šŸˆ GAME THREAD SEC Championship. Alabama vs Georgia. : How do the two teams compare to each other?

SEC Championship. Alabama vs Georgia. : How do the two teams compare to each other?


We're just three days away from the 2018 SEC Championship game and a rematch of the 2017 National Championship game. The latest College Football Playoff rankings have Alabama ranked at No. 1 and Georgia ranked at No. 4 and the winner of Saturday's game is guaranteed to make the four-team field.

If the Bulldogs lose, they'll head down to the Sugar Bowl on January 1. If the Bulldogs win, they'll likely be destined for the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Tex. as either the second or third seed in the playoff. Alabama still has a strong chance of making the field even if it loses its first game of the season.

The DNA of these two teams is very similar and their paths are very much intertwined. Kirby Smart coaches under Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban as an assistant in two stops at the college level, a year at LSU and nine at Alabama, and one stop in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins. There are players on both rosters who were once committed to the other school and many more who were recruited heavily by both programs.

Add that to the fact that they played each other less than 11 months ago in one of the most compelling National Championship games in the history of the sport, and familiarity shouldn't be an issue.

It'll all come down to the matchups and which team performs better on Saturday. Below, Dawgs247 tries to get a read on what will happen by going position-by-position to see which team has the edge in each area.

QUARTERBACK
Most of College Football is envious of where these two teams are at the sport's most important position. Georgia's Jake Fromm has been outstanding since a horrid showing at LSU prior to the open week, putting up a perfect NFL quarterback ranking of 158.3 on third down in the past five weeks. He's heady, accurate, and his teammates praise his ability to lead the offense. Alabama, however, has a guy many consider the best player in College Football in Tua Tagovailoa. He took the reigns in the second half of the National Championship last season and has only strengthened his grip with a tremendous season. The fact that Georgia has Justin Fields as a change of pace closes the gap some, but this one is clearly tilted in Alabama's favor. Edge: Alabama

RUNNING BACK
We could start this off with the same sentence as the quarterbacks. Most of College Football would love to have what these two teams have in terms of ball carriers. The Bulldogs have a pair of backs that are within 105 yards of eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark. D'Andre Swift and Elijah Holyfield also rank in the top five of the SEC in yards per carry. But Alabama is no slouch in this area and it may be a little deeper. The three-headed monster of Damian Harris, Najee Harris, and Josh Jacobs. All three are big-play threats and Jacobs, like Swift, is one of the better pass catchers in the league. Edge: Push

TIGHT END
This is a position where Georgia is probably a little deeper in terms of potential playmakers but Alabama has the most talented and productive player. Irv Smith has been a nightmare for the Crimson Tide opposition this year, hauling in 35 catches for 613 yards and seven touchdowns. He's also an underrated blocker who can split out and win his one-on-one matchups from the slot. UGA's duo of Isaac Nauta and Charlie Woerner hold their own here. Nauta has been a bigger part of the passing game this season with 25 grabs for 346 yards and a pair of scores. Georgia is really good here, but Alabama is better. Edge: Alabama

WIDE RECEIVER
This position is very similar to tight end. Georgia has a stable of capable receivers, led by homerun hitter Mecole Hardman Jr. Alabama knows all too well how he can get behind a defense, as he hauled in an 80-yard touchdown catch in last year's National Championship game. Riley Ridley also put up six catches for 82 yards in that game and was a weapon on third down. Jeremiah Holloman has emerged as one of the Bulldogs' top red zone targets and Terry Godwin has shown he can get open whether he's lined up outside or in the slot. The Crimson Tide, however, have a tremendous group of their own. Jerry Jeudy has already eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in his freshman season with Jaylen Waddle and Henry Ruggs both having more receiving yards than UGA's leader. Once again, UGA is really good here but Alabama is a cut above. Edge: Alabama

