College Football Championship 2018: Critical Matchups in Alabama vs. Georgia
The Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs set up a matchup of SEC titans in the National Championship with wins on Monday night in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
While some will complain about the title game featuring a pair of SEC teams, the final game of the college football season presents us with a plethora of intriguing matchups.
Both teams are set up in a similar fashion, as they like to run the ball to get in a rhythm on offense and use a powerful front seven to strike fear into opposing offenses.
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Here's a look at the three of the most intriguing matchups in Monday's National Championship.
Georgia's Offensive Line vs. Alabama's Defensive Line
Alabama's defensive line was nothing short of fantastic in the Sugar Bowl against the Clemson Tigers.
The unit led by Raekwon Davis and Da'Ron Payne was in the Clemson backfield on almost every play as they overwhelmed Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant and smothered the Tigers running backs.
The Crimson Tide finished the game with nine tackles for loss, which was almost double the average Clemson was giving up, per Aaron Suttles of the Tuscaloosa News:
Alabama held Clemson to 64 rushing yards and its defensive line forced a turnover thanks to Payne, who became an internet sensation a few plays after his interception with a touchdown catch.
Davis, Payne and Co. will face one of their biggest tests of the season in the National Championship, as they'll line up against a Georgia offensive line that paved the way for Nick Chubb and Sony Michel to both run over 100 yards in the Rose Bowl.
The Bulldogs put on a clinic against the Sooners, but the Crimson Tide boast a more formidable threat.
Clemson came into the game allowing an average of about five tackles for loss a game. Alabama tallied nine.
If Georgia's offensive line can hit the Alabama defensive line hard in the trenches in the first half and pave the way for Michel and Chubb, the Bulldogs will be able to gain their footing right away. But if the Alabama defensive line has its way, it could be a long night for Kirby Smart's team.
Damien Harris and Bo Scarbrough vs. Roquan Smith and Lorenzo Carter
Alabama may not have the nationally-praised talent Georgia has at running back, but Damien Harris and Bo Scarbrough are capable of trucking through opposing defenses and carrying the Crimson Tide.
If Harris and Scarbrough, who combined for 101 rushing yards on 31 carries in the Sugar Bowl, are able to get past the Georgia defensive line, they'll be met by Roquan Smith and Lorenzo Carter, who both recorded over 10 tackles in the Rose Bowl.
The good news for the confidence of the Alabama running backs is Georgia's defense conceded 242 rushing yards to Oklahoma on Monday night.
While Alabama's total isn't expected to be as high in the National Championship, it does show the Crimson Tide that if they get a good push from the offensive line, Harris and Scarbrough have a chance to break long runs.
Part of the reason why Georgia gave up so much on the ground against Oklahoma was the threat of quarterback Baker Mayfield. Jalen Hurts doesn't pose the same dynamic threat, but he'll still have to be watched with a few big-play receivers in his arsenal.
With less focus on the opposing quarterback, Smith and Carter should be able to have more of an impact around the line of scrimmage. The best way for Alabama to combat that is for Hurts to develop a rhythm in the passing game. If that occurs, the Crimson Tide have an opportunity to experience more success on the ground.
Calvin Ridley vs. J.R. Reed
Georgia may have the better running backs on paper, but Alabama has the best wide receiver of the two teams in Calvin Ridley.
The NFL prospect is expected to gain plenty of attention from the Georgia secondary, and he'll be watched as a deep threat all night. That's where Georgia safety J.R. Reed comes into the picture.
The Crimson Tide will try to get Ridley involved early, and if they can do so through a deep pass, they will. Reed should be one of at least two players with eyes on the wideout along with whichever cornerback gets assigned to stop Ridley.
The key for Reed is to limit Ridley's big-play potential. Letting him catch a few balls within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage is fine as long as the Bulldogs wrap him up, but if the junior receiver gets loose deep in the secondary, the Crimson Tide could easily bury Georgia in the first half.
Ridley will be looking to have a breakout game after catching seven balls for 77 yards in the Iron Bowl and Sugar Bowl. In the two games before the loss to Auburn, he experienced his most successful stretch of the season as he recorded his only two 100-yard receiving performances.
The extra wrinkle Alabama could bring to this matchup is to use Ridley as a decoy and let some of its talented young wideouts connect with Hurts early to draw more attention in their direction before targeting Ridley later in the game.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
All statistics obtained from ESPN.com.
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