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 -3 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 on the broadcast after the game. “[Alabama has] bought an important program and an important head coach. It’s about our staff. Our staff was actually bodily tonight and performed a wonderful recreation.”
Georgia is taking part in its finest soccer of the 12 months. Sensible has an skilled, bodily staff that’s taking part in with conviction and shall 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 following 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 recreation — and boy did they. On the Crimson Tide’s subsequent sequence after the Bulldogs scored, Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson threw an interception that Georgia rapidly changed into factors. Similar to that, it was 14-0.
The primary half ended with just about nothing going Alabama’s manner. The Crimson Tide had 17 speeding yards and 70 complete 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 bought 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 staff a 21-0 lead.
Issues solely bought worse for the Crimson Tide after that. Alabama lastly bought on the board early within the fourth quarter, however Georgia delivered the dagger when quarterback Gunner Stockton discovered huge receiver Zachariah Department for a 13-yard landing to go up 28-7 with 6:51 remaining within the recreation. Georgia had wonderful discipline place going into the possession after Alabama went for it on fourth-and-2 from its personal 12-yard line and didn’t convert.
Stockton, who was thrust into this recreation a 12 months in the past after former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck was injured, went a stable 20-for-26 for 156 yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers.
“That is superior, [and] … I feel we’re clicking now in the suitable second,” Stockton mentioned on the published after the sport. “All people is having enjoyable taking part in 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 presupposed to be taking part in 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 recreation was off this time round. Georgia bought 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 in the beginning 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 recreation. Followers on message boards have began clamoring for his head, simply as they did after the staff’s season-opening loss to Florida State in August.
What does this outcome imply for the Crimson Tide’s CFP hopes? Final 12 months, Alabama went 9-3, didn’t play within the SEC championship recreation and was overlooked of the 12-team discipline. 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 formidable win, the Bulldogs are SEC champions, will end within the prime 4 and will earn a first-round bye.
Alabama’s future is much less clear. Getting into this weekend, the thought was that Alabama wouldn’t essentially be punished with a loss in a convention title recreation, given it was ranked No. 9 coming into the matchup. Nonetheless, this recreation wasn’t shut, and getting blown out is likely to be a distinct 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 just a little 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 “Robust Like a Girl,” revealed in spring 2022 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Title IX. Observe her at @LakenLitman.
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