OFFENSIVE LINE
It's looking like a trend at this point. This is another area where both teams are really strong. It all starts in the middle for both UGA and Bama with veteran centers who lead the unit. Lamont Gaillard is in his third season as a Bulldog starter and his second at center. Solomon Kindley has been excellent for the Bulldogs at left guard, especially in the second half of the year while true freshman Trey Hill will be challenged in his third career start at right guard. Andrew Thomas will be a first-round NFL prospect after the 2019 season and Isaiah Wilson has been a rock for the Bulldogs on the right side. Alabama is also excellent across the front with fifth-year senior Ross Pierschbacher at center. The guards, Deonte Brown and Alex Leatherwood, are maulers on the interior while Jonah Williams and Jedrick Wills have developed into one of the better tackle duos in the SEC. This one is too close to call. Edge: Push

DEFENSIVE LINE
Georgia has improved a great deal up front since its loss to LSU and it starts with the play of true freshman nose guard Jordan Davis. The 6-foot-6, 320-pound behemoth has been a force against the run and does a nice job pushing the pocket on early downs. Tyler Clark and Jonathan Ledbetter provide veteran leadership and consistently good play and Malik Herring is starting to come on at defensive end. But Alabama's front has simply been more steady and dynamic. Quinnen Williams has 16 tackles for a loss and seven sacks on the season. Isaiah Buggs is also in the double digits in tackles for a loss and has nine and a half sacks this year. We haven't even gotten to Raekwon Davis yet, who is one of the toughest players to block in the entire nation. Edge: Alabama

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER
Georgia's best at this position, D'Andre Walker, would play a major role in every defense in the country. He's extremely athletic and has played well this season despite not having a consistent running mate on the other side. The Bulldogs have a guy who is emerging there in true freshman Adam Anderson and he may see more action with Robert Beal doubtful for this game. Alabama simply has more guys who have made more plays. Christian Miller and Anfernee Jennings are a tremendous duo on the outside, combining for 19 tackles for a loss and 12 sacks on the year. Edge: Alabama

INSIDE LINEBACKER
This has probably been Georgia's most inconsistent and weakest area this season. The Bulldogs' best player here, sophomore Monty Rice, is questionable for the Crimson Tide with a foot injury and if he misses this game, the gap is quite large. Tae Crowder continues to improve but he shows some negative flashes at times. Seniors Juwan Taylor and Natrez Patrick play extremely hard but they are prone to catching blocks and missing tackles on occasion. On the other side, Alabama's Dylan Moses and Mack Wilson have combined for 127 total tackles and 13.5 sacks. The Crimson Tide doesn't use as many guys here but we believe their top two would start for the Bulldogs. Edge: Alabama

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Both teams came into the season with some question marks in the back half. Both teams have had to play young players and deal with some inconsistencies. As talented and dynamic as Alabama safety Deonte Thompson is, Georgia has the best player here in senior cornerback Deandre Baker. He's one of the top cornerbacks in College Football and in most years, he would be considered as the best. The Crimson Tide has gotten rock-solid play out of Shyheim Carter, Xavier McKinney, Savion Smith, and Patrick Surtain II in the back half, but Georgia has gotten the same from J.R. Reed and Eric Stokes with Richard LeCounte III and Otis Reese flashing at that other safety spot. Baker's ability to limit one side of the field slides this one over to the UGA side. Edge: Georgia

SPECIAL TEAMS
When it comes to the return game, these two teams have weapons. Josh Jacobs is averaging almost 31 yards per kickoff return for Alabama and Jaylen Waddle does a great job with punt returns with an average of over 13 yards per. Both have scored touchdowns this season in those roles. Mecole Hardman Jr. handles both roles for the Bulldogs and has been really good, too. He is averaging more than 26 yards per kickoff return and has been electric when it comes to returning punts at over 21 yards per attempt. Leads the nation in punt returns of 20 yards or more with eight on just 14 attempts. The Bulldogs have had some issues covering kicks this year but Rodrigo Blankenship's touchback percentage is nearly 85. Where UGA really gains an edge is in the kicking game. Jake Camarda has been inconsistent but he's averaging eight yards more per boot than Alabama is as a team. Rodrigo Blankenship is 100 percent on PATs and has hit 19 of 22 field goals with his only misses coming on two tries in the upper 40-yard range and one being blocked. Alabama, as a team, has made 13 of 18 field goal tries this year and just under 90 percent of its PATs. Edge: Georgia

