CFP preview: 2 things to watch in each semifinal Saturday

It's been nearly a month since the College Football Playoff field was officially announced, and it's finally time to ring in the new year with a doubleheader of semifinal action on Saturday.

No. 1 Georgia will start its quest for a second straight national title with a late kickoff in Atlanta against No. 4 Ohio State, while No. 2 Michigan will take on No. 3 TCU in the Fiesta Bowl and look to make its first final appearance in the CFP era.

Here are two things to watch in each of the matchups on New Year's Eve.

No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 Ohio State

Strength on strength

Despite losing the vast majority of its top-ranked defense from last year's national title-winning team to the NFL draft - including five players in the first round - Georgia is once again among the best units in the country on that side of the football. The Bulldogs have already shut down the nation's No. 1 and No. 9 offenses in Tennessee and Oregon, but they now face another dangerous challenge with Ohio State's second-ranked offense.

The Buckeyes piled up the points all year to the tune of 44.5 per contest but were held in check in the loss to Michigan last time out. The Wolverines absolutely stifled Ohio State in the second half at home, limiting Ryan Day's program to a measly three points. The veteran coach has had over a month to fix things, but this upcoming task will be even tougher than the rivalry game. Georgia's defense plays a similar style to Michigan's but with even more talent and physicality than the Big Ten school.

Explosive plays

Whichever side can create and stop explosive plays will likely decide the balance of Saturday's contest. It's a particular area of focus for the Buckeyes after Michigan burned them five separate times last month on scoring plays of 45 yards or more.

Despite the Wolverines putting up their most points against their rivals since 1946, the Buckeyes' defense actually played very well for most of the contest. Ohio State held Michigan to 181 yards on 55 plays - an average of just 3.2 yards per snap - but unfortunately, the other five plays in the game went for a combined 349 yards and five touchdowns.

While Georgia's defense gets the majority of the headlines, its offense has also been one of the most dominant units in the nation, sitting seventh in yards per play with 6.97 and boasting playmakers all over the field. The Bulldogs also rank 10th in the country in plays over 20 yards and have six players with at least one 40-yard play from scrimmage on the season.

Ohio State will also look to stretch the field against the outstanding opposing defense. While the Bulldogs are tough to break down, they have been average at stopping big plays. Georgia ranks 59th in the country in allowing 30 yards or more at a time, whereas the Buckeyes rank sixth.

Whoever is more explosive on Saturday will likely punch its ticket to the national title game.

No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 TCU

TCU defense vs. Michigan's running game

Michigan's outstanding rushing attack against the TCU run defense is likely the biggest mismatch in the Fiesta Bowl. Even without star Blake Corum, Jim Harbaugh's program has one of the top run games in the nation, ranking fourth at over 5.6 yards per carry. Donovan Edwards has shown he's more than capable of filling in for Corum, as the fiery sophomore has rushed for 400 yards and three touchdowns in two games since taking over as the starter.

The Horned Frogs are 67th in rush defense this year, allowing over 4 yards per carry, which includes the Big 12 title loss to Kansas State when the Wildcats ran over TCU for 205 yards on the ground. The players on that unit need to have the game of their lives to limit Michigan's attack, buoyed by the NCAA's top offensive line. Their dominant line wears down the opponent and allows the Wolverines to hold a national-best 186-point second-half scoring margin.

Stopping Max Duggan

There is no doubt that Michigan's defense is among the best in the country - the unit allows a paltry 13 points per game. But it's also fair to question whether the schedule has helped that gaudy number.

The Big Ten champions faced just two top-30 passing attacks the entire season in Purdue and Ohio State - the last two games on its schedule. Stroud and Aidan O'Connell both topped the 340-yard passing mark, but they were intercepted twice each in the Wolverines' victories. If TCU has any shot at upsetting Michigan, Max Duggan will have to protect the ball and limit turnovers. Thankfully for the Horned Frogs, that is one area the senior excels in, as only one quarterback in the country threw more than 350 passes this season with fewer interceptions. Duggan has attempted 368 passes on the campaign and has been picked off just four times.

Duggan is flanked by four wideouts who should be able to create issues for the Wolverines' secondary. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Quentin Johnston could be the first wide receiver drafted next April, while 6-foot-5, 215-pound Savion Williams will be a handful for the shorter Michigan corners.

The Iowa native also presents a dual-threat option the Wolverines haven't really dealt with this year. Duggan showed just how dangerous he can be on the ground in the Big 12 title game, rushing for 85 yards on the final drive of regulation alone to force overtime versus Kansas State.