Posted on 11/30/2018 2:42:21 PM PST by blam
Tua Tagovailoa
What was it, eleven months ago when Alabama and Georgia met in the national championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta?
Alabama was a 4-point favorite, had an offense that was pedestrian with Jalen Hurts at quarterback and a defense finally healthy and enough firepower to contain Georgia's offense that seemed to have all the pieces for an upset. The first half, Georgia dominated. The second, you know what happened.
When No. 1 Alabama and No. 4 Georgia meet again Saturday in the SEC Championship Game, the Crimson Tide will go in a 13-point favorite.
It might be a good idea for Georgia to adjust the settings. This isn't last year's Crimson Tide.
Georgia? So much of the 2018 Bulldogs look a lot like the 2017 Bulldogs. They have Jake Fromm back at quarterback, a year older and more efficient, and the same cast of playmakers at receiver with Mecole Hardman, Riley Ridley and Terry Godwin. Add Jeremiah Holloman and Tyler Simmons, who have had their moments, to the depth.
Nick Chubb and Sony Michel are no longer in the backfield, but D'Andre Swift and Elijah Holyfield swap out nicely with their versatility, speed and power.
Georgia's defense is still fast, but up front it's not the be all end all unit it was last season. It doesn't have a defensive line like Mississippi State's or Auburn's, or LSU's NFL talent in the secondary.
It does have a picture of what could happen if the last 30 minutes of last year's game plays out over 60 minutes of this year's game.
Facing Tua Tagovailoa in the second half of the national title game, the sophomore quarterback came in for Hurts, had a three-touchdown performance and wiped out a 13-0 first-half Georgia lead. The Bulldogs didn't game plan for Tagovailoa last January but this weekend they say they know what to expect. They certainly know what he can do.
In 12 games, Tagovailoa has completed 70.3 percent of his passes for 3,189 yards, 36 touchdowns, two interceptions, and five rushing touchdowns. He leads an offense that averages a staggering 49 points per game. If he doesn't have the best group of receivers in the country with Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs, Irv Smith, Jaylen Waddle, and DeVonta Smith, who does? Oklahoma? Clemson? Ohio State? Those are guesses, not the answer.
Unlike last year's methodical offense, this year's Tide is a touchdown waiting to happen. It leads the nation in passing plays of 20-plus yards with 70, in large part because of Tagovailoa's deep ball accuracy and elite protection from his line. The Bulldogs, it should be noted, are tied for second in the nation in fewest passing plays allowed over 20 yards, giving up 19.
Georgia's pass rush has to disrupt Tagovailoa to guarantee the Dawgs a playoff invitation, but that could be a problem. Last season Georgia got to the quarterback on 34 occasions. It has 20 sacks entering Saturday, 101st in the nation.
Last year the sports books saw a close game and it was, Alabama 26-23 in overtime.
This year the Tide opened a 10-point favorite and the line has jumped to 13.
This is the best offense Nick Saban has had in a quarter century as head coach.
It doesn't always play the readiest, so a Citadel or Auburn first half could turn up on the stat sheet. Georgia isn't a team you'd want to take a couple quarters off.
This week's picks:
SEC Championship Georgia (11-1) vs. Alabama (12-0)
The No. 4 Bulldogs are in the College Football Playoff if they defeat No. 1 Alabama. The Tide? It likely can afford to lose if push comes to shove. If that happened, the CFP Committee would look at its one-loss pool of Alabama, Oklahoma and Ohio State (if OU and OSU win as expected this weekend) and, after factoring in all the things it factors in, will determine OU's loss was to a 9-4 Texas team and the Buckeyes' loss was by 29 points, a really embarrassing 29-point loss, to a 6-6 Purdue team.
Routing Michigan 62-39 last week and hanging another blowout performance on Northwestern in the Big Ten title game would be huge for OSU, but Alabama owns the best Power 5 record (4-0) in the latest playoff poll. But that's if the Tide loses.
If Georgia loses, a two-loss SEC team is going to feel the wrath of SEC fatigue from the committee after LSU, which dismantled the Bulldogs last month and has a killer resume, lost for the third time last week at Texas A&M. With offense a big part of Alabama's and Georgia's DNA, both averaging over 40 points a game, a shootout seems logical. Maybe a skinny shootout.
Alabama 36, Georgia 30
Okay, let’s see.
Alabama hasn’t lost. They beat LSU who was four and now Georgia at four. Your OSU soy boys got the shit beat out of them by Purdue. PURDUE!!!!!
Actually, I prefer “North Avenue junior technical institute and truck driving school” (No offense intended to truck driving school).
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