State of Play: Another shot at Alabama
It all comes down to this. In two days, Georgia and Alabama will compete for the SEC Championship in Atlanta. This will be the ninth time this title game has featured a rematch, with the winners of the first game taking the second meeting six of the previous eight times.
Georgia will hope to become the third team to win an SEC title after losing to its opponent in the regular season. Earlier this year, the Crimson Tide defeated the Bulldogs 24-21 in Athens. Alabama dominated time of possession and converted 13 of 19 third-down opportunities.
Regardless of the outcome of this game, Georgia will be in the College Football Playoff. A win will guarantee Georgia the No. 3 seed and could possibly place it at No. 2. For Alabama, it’s likely still in the playoff with a loss. However, you never know what a third defeat negating the Crimson Tide’s best win might do to this wackadoodle College Football Playoff committee.
The keys to the game
Multiple times this week, I noted that the key for Georgia will be whether the defense can pressure Ty Simpson. In the first meeting between the two teams, Simpson carved up the Bulldogs’ secondary methodically. Georgia’s pass rush has improved since, recording nine sacks over the past four games. If the Bulldogs can disrupt Simpson’s rhythm, Alabama’s offense could be in big trouble since it has been unable to run the ball.
Speaking of running the ball, the second key to this game will be Georgia’s ground attack. In the first game against the Crimson Tide, the Bulldogs rushed for a whopping 227 yards yet only possessed the ball for 24:24. Assuming Georgia can hold the ball for a few extra minutes, the run game could potentially do even more damage. Of course, not having center Drew Bobo is a huge blow to the offense.
SEC Everest
Chasing the summit: Georgia, Alabama
Oh so close but Reggie Miller choke gif: Texas A&M
Left at the altar: Ole Miss
A camp behind and playoff bound: Oklahoma
A camp behind and screwed over: Vanderbilt
Advanced base camp: Tennessee, Texas, Missouri
Base camp: No one
Optimism despite a down year: Mississippi State
Goin’ fishing: LSU, Kentucky, Auburn, Arkansas, Florida, South Carolina
Other games of note
No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Indiana: Not only is this game for the Big Ten Championship, seeding implications are at play. A close game that results in a one-score outcome could keep these teams as the top two seeds. If either Ohio State or Indiana win comfortably, then Georgia could slide up to No. 2 with a win over Alabama.
No. 20 Tulane vs. No. 24 North Texas: Given the fact James Madison is ranked 25th, the American Championship is poised to produce the Group of 5 representative (if there is only one) for the College Football Playoff. If Georgia loses to Alabama and falls to the fifth seed, the winner of this game is its likely first-round opponent.
No. 17 Virginia vs. Duke: It’s bonkers that this is the ACC Championship. But the reason this game matters is if the Cavaliers win, they could be Georgia’s first-round opponent in the event of a loss to Alabama and a slip to No. 6 in the College Football Playoff rankings. If Duke wins, the American champion will slide to the 11-seed. The 12th seed would then come down to Duke and No. 25 James Madison, depending on which team is ranked higher in the final rankings.
ICYMI
Tracking all of Georgia’s newest signees.
The initial Georgia-Alabama availability report was released.
Behind the Scenes: Tyreek Jamison proves a doubter wrong.
Georgia is looking at Saturday’s SEC Championship differently.