OVERALL
While this game pits two very talented, well-coached teams against one another, there's a reason Alabama is the 13-point favorite. The Crimson Tide is explosive and dynamic on offense and its defense has gotten better as the season has gone on. Georgia's offense is clicking at its highest level of the season right now with a run game that has 285 yards rushing or more in five straight games and a quarterback who has been money on third down. Georgia's ability to limit big plays combined with Alabama's propensity to create them creates an interesting matchup here but we agree with Las Vegas when it says that if UGA wins, and it very well could because the game isn't played on paper, it'll be an upset. Edge: Alabama.

Georgia vs. Alabama: Who has the edge?
 
We're just three days away from the 2018 SEC Championship game and a rematch of the 2017 National Championship game. The latest College Football Playoff rankings have Alabama ranked at No. 1 and Georgia ranked at No. 4 and the winner of Saturday's game is guaranteed to make the four-team field.

If the Bulldogs lose, they'll head down to the Sugar Bowl on January 1. If the Bulldogs win, they'll likely be destined for the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Tex. as either the second or third seed in the playoff. Alabama still has a strong chance of making the field even if it loses its first game of the season.

The DNA of these two teams is very similar and their paths are very much intertwined. Kirby Smart coaches under Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban as an assistant in two stops at the college level, a year at LSU and nine at Alabama, and one stop in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins. There are players on both rosters who were once committed to the other school and many more who were recruited heavily by both programs.

Add that to the fact that they played each other less than 11 months ago in one of the most compelling National Championship games in the history of the sport, and familiarity shouldn't be an issue.

It'll all come down to the matchups and which team performs better on Saturday. Below, Dawgs247 tries to get a read on what will happen by going position-by-position to see which team has the edge in each area.

QUARTERBACK
Most of College Football is envious of where these two teams are at the sport's most important position. Georgia's Jake Fromm has been outstanding since a horrid showing at LSU prior to the open week, putting up a perfect NFL quarterback ranking of 158.3 on third down in the past five weeks. He's heady, accurate, and his teammates praise his ability to lead the offense. Alabama, however, has a guy many consider the best player in College Football in Tua Tagovailoa. He took the reigns in the second half of the National Championship last season and has only strengthened his grip with a tremendous season. The fact that Georgia has Justin Fields as a change of pace closes the gap some, but this one is clearly tilted in Alabama's favor. Edge: Alabama

RUNNING BACK
We could start this off with the same sentence as the quarterbacks. Most of College Football would love to have what these two teams have in terms of ball carriers. The Bulldogs have a pair of backs that are within 105 yards of eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark. D'Andre Swift and Elijah Holyfield also rank in the top five of the SEC in yards per carry. But Alabama is no slouch in this area and it may be a little deeper. The three-headed monster of Damian Harris, Najee Harris, and Josh Jacobs. All three are big-play threats and Jacobs, like Swift, is one of the better pass catchers in the league. Edge: Push

TIGHT END
This is a position where Georgia is probably a little deeper in terms of potential playmakers but Alabama has the most talented and productive player. Irv Smith has been a nightmare for the Crimson Tide opposition this year, hauling in 35 catches for 613 yards and seven touchdowns. He's also an underrated blocker who can split out and win his one-on-one matchups from the slot. UGA's duo of Isaac Nauta and Charlie Woerner hold their own here. Nauta has been a bigger part of the passing game this season with 25 grabs for 346 yards and a pair of scores. Georgia is really good here, but Alabama is better. Edge: Alabama

WIDE RECEIVER
This position is very similar to tight end. Georgia has a stable of capable receivers, led by homerun hitter Mecole Hardman Jr. Alabama knows all too well how he can get behind a defense, as he hauled in an 80-yard touchdown catch in last year's National Championship game. Riley Ridley also put up six catches for 82 yards in that game and was a weapon on third down. Jeremiah Holloman has emerged as one of the Bulldogs' top red zone targets and Terry Godwin has shown he can get open whether he's lined up outside or in the slot. The Crimson Tide, however, have a tremendous group of their own. Jerry Jeudy has already eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in his freshman season with Jaylen Waddle and Henry Ruggs both having more receiving yards than UGA's leader. Once again, UGA is really good here but Alabama is a cut above. Edge: Alabama

