This was the third meeting between the programs; they had last met in 1965 in a game won by Georgia, 15–7.[3] The series was tied 1–1. After the game, Georgia leads the series 2–1.
Led by sixth-year head coachKirby Smart, the fifth-ranked Bulldogs began their season with a matchup against No. 3Clemson in theDuke's Mayo Classic.[4] The game, which hostedCollege GameDay earlier that morning,[5] played out to a low-scoring 10–3 Georgia win,[6] putting them in the No. 2 spot in the rankings just one week into the season.[7] The Bulldogs put on a dominant performance in their home opener the next week, as they scored eight touchdowns and allowed just one in a victory overUAB,[8] and soundly defeatedSouth Carolina the following week to open SEC play.[9] Back-to-back shutouts followed, as the Bulldogs kept bothVanderbilt and No. 8Arkansas off the scoreboard, while scoring 62 and 37 points of their own, respectively.[10][11] Georgia continued their form with two more wins against ranked opponents, as they defeated No. 18Auburn on the road[12] and No. 11Kentucky at home; the former game saw Georgia play as the No. 1 team in the nation for the first time this season followingTexas A&M's upset of then-No. 1 Alabama,[13] and the latter game was the first in which Georgia allowed more than one touchdown.[14] The Bulldogs returned to neutral site play when they facedFlorida following abye week; they defeated the Gators 34–7, with their three touchdowns in just over three minutes at the end of the game's second quarter contributing to the win.[15] This was also the week that Georgia clinched the SEC East's berth in the championship game, as a result of Kentucky's loss toMississippi State.[16] The Bulldogs finished their conference season in much the same style as the games before; they defeatedMissouri 43–6,[17] and allowed a season-high 17 points toTennessee, though still managed to win by three possessions.[18] Georgia finished the regular season with a pair of non-conference games, as they routed theCharleston Southern Buccaneers by seven scores[19] and theirrivalsGeorgia Tech by the same number,[20] concluding Georgia's first undefeated regular season since1982.[21] The Bulldogs would lose their first game of the season in a 41–24 loss toAlabama in theSEC Championship Game, bumping them down to No. 3.[22] They entered the game with a record of 12–1 and a 8–0 mark in conference play.
Seventh-year head coachJim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines began their 2021 season with a series of four straight home games atMichigan Stadium.[23] The first, againstWestern Michigan, saw the Wolverines defeat the Broncos by nearly five touchdowns,[24] before defeatingWashington in a game that drew considerably less hype after the Huskies' upset loss toMontana the week prior.[25][26] The Wolverines earned a spot at No. 25 in theAP Poll entering their third game,[27] a matchup withNorthern Illinois, which they won handily.[28] Michigan then claimed a close decision againstRutgers onhomecoming,[29] improving the Wolverines to 4–0 and placing them into the top 15.[30] Entering October, the Wolverines faced their first road conference games; they first facedWisconsin, whom they defeated by three touchdowns,[31] and then took downNebraska, though only by three points, thanks to aJake Moody field goal with under two minutes remaining.[32] This set up the Wolverines for one of the most anticipated matchups of the season so far, arivalry faceoff between No. 6 Michigan and No. 8Michigan State, marking the first time since1964 that the teams had met while each in the top ten.[33] After a back-and-forth game, the Spartans prevailed with a four-point win, handing Michigan their first loss of the season.[34] The Wolverines were able to bounce back, as they began November with a win overIndiana,[35] and followed it up with a road win inState College against thePenn State Nittany Lions.[36] In their season's final road game, Michigan routedMaryland, winning by 41 points.[37] This win put the Wolverines at the No. 5 spot in the College Football Playoff poll entering their home finale againstarchrivals No. 2Ohio State.[38] For the first time ever under Harbaugh, and the first time since2011, the Wolverines defeated the Buckeyes and, with the victory, clinched its spot in the conference championship game with a 8–1 conference record and a head-to-head tiebreaker against Ohio State.[39] As a result of the win, Michigan rose to No. 2 in the College Football Playoff poll entering the Big Ten Championship, behind only No. 1Georgia.[40] The Wolverines then defeatedIowa in theBig Ten Football Championship Game, and entered the Orange Bowl with a 12–1 record and ranked second in all major polls.
Michigan won thecoin toss and elected to defer.Kenny McIntosh returnedJake Moody's 59-yard kickoff for 20 yards to give Georgia the ball on their own 20-yard-line to start their first drive, which was finished with a nine-yard touchdown pass fromStetson Bennett toBrock Bowers. Michigan's first drive started after a touchback fromJake Camarda. Michigan drove into Georgia territory before being stopped on downs. Georgia capped off their next drive with a trick play touchdown, in which running back Kenny McIntosh threw an 18-yard pass toAdonai Mitchell. Michigan once again started their drive after a touchback. After converting on third down, Robert Beal Jr. sackedCade McNamara and Michigan was forced to punt later. Georgia received the ball back at their own 25-yard-line. A pass to Brock Bowers for a loss of two yards ended the first quarter.[41]
The second quarter started at Georgia's 32-yard-line. Georgia drove down to the Wolverines 26-yard line before being stopped on third down.Jack Podlesny then kicked a 43-yard field goal to give Georgia a 17–0 lead. On the next drive, a 42-yard pass from McNamara to Roman Wilson put the Wolverines back into Georgia territory, and they ended the drive with a Jake Moody 36-yard field goal. Georgia then countered with another field goal from Podlesny, this time from 28 yards. After Georgia's defense forced Michigan into a quick, three-playthree-and-out, Bennett found Jermaine Burton for a 57-yard touchdown pass to extend Georgia's lead to 27–3. On the first play of Michigan's next drive, McNamara threw an interception toDerion Kendrick. However, Georgia was unable to capitalize on the turnover, and an incomplete pass intended forZamir White ended the first half, with Georgia leading 27–3.[41]
