Tag: Ohio St football

5-star DE Damon Wilson makes commitment

Five-star pass rusher Damon Wilson has committed to Georgia!

Five-star pass rusher Damon Wilson, who was the nation’s top-ranked uncommitted player in the class of 2023, has committed to the Georgia Bulldogs over the Ohio State Buckeyes.

The decision means Kirby Smart and Georgia won a key recruiting battle against Ohio State. The two teams will meet in Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in the College Football Playoff semifinals in Atlanta, Georgia.

Damon Wilson took an official visit to Georgia for the Auburn game. Wilson plans to play in the All-American Bowl.

Wilson plays for Venice High School in Venice, Florida. Venice plays against a high level of high school competition. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound edge rusher won the 8A state championship in Florida in 2021. Wilson made a clutch interception in the 2021 state title game.

Wilson and Venice fell to Georgia commit Tyler Williams and Lakeland in the 2022 state championship.

The five-star’s recruitment has been very competitive, but ultimately Wilson signed with Georgia football. Georgia also signed  a pair of four-star class of 2023 edge rushers, Gabriel Harris and Samuel M’Pemba.

Syndication: Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Wilson is a member of Venice’s weightlifting team. Impressively, Wilson recorded 15 sacks during the 2021 high school football season and was named the Herald-Tribune Defensive Player of the Year, per 247Sports.

The five-star edge rusher is ranked as the No. 13 recruit in the senior class. The Venice standout is the No. 2 edge rusher in the class of 2023 and the No. 3 player in Florida.

Wilson was also considering Miami, Alabama and Texas. The talented edge rusher has been compared to former Georgia outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari.

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5-star edge rusher Damon Wilson is ready to commit

Five-star pass rusher Damon Wilson is the highest ranked uncommitted player in the country.

Five-star pass rusher Damon Wilson is ready to decide where he will play college football. Wilson, the top-ranked uncommitted player in the senior class, is expected to decide between Georgia and Ohio State.

The elite class of 2023 pass rusher will commit at noon ET on ESPN on Dec. 21. Wilson took an official visit to Georgia for the Auburn game.

Wilson plays for Venice High School in Venice, Florida. Venice plays against a high level of high school competition. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound edge rusher won the 8A state championship in Florida back in 2021. Wilson made a clutch interception in the 2021 state title game.

Wilson and Venice fell to Georgia commit Tyler Williams and Lakeland in the 2022 state championship.

The five-star is favored to sign with Georgia, but his recruitment is very competitive. Kirby Smart and Georgia football have commitments from a pair of four-star class of 2023 edge rushers, Gabriel Harris and Samuel M’Pemba.

Syndication: Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Wilson has also participated on the school’s weightlifting team. Impressively, Wilson recorded 15 sacks during the 2021 high school football season and was named the Herald-Tribune Defensive Player of the Year, per 247Sports.

The five-star edge rusher is ranked as the No. 13 recruit in the senior class. The Venice standout is the No. 2 edge rusher in the class of 2023 and the No. 3 player in Florida.

Wilson has also been considering Miami, Alabama and Texas.

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Three Georgia Bulldogs make USA TODAY Sports’ All-America team

Jalen Carter is among the three Georgia players to make the USA TODAY Sports All-America college football team

The Georgia Bulldogs had three players make the USA TODAY Sports All-America college football team. Georgia and its opponent in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Ohio State, are two of the six programs that had three picks on the All-America team.

Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, defensive tackle Jalen Carter, and safety Christopher Smith all made the first-team. The Bulldogs did not have any players on the second-team.

Georgia defensive back Christopher Smith has had an excellent season. Joshua L. Jones/Online Athens

Surprisingly, more players in the Big Ten (15) were named to the All-America team than players from the SEC (10). Ohio State’s three selections are first-team wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., second-team offensive lineman Paris Johnson Jr., and second-team linebacker Tommy Eichenberg.

