Kirk Cousins all over the yard.
Opening point spread: Georgia by 3
The pick: Georgia 26-20
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