Real Pod Wednesdays: A First Look at Ohio State vs. Georgia and Peach Bowl CEO Gary Stokan Joins the Show

By Dan Hope and Griffin Strom on December 7, 2022 at 11:50 am
Kirby Smart holding the Peach Bowl trophy after Georgia’s win over Cincinnati on Jan. 1, 2021.
Joshua L. Jones-USA TODAY NETWORK
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Ohio State will make its first-ever trip to the Peach Bowl when it faces Georgia in the College Football Playoff semifinal.

For a look at what awaits the Buckeyes and everyone else who makes the trip to Atlanta, Peach Bowl CEO Gary Stokan joins the show to talk about what it means for the Peach Bowl to finally host Ohio State, what makes the Peach Bowl unique and where fans need to visit while they’re in town for the game. That interview starts at the 30-minute mark of the show.

Before that, though, we start by digging into the on-field matchup that awaits the Buckeyes with a first look at the tough test they’ll face from the No. 1 seed Bulldogs and what Ohio State will need to do to have a chance to upset Georgia and advance to the national championship game.

This week’s Real Pod Wednesdays also includes discussions on Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s decision not to play in the College Football Playoff and how that impacts Ohio State’s chances of beating Georgia, Kevin Wilson’s departure and how the Buckeyes could replace him and a few players who entered the transfer portal over the last two days that could be Ohio State targets.

A full rundown of the topics we talk about this week:

  • 1:10: The College Football Playoff selection committee got the seeding right
  • 5:14: Georgia is the toughest possible matchup, but Ohio State may be able to play looser than a Michigan rematch
  • 14:50: It’s disappointing that we’ll never get to see a fully healthy Jaxon Smith-Njigba this season, but the Buckeyes need to find a way to make up for it if they’re going to beat Georgia
  • 20:33: Ryan Day’s goal of scoring 49+ points against Georgia is very lofty, but it’s good he has that mindset
  • 24:13: Georgia’s defense gets the attention, but its offense is really good, too
  • 26:57: Georgia should be the favorite, but Ohio State is capable of winning if everything comes together
  • 30:00: Peach Bowl CEO Gary Stokan discusses excitement to host Ohio State for first time
  • 35:04: The Peach Bowl could break an attendance record, and Stokan expects a big Ohio State fan turnout
  • 42:04: How Ohio State could replace Kevin Wilson as offensive coordinator
  • 47:56: Keenan Bailey is a strong candidate to take Wilson’s place on staff as tight ends coach
  • 50:55: Fentrell Cypress, Dasan McCullough among transfer portal names to watch for Ohio State
  • 53:38: Jaylen Johnson and Teradja Mitchell are only Ohio State’s outgoing transfers so far, but there will surely be more to come after the CFP
  • 58:16: C.J. Stroud probably isn’t going to win the Heisman Trophy, but Marvin Harrison Jr. deserves the Biletnikoff Award
  • 1:04:10: Both Ohio State basketball teams are showing promise and Ohio State women’s volleyball plays in the Sweet 16 this week

You can listen to Real Pod Wednesdays in the audio player above or on podcast streaming platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts.

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