Alabama Football: Tide battle Georgia for SEC Title

Alabama Football faces off with Georgia for the SEC Championship in a highly anticipated rematch of last season’s National Championship Game.

The entire season has felt like a prelude to the rematch between Alabama and Georgia, with both teams being head and shoulders ahead of their SEC counterparts. The Crimson Tide and Bulldogs clinched their respective divisions on the first weekend of November, increasing the anticipation as the two played out the stretch run.

The legend of Heisman front-runner Tua Tagovailoa was born in Atlanta last season against Georgia with the highest possible of stakes. Tua rescued the Tide from sure defeat, being inserted by Nick Saban in the second half trailing 13-0. Tua threw three touchdown passes, none bigger or more iconic than his 41-yarder in overtime on second-and-26 to Devonta Smith to win the national championship.

He hasn’t looked back since, putting together an unbelievable 2018 season, somehow surpassing outlandish expectations, and taking the greatest dynasty in college football history to another level. Nick Saban has dominated college football since his arrival in Tuscaloosa, but Tua has made that dominance almost comical; the Crimson Tide, after a 52-21 win over Auburn in the Iron Bowl, became the first team since Yale in 1888 to beat all 12 of its opponents by 20+ points.

The competition steps up this weekend in Atlanta, however, as a hungry and motivated Georgia squad comes in looking to exorcize the demons formed in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in January. The Bulldogs are sick of heartbreaking losses to the Crimson Tide preventing them from reaching the pinnacle of the sport.

Along with last season, Georgia lost a nail-biter to Alabama in the SEC Championship in 2012, in what was effectively a semifinal game.

The Bulldogs have looked every bit as Alabama’s equal since getting bludgeoned in Baton Rouge, rolling past the rest of its schedule to set up this game as a de-facto quarterfinal with a spot in the College Football Playoff on the line.

Alabama may have clinched a spot regardless, but Georgia needs a win to clinch their second straight playoff berth.

Here’s how you can watch SEC Championship Game on Saturday afternoon:

Date: Saturday, December 1
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
Location: Atlanta, GA
Venue: Mercedes Benz Stadium
TV: CBS
Live Stream: CBS Sports Live | FuboTV

Keys to Victory

Can Alabama stop the run to force Georgia to be one-dimensional on offense? With a fully healthy D’Andre Swift, the Bulldogs have gouged opponent-after-opponent on the ground, with Swift racking up 100+ yards rushing in his last four games against FBS opponents. The Tide’s run defense is good, but they haven’t been as dominant in stuffing the run this season as they have in years past, ranking 15th in the nation in run defense.

Led by Quinnen Williams in the middle, Alabama’s defensive line is one of the best in the country, but Georgia’s offensive line will be its biggest challenge. The Tide have been softer in the middle this season than usual, so if Swift and others like Elijah Holyfield can get to the second level, they could inflict damage. If the Tide can take away Georgia’s bread-and-butter, forcing Jake Fromm to throw 30+ times, it will set Alabama up for defensive success.

For Georgia, scoring touchdowns in the redzone is paramount to upsetting Alabama and capturing a second consecutive SEC title. The Bulldogs get points on over 90 percent of their possessions inside-the-20, but are punching it into the endzone just 64 percent of the time. Rodrigo Blankenship is one of the nation’s best kickers, but Georgia can’t beat Alabama by kicking field goals. They’ll have to find creative ways to score touchdowns when presented with opportunities to keep up with a high-octane Alabama offense that is capable of putting up a lot of points.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of oddsshark.com

Point Spread: Alabama -13.5
Over/Under: 63.5

Prediction

This should be the game that actually gives Alabama a challenge for the first time this season – I don’t buy into the notion that this is going to be a romp, and it wouldn’t shock me to see Georgia pull out the win. The Bulldogs are legitimately a top five team, and have gotten better as the season progressed, looking more and more like the team that finished last season. I think their inability to get consistent pressure on the QB (they rank 101st in the nation in sacks) is a major Achilles Heel in this game, though.

If you let Tua stand in the pocket, with the arsenal of weapons at his disposal, he’ll pick you apart. Look for a close game into the fourth quarter, and for Tua to come away with his defining Heisman “moment” to clinch the SEC and lift Alabama to the playoff for the fifth straight season.

Final Score: Alabama 41, Georgia 30