Georgia Clinches SEC Title with Victory over Alabama

ATLANTA — On Saturday, No. 3 Georgia secured a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff, marking their first win against Alabama in the Southeastern Conference championship, defeating the No. 10 Crimson Tide 28-7, thanks to three touchdown passes from Gunner Stockton.

Georgia (12-1, ranked No. 3 in the CFP) had struggled against Alabama previously, with a record of 0-4 and 1-7 against them in SEC title games under coach Kirby Smart.

This was the Bulldogs’ fifth consecutive appearance in the championship game, allowing them to claim their fourth title under Smart and their 16th overall.

As for Alabama (10-3, ranked No. 9 in the CFP), this loss has stirred concerns about their place in the College Football Playoff selection process. They had moved up one position in the rankings last week and were seen as relatively secure, but this defeat raises doubts about potentially missing the playoffs for a second consecutive season under coach Karen DeBoer.

After Georgia took a commanding 21-0 lead, Alabama’s Ty Simpson managed to connect on a 23-yard touchdown pass to Jermie Bernard early in the fourth quarter.

Georgia capitalized on several key plays that led to touchdowns in the first half.

Cole Speer’s block of a punt from Blake Dowd in the first quarter set Georgia up for a scoring opportunity at the Alabama 21. Nate Frazier’s 14-yard run followed, leading to Stockton’s touchdown pass to Roderick Robinson II after a fake handoff.

Later in the first quarter, Dayron Everett intercepted a deflected pass from Simpson, giving Georgia another opportunity near midfield. Stockton found Dillon Bell for a 1-yard scoring pass, pushing Georgia’s lead to 14-0.

With a block from London Humphries, Nathan Frazier easily scored on a 9-yard run to start the second half, increasing the lead to three touchdowns.

Back in 2018, Alabama defied a 14-point deficit to overcome Georgia, which had been a notable upset. Historically, Alabama had been resilient, yet this time Georgia maintained their advantage.

After an incomplete pass from Simpson on fourth-and-2 with 8:17 remaining, Georgia extended their lead further with Stockton’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Zachariah Branch.

Takeaways

Georgia: A notable strength was the depth in the offensive line, which was particularly evident with center Drew Bobo absent due to a lower leg injury. Stockton executed a successful fourth-and-1 sneak, and Georgia demonstrated versatility with a strong fourth-down run by Josh McCray. Robinson’s touchdown reception was unexpected, considering his limited statistics during the regular season.

Alabama: The absence of running back Jam Miller, also due to a lower leg issue, hindered their ground game. Ultimately, Alabama ended with minus-3 rushing yards, and their nine carries for 17 yards in the first half included contributions from wide receivers and Simpson. The team also struggled on third downs, converting only 3 of 13 attempts.