As the Sugar Bowl approaches, the matchup between the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs and the No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish is generating significant anticipation. ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) offers a projection for this College Football Playoff quarterfinal, assigning Notre Dame a 54% chance of victory, while Georgia holds a 46% probability.
Despite this, betting odds slightly favor Georgia, with the Bulldogs being 1.5-point favorites.
Notre Dame enters the game with a 12-1 record, riding a 10-game winning streak, including a 27-17 victory over Indiana in the first round of the playoff. Quarterback Riley Leonard has been instrumental in their success, showcasing dual-threat capabilities with 2,293 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and an additional 751 rushing yards with 15 touchdowns.
Georgia, boasting an 11-2 record and an SEC Championship title, faces a challenge at the quarterback position due to a season-ending injury to starter Carson Beck. Redshirt sophomore Gunner Stockton is expected to lead the offense in the Sugar Bowl.
Historically, Georgia has won all three previous encounters against Notre Dame, including a 17-10 victory in the 1981 Sugar Bowl.
The Sugar Bowl is scheduled for January 1, 2025, at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, with kickoff at 8:45 p.m. ET, broadcast on ESPN.
For a more in-depth analysis of the upcoming game, you might find the following preview insightful: