Georgia will look to get past Michigan if it is to advance to a 2nd College Football Playoff National Championship Game in school history and a possible repeat of the 2017 title game against Alabama.

Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines are in the Playoff for the first time in school history thanks to a 42-3 rout of Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game. After facing the weight of frustration from his fan base over his first 6 seasons in charge at his alma mater, Harbaugh has the program 2 wins away from its first national title since 1997.

“[I’ve] watched (Georgia) throughout the year [and my] general impressions are they are rugged. Rugged, tough squad,” Harbaugh said during his media availability on Sunday after it was revealed that the Wolverines and Bulldogs would meet in the Orange Bowl. “[They] play extremely well on all sides of the ball and special teams. Really excited to dig into it and study them.”

He discussed Georgia’s linebacker corps, a unit that features Nakobe Dean and Nolan Smith. The 2 combined for 7 tackles, including 2 for a loss, during the SEC Championship Game against Alabama on Saturday, while Dean was named the 2021 Butkus Award winner on Sunday as the nation’s best LB.

“Those are some of the best linebackers I’ve seen. That jumps out at you real quick,” he said.