2012 College Football Week 14 Picks: Alabama over Georgia

Now Notre Dame plays the waiting game.

With their win over USC last Saturday, the Irish finished the regular season a perfect 12-0, outscoring the opposition 321 to 124. Brian Kelly's crew now awaits the winner of the SEC Championship game between Alabama and Georgia.

After their hearts were ripped out by freshman sensation Johnny Manziel three weeks ago, the Crimson Tide won their last two games, over Western Carolina and Auburn, by a combined score of 98-0. They finish the regular season with the top scoring defense, allowing 9.3 points per game, second-best rush defense (77 yapg.) and third-best pass defense (156.7 yapg.) in the nation. The injury bug did bite last weekend, however, as the team lost second-leading receiver Kenny Bell to a broken leg. A.J. McCarron has thrown for over 2,500 yards with 25 touchdowns and two interceptions. The running back by committee of T.J. Yeldon and Eddie Lacy is closing in on 2,000 rushing yards with 24 scores to their credit.

As for the Georgia Bulldogs, head coach Mark Richt recently pointed out that the Crimson Tide and his Dawgs are not that different except for the fact Nick Saban's boys have been winning national titles and UGA has not. The lack of a strong 2012 regular season schedule doesn't help drive that comparison home. The Bulldogs finished 11-1 with their one loss coming to South Carolina on the road. Their only other game against a ranked opponent this season was Florida, who they beat 17-9 in Jacksonville.

With his draft stock on the rise, Aaron Murray finished with 3,201 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season. Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall combined for well over 1,800 yards on the ground with 22 touchdowns.

The Dawgs' defense isn't quite Alabama, but they did finish inside the Top 20 in scoring defense, allowing 17.7 points per pop. They are ninth against the pass (174.4 yapg.), but are 69th against the rush, allowing over 163 yards per game. Yeldon and Lacy are licking their chops.

We simulated the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide 101 times and it's Alabama winning 56.4 percent of the time by an average score of 26-23.

College Football Week 14
Matchup	Win%	Avg Score
Florida State Seminoles	78.2	28	Boxscore
vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets	21.8	20
Louisville Cardinals	45.5	19	Boxscore
@ Rutgers Scarlet Knights	54.5	22
Pittsburgh Panthers	61.4	27	Boxscore
@ South Florida Bulls	38.6	22
Cincinnati Bearcats	62.4	23	Boxscore
@ Connecticut Huskies	37.6	20
Nebraska Cornhuskers	60.4	26	Boxscore
vs. Wisconsin Badgers	39.6	23
Northern Illinois Huskies	55.4	22	Boxscore
vs. Kent State Golden Flashes	44.6	20
Nicholls Colonels	5.0	8	Boxscore
@ Oregon State Beavers	95.0	50
UCLA Bruins	35.6	20	Boxscore
@ Stanford Cardinal	64.4	24
Alabama Crimson Tide	56.4	26	Boxscore
vs. Georgia Bulldogs	43.6	23
New Mexico State Aggies	48.5	22	Boxscore
@ Texas State Bobcats	51.5	23
Kansas Jayhawks	28.2	22	Boxscore
@ West Virginia Mountaineers	71.8	32
Texas Longhorns	47.5	20	Boxscore
@ Kansas State Wildcats	52.5	21
Oklahoma Sooners	53.5	26	Boxscore
@ TCU Horned Frogs	46.5	25
Oklahoma State Cowboys	60.4	27	Boxscore
@ Baylor Bears	39.6	24
UCF Knights	49.5	27	Boxscore
@ Tulsa Golden Hurricane	50.5	28
South Alabama Jaguars	44.6	19	Boxscore
@ Hawaii Warriors	55.4	22
Boise State Broncos	63.4	27	Boxscore
@ Nevada Wolf Pack	36.6	23
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders	35.6	25	Boxscore
@ Arkansas State Red Wolves	64.4	29
Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns	78.7	29	Boxscore
@ Florida Atlantic Owls	21.3	21

Each Monday, WhatIfSports.com's NCAA college football simulation engine will provide you with game predictions for every D-1 FBS game that upcoming week. The college football simulation engine generates detailed information for each game including each team's chances of winning (Win%) and the average points scored for both teams. Make sure to share the college football information you gained here with your friends by either checking out our NCAA football widgets on the WhatIf To Go page or clicking on the social networking share bar at the top and bottom of this article.

Check out our 2012 College Football Season-to-Date page to follow our accuracy and for Upsets of the Week.

The statistical inputs to the thousands of college football simulations are based on rigorous analysis of each team's roster, depth charts and statistically based player rankings. Roster modifications are made in cases of injury or suspension and those players are removed from their team's game simulation for that week.