SEC PRIMER (Championship edition): Goodbye to the season of everything
Compiled by GRAHAM DUNN
Goodbye 2021 season. We will miss you.
With all your outlandish and peculiar moments…. the wild finishes. The upsets. The almost upsets. The odd officiating.
We say goodbye to the times of grandeur, whether it’s the fist pump of Lane Kiffin, something we may or may not see again in Oxford… or the gruff growling of Ed Orgeron.
So long Sam Pittman and Mark Stoops. The pressure is on now, right?
Shane Beamer and Eli Drinkwitz... You did yourself proud by your fan base. Who said 6-6 wasn’t acceptable?
Who can forget the great predictions of SEC Media Days, the expectations laid upon the new coaches. How can we ever lose our memory of Bryan Harsin’s 30-minute spiel and the ensuing questions – all three of them?
Do we remember what Nick Saban said? Neither do we. But it doesn’t matter. His Crimson Tide looks to be following suit of so many other preseason champions – second-place finishers.
Do we still believe in Dan Mullen? Can he resurrect his career outside the SEC? We will certainly miss him on Halloween.
Is Kirby Smart the heir apparent to the throne of Saban? Does he take that step on Saturday?
What happened to the other heir, Jimbo Fisher? He had the wand in-hand back in October. Was it lost or simply given to someone else?
Do we believe in the newcomers? Is it too early to hop on the Brian Kelly train? Does he get a grace period or is his expectation meter already topping out?
Billy Napier? Hold that thought.
Are 13 bowl bids too many? (That question will be answered next week.)
We come to the end on Saturday, sometime around 8 p.m. CST. We’ll have a new champion and possibly another perfect season. The confetti will fall and the dance will move to the national spectrum.
It will include Georgia, win or lose Saturday. But can the Crimson Tide do enough to impress even in a loss? Doubtful, especially when national pundits are openly wishing for their demise.
So long our dear friend. The season had so many dreams and wonderment. We hope you can return with more of the same in 2022.
SEC CHAMPIONSHIP
(3) Alabama (11-1, 7-1 SEC) vs. (1) Georgia (12-0, 8-0 SEC)
3 p.m. CST • CBS
Atlanta, Ga. • Mercedes-Benz Stadium (73,000)
Series: Bama leads, 41-25-4 (Last meeting – 2020, @ Bama, 41-24)
SEC Championship history: UGA 3-5 (Last – 2019, Lost to LSU, 37-10); Alabama 9-4 (Last – 2020, Def. Florida, 52-46)
SEC Championship meetings: 2 (Bama 2-0 – 2012: 32-28; 2018: 35-28)
Last week: Bama def. Auburn, 24-22 (4 OT); Georgia def. Ga Tech, 45-0
What about The SEC Championship Game
Alabama is on a current 7-game winning streak in SEC Championship games, dating back to 2009. The last loss came in 2008 to Florida. UGA is making its fourth trip to the game in five years and is 1-2 in the last three.
Since 2010, the winner of this game has gone on to win the national title five times while losing in the national title game five times. Two of the losses were to Alabama (LSU -2011/UGA – 2017).
This is the first game Alabama is considered the underdog by odds makers since 2015 when Tide traveled to Athens to face UGA. Bama won, 38-10.
Georgia is the first team since Texas in 1979 to hold all of its opponents to 17 or fewer points in a game.
Georgia has trailed just four times this year, the last time for just over seven minutes against Tennessee.
Bryce Young can become the third quarterback in Alabama history to throw for more than 40 touchdowns with one more on Saturday. He would join Mac Jones and Tua Tagavailoa in that category.
Sophomore Will Anderson ranks first nationally in TFLs with 30.5 and sacks with 14.5. He is on pace to catch former Bama linebacker Derrick Thomas in both categories.
RRS Prediction: Georgia 21, Alabama 14 (UGA favored by 6.5)