Georgia isn’t just playing for an SEC championship, it’s playing for a spot in the College Football Playoff. No. 1 Alabama, one of the nation’s most dominant teams in 2018, doesn’t have the same stakes at hand.
Alabama vs. Georgia 2018 live stream: Time, TV schedule, and how to watch SEC Championship online
A national title game rematch will decide the SEC champion.
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
A loss for the Crimson Tide would derail Nick Saban’s march to a fifth SEC title in seven years, but it would likely keep Bama in the playoff picture with a 12-1 record and a resume littered with the broken parts of obliterated opponents. Georgia, on the other hand, already has a 20-point loss to LSU on its ledger, and a second defeat would reduce the Bulldogs to a mere New Year’s Day bowl rather than the chance to play for a national title.
Saturday’s game isn’t just about the SEC title and football’s final four; it’s about revenge. UGA was four minutes from the FBS title last fall when Tua Tagovailoa rallied the Tide to an overtime win against the ‘Dawgs. Tagovailoa’s spent the entire season proving his national championship game performance was no fluke — now Georgia will have 60 minutes to show the world it actually was.
Alabama vs. Georgia prediction:
The S&P+ ratings put Alabama atop their rankings, while Georgia clocks in at No. 3. This is a heavyweight title fight, and no team in the nation is better equipped for a slugfest than the Tide. Nick Saban’s team by a touchdown.
Time, TV channel, and streaming info
- Time: 4 p.m. ET
- Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
- TV: CBS
- Streaming: SEC on CBS, fuboTV
- Odds: Alabama is favored by 13 points.
Alabama vs. Georgia news:
- The Tide rolled to an Iron Bowl win behind a crushing second half performance last week.
Well played, Tide: this is the kind of Iron Bowl we like around these parts. The Alabama offense did another 4-for-4 on above-average quarters by success rate (even if that slow 2nd quarter just barely passed the 40% mark). The first half was serviceable, but boy did the second half open up: those ~60% success rates and ~30% big play rates through the second half are massive! Maybe the Tiger-Eagle-Lizards just gave up.
- What’s Georgia worried about Saturday? It all starts with Tua Tagovailoa.
- And why is UGA right to be afraid of Tua? Auburn knows why.
- Win or lose, at least Georgia no longer has to deal with the triple option every year.
Can Georgia outrun the Tide?
UGA’s offense, as is tradition, is stacked at tailback. D’Andre Swift and Elijah Holyfield have been a potent 1-2 punch, rushing for more than 1,800 yards and 6.8 yards per carry in 12 games this season. They combined for 446 rushing yards in wins over then-top-11 teams Florida and Kentucky this fall.
But the Bulldogs were limited to just 133 rushing yards on 45 carries in last year’s national championship game defeat. If the Tide can hamstring them again on Saturday, it could be enough to cut an Bama an easy path to an SEC title.
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