CFP berth likely at stake today for winner

Georgia and Auburn will meet this afternoon for the second time in three weeks, with the SEC championship on the line. Game time is 4p.m. at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. CBS will televise the game. The Tigers enter ranked No. 2 in the College Football Play-off rankings, with the Bulldogs sitting outside the top four, at No. 6. An Auburn victory seemingly would clinch a spot in the playoff. A Georgia win likely would achieve the same result. Here are five things to know about how the season has gone for Georgia and for Auburn:

GEORGIA

1. How they go there: The Bulldogs could become the third team in program history to reach 12 wins, joining the 1980 national championship group and the 2002 Sugar Bowl champs. Georgia swept the SEC East for the first time, outscoring the division 247-72. UGA’s seniors are 39-12, but the 31 individuals haven’t tasted a conference championship. The Bulldogs last SEC title was in 2005. Freshman Jake Fromm is 10-1 as a starter and has out-performed modest expectations. His team is fifth nationally converting 49 percent of third downs. He’s only the seventh freshman to start at Georgia and the second to have started his first game on the road, joining Eric Zeier in 1991. 2. Old-fashioned football: Georgia is winning at the point of attack and bullying opponents with a five deep running back group led by Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, two of the best backs in school history. The Bulldogs have the best rushing offense in the conference ( 265.7) but fared even better against SEC opponents, with a staggering 281.4 rushing yards per game. Consistency along the offensive line has helped. Isaiah Wynn, Lamont Gaillard and Andrew Thomas have started every game at left tackle, center and right tackle, respectively. Kendall Baker has started 11 straight games at left guard. 3. Historic rushers: Chubb is the fourth-leading rusher in SEC history, with 4,522 yards. He and Herschel Walker are the only Bulldogs to have three 1,000-yard seasons. Michel, meanwhile, is 97 yards fromhis own 1,000yard season. Georgia has never had two 1,000-yard rushers in one year. 4. The defense ain’t bad, either: It didn’t take Kirby Smart long to build an Alabama-lite. Georgia’s defense ranks fifth nationally in points allowed per game (13.8). At one point, the Bulldogs had prevented an opponent scoring in 31 consecutive drives. Georgia held six of the eight SEC teams it faced to 14 points or fewer. UGA features arguably the best ensemble of line backers in the country, including Roquan Smith, Lorenzo Carter, Davin Bellamy and Natrez Patrick. Smith, a potential first-round pick in the next NFL draft, has 100 tackles, including 12 against Auburn. Trent Thompson and John Atkins have anchored a defensive front that ranks No .2 in SEC in rushing defense. 5. The rematch: Despite 121 meetings, Georgia hasn’t faced Auburn twice in a season, and this will be only the fifth time the teams have met when each was ranked in the top 10. Georgia had previously met a team twice in a season four times: North Carolina (1895), Presbyterian (1943) and LSU (1943 and 2003). Georgia lost both games against North Carolina and won both games against Presbyterian. The Dogs lost both games to LSU in each season. The 2003 season ended with Georgia’s loss to LSU in the SEC Championship game.

AUBURN

1. Balance: UGA had won 12 of the previous 15meetings with the Tigers, but Auburn emphatically responded Nov. 11. The Tigers blew out the Bulldogs 40-17 at Jordan-Hare Stadium, nothing new for this group. Auburn set a school record for most SEC wins in a season and scored 40 or more points in six the of seven victories. The Tigers are one of five teams ranking in the top 20 in scoring offense and scoring defense, and one of four averaging over 230 passing yards and rushing yards. Auburn ranks 11th nationally in total defense and ninth in scoring. This has been its best showing on defense since 2007, including allowing just 4.42 yards per play (sixth best nationally). It forces an average of 5.08 three-and-outs per game, ninth-best in nation. The Tigers have also prevented the big play, surrendering just three plays of over 50 yards. Auburn’s allowed just two touchdowns in the first quarter. 2. Best since Cam: Kerryon Johnson has 17 touchdowns, up three for the conference lead and more than 45 FBS teams. It’s the season in Auburn history when it has had a 15-touchdown rusher and 15-touchdown passer ( Jarrett Stidham). The only other season was 2010, when Cam-Newton achieved both on his own. Their 327 points this season, however, make for the best offensive showing in program history, surpassing the 306 scored in 2010. They’re one of eight FBS teams with a 2,600-yard passer and 1,200-yard rusher. 3. Scoring duo: Kicker Daniel Carlson is a threetime Lou Groza award finalist. He’s the SEC’s all-time leader in scoring (470), field goals made (90) and consecutive extra points (194). Johnson averages 11.4 points per game, making him and Carlson the only teammates ranked in the top 10 scorers in college football. 4. Offense wins championships: In his only season of SEC play, Stidham led the league in completion percentage (.685) and ranked third in passing efficiency (160). The Tigers’ offense is a clear conductor to winning: Auburn has scored first in 10 of 12 games and is 34-9 under coach Gus Malzahn when striking first. The Tigers are 10-1 when exceeding 300 yards, doing so in every game except an early-season loss to Clemson. Auburn is 10-0 when surpassing 400 yards and 8-0 when passing 30 points. Its 27 players of 40 or more yards are fourth most in the country. 5. First time for everything: Auburn’s 122nd meeting with Georgia will be the first time they’ve met each other twice in a season. The Tigers have face date am twice in a season four other times, sweeping three. Auburn will become the first SEC West team to face each of the five East winners in the conference championship.