MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Georgia is getting a rematch.
The third-ranked Bulldogs (13-1) pounded No. 2 Michigan (12-2) 34-11 Friday night in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Orange Bowl, setting up another meeting with top-ranked Alabama in the College Football Playoff National Championship game.
Alabama (13-1), which defeated No. 4 Cincinnati (13-1) 27-6 in the Cotton Bowl semifinal earlier in the day, blew out the previously undefeated Bulldogs 41-24 in the Southeastern Conference title game.
Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett was offensive MVP after completing 20-of-30 pass attempts for 310 yards and three touchdowns, including a 57-yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Burton with less than two minutes remaining before the break.
Miami native James Cook was also impressive, leading the Bulldogs with three catches for 99 yards, including a 39-yard score in the fourth quarter.
His older brother, former Florida State and current Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook, was MVP of the 2016 Orange Bowl against Michigan.
James Cook's 53-yard catch on third-and-3 set up Jack Podlesny's second field goal of the half -- a 28-yarder that gave Georgia a 20-3 lead.
"I mean, just playing in Miami where I grew up at, it just felt different really, like just playing in front of my fans," James Cook said.
Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara completed 11-of-19 attempts for 106 yards, but he was also sacked twice and intercepted by Georgia's Derion Kendrick in the second and third quarters. McNamara was picked off by Kendrick in the end zone on Michigan's opening drive of the third quarter.
The lone points for the Wolverines in the first half came off a 36-yard field goal by Jake Moody in the second quarter.
Michigan finally scored a touchdown with 4:25 left in the game. Backup quarterback J.J. McCarthy connected with Andrel Anthony for a 35-yard touchdown and A.J. Henning converted the 2-point try.
For head coach Jim Harbaugh, it was a sour ending to what he called one of the greatest seasons in Michigan football history.
"We were trying to make it greater," he said. "We were trying to make it greater tonight. But it was still a great season."
Alabama will be playing for a national championship for the sixth time in the playoff era. The Crimson Tide will be vying for a seventh championship since Nick Saban became head coach in 2007.
The Jan. 10 rematch will be the second meeting between the teams with a national championship on the line. Alabama rallied to defeat Georgia 26-23 in overtime to win the 2017 national title.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, who previously served as Alabama's defensive coordinator under Saban, is 0-4 against his former boss.
Smart seemed well aware of the opportunity presented to his team and was already focused on Alabama, so much so that he rejected a Gatorade bath at the end of the game.
"Yeah, I was wanting to get a real shower, not a Gatorade bath, because I want to get focused on Alabama," Smart told reporters after the game. "They got a five, six-hour head start. To be honest with you guys, I'm not interested in celebrating that. We'll look back on that win and that'll be great, but we're focused on the task ahead, and that's the objective and that's what our guys — they worked their tail off for three to four weeks to get this opportunity, and it was a one-game season, and now it's another one-game season."