OFFENSIVE LINE
It's looking like a trend at this point. This is another area where both teams are really strong. It all starts in the middle for both UGA and Bama with veteran centers who lead the unit. Lamont Gaillard is in his third season as a Bulldog starter and his second at center. Solomon Kindley has been excellent for the Bulldogs at left guard, especially in the second half of the year while true freshman Trey Hill will be challenged in his third career start at right guard. Andrew Thomas will be a first-round NFL prospect after the 2019 season and Isaiah Wilson has been a rock for the Bulldogs on the right side. Alabama is also excellent across the front with fifth-year senior Ross Pierschbacher at center. The guards, Deonte Brown and Alex Leatherwood, are maulers on the interior while Jonah Williams and Jedrick Wills have developed into one of the better tackle duos in the SEC. This one is too close to call. Edge: Push

DEFENSIVE LINE
Georgia has improved a great deal up front since its loss to LSU and it starts with the play of true freshman nose guard Jordan Davis. The 6-foot-6, 320-pound behemoth has been a force against the run and does a nice job pushing the pocket on early downs. Tyler Clark and Jonathan Ledbetter provide veteran leadership and consistently good play and Malik Herring is starting to come on at defensive end. But Alabama's front has simply been more steady and dynamic. Quinnen Williams has 16 tackles for a loss and seven sacks on the season. Isaiah Buggs is also in the double digits in tackles for a loss and has nine and a half sacks this year. We haven't even gotten to Raekwon Davis yet, who is one of the toughest players to block in the entire nation. Edge: Alabama

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER
Georgia's best at this position, D'Andre Walker, would play a major role in every defense in the country. He's extremely athletic and has played well this season despite not having a consistent running mate on the other side. The Bulldogs have a guy who is emerging there in true freshman Adam Anderson and he may see more action with Robert Beal doubtful for this game. Alabama simply has more guys who have made more plays. Christian Miller and Anfernee Jennings are a tremendous duo on the outside, combining for 19 tackles for a loss and 12 sacks on the year. Edge: Alabama

INSIDE LINEBACKER
This has probably been Georgia's most inconsistent and weakest area this season. The Bulldogs' best player here, sophomore Monty Rice, is questionable for the Crimson Tide with a foot injury and if he misses this game, the gap is quite large. Tae Crowder continues to improve but he shows some negative flashes at times. Seniors Juwan Taylor and Natrez Patrick play extremely hard but they are prone to catching blocks and missing tackles on occasion. On the other side, Alabama's Dylan Moses and Mack Wilson have combined for 127 total tackles and 13.5 sacks. The Crimson Tide doesn't use as many guys here but we believe their top two would start for the Bulldogs. Edge: Alabama

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Both teams came into the season with some question marks in the back half. Both teams have had to play young players and deal with some inconsistencies. As talented and dynamic as Alabama safety Deonte Thompson is, Georgia has the best player here in senior cornerback Deandre Baker. He's one of the top cornerbacks in College Football and in most years, he would be considered as the best. The Crimson Tide has gotten rock-solid play out of Shyheim Carter, Xavier McKinney, Savion Smith, and Patrick Surtain II in the back half, but Georgia has gotten the same from J.R. Reed and Eric Stokes with Richard LeCounte III and Otis Reese flashing at that other safety spot. Baker's ability to limit one side of the field slides this one over to the UGA side. Edge: Georgia

