Smart defeated Saban in their most recent meeting, winning 33-18 in the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship game to end the 2021 season. Georgia has a balanced team that averages 40.6 points per game while allowing 15.6 points per game. The Bulldogs are unbeaten (10-0) and ranked second in the country. Georgia has one of the top four seeds in the College Football Playoff standings, and Smart is hoping for a three-peat as national champs. The Bulldogs narrowly defeated Auburn (27-20) and Missouri (30-21), but does the Crimson Tide match up the best? We’ll find out in a few weeks in Atlanta.
Alabama was not on Georgia’s level at the beginning of the season, but Tommy Rees and Kevin Steele have grown with Coach Saban. The offense has found its rhythm, and Alabama’s defense stifles opponents in the second half of games. The Tide has arrived at a point where it matches up the best with Georgia. Jalen Milroe gives more athleticism at quarterback than Carson Beck, both teams have good running backs, both have developed go-to options at receiver, and both have talented defenses.
Saban is 4-1 all-time against Smart, but he is going for his eighth national title at Alabama.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be packed for the SEC championship game on December 2. Saban’s team needed time to mature, but it has now reached the point where it will face Georgia in the SEC Championship game.
