The first of four pickup races on New Year’s Day begins early in Atlanta when no. 9 Georgia the no. 8 Cincinnati in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium pack. This is one of the most intriguing games of the baking season where we can see the AAC champions take on one of the big boys of the SEC. Georgia has been on fire since he turned to the USC transfer QB JT Daniels and opened the offense. The Bulldogs have won three consecutive games while playing their best offensive games in terms of yards per game.
Meanwhile, the Bearcats want to try one of the most successful seasons in program history with a win over an SEC foe. Cincinnati may have missed the College Football Playoffs, but the AAC champions hope to follow in the footsteps of the UFC in 2017 with a win in the New Year’s Six. Coach Luke Fickell is one of the hottest names in the coaching wagon and he has built a well-balanced team.
Surprisingly, these two schools have met twice before, but not since 1976. It is not surprising that Georgia has won both meetings. Will Georgia make it three in a row over Cincinnati, or will the Bearcats kick off a magical season with a victory of the New Year’s Six Bowl? Let’s take a closer look at the storylines and contests we have to follow before making some expert choices, straight and against the spread.
Stories
Georgia: The demand for motivation is always faced by Power Five teams in the six-year match against the group of five teams. Linebacker Monty Rice, cornerback Eric Stokes, tighthead Tre ‘McKitty and attacking guard Ben Cleveland are some of the stars expected to haunt this one. But defender Richard LeCounte is fighting hard to return from his motorcycle accident and the offense will definitely want to set the tone for a full season with Daniels at the helm in 2021. It will be interesting to see how Kirby Smart, coach , will be. and offensive coordinator Todd Monken uses the backfield. Zamir White, James Cook, Kenny McIntosh and Kendall Milton are all set to return next season, which is the foundation of a championship-level offense. The tone can be set on Friday.
Cincinnati: Quarterback Desmond Ritter was one of the sport’s quiet superstars in 2020. He set up 232.2 runs per game and 67.67 rushing yards, and eventually developed into the game-breaker he had flickered before the season. He will put pressure on a Georgia defense that will be short-handed due to injuries and opt-outs. It will be interesting to see how Fickell handles this situation. This is the biggest game of his coaching career in Cincinnati, and a win can not only elevate the status of the program to a level we have not seen at the Group of Five level since the Boise State Series, but also to be the hottest coaching candidate in the country next season.
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Games: Peach pie
Date: Friday 1 January | Time: Dinner ET
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta
TV: ESPN | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Peach Bowl Bowl prediction, picks
This one will be a barn burner. Daniels will have his hands full against the tough Bearcats defense, but he will get enough juice to get the job done. With that said, Knight will make the Bulldogs’ heads spin enough to give his team the ball with the chance to cause the upset. They will not be able to finish it, but it’s within touch. Choice: Cincinnati (+7) | Georgia 31, Cincinnati 27
So who wins Cincinnati against Georgia? And which side of the spread hits more than 70% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of Georgia has spread to the back against Cincinnati, all from the advanced model on a 56-36 run on the top-ranked college football pick this season, and find out.