ATLANTA — As Georgia and Ohio State get set to tee up at The Benz in the semifinal nightcap, Saturday night's game is sure to be filled with fireworks of its own on New Year's Eve.
In order for each team to get there and ultimately win another national championship in the CFP era, there are multiple players on each side of the ball that will have a major impact in the highly-anticipated Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
Let's take a look at five impact players who should play a major role in who wins Saturday night's game.
5 key players to watch for in Georgia-Ohio State semifinal
1. AD Mitchell - Georgia WR
Let's start with the UGA receiver who hauled in one of the biggest touchdown receptions in program history in the 2021 CFP championship game vs. Alabama. Mitchell played an integral role in helping Georgia capture its first title in 40 years, as the true freshman caught 29 passes for 426 yards and four touchdowns in his first year.
However, one of those was an 18-yard touchdown vs. Michigan in the Orange Bowl semifinal game, and the other was a gigantic 40-yard touchdown to put the Dawgs up 19-18, a lead they never relinquished.
Mitchell has been sidelined for most of the 2022 season after suffering an ankle injury in Week 2 vs. Samford. He has missed nine games since but briefly returned to action against LSU in the SEC Championship. He is now fully healthy, expected to draw a start and will add yet another element for QB Stetson Bennett in the Bulldog passing attack, especially with the status of leading WR Ladd McConkey's status for the game up in the air.
2. Kelee Ringo - Georgia CB
It's no secret that Georgia's top defensive back is one the most star-studded players on the field Saturday night. But what makes the sophomore an impact player in the Peach Bowl is not how well he's played all season, but how well he'll have to play against one of the nation's best wide receivers - Marvin Harrison Jr.
The son of the Colts Hall of Fame WR Marvin Harrison, the talented Buckeyes wideout has hauled in 72 passes for 1,157 yards and 12 TDs. With a Heisman finalist in C.J. Stroud throwing him passes, Ringo will have his hands full all night long, and a standout showing will go a long way in shutting down Ohio State's offense.
3. Marvin Harrison Jr. - Ohio State WR
Speaking of, Harrison Jr.'s ability to get open against Georgia's No. 1 cornerback will decide how well Ohio State is able to move it on Georgia's defense. He has totaled over 100 receiving yards in half of the Buckeyes' games this season and has two games this season, in which he has scored three touchdowns in a game, while he has scored two touchdowns in a game once this year.
Harrison Jr.'s impact will be necessary in this game with arguably the best receiver in the nation, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, opting out of the Peach Bowl to further focus on his health and preparation for the NFL Draft.
Get ready, because his matchup with Ringo will be the one that the ESPN broadcast spotlights all night long. In a matchup of projected first-round picks, you might easily have the best receiver and best defensive back going head-to-head all night long.
4. Darnell Washington - Georgia TE
We already mentioned the injury to Ladd McConkey and his questionable status for Saturday's game. We know Brock Bowers will dominate the target share, but the injury to McConkey could open up an opportunity for more targets toward the big 6-foot-7-inch tight end's way, even if McConkey plays.
Washington has had his best season in his junior campaign, with 26 catches for 417 yards. However, he has been quiet for the past three weeks. He didn't record a catch vs. Kentucky and has caught a combined two balls for 25 yards in the past two weeks. Before that, he had at least multiple catches in six of his previous seven games. As always, he will be heavily involved in the run-blocking phase.
5. Paris Johnson - Ohio State OL
Another projected first-round NFL draft pick, the Buckeyes are going to need Johnson to be stout against one of the best players in all of college football, Jalen Carter. If the Ringo-Harrison Jr. matchup is 1A Saturday night, then the Carter-Johnson battle is 1B. With two players that have been mocked to go in the top 10 of April's NFL Draft, this is a pivotal battle at the line of scrimmage.
Carter's 3 sacks are tied for the team lead, and he is second on the team with 25 quarterback hits and seven tackles for loss on the season. If Johnson can prevent Carter from getting pressure on Stroud, then the Buckeye gunslinger will have much more time to try and exploit Harrison Jr.'s matchup with Ringo down the field.
Georgia and Ohio State kick things off inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 8 p.m. on ESPN, as both the Dawgs and Buckeyes will be looking to make their third overall trip to the College Football Playoff National Championship game.