ATLANTA (AP) — When Alabama’s Jalrose lofted a perfect pass and Isaiah Bond made a great catch to beat Auburn on Saturday night, practically nothing changed for Georgia. The Bulldogs’ task remained unchanged. Beat Alabama in the SEC Championship game on Saturday to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff and a shot at another national title. However, Milrose-to-Bond changed Georgia in intangible ways. If the Crimson Tide fail to make that play, Bulldog Nation’s collective angst may be lessened. The thrilling victory served as a reminder that the Bama bogeyman is still alive and well. The last team to beat Georgia now has the best chance of stopping the Bulldogs.
For much of the season, it didn’t seem possible. For the first time since 2015, the Crimson Tide lost a game in September. Nick Saban took a month to decide on a quarterback. Alabama fought hard to defeat South Florida, Texas A&M, Arkansas, and Auburn. USF finished 4-4 in the American Athletic Conference, while TAMU, Arkansas, and Auburn combined for an 8-16 record in the SEC.
Despite this, the Tide are in position to win their seventh national championship with Saban as coach. Quarterback Jalen Milroe went from being benched in September to becoming a dual-threat threat in November. The Tide’s defense had fallen short of Saban’s expectations. That unit is once again looking elite.
To beat Auburn, Alabama needed a once-in-a-million play. The Tigers were defeated by New Mexico State and will now play in some obscure bowl game. That Alabama effort probably provided some solace to Bulldogs fans who watched their team struggle to defeat pesky Georgia Tech.
Those supporters should consider the 2021 season. Alabama needed four overtimes to beat an equally mediocre Auburn team a week before the SEC Championship game that year. The Tide then easily defeated Georgia in the league championship game. The Bulldogs haven’t lost since, and their 29-game winning streak includes a 2021 national championship game victory over Alabama.
Failure to win the national championship would obviously be devastating for the Bulldogs. It would hurt to be this close to becoming the first three-peat champion in post-integration college football. If the Tide were to deny them, it would add another layer of despair. That is possible. Georgia is one of four unbeaten Power 5 teams competing in conference championships this weekend. Mississippi State is favored by six points less than Michigan (23 1/2) and Washington (9 1/2). Florida State leads Louisville by 2 1/2 points, but that’s because the Seminoles have been difficult to predict since quarterback Jordan Travis suffered a season-ending injury. I believe the betting markets have underestimated FSU.
If Georgia loses and Michigan, Washington, or Florida State win, the Bulldogs may be left out of the College Football Playoff. Alabama is unlikely to take their place. Texas and Oregon can also win the conference with one loss. The CFP committee places a premium on league champions. In that case, it would have three options over Georgia, with Alabama being the one to beat the Bulldogs.
That is a nightmare scenario for the Bulldogs. It took them a long time and a lot of effort to overtake Alabama at the top. It wasn’t until Smart defeated Saban for the first time in five tries with the national championship on the line in 2021 that it happened. The Bulldogs went on to win 29 consecutive games, including another national championship. Last season, Alabama failed to qualify for the College Football Playoff. “We won 19 games in a row here twice,” Saban said. I understand how difficult that was. It’s difficult to maintain. So (Smart) has done an outstanding job of recruiting and developing program players.”
If the Tide lose on Saturday, Saban’s program will have fallen short of the impossible standard he set. Alabama would be without a national championship for the third year in a row. Saban has never gone that long at Alabama without winning a championship. From 2009 to 2010, Alabama won half of the national championships.
“People don’t realize how difficult it is to be consistently really good, consistently great,” Smart, Saban’s former assistant, said. The Bulldogs and Tide are vying for the SEC title. It will also be a battle for college football supremacy in some ways. When it comes to long-term national title contenders, Georgia and Alabama are at the top, followed by everyone else.
LSU’s 2019 national championship season was a one-time occurrence. A number of factors came together to give the Tigers an all-time great offense. Since then, they’ve gone 30-19. Clemson has also declined. Ryan Day, the new coach at Ohio State, has not had the same success as his predecessor, Urban Meyer. Last year’s one-point loss to Georgia in the CFP semifinals may come back to haunt the Buckeyes for a long time.
The Bulldogs could face the same fate if they lose to Alabama on Saturday and are eliminated from the College Football Playoff. The specter of Bama looms large once more.
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