The Georgia Bulldogs advanced to their 2nd straight National Championship last night after an instant classic in the Peach Bowl against Ohio State. Despite trailing for the majority of the game and trailing by as many as 14 points in the 4th quarter, the Bulldogs took the lead with just under a minute to go and held on as the Buckeyes missed a last second field goal.
Though it took an entire team effort to win, there is a handful of players that made a massive role in the Bulldogs legendary comeback. Here are a few "MVP's" of the game.
Arian Smith
Down 11 with just 8 minutes to go... Arian Smith absolutely torched an Ohio State defender for a wide open 76 yard touchdown to cut the Buckeyes lead to just 3 and give the Bulldogs a massive momentum swing. Smith finished the night as the Bulldogs leading receiver with 129 yards and a touchdown on just 3 catches.
Javon Bullard
Bullard's stat-sheet may not reflect the massive impact the "STAR" play had on the game. Bullard's "hair on fire" style of play caused multiple pressures in the backfield, a sack, and even a pass breakup to save a touchdown late in the 4th quarter.
Stetson Bennett IV
At this point, it's almost a crime to doubt the former walk-on. Though his first half left much to be desired, Bennett's near perfect 4th quarter that included a flawless go-ahead drive to take the lead with just seconds left. Bennett finished the game with 398 passing yards and 3 touchdowns.
Kirby Smart
While coaches have virtually no effect on a game as far as "on field" play goes. Kirby Smart's 2 strategic timeouts in the 4th quarter almost certainly saved the Bulldog's season last night. The first came late in the 4th quarter as Ohio State lined up for a punt on 4th and 1. Smart noticed the Buckeye's were in a different formation and suspected a fake which led him to calling a timeout. Had the Buckeye's converted, the game would've almost certainly been out of reach.
The 2nd stroke of genius came on the final seconds of the game when Smart iced the Buckeye's kicker ahead of the 50 yard field goal attempt to win the game. Kicker Noah Ruggles pulled the kick to the right and the Bulldogs were able to pull off their improbable comeback.
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