SEC Championship Preview: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 Alabama
The Georgia Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide will square off in the SEC championship game. The Bulldogs will represent the SEC East division with the Crimson Tide representing the SEC West division.
Georgia finished the regular season undefeated at 12-0 while Alabama ended with an 11-1 record. Georgia is the No. 1 ranked team and Alabama is the No. 3 ranked team in the latest College Football Playoff rankings.
The Bulldogs are 25-41-4 overall against the Crimson Tide since 1895. Alabama hosted and defeated Georgia 41-24 in the 2020 regular season.
Alabama has won nine SEC championship games and Georgia has won three since the game’s inception in the 1992 season.
Alabama is 2-0 against Georgia in SEC championship games. The Crimson Tide beat the Bulldogs 32-28 in 2012 and 35-28 in 2018.
How Georgia earned its spot
Georgia’s regular-season performance warrants it the No. 1 ranking and spot in the SEC championship game.
Georgia’s closest contest was its 10-3 victory over the Clemson Tigers. Clemson finished the regular season 9-3 overall despite several struggles and the early loss against Georgia.
The red and black handled each future opponent with relative ease since its visit to Clemson. The Bulldogs’ second-closest game was their 30-13 win versus Kentucky. Kentucky is the No. 23 ranked team in the most recent College Football Playoff rankings and earned a 9-3 overall regular-season record.
The Bulldogs surely have an advantage over the Crimson Tide when strictly looking at each team’s wins, losses and overall record.
How Alabama earned its spot
Alabama’s season included some close calls, but only one blemish appeared on its 11-1 regular-season record.
The first issue occurred in Alabama’s game against the Florida Gators. The Crimson Tide narrowly escaped with a 31-29 victory. Florida finished the regular season 6-6 overall.
Alabama’s next stumble prevented it from recording a flawless perfect overall record. The Crimson Tide lost 41-38 in their affair with the Texas A&M Aggies. Texas A&M is the No. 25 ranked team currently and finished the regular season with an 8-4 overall record.
After strong performances against Mississippi State and Tennessee, Alabama faced another problem versus the LSU Tigers. Alabama managed to win 20-14, but it was yet another weak win. LSU finished the regular season with a 6-6 overall record.
The Crimson Tide played a competitive game against the Arkansas Razorbacks and earned a 42-35 win. Arkansas is the No. 22 ranked team currently and it finished with an 8-4 overall record.
Lastly, it took four overtime periods to put away the Auburn Tigers. Alabama won 24-22, but it was not impressive. Auburn finished the regular season with a 6-6 overall record.
The matchup
Georgia has looked better than Alabama by record and performance. The Bulldogs struggled very little while the Crimson Tide fought to the end to secure several wins against average opponents.
Alabama historically has had Georgia’s number, but comparing the two this season it is Georgia’s game to lose.
What’s next for each squad
Georgia will most likely have a spot in the College Football Playoff regardless of win or loss. The Bulldogs have shown the committee that they are deserving even before the conference championships.
For Alabama, a win and SEC conference title would help immensely. A two-loss Alabama would be the first two-loss team to make the playoff, but a loss drastically hurts its chances of earning a spot.
Neil Conley is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email nzc5252@psu.edu.
