Salyer and McClendon MVP's of the Game

Georgia is now headed to the National Championship game after defeating Michigan and offensive linemen Jamaree Salyer and Warren McClendon are two major reasons why.

Georgia has officially punched their ticket to the National Championship game after defeating the Michigan Wolverines in dominating fashion. Coming into the semifinal matchup, Georgia was tasked with having to figure out how to contain and minimize the damage dealt by EDGE defenders Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo. The offensive line for Georgia knew they had a tough task at hand, but Jamaree Salyer and Warren McClendon answered the call and did so at an elite level. 

Prior to the game, Hutchinson and Ojabo both had over ten sacks during the season and were causing mass destruction against any offense they went up against. On top of that, Hutchinson finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting due to the ridiculous numbers he put up this season. 

In the Orange Bowl, Hutchinson finished with four tackles, one tackle for loss, and zero sacks. David Ojabo did not record a single tackle or stat in any defensive category. Jamaree Salyer and Warren McClendon made Michigan's two best defensive players disappear in the biggest game of the year and did so for all four quarters. 

This is not the first time that Georgia's starting offensive tackles minimized the damage dealt from a team's best defensive player. In the SEC Championship game, Alabama's, Will Anderson, was kept quiet for the majority of the game thanks to Salyer and McClendon. 

When talking about the MVP of the game for Georgia, the first names to come to mind are probably Stetson Bennett who threw for over 300 yards and 3 touchdowns, or possibly James Cook who had over 100 yards receiving and a touchdown. However, the fact of the matter is without Salyer and McClendon blocking their backsides off against two of the best defensive players they have faced all year, the offense as a whole wouldn't have had nearly as much success. That is why they should both be considered the MVPs of the Orange Bowl. 

They may not be the players lighting up the box score or making the highlight reel, but what those two players did in the biggest game of the season should not go unnoticed. The efforts from 69 and 70 are a major reason why Georgia is getting a rematch against Alabama in the National Championship game.