Should Georgia win a second consecutive national championship Monday night inside SoFi Stadium, will it be because of or despite its pass defense?
The top-seeded Bulldogs are 14-0 entering their title showdown against third-seeded and 13-1 TCU, but they were staggered aerially by LSU in the Southeastern Conference championship game Dec. 3 and again last weekend during the Peach Bowl national semifinal against Ohio State. The Tigers and Buckeyes threw for a combined 850 yards, which is more than Georgia allowed in four September games (684), four October games (733) and nearly as many as in four November games (877).
"Ohio State made some big plays against them, particularly in the passing game, and I'm sure they're going to work to get some of those issues addressed," TCU first-year coach Sonny Dykes said. "Ohio State has a really good group of wide receivers who made some contested plays. Those guys really played well, and credit their quarterback, because I thought C.J. Stroud played really well in that game.
"Georgia is not accustomed to giving up that many points, but you got to see what Georgia is all about in the fourth quarter of that game. You got to see what kind of team they have, because they responded and did exactly what you would expect them to do. They found a way to win."
After giving up just eight passing touchdowns during the regular season, Kirby Smart's Bulldogs have yielded seven the past two games. Georgia never allowed more than 6.0 yards per attempt in the regular season but has allowed 9.9 to LSU and Ohio State.
The recent aerial struggles have occurred despite Georgia's rushing defense continuing to mirror last season's dominance (allowing 79.9 yards per game after a 78.9-yard clip a year ago).
"There is a whole lot we can fix on the defensive side of the ball, communication and things like that," Bulldogs cornerback Javon Bullard said. "It's just the basic things like that, knowing your leverage and talking. I know we've got to talk better throughout the secondary."
Georgia can expect TCU to pick up the offensive pace throughout Monday's game. The Horned Frogs had success going up-tempo in last Saturday's 51-45 victory over Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl, especially in the third quarter, when they assumed their largest advantage at 41-22.
Horned Frogs receiver Quentin Johnson believes that was a huge factor, saying of the Wolverines: "It was taking them a minute to get set, and a lot of them were tired and worn out early. I feel like overall that's where we had the upper hand."
The Bulldogs have faced Tennessee and Kentucky and every pace in between this season, but Georgia co-defensive coordinator Will Muschamp said that tempo is always a focus.
"Our offense plays with tempo at times, and you become good at what you see a lot defensively," Muschamp said. "Coach Smart does a good job of making sure our guys practice against tempo, whether we're getting ready for a team that plays with tempo or not, because you never know when you're going to get it."
Monday night's marquee matchup is expected to be the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Johnson against 6-2, 205-pound Bulldogs cornerback Kelee Ringo. It has been common for Ringo to square off against an opposing team's best receiver, and Johnson could present a stout challenge.
Johnson has amassed 1,066 yards this season and 18.1 yards per catch, and he is coming off a six-catch, 163-yard performance in the Fiesta Bowl.
"He's a good overall, NFL-type of receiver, and I have a lot of respect for him," Ringo said. "We have a lot of respect for (TCU quarterback) Max Duggan as well, and we know that Max is going to try and get him the ball a lot."
TCU's offense is much more balanced than the Duggan-to-Johnson combination, which has been reflected all season and again by the 488 yards against Michigan, but top running back Kendre Miller's status will be a game-time decision due to the MCL sprain in his right knee. Miller has rushed for 1,399 yards.
Duggan was a Heisman Trophy finalist along with Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett IV, and his 3,546 passing yards and stellar 32-to-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio often overshadow his rushing ability. Duggan has rushed for 461 yards and eight touchdowns, and his scrambling has turned unfavorable down-and-distance situations into very manageable ones.
"There is no defense he's going to see that he hasn't seen before," Smart said. "You're not tricking an experienced quarterback like that, and it's very similar with Stetson. You've got to outexecute them, because there is no tricking them.
"They have a system that allows him to get back to third downs where you've got a shot to convert them."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.