Yesterday, I took a stab at five reasons why Notre Dame will defeat the Georgia Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.

Today, we look at the opposite, reasons why the Irish’s 2024 season could come to an end on New Year’s Day in the Sugar Bowl. The Bulldogs won the SEC, in a season that could have gone much differently for one of the nation’s top programs.

Let’s find out my five reasons why Georgia defeats Notre Dame on Jan. 1.

Kirby Smart

Week 3 college football top 25 scoreboard
Sep 14, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart talks to Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Brock Vandagriff (12) after the game at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Tanner Pearson-Imagn Images

As one-of-two active coaches with multiple national championships under their belt, Smart is one of the best at any level. While he has had some average seasons, most of them have been extremely successful. Smart knows how to prepare for a team with three-weeks plus of time, and that could hurt the Irish.

Georgia’s linebackers

Oct 7, 2023; Athens, Georgia, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Devin Leary (13) is tackled by Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jalon Walker (11) and linebacker Raylen Wilson (5) during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The duo of Jalon Walker and Chaz Chambliss each have 6.5 sacks on the year, as they are great at coming off the edge. Notre Dame’s offensive line is young, and will have to deal with the most talented defensive line they’ll face to date. It’s a group that does a great job at giving the linebackers room to make plays. The Irish will have to get to the second-level to limit the ‘backers impact.

Running backs Nate Frazier and Trevor Etienne

Dec 7, 2024; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Trevor Etienne (1) reacts after rushing for a touchdown against the Texas Longhorns during the second half in the 2024 SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Like Jeremiyah Love, this duo doesn’t have the attempts to be among the nations leaders, but that isn’t stopping their production. Frazier is a freshman who had worked his way into the rotation, partly due to a few injuries to Etienne. With Georgia down its starting quarterback in Carson Beck, they’ll surely lean more heavily on its run game.

Experience

Jan 9, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Malaki Starks (24) against the TCU Horned Frogs during the CFP national championship game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

No one on Notre Dame’s roster has been in a game with this kind of magnitude aside from the contest against Indiana. Georgia won a title in 2023, so the majority of their players like cornerback Malaki Starks have been through this kind of environment before. This could play a big part in the outcome, as they’ll have a better feel of the ups-and-downs of a College Football Playoff game.

Quarterback Gunner Stockton

Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) looks to throw a pass during overtime of the SEC championship game against Texas in Atlanta, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.

While he’ll be filling in for the injured Beck, we really don’t know who Stockton is. He’s completed 78.1% of his passes this season, but hasn’t thrown a touchdown. There is an element of surprise here, but the lack of talent isn’t a question as he was a 4-star coming out of high school. Stockton is a wild-card in this game, but one that could surprise the Irish.