2022 College Football Playoff predictions, picks: Georgia the team to beat, but TCU brings chaos element

The College Football Playoff Selection Committee got it right. TCU went from unranked to unbelievable. Ohio State got a mulligan. The Big Ten got two teams in. There is a potential Michigan-Ohio State rematch. K-State won its first outright Big 12 championship in 19 years. Utah's upset of USC may have indirectly avoided a Ryan Day coaching purge. If the Buckeyes and Wolverines win their semifinals, they would play for the national championship 44 days after meeting in Columbus, Ohio. Georgia and No. 2 are favored in the semis. They are mirror images of square-jawed coaches who use game-manager quarterbacks, stout defenses and special teams.

Georgia is defending the national championship. Ohio State is trying to become the first back-to-back champions in the CFP era. The magic number against Georgia's defense might be 30 points. LSU reached that number in SEC Championship Game, but it lost by 20. Georgia is No. 1 nationally in red zone offense and defense. Opponents have reached the UGA 20 only 28 times all season. Ohio state will have to match Georgia’s physicality either way. It will be without Jaxon Smith-Njigba, their best wide receiver.

Georgia beat Michigan 34-11 in the Orange Bowl semifinal. Michigan is one of two undefeated teams in CFP. TCU is the second team to go from unranked to the playoff. The team's coach, Sonny Dykes, added 14 new players to his team. They have made comebacks in five games after being down by at least seven points. Their quarterback, Duggan, is Big 12's top rushing quarterback. Michigan will hold the ball as it usually does.

2022 College Football Playoff predictions, picks: Georgia the team to beat, but TCU brings chaos element.