SPECIAL TEAMS
When it comes to the return game, these two teams have weapons. Josh Jacobs is averaging almost 31 yards per kickoff return for Alabama and Jaylen Waddle does a great job with punt returns with an average of over 13 yards per. Both have scored touchdowns this season in those roles. Mecole Hardman Jr. handles both roles for the Bulldogs and has been really good, too. He is averaging more than 26 yards per kickoff return and has been electric when it comes to returning punts at over 21 yards per attempt. Leads the nation in punt returns of 20 yards or more with eight on just 14 attempts. The Bulldogs have had some issues covering kicks this year but Rodrigo Blankenship's touchback percentage is nearly 85. Where UGA really gains an edge is in the kicking game. Jake Camarda has been inconsistent but he's averaging eight yards more per boot than Alabama is as a team. Rodrigo Blankenship is 100 percent on PATs and has hit 19 of 22 field goals with his only misses coming on two tries in the upper 40-yard range and one being blocked. Alabama, as a team, has made 13 of 18 field goal tries this year and just under 90 percent of its PATs. Edge: Georgia

OVERALL
While this game pits two very talented, well-coached teams against one another, there's a reason Alabama is the 13-point favorite. The Crimson Tide is explosive and dynamic on offense and its defense has gotten better as the season has gone on. Georgia's offense is clicking at its highest level of the season right now with a run game that has 285 yards rushing or more in five straight games and a quarterback who has been money on third down. Georgia's ability to limit big plays combined with Alabama's propensity to create them creates an interesting matchup here but we agree with Las Vegas when it says that if UGA wins, and it very well could because the game isn't played on paper, it'll be an upset. Edge: Alabama.

Georgia vs. Alabama: Who has the edge?

Lol. UGAy has the edge in the secondary?



I guess he needed SOMETHING to give the readers a glimmer of hope outside of special teams.



Maybe he's giving them the edge because we'll be short a DB for a half because of a targeting suspension. Lol.



Everything I'm reading OUTSIDE of Athens is that their secondary is pedestrian, at best.
 
SEC Championship. Alabama vs Georgia. : How do the two teams compare to each other?
I find this to be a pretty interesting read. We certainly don't see things eye to eye on a few of these categories.

RB: I consider it to be a compliment from this Dawg writer saying the RB units are a push. It's close, but I have to give the edge to UGA—Swift is just one hell of a running back. It's a "work horse" vs "dynamic" comparison. I look at UGA's backs as more of that "working horse" variety and Swift brings a dynamic punch to their game.

DB: I don't get how on earth this guy puts UGA's defensive backs over Bama's (other than a 'man-crush' on Baker.) I'm not taking away anything from Baker. I am taking a view that the middle of their secondary isn't near as good as Bama's—the numbers support such a view.

LB: This is a group I had to think about for awhile. He's suggesting that Bama's interior linebackers would likely start at Bama while I"m looking at UGA's interior as a better coverage group. If UGA is going to try to run, run, and then run a little more I'd agree—it's Bama. But, if we flip that script and we're looking at pass coverage it's falling to UGA's side.

Aristotle said, "the sum of the parts is greater." As a group this UGA team has come together nicely. When broken down to individual groups it's not as strong as some have described it to be.

@bamaledge you mentioned the one thing that scares you is no one is giving UGA a chance. Now, citing UM vs OSU seems fitting, but it's not because there were some who said "we don't know what we'll see from OSU—they've been too inconsistent."

UGA has been fairly consistent. But, when you start looking in depth at both teams you can...well, I can only find one area I'd give them a distinct advantage in this game—special teams and then it's only the kicking game. The thing is there's no guarantee it'll be to their advantage in this game.

My opinion, Bama -13 is a little on the small side.
 


ATLANTA -- Few people outside of those who love barking (literally) around here are giving the Georgia Bulldogs much of a chance Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium against Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.

Can you believe that?

Reality: Uh, yeah.

This is basically a home game for Georgia, located an easy 80-minute drive to the east. Just like the rest of the state, Atlanta hugs the Bulldogs more than any other pro or college team. The locals already are somewhere going woof, woof, woof, along with Uga X, their beloved bulldog mascot.

Given its familiarity with red clay, azaleas and peaches, this No. 4 ranked Georgia team in the College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings is that much closer to upsetting No. 1-ranked Alabama to become one of the four programs collecting a payout of at least $6 million for reaching the tournament.

Reality: You can stop giggling now.

