Dec 31, 2021

  • Adam RittenbergESPN Senior Writer

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    • Higher football game reporter.
    • Joined ESPN.com in 2008.
    • Graduate of Northwestern University.

Ever since Alabama'southward Tua Tagovailoa and DeVonta Smith broke their hearts on second-and-26 in 2018, the Georgia Bulldogs have yearned to return to the national championship stage.

Four years later on, Georgia is back. Not surprisingly, Alabama volition exist waiting on the other sideline.

After clobbering Michigan 34-11 in the College Football game Playoff Semifinal at the Capital 1 Orangish Basin, Georgia aims to win its first national title since the 1980 flavour. The prolonged and painful drought has included several chapters and unlike opposing villains, but recently, Georgia'due south biggest obstacle is the team information technology will confront Jan. ten in Indianapolis.

Alabama has won 7 straight confronting Georgia, including that overtime triumph in the CFP title game, and three SEC championship game victories, the well-nigh contempo coming Dec. 4. Georgia coach Kirby Smart has significantly elevated his alma mater since arriving from Alabama afterwards the 2015 flavor. But his repeated failures against Saban stand out, which adds a caste of significance to a game that really needs none.

A win would absolve Smart of criticism that he can't shell his mentor and win the biggest games. A loss, meanwhile, would ready off a long and painful offseason in Athens. The Saban-lives-rent-gratuitous-in-Smart'south-head jokes would be relentless.

Remove Alabama's past dominance of Georgia, and the championship game projects as a very close matchup, fifty-fifty one that favors the Bulldogs. Georgia spent most of the flavour as the clear-cut No. 1 team, while Alabama rarely exhibited the flawless play or flash of the Tide squad that cruised to a national championship in 2020. Alabama dominated when it mattered, beating Georgia and Cincinnati in Friday's CFP Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton fiber Bowl Classic by a combined score of 68-30.

Beating a squad twice in such a brusk bridge is never like shooting fish in a barrel. Head-to-head history favors Alabama, but information technology'southward not difficult at all to brand a case for Georgia.

Will this be the year Georgia ends its interminable championship drought? Or will Alabama extend the misery for the Bulldogs and their coach?

Here'southward a wait at what to expect in the CFP national championship on January. 10.

No. ane Alabama Crimson Tide vs. No. three Georgia Bulldogs

CFP National Title Presented by AT&T
When: Monday, January. ten at viii p.g. ET
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
How to sentinel: ESPN and ESPN App
Opening line from Caesars Sportsbook: Georgia (-2)

THE COACHES

Alabama'due south Nick Saban: He's already considered by many to exist the greatest coach in college football history, and has dominated the BCS and CFP eras like none other. Saban has won a record 7 national championships, including vi at Alabama, and aims for back-to-dorsum titles for the second time with the Ruby-red Tide (2011 and 2012). He is seven-ii when playing for a national championship, with both losses coming against Clemson (2016 and 2018 seasons). Saban's teams take made the CFP in seven of eight years and won three of the last five BCS championships. He's 178-24 at Alabama and 269-66-one overall in the FBS. Saban is 9-2 against Georgia, for the second-best winning percentage of whatsoever coach with at least five matchups against the Bulldogs since 1978 (Urban Meyer went five-1 against Georgia).

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Saban stresses that No. ane Bama's chore is non finished

Although pleased with the overall functioning of Alabama in a 27-6 dismantling of Cincinnati, Nick Saban has his optics on a national championship.

Georgia's Kirby Smart: The former All-SEC rubber for Georgia has put his alma mater in the national spotlight both on the field and in recruiting. A Georgia program that never reached the BCS championship game has made the national title game twice in the by four seasons under Smart, who is 65-15 every bit head passenger vehicle. He won the SEC in his 2d season and has captured East Segmentation titles in four of the by five seasons. He'southward also 2-0 in CFP semifinals. Smart has accomplished just about everything only beating Alabama. The onetime Alabama assistant from 2007 to 2015 is 0-4 confronting the Tide.

HOW THEY GOT Hither

Alabama

The Tide have turned it on at the perfect time later a regular season in which they weren't near as dominant every bit usual. Alabama'due south defense force and offensive line repeatedly drew criticism, both before and after an Oct. 9 loss at Texas A&M. The Tide struggled to beat Florida and LSU teams that turned out to be average, allowed 35 points to Arkansas and needed a furious rally to force overtime and ultimately beat Auburn 24-22 in the Iron Bowl. But they flipped a switch in the SEC title game, lighting up a historically aristocracy Georgia defence force for 41 points and 536 yards. Alabama's defense was the story against Cincinnati, forcing 5 three-and-outs and simply ii drives of longer than half dozen yards (including the get-go of the game for the Bearcats).

