SEC Championship: 5 biggest advantages Georgia has over Alabama
By Tom Brew
Published:
This Alabama team is something special, on both sides of the ball. They are undefeated at 12-0 and ranked No. 1 for a reason, and the discussion about them being an all-time great team isn’t unfounded.
So does that mean Georgia doesn’t have a chance in Saturday’s SEC Championship Game in Atlanta (4 p.m. ET; TV: CBS)? Of course not. No. 4 Georgia is pretty darn good to0, and it comes into the game with an 11-1 record and plenty of confidence. This rematch of last year’s National Championship Game should be a great one, certainly the most anticipated game of the season thus far.
So how does Georgia win? They do have some edges on Alabama, and they have to take advantage of those throughout the course of he game.
Here are the five biggest advantages Georgia has over Alabama:
1. D’Andre Swift’s breakaway speed in the running game
Georgia’s offense wasn’t quite the same early in the season when sophomore running back D’Andre Swift was fighting through groin and ankle injuries. But ever since Georgia’s bye week in mid-October, it’s like he’s a new man.
His explosiveness is back, as evidenced by his 83-yard touchdown run at Kentucky and his 77-yard scamper for a score against Auburn. His burst is enough to get past Alabama’s talented defense. He will break at least one long run on Saturday, and more than one would be even better. He’s that good.
2. Mecole Hardman being so dangerous in special teams
When we talked about Georgia’s passing game earlier in the week, we talked about Mecole Hardman’s ability to make big plays, with 5 of his 6 scores coming from 42 yards out or more. Alabama certainly hasn’t forgotten his 80-yard TD catch in last year’s title game. Well, he’s just as dangerous in special teams, and is more than capable of returning a kick or a punt for a touchdown.
Alabama coach Nick Saban has already mentioned more than once this week that Hardman might be the best return man they’ll see all year. He’s right. Hartman is that dangerous, and he needs to be the guy to help flip field position whenever he can.
3. Rodrigo Blankenship is a far better field-goal kicker
The most decided edge in this game is with the kickers because Georgia’s Rodrigo Blankenship has been steady all year again this season and Alabama’s kicking woes are well-documented. Blankenship has made 19 of his 22 field goal attempts and all 58 extra-point tries. He’s as good as it gets.
Alabama, though, is clearly wishing for the same type of consistency. Alabama’s two kickers, Joseph Bulovas and Austin Jones, have made only 13-of-18 field goals and missed a whipping 8 extra points. Alabama hasn’t played a close game all year, so the misses haven’t really mattered all that much, but maybe a miss Saturday would.
4. Jake Fromm a wiser sophomore, not scared freshman
Jake Fromm was still a true freshman last year in the National Championship Game, and at times it showed. He was timid and he made a few bad decisions. His interception came on the next play after Georgia intercepted Tua Tagovailoa. Instead of capitalizing and potentially building on a a 20-7 lead, Fromm’s mistake helped fuel Alabama’s comeback. That hasn’t been the case this year. He’s matured into a veteran leader on this Georgia team, and he’s been very calm and collected at quarterback all season despite plenty of pressure on him.
Fromm has completed 69.1 percent of his passes this season, and he has 24 touchdown passes with just 5 interceptions. He’s been good at finding his second and third receivers in his progressions, especially in the last half of the season. If Alabama is expecting to rattle him Saturday, it has another thing coming. He’ll know what to expect, and he will handle it all well.
5. Georgia is the only team not scared of Alabama
Most teams are beaten by Alabama before they take the field, because the Crimson Tide can be that intimidating. What Nick Saban has done there is incredible, but Kirby Smart has seen it all before. He spent many years with Saban, and in his three years at Georgia, he has worked hard to emulate that program. He’s succeeded.
The talent gap has been closed with one good recruiting class after another, and these Bulldogs went toe-to-toe with the Crimson Tide in the title game last year. They got into this game feeling the same way, that if they play well, they can win. With the possible exception of No. 2-ranked Clemson, no one else can take this kind of attitude into a game with Alabama.
MORE: Ultimate SEC Championship Game Preview
Tom Brew is an award-winning journalist and author who is covering SEC football for Saturday Down South.