It's not like Tuscaloosa, Ala., is on the other side of the sun from Atlanta. The home base for Alabama football is just 202 miles away. More than that, the Crimson Tide join the Bulldogs as a "state" team, and I-20 runs smoothly and quickly toward the state of Georgia out of Alabama for those into yelling, "Roll Tide" for road trips against the Bulldogs. Oh, and during that "home" game for Georgia earlier this year at Mercedes-Benz Stadium against Alabama for the national championship, Georgia didn't win. That was the first year of Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Its predecessor was the Georgia Dome, where Alabama was 9-2 overall.

You've got to respect Georgia's 11-1 record, especially since the Bulldogs defeated two teams (Florida and Kentucky) in the Associated Press top 10 at the time. Yes, they lost by 20 points to LSU during the middle of October, but that game was in Death Valley, where more than a few opponents have died through the decades, and LSU is ranked 10th in the CFP standings.

Reality: Alabama is undefeated at 12-0 after crushing people, including archrival Auburn by 31 points.

As they say, numbers don't like, and Georgia is impressive when you dissect a bunch of them. The Bulldogs are 12th in the country in total offense, and they are 10th in total defense. Not only that, but they average 40.1 points per game (13th overall), and they are allowing 17.2 points per game (10th).

Impressive, right?

Right???

Reality: Don't even go there. OK, if you must, Alabama is fourth in the country in total offense, and the Tide averages nearly 50 points per game (second). They also are third overall in total defense after allowing an average of 12 points per game (third).

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ATHENS, GA - NOVEMBER 24: Georgia Bulldogs Quarterback Jake Fromm (11) audibles during the game between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Georgia Bulldogs on November 24, 2018, at Sanford Stadium in Athens, GA. (Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)GETTY
We all can agree on this: Most football championships depend on the quarterback, and Georgia's Jake Fromm is a brilliant sophomore with a 22-3 record as a starter. At a school that has featured passing stars such as Fran Tarkenton, Zeke Bratkowski and Matthew Stafford, the clutch-throwing Fromm just established the Bulldogs' all-time completion record for a season at 69.1.

Fromm is really hot now. Since that Georgia loss at LSU, he has completed 62 of 85 passes for 827 yards, 11 touchdowns and one interception in blowout victories over Florida, Kentucky, Auburn, UMass and Georgia Tech.

Reality: Tua Tagovailoa.

OK, if you want more, he's also a sophomore quarterback. He came off the bench after halftime during that national championship game against Georgia in January to lead Alabama from a 13-0 deficit to an overtime victory.

He has yet to lose.

He leads the nation in pass efficiency with much help from his 36 touchdown passes compared to two interceptions. He has set so many school records this season that it would require too much cyberspace to list them. Let's just go with this: Neither Bart Starr nor any of those other great Alabama quarterbacks ever managed six touchdowns in a game. Tagovailoa did just that (five passing, one running) against Auburn.

He'll also win the Heisman Trophy. Easily.

How about Georgia coach Kirby Smart, with splendid credentials during just his third season at his alma mater? He had the Bulldogs playing for the national championship in Year Two against Alabama, and here they are again, sprinting down the stretch. Three more victories for Smart, and he'll have Georgia grabbing its first national championship since the days of Herschel Walker and the Junkyard Dogs after the 1980 season.

Reality: Nick Saban.

We can go on and on with this guy, but all that matters here are two sets of numbers. First, six, because that's the number of national championships he has won, including five at Alabama. Then there is 15-0, which is his record when matched against teams coached by one of his former assistant coaches.

Smart is one of his former assistant coaches.

Not good . . .

Well, not for those still barking.
 
For me, I get nervous when there’s all this media alreading claiming is the champ, like there’s no chance we lose. Fan Duel already laying out to bettors who picked Bama to win it all even before the conference championship, the article in the WSJ yesterday about how boring we’ve made the season and nobody will likely give us a game. But as long as our players ignore that noise, we’ll be just fine.
 
My point in the video was the comment about UGA's inability to put pressure on QBs this year... I don't give a shit about the other nonsense.

I've been watching Alabama games long enough to know what this team is capable of based on the talent. You can bet the players have known this for a long time as well.

The team knows how close the game was last year (and it shouldn't have been).
 

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