College football 2021: Predictions for Power Five, plus AAC, title games

SEC Championship Game

Matchup: No. 3 Alabama (11-1) vs. No. 1 Georgia (12-0)
Time/TV: Saturday at 4 p.m. ET on CBS
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Ga.)
Spread: Georgia -6.5

This is the game we’ve all been waiting for. Alabama and Georgia have been a collision course all year long and we finally get to see it on Saturday. This could be the game of the year if it lives up to the hype. Some have already claimed that this game is basically the national championship as many believe these are the two best teams in the country. I personally agree with that statement and do think these are probably the best two teams. I believe that whoever wins this game will go on to win the national championship.

Georgia’s defense vs Alabama’s offense is the matchup that everybody wants to see. This is a historic defense going up against a top tier offense led by arguably the best quarterback in the country in Bryce Young. What more could you ask for as a college football fan? I could not be more excited to watch this game. I know I’m going to enjoy every minute of it regardless of the outcome.

I think it will indeed live up to the hype and be an epic showdown. And the crazy thing is that I really have no idea what to expect out of this game either.

On paper, Georgia is clearly the better team and has been way more dominant than Alabama all season long. This is the first time that Alabama hasn’t been favored in a game since 2015. Just think about how absurd that is. The last time they were underdogs was also against Georgia in a game where the Crimson Tide did go on to win. Could there be a similar result this time around? It wouldn’t shock me for a second if there was. That’s what is so crazy is that you can simply never bet against Nick Saban. He is the best coach in the country and always has tricks up his sleeves. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Alabama light up this defense.

Now with all that being said, I’m picking the Bulldogs to win this football game. I do think the Crimson Tide will score more on this defense than anyone else has. But I still don’t think they’ll score a whole lot.

This is a team that struggled to move the ball against Auburn last week. Alabama’s offensive line is not very good this year. They allowed seven sacks last weekend and that was against Auburn’s front-seven. Georgia has a way better front-seven than Auburn and is going to get pressure on Young all game long unless there are some major improvements.

Another weakness for this Alabama team is its defense. This is not your typical dominant Alabama defense. They have struggled mightily in a few games this season. Now Georgia’s offense isn’t anything special but it is still better than most SEC teams. They still average over 40 points a game which is pretty darn good.

I don’t know why people act like Georgia’s offense is bad. Stetson Bennett might not be an NFL quarterback, but he has still played outstanding and has been extremely efficient this season compared to last. This will be his toughest test yet. Georgia’s backfield also features a whole bunch of dynamic running backs who can all carry the load on offense if need be.

The biggest thing holding the Bulldogs back in this game will be themselves. They are clearly the best team in the country but you never know if your players truly believe that they can beat big, bad Alabama. The Tide have owned Georgia for the past several years. It has been quite a while since Georgia has beaten them. The Bulldogs held leads in the last three matchups against Bama but choked in all three.

For some reason, Kirby Smart and his team just can’t get over the hump of beating Nick Saban. To me, that will be the No. 1 factor that plays into this game whether Georgia believes they can actually do it or not.

All in all, I predict that the Bulldogs will get it done and will knock the defending champs out of the playoff picture.

My prediction: Georgia wins 28-20