Alabama faces Georgia in an all-SEC battle for the 2018 National Championship. Let’s look at the matchup between Georgia and Alabama.
With the New Year’s Six in the books, only one game remains in the 2017 college football season. The fourth year of the College Football Playoff concludes with the national championship game at the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The first team is already familiar with the venue, as SEC champion Georgia won its conference title over Auburn in the new home of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons. Now they get to take on the Yellowhammer State’s other SEC West juggernaut on the same field.
Oklahoma took a 31-17 lead into the locker room at halftime against SEC champion Georgia. But the Bulldogs chipped away at the lead in the second half. Regulation ended with the scoreboard knotted up at 45-45 after a back-and-forth nailbiter. In the second overtime period, Georgia blocked Austin Seibert’s field goal attempt and then got a winning run from Sony Michel to go through 54-48 in the first-ever overtime game in the Rose Bowl.
The Sugar Bowl was never quite as exciting, as Alabama slowly strangled any hope that Clemson might have of a comeback out of the Tigers. Nick Saban’s crew ran away with the 24-6 win to take the rubber match against their recent postseason nemesis. Now Saban and his team turn their attention to a longtime staff member in Tuscaloosa and his squad.
The Tide and the Tigers didn’t play during the regular season. Instead of the SEC Championship Game, they had to wait until January 2018 to meet on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium gridiron for an even bigger prize. Here’s how to watch the final battle of the 2017-2018 season when Georgia faces off against Alabama. The Bulldogs take on the Crimson Tide for the fourth edition of the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Here’s how to watch the battle next Monday:
Date: Monday, Jan. 8
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Location: Atlanta, Ga.
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Keys to Victory
To break down the formidable Crimson Tide defense, Georgia will need the best game of true freshman Jake Fromm’s life. The young quarterback took over for Jacob Eason early in the season and has held on to his job along the way. Fromm didn’t put up stellar stats this year, but he was efficient in guiding a run-heavy offense to the SEC title. He will have to step up his game in the air against Alabama to give his team a shot at victory.
To ease the burden on Fromm, a star-studded backfield led by Sony Michel and Nick Chubb will need to have a strong outing against the Tide defensive front. If the rushing game can’t get going against Alabama, it will severely inhibit Georgia’s chances of emerging with its first national championship since 1980.
For Alabama, the key comes down to Jalen Hurts. Can the quarterback finally deliver the goods on the big stage? As a freshman, he didn’t have to be great, merely good. And while Hurts has been a solid protector of the football this season, he also has seemed more averse to taking risks in the air. He will need to loosen up if he hopes to break down a challenging secondary.
The offensive line will also need to have a great game in every way for Alabama to have a shot at taking down Georgia. The unit needs to open up holes for Damien Harris and Bo Scarborough as well as keep Hurts from getting hurried. Other than Auburn, this might be the most complete defense the Tide have seen this year. Stopping Roquan Smith from wreaking havoc in the backfield is a major priority.
Betting Odds
Odds courtesy of Sportsbook Review
Point Spread: Alabama -4
Over/Under: 45
Prediction
In their past two title game appearances, Nick Saban’s teams have given up an average of 34 more points in the final than they did in the semifinal. That might be the trend that holds truest this year, as the Tide defense breaks down at the worst possible time. For the second straight year, Saban’s quest to tie Bear Bryant’s six national titles will be thwarted.
Instead, Nick Chubb and Sony Michel are slowly going to wear down the Alabama defense. That will open things up for Fromm to have the biggest game of his young career on the biggest stage he’s ever faced. Fromm will join Jamielle Holloway as the only true freshmen to lead a team to a national championship.
Next: SMQ: Are we really seeing more bowl blowouts in 2017?
Georgia will run ahead with an early lead, then hold off an Alabama comeback with a couple of key stops. They’ll add a late field goal for good measure, though it will be merely academic by that point. In an all-SEC showdown marked more by offense than defense, Kirby Smart’s squad will become national champions against his former boss.
FINAL SCORE: Georgia 44, Alabama 35