After listening to MSU head coach Mark Dantonio before Wednesday’s Capital One Bowl Kickoff Luncheon (and all season), the Capital One Bowl will be won up front at the point of attack. The quick run-down of the four lines is this — MSU’s offensive line is strongly
anchored on the right side with three-year starters, senior guard Roland Martin and senior tackle Jesse Miller, while junior defensive end Trevor Anderson is the team’s playmaker on the defensive side of the ball; Georgia’s offensive line is young, but very, very talented,
while the Bulldogs have struggled to contain the run on defense.

EDGE: PUSH — Both team’s offensive lines look to be more dominant than their defensive counterparts. However, with two of the top running backs in the nation scheduled to be on the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium turf on Thursday, it looks as if the game could indeed come down to play of the defensive lines.

MSU senior running back Javon Ringer vs. Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno

Plain and simple, this matchup between two of the top running backs in the country is the bread and butter of this game. Ringer, a senior, rushed for 1,590 yards and 21 touchdowns on 370 carries, the most in the nation. Moreno, a sophomore and preseason Heisman Trophy candidate, rushed for 1,338 yards and 16 touchdowns. Both backs were finalists for the Doak Walker Award, which went to Iowa’s Shonn Greene, and spent time with one another while in Orlando, Fla, for the College Football Awards Ceremony in mid-December.

EDGE: Ringer — In terms of who is more valuable to his respective team in this game — which is what we’re comparing — the edge goes to Ringer in a landslide. In terms of who will be drafted first in the NFL Draft, that’s another story. Moreno will be part of a balanced Georgia offensive attack, while, as Georgia head coach Mark Richt said, Ringer will carry the ball “25 to 35 times; maybe even more.” The surest way for the Bulldogs to win is to stop Ringer.

MSU secondary vs. Georgia wide receivers A.J. Green and Mohamed Massaquoi

Both Green (55 receptions, 951 yards, eight touchdowns) and Massaquoi (57 receptions, 910 yards, eight touchdowns) are closing in on 1,000 yard seasons. During MSU’s bowl media day, players and coaches they had seen wide receivers with the type of speed, size or talent Green and Massaquoi have, but never receivers who have the combination of speed, size and talent Green and Massaquoi posses. MSU’s secondary is most definitely a strength for this team, as nearly 10 defensive backs have seen playing time this season due to various injuries.

EDGE: Georgia — Green and Massaquoi’s numbers speak for themselves; they are both very talented, skilled wide receivers. The differential in speed is once again the big question on everybody’s minds as yet another matchup between the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten gets ready to begin. If there is a differential, this is the matchup that will show it.

MSU senior quarterback Brian Hoyer vs. Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford

For the second straight year, Hoyer gets to end his season by facing the potential No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. Last year, against Boston College and Matt Ryan, Hoyer ended a terrific season by throwing four interceptions as the Spartans lost 24-21. This season, Hoyer’s statistics are down, but his wins — which matter the most to Dantonio — are up. During a press conference on Tuesday, Georgia players said their defensive game plan was to take the ball out of Ringer’s hands and make Hoyer beat them. When it was MSU’s turn to speak and Hoyer heard of the game plan, Hoyer welcomed the challenge, and said he’d “go out with a bang” in his last game.

EDGE: Stafford — With all due respect to Hoyer — who will end his career as one of the most accomplished passers in MSU history (check the record books) — there’s a reason Stafford is projected to be the No. 1 pick in April. Only a junior, the 6-foot-3, 238 pound Stafford, not only has a strong arm, but makes good decisions both in and out of the pocket.