After Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett connected with receiver Adonai Mitchell from 10 yards out with 54 seconds to play in Saturday’s College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, it appeared the Bulldogs were destined for their second consecutive national championship appearance.
However, it was not going to be easy for Georgia to close things out with Heisman Trophy finalist C.J. Stroud leading a final Ohio State drive with under a minute to play.
The Buckeyes QB had a 27-yard run with 28 seconds to play that put OSU in field goal range at the Georgia 31. However, the following three plays proved disastrous for Ohio State.
Dallan Hayden ran for a loss of a yard off the left side on first down. On second down following a timeout, Stroud’s pass to receiver Xavier Johnson fell incomplete. On third down, Ohio State looked to throw again, but Stroud was flushed from the pocket and forced to throw the ball away to avoid a disastrous sack.
The questionable play-calling and execution resulted in the Buckeyes going from an advantageous situation just inside field goal range with less than 30 seconds to play. With the game on the line and a chance to earn a spot in the CFP title game, OSU kicker Noah Ruggles hooked a 50-yard field goal wide left, giving Georgia the 42-41 victory.
The Bulldogs punched their ticket to the national championship game on Jan. 9 against TCU at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. UGA, now 14-0, erased a 14-point deficit and outscored the Buckeyes, 18-3, in the fourth quarter.