Georgia tight end Brock Bowers won the John Mackey award. Bowers has 58 total touches, nine total touchdowns, and 819 total yards this season.

Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter is too much of a force to leave off the All-America team. Carter, who missed several games after suffering a knee injury, has 29 total tackles, three sacks, and two forced fumbles.

Georgia safety Christopher Smith returned to Athens to have a season like this. The first-team All-America safety has 49 total tackles, three interceptions, and a memorable blocked kick returned for a touchdown.

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Talented Ohio State RB is out for the playoffs

Ohio State is without two elite skill position players for the College Football Playoff semifinal against Georgia

Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson is expected to miss the College Football Playoff semifinal against Georgia.

Henderson battled injuries throughout the 2022 college football season, and the former five-star running back is having surgery on his foot. Henderson suffered a foot injury in September and has been fighting through it since.

Henderson had 107 rushes for 571 yards and six touchdowns this season. Henderson had an outstanding true freshman season last year. In 2021, Henderson rushed for 1,248 rushing yards on 183 carries and scored 15 rushing touchdowns. When healthy Henderson is a talented receiver out of the backfield. He recorded 27 catches for 312 yards and four receiving touchdowns as a freshman.

Hopefully Henderson returns to full health for the 2023 college football season. When healthy, Henderson is one of the most dynamic players in all of college football.

Ohio State will have to heavily lean on powerful running back Miyan Williams. This season, Williams has 817 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. However, Williams is not as much of a receiving threat and has only five receptions for 27 yards in 2022.

Freshman running back Dallan Hayden will be asked to play a larger role. Hayden has 510 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns, but does not have impressive receiving numbers (four receptions for 23 yards).

Neither Henderson nor Jaxon Smith-Njigba will suit up for the Buckeyes in the playoffs.

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ESPN announces ‘College GameDay’ location for semifinals

Will ESPN College GameDay be at the Georgia-Ohio State game?

ESPN “College GameDay” will be at the Peach Bowl on Dec. 31 for the Georgia-Ohio State matchup in the College Football Playoff semifinals. GameDay will run from 9 a.m. until noon ET.

The Georgia-Ohio State game kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on New Year’s Eve. This will mark the second consecutive season Georgia has played in the late game of the College Football Playoff on New Year’s Eve.

“College GameDay” also was present for the Georgia-Tennessee game on Nov. 5 in Athens, Georgia.

Georgia is the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. Ohio State is the No. 4 seed. Both teams are coming off concerning defensive performances. However, Georgia’s defense has been more consistent than Ohio State’s.

The Buckeyes have a chance to exploit Georgia’s passing defense. Ohio State has excellent receivers and a talented quarterback, C.J. Stroud, who finished third in the Heisman voting.

Three of the Heisman finalists made the CFP. Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia enters the semifinals 13-0. The Bulldogs played in only a few close games this season. This year, Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett has been excellent in Georgia’s two other games in Atlanta.

The Georgia-Ohio State winner will play the winner of Michigan-TCU in the national championship game in Los Angeles on Jan. 9.

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Key Ohio State receiver out for Peach Bowl against Georgia

The Ohio State Buckeyes will be without top wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba against Georgia

The Ohio State Buckeyes will be without top wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba when it faces the Georgia Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff.

Smith-Njigba is declaring for the 2023 NFL draft. This season, the talented wide receiver has not been a big part of Ohio State’s offense because he’s battled injuries.

The Ohio State receiver has just five catches for 43 yards this season. Smith-Njigba, who is coming off an incredible sophomore season, caught 95 passes for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns in 2021. Smith-Njigba accumulated 15 receptions for 347 yards and three touchdowns in the Rose Bowl alone.

The junior wide receiver has played in only three games this year due to a hamstring injury he suffered in Week 1. Smith-Njigba has not been able to return to full health since then.

The Ohio State star receiver is projected to be selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft, per Draft Wire. However, if Smith-Njigba can return to full health, then we like his chances of being a first-round selection and one of the first wide receivers drafted.

