Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Missouri Tigers Complete SEC Championship Game Preview

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Georgia Dome might be starting to feel like home for Alabama.

The Crimson Tide opened up the season in Atlanta and have played there once in each of the last two seasons. They’ll be back again on Saturday.

Alabama has overcome its one loss of the season to win the SEC West (in thrilling fashion) and earned another berth in the SEC Championship Game.

This game is essentially a quarterfinal game for the playoff. Alabama is all but guaranteed the No. 1 seed if it wins. Missouri could sneak into the top four with a resume-boosting win and a couple of results going its way around the country.

It’s one more big game for Alabama in a season full of them.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Date: December 6

Time: 3 p.m. CT

Place: Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia

TV: CBS

Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network, Mizzou Radio Network

Spread: Alabama by 14, according to OddsShark.

Alabama's Keys to Victory

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Protect Blake Sims

Missouri has two of the best pass-rushers in the SEC in Shane Ray and Markus Golden. Ray leads the league in sacks (12), and Golden is fifth (8.5). With freshman left tackle Cam Robinson day-to-day with a shoulder injury, Alabama could need a patched-up offensive line to keep those two in check.

Fix secondary issues

Alabama gave up a program-record 630 yards on Saturday, with 456 of those through the air. Maty Mauk has had an up-and-down year, but he’s a quarterback capable of having big games. He threw for 265 yards against a stout Arkansas defense last week and had his best SEC outing, in terms of passer rating, the week before against Tennessee. The Crimson Tide have a week to figure out what went wrong against Auburn.

Missouri's Keys to Victory

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Get to the quarterback

Missouri is average to below average in the SEC in most statistical categories—total offense, total defense, scoring, time of possession. But the one thing it does really well is rush the passer. The Tigers need Ray and Golden to show out on the big stage.

Run the ball

Alabama’s defense gave up one of its highest yards-per-carry averages against Auburn (3.7). The (Auburn) Tigers run out of a spread formation with a lot of window dressing and eye candy before the snap to throw a defense off balance. Missouri is an offense suited to that style of a rushing attack. The 5’9” Russell Hansbrough is seventh in the SEC in rushing and is an ideal back to run that kind of offense.

Alabama Players to Watch

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Cam Robinson

Alabama’s freshman left tackle has been a rock for the Crimson Tide on the line all year. He will be a key cog in slowing down Ray and Golden—if he can stay healthy. His health will be paramount for this game and could determine how clean or dirty Blake Sims’ jersey is at the end of the game.

Nick Perry

The redshirt senior safety has had a resurgence over the last half of the season, becoming Alabama’s most improved player on the defensive side of the ball. He’s logged at least eight tackles in Alabama’s last four SEC games, had crucial interceptions against Mississippi State and Auburn and broke up a third-down pass against LSU in overtime. He’ll play a major role in slowing down the Tigers offense.

Missouri Players to Watch

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Shane Ray and Markus Golden

Their names have been brought up a lot here, but it’s for good reason. In addition to their sack totals, the two have combined for 36.5 tackles for loss and 112 total tackles. They will dictate how much of a rhythm Alabama gets into on offense.

Maty Mauk

Missouri’s quarterback will need to be on his A-game, something that hasn’t come easy in his career. He’s had his peaks, but the valleys stand out just as much, like a four-interception showing against Georgia or a 20-yard outing against Florida that the Tigers still found a way to win.

What They're Saying

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Alabama

Alabama coach Nick Saban on Missouri’s defense

"Their defense is very opportunistic, gets lots of turnovers. They're plus-nine in turnovers, so this is really pretty high. They have lots of tackles for loss, lots of sacks. Their front guys do a really good job. Shane Ray and Markus Golden are both guys that have created a lot of havoc up front for a lot of people this season.

"This is a very, very good team and I wouldn't expect to play any team in the SEC Championship Game that wasn't one of the top teams in the country, and we certainly feel that Missouri is one of those teams the way they're playing right now and having won the last six games."

Safety Nick Perry on Alabama’s defensive outing last week

"We know that Saturday wasn't our best game as a unit, and we know that, in order to win this game Saturday, we're going to have to make a lot of improvements. It's really all on the secondary this Saturday. We're going to practice hard, and we're going to prepare ourselves for the best shot."

Missouri

Missouri coach Gary Pinkel on his initial impressions of Alabama

"Obviously they have high‑level personnel. He runs a program with attention to detail, very well‑coached. Stands out certainly that they're a high‑level defensive team, an offensive team that has certainly a lot of talent. Sims, their quarterback, was impressive the other night. To make the mistakes he made, then come back. Then Cooper, what do you say about him?

"It's a very, very good football team. Very well‑coached football team."

Missouri defensive end Markus Golden on Alabama

"Really, they got a lot of good players on the offense. They've got a good offensive line. They've got a nice quarterback that can scramble and get out of the pocket, and they've got some good running backs. Really, we've just got to run our game plan and play the Mizzou way and play hard and tough and physical. We like games like that. We like playing against great players. No matter what, we're going to be able to get after the pass-rusher. We know he's fast, but we're fast enough to run him down."

Prediction

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Alabama 31, Missouri 24

Missouri—a team everyone is doubting but with the firepower to make some noise—will surprise the country. In the end, though, depth will win out. Derrick Henry will ice the game with several big fourth-quarter runs, and Blake Sims will lead Alabama to the College Football Playoff.

Marc Torrence is the Alabama lead writer for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Follow on Twitter @marctorrence.