Alabama, Georgia set for rematch
Teams return to scene of last season’s national title game to play for SEC crown
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Hello again, Georgia and Alabama.
For the second time in less than 11 months, the two Southeastern Conference powers are set to meet at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a championship on the line in a mentor-versus-protege coaching showdown. Tua Tagovailoa’s back, too, this time as anything but an understudy.
Kirby Smart’s fourth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs (11-1, 7-1 SEC) get another crack at Nick Saban and No. 1 Alabama (12-0, 8-0) on Saturday in the SEC championship game. They put on quite a show in an overtime thriller with a national title on the line back in January.
Tagovailoa came off the bench to lead a secondhalf comeback and returns as the Heisman Trophy front-runner.
A rematch almost seemed inevitable with both teams clearly the cream of their divisions. But Smart says the Alabama rematch couldn’t be a focal point because “certainly both teams had to win some football games to get to it.”
That future-oriented mentality wouldn’t fit The Process, Saban’s acclaimed methodology that Smart absorbed as his longtime assistant at Alabama, LSU and the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.
“I’ve never been around really good teams that are focused on other teams,” Smart said. “The good teams I’ve been around are focusing on whoever they play that week. And it’s really not been different for us this year.
“We’ve really tried to hone in on what we’ve got to do and what we’ve got to do to get better. Our concern can’t be with ‘Bama all year. We wouldn’t be here. It’s a concern now because we’ve got to go play them.”
Both teams dispatched their in-state rivals with relative ease leading up to this game. Georgia raced to a 38-7 halftime lead in a 45-21 win over Georgia Tech . The Tide struggled in the first half but ran away from Auburn, 52-21.
But they’ve known this meeting was coming since Nov. 3, the earliest the title game matchup has been set. Really, they’ve been on a collision course since that national title clash.
Saban called the Bulldogs “probably one of the most complete teams in the nation in terms of offense, defense, special teams.”
“This will be the most challenging game that we have all year,” he said. “I’m really proud of our guys for what they’ve been able to accomplish this year. Why guys come to this school is they get to play in games like this against great teams, and this will be a great challenge for us.”
CLEMSON: Coach Dabo Swinney is angry at those complaining about the second-ranked Tigers’ latest dominant victory.
Swinney said Sunday he was shown articles and reports critical of his team’s play in a 56-35 victory over South Carolina on Saturday night. Swinney said he’ll never apologize for a three-touchdown win over his state rival.
Swinney said his goal has always been to win by “one more point” and if that’s not enough, “it’s time for me to move on somewhere else.”
Swinney called those dissatisfied with the win “shameful” and that it disrespected the work his coaches and players have put in to achieve a perfect record.
Clemson (12-0) will play Pittsburgh in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship game Saturday night. USC: Although Clay Helton has lost the support of a sizable portion of Southern California’s fan base, athletic director Lynn Swann still believes.
Helton will remain USC’s head coach despite presiding over the Trojans’ first losing season since 2000, Swann announced Sunday.
Swann secured his coach’s future one day after the Trojans finished 5-7 with a narrow loss to Notre Dame. Despite widespread dissatisfaction with Helton among USC’s boosters and fans, Swann is staying with the coach who got a contract extension through 2023 from Swann just nine months ago.
ILLINOIS: The contract of coach Lovie Smith was extended for two years through 2023 after the Illini finished his third season with four victories.
Athletic director Josh Whitman said Sunday the extension demonstrates his belief in Smith, his staff and the plan they have going forward. Whitman hired Smith, the former NFL head coach who led the Bears to the Super Bowl, soon after he was named AD in 2016. FIRINGS: Kliff Kingsbury was fired Sunday by Texas Tech after the former record-setting Red Raiders quarterback had a losing overall record in his six seasons as their head coach.
… Western Kentucky has fired second-year coach Mike Sanford following a 3-9 finish, the Hilltoppers’ first losing season since 2010.
… North Carolina announced that Larry Fedora is out after seven seasons.