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2021 Orange Bowl: Georgia 34, Michigan 11

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Never underestimate recruiting rankings. I listen to Stewart Mandel and Bruce Feldman’s podcast pretty regularly, and Mandel made the point that usually in these playoffs, the more talented team wins. Winning as an underdog in the CFP is very, very tough to do. Georgia has one of the top few classes every single year, while Michigan seems to be anywhere from about #8 to #25 on a yearly basis. So when walk-on center Andrew Vastardis gets obliterated by the #22 player in the country (6’5″, 275 lb. Travon Walker) on a pull . . . yeah, that’s what happens. This isn’t Rutgers or Indiana or Northwestern with 250-260 lb. 3-star defensive ends. The bottom line is that Georgia is the more talented team, at almost every position.

Hit the jump for more.

Olu Oluwatimi, Wolverine

Virginia transfer center Olu Oluwatimi committed to Michigan via Twitter on December 27:

#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/eqPYvXtyzM

— Olu (@bigolu55) December 27, 2021

A product of Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha, Oluwatimi was a 6’4″, 275 lb. prospect in high school who signed with Air Force in 2017. At the time he was a 2-star, the #160 offensive guard, and #3300 overall. After spending a year in Colorado, he transferred to Virginia and sat out the 2018 season due to transfer rules. He missed his first possible game in 2019 due to a hand injury, and then he would go on to start the next 32 games for the Cavaliers. In the 2021 season, he was named a Rimington finalist as one of the top three centers in the country.

Hit the jump for more.

2021 Orange Bowl Preview: Final Predictions

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In case you missed it, I have broken the preview down into several parts this week. Feel free to check them out if you want:

• Roster Notes (LINK)
• Last Time They Played (LINK)
• Run O vs. Georgia Run D (LINK)
• Pass O vs. Georgia Pass D (LINK)
• Run D vs. Georgia Run O (LINK)
• Pass D vs. Georgia Pass O (LINK)

The game airs at 7:30 p.m. EST on December 31, 2021. You can watch it on ESPN, listen to it on one of those old radio thingies, or go see the game in Coral Gables, FL.

Hit the jump for the predictions.

2021 Orange Bowl Preview: Pass Defense vs. Georgia Pass Offense

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MICHIGAN
Michigan is #22 in pass defense (194.7 yards allowed/game) and #11 in passer rating defense. They have allowed just 6.0 yards per attempt, which ties them for #6 nationally. Only four teams have topped even 200 yards passing against them.

The primary reason for Michigan’s good pass defense is the edge rushers. Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson set a school record with 14 sacks, and outside linebacker David Ojabo wasn’t far behind with 11. They often line up wide and come tearing off the edge with reckless abandon, but they’re athletic and disruptive enough to make quarterbacks do things they don’t want to do, such as step up in the pocket and make quick decisions.

On the back end, cornerback Vincent Gray has had a bounce-back season after an abysmal 2020, and counterpart Christian Turner has turned into Michigan’s best cover guy with 2 interceptions and 7 pass breakups. Safety/nickel corner Daxton Hill (2 INT, 8 PBUs) has been taken advantage of by some slot fades against quick slot guys, but overall, he has also been very good.

Hit the jump for more.

2022 Recruiting Update: December 27, 2021

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COMMITMENTS

I created commitment posts for the following players:

• QB Alex Orji (LINK)
• WR Darrius Clemons (LINK)
• WR Amorion Walker (LINK)
• DE Derrick Moore (LINK)
• S Keon Sabb (LINK)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2022

Andrew Paul – RB – Dallas (TX) Parish Episcopal: Paul is a 5’11”, 220 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Colorado, Michigan State, and TCU, among others. He’s a 3-star, the #89 running back, and #1210 overall. As a senior in 2021, he exploded for 2,612 rushing yards on 271 attempts for 41 touchdowns on the ground. He also caught 14 passes for 208 yards and 3 touchdowns. This production included over 1,000 yards rushing in three playoff games.

Hit the jump for Paul’s highlights and more.