CFP National Championship Preview: Frogs O’ War Staff Predictions

The College Football Playoff National Championship is finally here, with No. 3 TCU and No. 1 Georgia set to battle for the title at SoFi Stadium in California later this evening. With only hours remaining until kickoff, our staff has some final thoughts as well as score predictions for this evening’s football contest. We’d like to thank all of our readers and supporters who have tuned into the Frogs O’ War Podcast and followed the CFP National Championship Preview series on the website. Your support truly means the world to us. Below are the Frogs O’ War staff predictions and summaries for this evening’s national title matchup.

Russ Hodges (@RussellJHodges): TCU 38, Georgia 35

As I have all season, I’m taking the Horned Frogs to win their record-breaking 14th game as well as their first national championship since 1938. Both semifinal contests resulted in shootouts and I suspect the finals will turn out the same way. Both quarterbacks have shined throughout the season and I think Max Duggan and Stetson Bennett will both be tough to stop in this matchup. However, TCU has found different ways to win throughout the season and I believe the Horned Frogs will once again find a method to pull off perhaps the biggest upset in the 2022-23 college football season as 12.5-point underdogs.

Anthony North (@north_anthony): TCU 34, Georgia 30

Georgia is who everyone says they are: the bully, the boogeyman, the monster at the end of the book, the final boss, Godzilla and Michael Myers and the tornado from Twister; an unstoppable, unbeatable entity, devouring all in its path. Life is not a Disney movie; destiny and momentum and [redacted] and [redacted] aren’t real, but when it comes to Hypnotoad, I still believe. The Bulldogs will smash and push and lean on the Frogs; Brock Bowers will go 7-97-2; Jalen Carter may literally eat Alan Ali as a snack; Kelee Ringo may even shut down Quentin Johnston. Whatever it is, these Horned Frogs will find a way to overcome and emerge victorious as National Champions.

Drew Carlton (@DrewCarlton4): TCU 42, Georgia 40

This is it. The Frogs go up against the big bad Bulldogs from the SEC for the National Championship. TCU has their work cut out for them going up against a projected top 3 pick in next year’s draft in Jalen Carter, the best tight end prospect football has seen in years in Brock Bowers, and all the other future NFL players on Georgia’s roster. The Frogs are underdogs for the second straight game and I think they win a thriller for the second straight game to take home the trophy. Quentin Johnston matches up better against Georgia’s secondary than he did against Michigan’s secondary and he had 163 yards against the Wolverines. A Georgia defense that got hurt on the ground by CJ Stroud will learn that Max Duggan is a more dynamic runner than Stroud and Duggan will make a huge impact with his legs. THT gets a pick in his last game as a Frog, the safeties play a heck of a game limiting Brock Bowers, and Dylan Horton has two sacks on Stetson Bennett. Go Frogs.

Cory Coons (@CCoons): TCU 41, Georgia 38

A slow start with big game jitters, but the Frogs make the adjustments after halftime and rally hard, going up 3 with less than 2 minutes remaining after the biggest kick of Kell’s career…karma comes back to bite UGA as they miss the FG to tie as time expires and the storybook ending comes true for TCU as the teams legend is cemented in history.

Matthew Sgroi (@MatthewSgroi1): TCU 31, Georgia 30

This WILL be the Frogs toughest challenge. It’s been known. It’s also been known good this Georgia defense is, and how it can control a game single-handedly. It’s why the 1st Half could finish a low-scoring, grind-it-out, 17-7 Georgia lead. But - we’ve seen Sonny and Co. make halftime adjustments before. Here, in the “Big Daddy of Them All” they make the most critical adjustment yet, forcing a few turnovers in the 2nd Half, winning the battle in field position, and finding a way to open up the run game (which will be critical!). Emari Demercado will find his lane for a 2nd Half TD, and after two more Frog TDs, this game will head to its witching hour with a 30-28 Bulldog lead. Fortunately, the Frogs have been in high-pressure situations before. After a final drive highlighted by a 30+ yard Max Duggan run, Griffin Kell will rush onto the field, naming the TCU Horned Frogs the 2023 National Champions.