Ohio State has no shortage of wide receiver talent. The Buckeyes have recruited the position better than any other team in college football. Ohio State receivers Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, and Julian Fleming are all great players. Harrison  Jr. and Egbuka both have over 1,00 yards this year.

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Is Georgia football already a CFP lock?

Is Georgia football already a CFP lock following an undefeated regular season?

The Georgia Bulldogs are in a prime position to make the College Football Playoff. Georgia is 12-0 entering the 2022 SEC championship game against LSU. Georgia is No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings.

Georgia has been ranked ahead of Ohio State in the CFP rankings every week since defeating the Tennessee Volunteers. There are only three remaining undefeated teams in college football: Michigan, TCU and Georgia.

If Georgia lost in the SEC championship, the Bulldogs would still be in great shape to make the playoff. The USC Trojans, who have to play Utah in the Pac-12 championship, could be ranked ahead of Georgia if the Bulldogs lose in the SEC championship. However, Ohio State is the only other team with a shot to make the CFP that could push Georgia out of the top four.

The Buckeyes (11-1) are coming off an ugly loss against Michigan and will not have as many wins as Georgia no matter what happens in the SEC championship. It is unlikely Georgia would fall below Ohio State in the final CFP rankings unless the Bulldogs have a really, really bad effort in the SEC championship.

A two-loss Alabama team certainly would not deserve to make the playoff over a 12-1 Georgia team.

This week (or really any week), Kirby Smart and Georgia football aren’t looking to entertain crazy playoff scenarios. The Bulldogs are looking to win a football game. The Dawgs can get an elusive SEC championship, and that means something no matter how the rest of the season unfolds.

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ESPN ranks CFB teams most likely to win the national championship

Who does ESPN think are the five teams most likely to win the national championship?

ESPN has ranked the five college football teams most likely to win the national championship ahead of Week 11. There are still a number of interesting games to be played, including Ohio State-Michigan, USC-UCLA and TCU-Texas.

However, ESPN thinks the five teams most likely to win to the national championship play in either the SEC or Big Ten. The Pac-12 or Big 12 could sneak into the College Football Playoff, but a team for either conference would be a big underdog in the postseason.

There are a number of one-loss teams looking to win out and get some help. Georgia is considered the nation’s top team right now, but the Bulldogs have had some close calls.

Here’s who ESPN ranks as the five teams most likely to win the national championship:

Robert Griffin III ranks the best CFB teams ahead of Week 9

Who does Robert Griffin III rank as the top five teams in the country? Where does he rank UGA?

Former Heisman winner and Baylor football legend Robert Griffin III has ranked the five best college football teams ahead of Week 9. Griffin III also played in the NFL, most notably with Washington, and is now an ESPN football analyst.

Week 9 of the college football season features several games with College Football Playoff implications. Ohio State-Penn State and Tennessee-Kentucky are expected to be the two most important games of the week. Can Penn State or Kentucky pull off an upset?

Griffin III’s two Heisman front-runners, Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker and Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud, are big reasons their respective schools are in Griffin III’s top five.

Who does Robert Griffin III rank as the top five teams in the country? Where does he rank the Georgia Bulldogs?

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum ranks the four best CFB teams

Where are the Georgia Bulldogs and Tennessee Volunteers in Paul Finebaum’s college football rankings?

ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum has named his top four teams in college football following a crazy Week 7. Four ranked and undeafeated teams lost in Week 7. Let’s recap the top action from last week.

Tennessee got a monster, 52-49, home win over Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide. It is the Volunteers’ biggest win in a long time. As expected, the Georgia Bulldogs dominated Vanderbilt. Clemson won at Florida State. Michigan dominated Penn State. USC lost a thrilling game to Utah. TCU won an overtime game against Oklahoma State.

College football has several more enticing games in Week 8. How does Paul Finebaum rank his top four teams?