National Championship Game: Everything you need to know for Georgia-Alabama
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Everything you need to know for the National Championship Game
It’s happening, guys! The College Football Playoff National Championship Game between Georgia and Alabama kicks off Monday night in Atlanta. The ball won’t be spotted for as many as 12 hours, depending on when you read this. But Dawgs fans have waited 37 years for this night, so what’s a few more hours?
So if you’re looking for a way to kill the next dozen hours or so until Georgia plays for a dang national championship, check out the links below to get you ready for the game. It’s really happening!
Previews and analysis
- A dream season is on the line for the Georgia Bulldogs
- Georgia’s brilliantly simple rushing attack takes on Alabama’s No. 1 run defense. This is gonna be awesome.
- Georgia’s strength in championship game: Lack of injuries
- Is Georgia’s defense good enough to out-Alabama Alabama?
- The matchups that will decide Alabama vs. Georgia
- The National Championship Game could come down to punters. Seriously.
- Georgia vs. Alabama for CFP title: Who has the edge?
- Despite a rapid rise, Georgia is right where it expected to be
- The play, the reckoning and hope for an ‘exorcism’: Revisiting the 2012 SEC Championship Game
The Dawgs
- Nick Chubb, Sony Michel lead seniors looking to leave legacy for Georgia football
- Roquan Smith it the title game’s best player
- Title game a ‘whole ‘nother level of intensity and pressure’ for Georgia QB Jake Fromm
- Preparation, instincts key for Georgia strong safety Dominick Sanders
- Georgia’s Jonathan Ledbetter making the most of another chance
- Why Fromm will be the X-factor to a Bulldogs’ win
- Georgia status updates: Charlie Woerner and Jayson Stanley
- Change coming to Georgia offensive line after championship game
The Tide
- Who says you need a great QB to win a national title? Alabama doesn’t.
- The inspiration behind Da’Ron Payne, Alabama’s 300-pound, TD-catching sensation
- Alabama’s Minkah Fitzpatrick will play through kidney injury in National Championship Game
- This Alabama team — not vintage, void of superstars — truly shows Nick Saban’s Process at work
- Alabama Football Film Room: How the Tide opened it up against Clemson
The Coaches
- Kirby Smart’s path to coaching stardom began long before meeting Saban
- Anatomy of a coaching change: How the Bulldogs landed Smart
- Don’t let Smart fool you, he’s exactly like Saban
- From Alabama to Georgia: The Glenn Schumann experience
- Georgia assistant Dell McGee gives key to the National Championship Game
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3 keys to a Georgia victory
Special teams — There isn’t much separation between Alabama and Georgia in terms of S&P+. The Tide rank 1st nationally in S&P+ defense to the Dawgs’ 11th, while Georgia ranks 11th nationally in offense to Bama’s 22nd. But one area where we see some separation is on special teams. Georgia ranks 1st nationally in special teams S&P+ to Alabama’s 40th. Cameron Nizialek can help Georgia win the field position battle, Rodrigo Blankenship can change a game with field goals from long range and maybe, just maybe, Mecole Hardman finally finds the space to house a punt.
Establish the run — Saban typically excels against teams that mirror his own offensively: i.e. power run teams. That does not bode well for Georgia, which depends on running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel to drive the offense. Expect Saban and the Alabama defense to commit to stopping this two-headed monster and force Jake Fromm to win with his arm. If they’re successful, Alabama will win without so much as a hiccup. But if Chubb and Michel can be their typical, brilliant selves and reel off a few bigs runs, Georgia will give Alabama something it rarely gets: A taste of its own medicine.
Contain Jalen Hurts — Hurts has not been a spectacular quarterback in his first two seasons in Tuscaloosa, but he is fully capable of leading his offense past Georgia and to a national championship. He almost did it last year against Clemson, had it not been for a spectacular game-ending drive by Clemson’s Deshaun Watson. The main danger comes when Hurts — who has more than 800 yards rushing — moves outside the pocket and looks to run. Even if the Georgia defense can lock down Bama’s stable of backs and wide receiver Calvin Ridley, that still leaves Hurts to make plays on his own. Hurts is at his best when he improvises, so Georgia must keep that from happening. If they can get a good rush, cover well downfield and force him to stand in the pocket and make a decision, it could lead to a game-changing mistake.
Dawgs on Twitter
#UGAFamily#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/7gYDbmVUJ3
— Georgia Football (@FootballUGA) January 7, 2018
Livin’ large 🏆#NationalChampionship#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/hkMxaKCYlj
— Georgia Football (@FootballUGA) January 7, 2018
That’s a big trophy. 🏆 #NationalChampionship#CFBPlayoff#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/KI8cvzkdWU
— Georgia Football (@FootballUGA) January 7, 2018
Soon… ⏳⌛️#NationalChampionship#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/VAUGucrpCA
— Georgia Football (@FootballUGA) January 7, 2018
Good dog
No matter the outcome Monday night, have fun and stay safe, y’all.
IT’S HAPPENING!
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