Alabama vs. Georgia: Why Tide Is Best Bet to Keep SEC BCS Title Streak Alive

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With Notre Dame's victory over USC last night, this year's national championship game is already halfway decided. The Irish have willed their way to an undefeated record and the top ranking in the past two BCS standings. They feature a tough nosed defense that can stifle any offensive attack and an offense that has improved each week with a freshman QB at the helm.

Lying in the weeds is the mighty SEC with two of the top three teams in the nation meeting in its annual conference championship. In fact, the SEC championship this year is essentially a play-in game to see who will meet the Irish in Miami.

Representing the SEC East is Georgia, who since defeating Florida in October, have catapulted up the BCS rankings each week.

Out of the West division comes an Alabama team that before dropping a game to Johnny Manziel and the Aggies, was number one for the majority of the season.

Now it's no secret that the SEC has dominated the national title game in the past several years and with another SEC team destined to participate in the BCS championship this year, it's fair to speculate which one would give the conference a better chance to continue it's streak of domination.

UGA has some real talent on their roster but it's hard to overlook the Crimson Tide for several reasons.

Better Defensive Unit

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When it comes to polarizing figures, Georgia has Alabama beat on defense. Now, this is not to say that the Tide don't have extremely talented players on their D, but they don't have flashy names like Jarvis Jones, Alec Ogletree, or Bacarri Rambo all over their depth chart.

However, the Crimson Tide's defense, as a whole, is a better defensive unit. They're more disciplined, better coached and more solid all around, and this has been proven all year.

The Alabama defense ranks No. 1 in total defense, points against and scoring defense, and that's just naming a few. This unit has already shutout four teams this season and, besides a rough game against Texas A&M, has looked almost impenetrable all year.

This defense knows how to get the job done as a group and has proven to be the better overall unit this entire season.

Title-Game Experience at QB

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Aaron Murray has been UGA's field general since his freshman year, and the guy has logged plenty of minutes in a tough conference, but he has never played in a national championship.

In fact, Murray is probably the more talented QB, but it's hard to forget AJ McCarron's performance in last year's BCS title game. The then-sophomore played a flawless game that didn't feature a single turnover or self-inflicted mistake against a stacked defense.

Murray is extremely talented, but has been known to turnover the ball at times and doesn't offer the same consistency that McCarron does in big time games.

On the national-championship stage, I trust McCarron more to take care of the football, not to win the game for his team, but to avoid losing the game via turnovers.

Better Offensive Line

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Headed by All-American offensive lineman Barrett Jones, the Crimson Tide's offensive wall is one of the best in the country. These trench warriors are the reason for Alabama's potent rushing attack, and they epitomize the consistency this team has shown all year.

With the No. 22 rushing attack in the nation, this offensive line clearly can pave the way for their backs.

They also excel in the pass blocking department. They keep their field general well-protected and deserve a ton of credit for McCarron's admirable play this season.

They Are More Consistent

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If I could only describe Alabama in one word, it would be consistent. The Crimson Tide consistently field talented teams, constantly reel in the best recruits and always seem to win big games. It starts from their coach down, and it's truly remarkable how well they get their jobs done in Tuscaloosa.

Georgia has played down to their competition at times this season, but the same can't be said about the Crimson Tide. Anytime Saban and his troops were heavily favored this season, they responded by blowing out their inferior opponents.

Even in their lone loss, they played a competitive game, as opposed to UGA who was completely dominated by South Carolina.

At the end of the day, everything that 'Bama does is just more consistent than the Bulldogs, and it would be tough to pick anyone over them in a BCS title game. 

Nick Saban

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Last, but certainly not least, Nick Saban is the top reason why Alabama is the SEC's best bet to continue its BCS title streak. With the exception of maybe Urban Meyer, Saban is the best coach in college football and after a quick glance at his track record, it's obvious that the guy is a proven winner.

The former defensive back at Kent State has come a long way, with three national championships, two coach of the year awards, and six SEC championships included on his resume.

He's just better in big games than Mark Richt. Plain and simple.

It's tough to bet against the guy because all he does is win. He has yet to appear in a national championship game and lose and if he were to reach the title game again this year, would you really bet against him?