Stakes still high as familiar foes face off again
No. 4 Georgia eager to position itself as equal to No. 1 Bama
ATLANTA — Nick Saban and Kirby Smart posed stiffly behind the trophy, forcing smiles for the cameras.
Saban whispered something in his former assistant’s ear, drawing a bit of a chuckle.
Then a quick handshake, and off they went in opposite directions.
It was a formality that had to wait until the last day of November.
But, really, they could have done it months ago.
As soon as Alabama and Georgia walked off the field at Mercedes Benz Stadium almost 11 months ago — the Crimson Tide in triumph and the Bulldogs in despair — a rematch seemed inevitable. Now, it’s here.
On Saturday, at the very same place where Alabama captured the fifth national title of the Saban era, these two powerhouses will square off in another game with huge ramifications.
A Southeastern Conference championship is on the line, as well as a trip to the College Football Playoff.
“We certainly want to win every game that we play,” said Saban, who is trying to guide the No. 1 Crimson Tide (12-0, 8-0 SEC) to its sixth national title in the last decade — perhaps the greatest dynasty that college football has seen and not far off the seemingly impossible standard he sets for his program.
The No. 4 Bulldogs (11-1, 7-1) are eager to start a dynasty of their own.
Smart, a longtime assistant under Saban who moved to Georgia in 2016, already has shown he can go head-to-head with his ex-boss on the recruiting trail.
Now, Smart is eager to prevail on the field. He sure came close the last time these teams met, watching his players squander a pair of 13-point leads before Alabama won 26-23 in overtime on a 41-yard touchdown pass while facing second-and-26.
If this game goes down to the wire, Crimson Tide star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa could see significant action in the fourth quarter for the first time all season. He has attempted — and completed — just three passes for 56 yards in the final 15 minutes. By contrast, Tagovailoa completed seven passes for 54 yards against the Bulldogs in the fourth quarter of last season’s national title game.
Tagovailoa has put up Heismanworthy numbers in his first season as the starter , completing more than 70 percent of his passes for 3,189 yards and 36 touchdowns with just two interceptions.
Georgia counters with one of the nation’s best defensive backs — lockdown corner Deandre Baker. The Thorpe Award finalist has only two interceptions, none since Week 3, but that is because teams rarely throw his way.
It will be interesting to see if Tagovailoa goes right at Baker or sticks with the plan used by most Bulldogs opponents — look to the other side of the field, where they start redshirt freshman Eric Stokes but usually provide plenty of help for the young cornerback.
Georgia hasn’t faced many late challenges, either. The Bulldogs have gone to the fourth quarter with double-digit leads in 10 of their 11 wins — the only exception being a victory over Florida , which they led 23-14 with one period left.
Despite all the titles and all the chances to savor its laurels, Alabama never seems to waver from the single-minded focus of its coach. As soon as the Tide wins a national title, it starts looking toward the next one.
“We’ve been here before,” nose guard Quinnen Williams said. “Everybody knows when it’s time to come to work. You can be beat any day. You can be the best team in the country and get beat.”
The Bulldogs made an unexpected run to the national title game last season, but this is right where they expected to be in 2018.
Right where they expect to be for years to come.
“Last year was a shocker,” linebacker Juwan Taylor said, “but this is what it’s going to be like at Georgia from now on. Championships.”