It's rare you get a game with two teams so perfectly matched for the other, strength vs. strength, but that's exactly what's going to happen in the Rose Bowl. I kept going back-and-forth on this pick all week, but ultimately, I can't get Oklahoma's stomping of Ohio State and Georgia's blowout loss in its first meeting against Auburn off my mind. The Sooners took care of business against the best defense they played this season, while the Bulldogs needed a second matchup to adjust to the Tigers' offense. There are no second chances here, and the experienced Baker Mayfield will ultimately be too much for Georgia to handle over 60 minutes.

ROSE BOWL (Pasadena, Calif.) -- You might have heard that Oklahoma QB Blake Mayfield is fighting flu-like symptoms. A media appearance Saturday morning could not hide the effects of his illness. Heisman Trophy winners endure such challenges to play, and Mayfield will. Still I suspect first-year Sooners coach Lincoln Riley will ease his burden by summoning more running plays. So, don’t look for OU to go hog-wild offensively. Georgia, similarly, will lean more on upper-class RBs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel than on true freshman QB Jake Fromm, as solid as he’s been. The Okies have been Under in five of the past six bowls, albeit under departed coach Bob Stoops, and I anticipate more of the same in a razor-thin win for the Under.

ROSE BOWL (Pasadena, Calif.) -- Don't buy into the notion that Bulldog quarterback Jake Fromm can't win with his arm. He can. He just doesn't have to most of the time, thanks to the punishing Bulldog running game and a defense that's fast, physical and deep. That defense will force some mistakes from Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield, the Bulldog offense will put together long drives against an overmatched Sooner defense and Georgia will win by double digits.

ROSE BOWL (Pasadena, Calif.) -- Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield has done more than enough to make his Sooners a serious player in this playoff. Georgia, despite its one-dimensional approach, is very good at taking the air out of the ball and playing great defense The Bullodgs will force Mayfield to maximize his opportunities with the ball, which will lead to him pressing and making some mistakes.

ROSE BOWL (Pasadena, Calif.) -- This is going to be a great game of contrasting styles. Georgia is going to try to pound the ball down OU's throat with a very strong running game, however, I prefer the balanced offense Oklahoma will throw at Georgia. I'm banking on the maestro, Baker Mayfield. QB is the most important position on the field and while Jake Fromm is really good, he's really young. Mayfield completed 71 percent of his passes for an amazing 11.76 yards per pass, with 41 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions. Those are stats that legends are made of. Mayfield has already seen Ohio State and TCU twice, so he will be well prepared for Georgia's stout defense. Oklahoma's defense is far better than the stats indicate. I give the Sooners the 18th-best defense in the nation. They score so many points and play in a high-scoring conference with Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and West Virginia. Take out the Oklahoma State game when the Sooners allowed 52 points and 661 yards -- and still won -- and the numbers look different. The Sooners will stack the box and force the young Fromm to beat them.