Something to think about when looking at the Rose Bowl...
Oklahoma's adjusted defensive efficiency ranks them at 59th in the country. The three teams closest to that ranking which Georgia played this season are Florida at 45th, Georgia Tech at 49th, and Tennessee at 70th. Against those three teams, Georgia averaged 40.33 points per game, 414 total yards per game, 277.67 yards rushing per game, 0.67 turnovers per game, and allowed their opponent an average of 11.67 drives per game.
Georgia's adjusted defensive efficiency ranks them at 2nd in the country. The three teams closest to the ranking which Oklahoma played this season are Texas at 6th, Ohio State at 11th, and TCU at 14th. Against those three teams, Oklahoma averaged 34.75 points per game, 500.5 total yards per game, 174 yards rushing per game, 0.75 turnovers per game, and ran an average of 11.75 drives per game.
If the offensive averages for both teams against comparable defenses hold, Georgia wins this game. That means that the real question in this game is whether the weakest unit on the field, Oklahoma's defense, plays significantly better than expected. OU hasn't played a ball-control offense like Georgia. They also haven't played a team with a true, consistent, power-rushing attack like Georgia.
So, the real question in this game is not "Can Georgia slow down OU's offense?" but, rather, "Can OU slow down Georgia's offense?"
OU's defense played great against Ohio State but Ohio State has been more than a little bit up and down this season on offense. They'll need a similar effort and on-field result to that Ohio State game if they're going to beat Georgia.
My way too early prediction:
Georgia 38
Oklahoma 27
