Georgia Eyes Revenge Against Alabama in College Football National Championship

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by Eric Fulton
So, they meet again. Once again for all the marbles. Georgia vs. Alabama. It is no surprise that these two teams are in the College Football Playoff National Championship game on Monday night. It is also probably no surprise that both teams are playing one another. 

While these two teams are clearly the best in college football this season, the difference is what it will mean for both teams at the end of the game. For Alabama, it would be another back-to-back championships and title number seven in the Nick Saban Era. For Georgia, it would be the first national championship since 1980, silencing the doubters who believed they cannot win the big one.  

The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide are meeting for the second time in the last month and third time in the last two seasons. Alabama won both matchups in convincing fashion. In the 2021 SEC Championship game, Alabama dominated Georgia 41-24, led by quarterback Bryce Young.  Young’s incredible performance against Georgia would clinch him the 2021 Heisman Trophy. Meanwhile, Georgia’s dominant defense struggled against Alabama’s potent offense. It would be the second straight matchup that Alabama blew out Georgia. The Bulldogs had won every game except one played in the last two years outside the Alabama contests.

While the Crimson Tide have a great advantage in the quarterback position in Young, Georgia does have a veteran quarterback in Stetson Bennett who has not really been asked to do much thanks to a fantastic defense and a very strong running game. One offensive player that can be a major factor for Georgia is tight end Brock Bowers. A true freshman All-American, Bowers already has NFL talent and could very well be the best tight end in pro football in the next few years. He leads Georgia in catches with 52 for 846 yards and 12 touchdowns.  For Alabama’s offense, Young will get all the attention, but keep your eye on running back Brian Robinson Jr., who has 1,275 rushing yards this season. In the Cotton Bowl vs. Cincinnati, he rushed for 204 yards, which is a single game Alabama record for a bowl game.

Defensively both teams gave up a lot of yards in the SEC Championship game. There were 985 total yards gained in December. Both teams pride themselves on great defense and not giving up the big plays. 41-24 is a pretty high scoring affair for a Georgia-Alabama contest. I do expect it to be a lower scoring game in the National Championship match than it was in the SEC Championship.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart is widely considered the best head coach in college football who has yet to win a national championship. To win his first, he will have to outcoach the greatest college football coach ever in Nick Saban. Saban was previously undefeated in games where he was opposed by a former assistant. Another former national championship head coach, Jimbo Fisher was the first to beat Saban when Texas A&M handed Alabama’s only loss thus far back in October. For Smart, a win would be huge for Georgia, but to the Bulldog fans, he would be revered in Athens, Ga. forever.

The last time Alabama and Georgia faced each other for the national championship was one of the greatest games in the history of college football. Back in 2018, the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs faced off in Atlanta where Alabama won the game in overtime capped off by one of the greatest ending touchdowns in football history known as 2nd & 26 where Tua Tagovailoa came in relief and threw the winning touchdown to receiver DeVonta Smith. Alabama won that game 26-23. I would expect this year’s game to be very close and it could be another instant classic. 

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