Last national championship: 2020

Georgia

The Bulldogs set the tone for their season with a 10-3 opening win over Clemson in which the only touchdown came via the defense (Christopher Smith interception render). Smart's defence force became the national story for much of the next three months, as Georgia recorded iii shutouts and never allowed more than 17 points in the regular season. Bennett replaced the oftentimes-injured J.T. Daniels and showed impressive efficiency, while Georgia's run game bullied opponents behind Zamir White, James Cook and others. Georgia was never threatened until the SEC championship game, which it led 10-0 before existence outscored 41-xiv in the terminal three quarters. Only the Bulldogs responded from the disappointment to jump all over Michigan in Friday's semifinal, surging to a 17-0 lead that swelled to 27-3 at halftime.

Final national title: 1980

KEY PLAYERS

Alabama: RB Brian Robinson Jr.

Afterward dealing with a lower leg injury late in the season, Robinson clearly benefited from the extra rest before the CFP semifinal. He attacked Cincinnati early and often, recording 134 rush yards on 17 carries in the first half and finishing with a career-high 204 yards on 26 carries. A clearly limited Robinson had 55 rushing yards on 16 carries against Georgia in the SEC championship, merely he helped protect quarterback Bryce Immature. If the fifth-year senior tin can detect more running room this time confronting Georgia, Alabama's offense will be extremely tough to slow down. Although Alabama has mixed in other runners, Robinson is the team's featured dorsum, recording 179 more carries than whatsoever other player.

Georgia: QB Stetson Bennett 4

The onetime walk-on has heard the criticism for much of his career, and it reached a fever pitch post-obit the SEC title game loss to Alabama. Bennett passed for 340 yards and three touchdowns against the Tide, but two interceptions, 1 in the cherry zone, proved plush in the loss. Simply he responded in a huge manner Friday confronting Michigan, turning in a career functioning with 313 passing yards and three touchdowns, while completing 67% of his attempts. Bennett showed a quick release with accurateness and smart decision-making, and perfectly placed deep passes to Jermaine Burton, James Cook and others.

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Stetson Bennett, Georgia defense force ship Bulldogs to title game vs. Alabama

Stetson Bennett slings three touchdowns and Georgia's defense forces three turnovers to put the Bulldogs in the CFP national championship.

Matchup to sentinel: Alabama's broad receivers vs. Georgia's secondary

There are other, related matchups, including Georgia's defensive front end against Alabama's offensive line, only after the SEC title game, all eyes volition exist on the perimeter. Immature torched Georgia's defense for 421 yards and iii touchdowns, averaging 16.2 yards per completion and finding Jameson Williams for scoring strikes of 67 and 55 yards. Williams volition have a bigger spotlight on him as John Metchie, who had half dozen receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown, tore his ACL in the game and will miss the national title. Players such as Ja'Corey Brooks and Slade Bolden, who combined for 97 yards and two touchdowns confronting Cincinnati, volition become more significant. Georgia's secondary isn't the defence's strength and has been hit by injuries throughout the season. Derion Kendrick, a Clemson transfer, had two interceptions confronting Michigan in the semifinal. Christopher Smith will be eligible later on missing the second half against Michigan considering of a targeting punishment.

X FACTORS

Georgia TE Brock Bowers: The freshman is a 6-foot-4, 230-pound matchup nightmare for defenses, even ones as talented as Alabama's. He established his presence right away against Michigan with three receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown on the opening drive. Bowers finished with five receptions for 55 yards, remaining Bennett's favorite target. He led Georgia with 10 catches for 139 yards and a touchdown in the SEC title against Alabama, and will top the scouting report for Tide defensive coordinator Pete Golding.

Alabama LB Will Anderson Jr.: For Bennett to replicate his semifinal heroics, Georgia must identify Anderson and go along him away from the pocket. The phrase "lives in the backfield" is thrown out about a lot of players, just it actually applies to Anderson, who increased his nation-leading sacks full to 17.v with two more confronting Cincinnati. Anderson leads the nation in tackles for loss with 34.5, and ranks second on the team with 98 total stops. The sophomore had a sack and ii tackles for loss in the SEC championship. Georgia tackles Jamaree Salyer and Warren McClendon must find ways to comprise No. 31.