Georgia made an emphatic statement on Saturday night in Atlanta when it crushed rival Alabama by double digits, 28-7, to win its second consecutive SEC Championship Game.
The No. 3 Bulldogs (12-1) looked like a confident team that’s ready to fight for a national title. They controlled the tempo, ran the ball well and stopped the run too — limiting the No. 9 Crimson Tide (10-3) to -2 rushing yards.
However, this result was more about Alabama crumbling when it should’ve been playing its best football of the season. Georgia’s defense pitched a shutout through three quarters and left no doubt in the fourth when Alabama started to show some life.
In the end, the stats help tell the story: Alabama had 209 total yards, went 3-for-13 on third down, made one trip to the red zone (the Bulldogs went 4-for-4), gave up 3.0 sacks, had one turnover and possessed the ball for almost 14 fewer minutes than Georgia. Aside from penalties — Alabama had one, while Georgia committed seven — these are all the things you cannot do if you are going to win a game.
What does this mean in terms of the College Football Playoff picture, which will finally be revealed Sunday?
Here are my takeaways:
1. Georgia gets revenge
Alabama traveled to Athens in September and narrowly beat Georgia on its home turf, 24-21. After that, the Bulldogs reeled off eight consecutive wins, including three over ranked opponents, to finish the regular season strong and surge in the CFP rankings. Entering conference championship weekend, Georgia was ranked No. 3 in the CFP poll as a team that was expected to earn a first-round bye with a win.
The Bulldogs proceeded to put on a show in Atlanta with a resounding victory to clinch its second consecutive SEC title and third in four years. Plus, for head coach Kirby Smart and Georgia, it’s always important to beat Alabama.
“It’s not about redemption,” Smart said after the game. “[Alabama has] obtained a terrific program and a terrific head coach. It’s about our workforce. Our workforce was actually bodily tonight and performed a wonderful sport.”
Georgia is enjoying its finest soccer of the 12 months. Sensible has an skilled, bodily workforce that’s enjoying with conviction and might be robust to beat shifting ahead into the postseason.
“We gotta preserve getting higher,” Sensible added.
2. Georgia was the star of the present within the first half
Alabama couldn’t get something going within the first half. It didn’t assist that with 6:31 left within the opening quarter, Georgia blocked a punt and, on the subsequent drive, wanted simply three performs to attain a landing and take an early 7-0 lead.
Earlier than the sport, Sensible talked concerning the significance of his particular groups gamers executing on this particular sport — and boy did they. On the Crimson Tide’s subsequent sequence after the Bulldogs scored, Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson threw an interception that Georgia shortly became factors. Similar to that, it was 14-0.
The primary half ended with just about nothing going Alabama’s method. The Crimson Tide had 17 speeding yards and 70 whole yards to point out for themselves, with solely 4 first downs and one profitable play on third down. Time of possession was an element, too, as Georgia had the ball for practically double the period of time (19:59) as Alabama (10:01).
3. Extra of the identical within the second half
Alabama obtained the ball to start out the second half and proceeded to go three-and-out, which included an incomplete cross from Simpson and a sack for a nine-yard loss. Georgia scored on its first sequence when sophomore operating again Nate Frazier rushed for a 9-yard rating to present his workforce a 21-0 lead.
Issues solely obtained worse for the Crimson Tide after that. Alabama lastly obtained on the board early within the fourth quarter, however Georgia delivered the dagger when quarterback Gunner Stockton discovered large receiver Zachariah Department for a 13-yard landing to go up 28-7 with 6:51 remaining within the sport. Georgia had wonderful area place going into the possession after Alabama went for it on fourth-and-2 from its personal 12-yard line and did not convert.
Stockton, who was thrust into this sport a 12 months in the past after former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck was injured, went a strong 20-for-26 for 156 yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers.
“That is superior, [and] … I feel we’re clicking now in the fitting second,” Stockton mentioned after the sport. “Everyone is having enjoyable enjoying soccer and having fun with what they’re doing.”
4. What occurred to Alabama?
That is the time of 12 months when CFP hopefuls are speculated to be enjoying their finest ball. That was not the case for Alabama. The offense was particularly confounding, with Simpson — a Heisman Trophy candidate — going 19-for-39 for 212 yards with one landing and one interception. On common this season, Simpson has been finishing greater than 65% of his passes.
He had a powerful efficiency towards Georgia in September, however his passing sport was off this time round. Georgia obtained stress and made Simpson uncomfortable. He missed open guys, his receivers dropped a few passes and there was no rhythm. Star wideout Ryan Williams had two catches for 33 yards and was focused 5 occasions. Germie Bernard scored the Crimson Tide’s lone landing firstly of the fourth quarter, however that didn’t create the momentum they hoped it could.
This was Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer’s first SEC title sport. Followers on message boards have began clamoring for his head, simply as they did after the workforce’s season-opening loss to Florida State in August.
What does this consequence imply for the Crimson Tide’s CFP hopes? Final 12 months, Alabama went 9-3, didn’t play within the SEC championship sport and was ignored of the 12-team area. What’s going to the committee resolve to do that time?
4 ½: What’s subsequent?
Each groups now await their CFP destiny.
We all know Georgia’s. With such a powerful win, the Bulldogs are SEC champions, will end within the prime 4 and may earn a first-round bye.
Alabama’s future is much less clear. Coming into this weekend, the thought was that Alabama wouldn’t essentially be punished with a loss in a convention title sport, given it was ranked No. 9 coming into the matchup. Nonetheless, this sport wasn’t shut, and getting blown out is likely to be a special story.
Regardless, you recognize that No. 10 Notre Dame (10-2) and No. 12 Miami (10-2) are on the sting of their seats.
Issues are a bit of messy now however all will change into clear in lower than 24 hours.
Laken Litman covers faculty soccer, faculty basketball and soccer for FOX Sports activities. She is the writer of “Sturdy Like a Lady,” revealed in spring 2022 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Title IX. Observe her at @LakenLitman.
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