Round II for the ultimate prize: Alabama-Georgia for the natty
The Tide look to repeat as national champions and repeat their performance in the SEC title game.
By: Dave in Tuscaloosa
Buckle up. Round II of Alabama-Georgia should be one for the ages. (Photo: via ESPN)
Throughout the college football season, most have thought that the two best teams resided in Tuscaloosa and Athens, and after lopsided semi-final victories, the Tide and Bulldogs meet once again for the national championship on Monday in Indianapolis. The storylines are well documented: student trying to beat mentor after failing to do so in the previous four meetings; the 2nd and 26 heartbreak in the ‘17 title game; the unbeatable Bulldogs getting trounced by the Crimson Tide a month ago in the SEC championship game; the Dawgs motivated and ready to finish the job on their “revenge tour.” Yet the bottom line remains this: whichever team executes best will win the game. What a brilliant concept indeed.
Generally speaking, the ‘21 campaign has been christened the season of the Dawgs, the one where Georgia was supposed to win it all for the first time since 1980. Make no mistake about it, this could be the best Georgia football team ever and it is hard to argue against the Dawgs being the more talented team on the field on Monday night. In the same breath, many fell off the Bama bandwagon after the Tide fell to Texas A&M in October, yet doubters were made believers once again after Alabama rolled over Georgia in the SEC title game a month ago. This could be one of Nick Saban’s more average squads (remember, in terms of Alabama, the term “average” is relative), yet this could be one of the best coaching jobs Saban and company have done to date. The Crimson Tide play well together, they are battle-tested and find ways to win big games. In addition, the Tide boasts the game’s two best players in Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young and stud linebacker Will Anderson Jr. (both sophomores who will be back next year…oh my).
Even though the Tide boasts the two top players, Georgia most likely has the next best five or six. The Dawgs enter the title tilt the healthiest they have been all season. Freshman sensation tight end Brock Bowers is a bit banged up with a shoulder injury, however that will not keep him off the field on Monday. Standout receiver George Pickett will enter the contest as healthy as he has been all year and will look to have a major impact on the outcome. A lot of talk has centered on the Mailman, Stetson Bennett, as the senior former walk-on who is a game away from entering Bulldog immortality. Steady and efficient, Bennett has the ability to move the chains with his legs. The Dawg line and skill players are excellent and despite the hiccup against the Tide last month, where they gave up 41 points, the defense is still rock solid and boasts one of the best units in recent history. There are very few aspects not to like about former Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs.
Meanwhile, the Tide enters the game with several significant injuries. Impact players John Metchie III and Josh Jobe are out, and it appears like corner Jaylen Armour- Davis may not be ready to play, leaving young but talented Khyree Jackson and Kool-Aid McKinstry to take his place. Offensive linemen Chris Owens (ankle) and Emil Ekiyor (shoulder) are banged up but both are expected to play. Depth is not a problem for Alabama, however big-game experience for the youngsters is lacking and significant time will have to be played by backups against a motivated and ultra-talented Dawgs squad. However, Bama defensive coordinator Pete Golding’s unit is playing their best football and appears to be peaking at just the right time. In addition, the offense is bolstered by one of the most reliable placekickers in the country in junior Will Reichard.
If the Georgia front can get pressure on Tide quarterback Young (nicknamed “The Gingerbread Man” by the UGA defense because of his elusiveness), they have a great chance of being crowned national champions. The Bama line held strong in the first meeting, but with several key injuries, can they hold up once again? I see this game going one of two ways…a close victory by either Georgia or Alabama or a rout by Georgia. Will this game be a shootout? If so, that favors the Tide. Will it be a defensive struggle? If so, that favors the Dawgs. Both running games are strong, yet will most likely be neutralized on the ground. Look for both teams to swing their backs in the passing games, creating mismatches on the outside. Bennett has excelled when Georgia has had leads, but the question remains whether or not he can keep up with Bama’s Young in a shootout.
Surely this is the game that puts Georgia over the top…the one that provides relief from so much heartbreak at the hands of Alabama for the Bulldog nation…after all, it’s so hard to beat a great college football team twice in one season. I love both programs, am psyched to have two SEC teams duking it out for the title, and I am tempted to pick Georgia 31-17. Yet…Bama has been there, done that, their coaching staff has been brilliant this season, and they have the Heisman Trophy winner that performs best under pressure. In another Tide-Dawg classic, somehow Alabama makes enough plays to win their second national championship in a row.
Alabama 27
Georgia 24