Stormin in Norman
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OU-Georgia: Five things that must happen for an OU Round 1 win

By Chip Rouse

NORMAN, OK - NOVEMBER 25: Head Coach Lincoln Riley of Oklahoma Sooners during warm ups before the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on November 25, 2017 in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated West Virginia 59-31. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK - NOVEMBER 25: Head Coach Lincoln Riley of Oklahoma Sooners during warm ups before the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on November 25, 2017 in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated West Virginia 59-31. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /
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NORMAN, OK – NOVEMBER 25: Running back Rodney Anderson
NORMAN, OK – NOVEMBER 25: Running back Rodney Anderson /

The OU-Georgia matchup in the College Football Playoff on New Year’s Day offers a perfect contrast of styles and a little something of everything if you are a passionate fan of the college game.

These two college football powers have never played each other, which makes for an interesting storyline all of its own.

If you are a fan who likes high-scoring, high-powered offensive football, this game features college football’s No 1 offense with the Heisman Trophy winner, Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, leading the charge. The Sooners lead the nation in at least 10 different offensive categories and are averaging 45 points and 583.3 yards of total offense per game.

If shutdown defensive football is your thing and you prefer games in which dynamic defensive play gets the better of offensive scheming and showmanship you will delight in what the Georgia Bulldogs bring to this Playoff matchup. The Dawgs, as their fans affectionately like to refer to them, come into the game with the Sooners owning the nation’s fourth best defense (No. 2 against the pass and the 11th-best rushing defense).

The Oklahoma offense against the Georgia defense is where most of the attention is in analyzing this game, but you know that the Sooner defense and the Georgia offense, not to mention special teams on both sides, will also have a say in the final outcome.

Oklahoma is making its 19th consecutive appearance in a postseason bowl game. That is the longest bowl streak in OU history and the third-longest active streak, behind Virginia Tech (25) and the Sooners’ Rose Bowl opponent, Georgia (21).

The Sooners’ record in bowl games is 29-20-1, and they are 9-9 since 1999.

OU enters its Playoff game with Georgia as winners of 22 of its last 23 games. The lone loss during that period, which extends back to a 45-24 loss to Ohio State three games into the 2016 season, was a 38-31 defeat to Iowa State this season.

Over the next four days, the expert analyses and television promos of the Georgia-Oklahoma game are going to ramp up precipitously until we, as fans, are going to be begging to stop all the talking and play the game.

Here are the five things we believe must take place for Oklahoma to win the game and move on to the grand finale:

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