In yet another SEC championship meeting between long-time rivals in Georgia and Alabama, the Bulldogs hammered the Crimson Tide 28-7 to clinch their 16th SEC title in program history.
Bulldogs’ Defense Shuts Down Crimson Tide’s High-Powered Offense
When both Alabama and Georgia met earlier in the season, the Crimson Tide were able to engineer long drives time after time, which led to a domination in time of possession. This time around, the Bulldogs were able to flip the script and give the Ty Simpson-led Crimson Tide offense their worst outing of the season.
Alabama was only able to muster 209 total yards for the game, with the majority of those yards coming when the game was 21-0 and thoroughly out of reach. Crimson Tide QB Ty Simpson was held to 212 yards passing, which is far below Simpson’s yards per game average of 262 yards on the season.
The Bulldogs’ defense was also able to completely nullify Alabama’s rushing attack, as the Crimson Tide only managed to get -3 yards on the ground. That rushing total for the Crimson Tide ranks as the lowest rushing total in a conference championship game in program history.
Gunner Stockton and the Bulldogs Do Just Enough On Offense In the Win
While the score may seem like the Bulldogs dominated on both sides of the ball, it was rather a quiet day for the Georgia offense. Bulldogs QB Gunner Stockton had an efficient but low-yardage day throwing the ball. The Georgia native finished with 156 yards passing and three touchdowns, while also adding 39 yards rushing in the win.
Where the Bulldogs shone the most on offense was in the rushing department. Georgia was able to collect 141 yards on the ground, with four players rushing for 20 yards or more in the game. The Bulldogs’ offense also dominated in the time of possession category, with Georgia possessing the ball for over 36 minutes to thoroughly control the flow of the game.
CFP Outlook For Both Georgia and Alabama Following the SEC Championship Game
Although there was not much riding on this game in terms of playoff implications before kick-off, a blowout loss could give the committee pause on Alabama’s playoff viability. The Crimson Tide came into the game in the 9th spot on the final College Football Playoff poll, a comfortable position, but one that may not last given today’s outcome.
With the combination of BYU’s blowout loss against Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship Game and Alabama’s blowout loss today, the door is open for teams like Texas and Miami to leapfrog their way into both teams’ spots. Especially given that Alabama now has three losses on its resume, with one loss coming against a terrible Florida State team.
For Georgia, this win guarantees not only a spot in the CFP but also a bye and potentially a higher seed depending on the result of the BIG 10 Championship Game between Indiana and Ohio State. While it might not be time to panic in Tuscaloosa, Crimson Tide fans may want to start crossing their fingers and hoping for the best.
