CFP National Championship 2018: Early Predictions for Alabama vs. Georgia
Critics would hate to admit it, but it seems the College Football Playoff selection committee made the right choice in locking the Alabama Crimson Tide into the top four.
Alabama avenged its championship loss to the Clemson Tigers last year in a convincing 24-6 victory in the semifinal round Monday.
The Tide will clash with the Georgia Bulldogs in an all-SEC CFP National Championship Game, which means Nick Saban will face his protege, Kirby Smart, who served as Alabama's defensive coordinator from 2008-15.
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Many talked about the SEC's demise this season, but this title matchup suggests otherwise. The Bulldogs outlasted the Oklahoma Sooners in the first CFP overtime contest. It took two extra periods, but Georgia has an opportunity to break its 38-year drought as national champions. On the opposite sideline, the Tide look as strong as ever on defense.
Check out the date, time and location of the CFP National Championship contest followed by an early prediction on the winner.
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta
When: Monday, Jan. 8; 8 p.m. ET
Watch: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Matchup Preview
The Bulldogs will essentially host this championship game in Atlanta. Nonetheless, Alabama fans travel, and they'll make their presence felt at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. On the field, we're looking at two programs with clear identities.
Georgia will attempt to establish the run with two quality running backs in Sony Michel and Nick Chubb, who combined for 326 rushing yards against Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl:
Freshman quarterback Jake Fromm will avoid critical errors, and he'll find wideout Javon Wims on the perimeter in some one-on-one matchups.
Every year, Alabama comes into its games with a formula that focuses on winning in the trenches. The Tide outmuscled the Tigers in the Sugar Bowl. Once quarterback Kelly Bryant turned the ball over, it became a feeding frenzy for Jeremy Pruitt's defense.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts doesn't pile on the numbers through the air, but he's efficient with possession. The sophomore signal-caller won't put his team in a bad position with errant throws and uses his legs to escape pocket pressure. Against the Tigers, we also saw an aggressive front seven attack the quarterback, finishing with five sacks.
Matchup Prediction
How does the action unfold Monday?
The final score won't compare to the Rose Bowl thriller, but expect more combined points than the Sugar Bowl slugfest.
Alabama's front seven won't attack the pocket in the same manner with Michel and Chubb taking handoffs out of the backfield. Head coach Nick Saban will have to preach discipline in maintaining gap assignments to close rushing lanes, although Georgia's two-man backfield should have a lasting impact on this contest.
Assuming they reach the second level of Alabama's defense, Chubb and Michel will test the Tide's linebacker corps. It's worth noting, Anfernee Jennings will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of his knee injury, per ESPN.com reporter Chris Low:
Expect Hurts to make a few plays to stun the defense, especially when throwing to wideout Calvin Ridley.
Smart must channel his defensive expertise to find an answer to limiting Hurts' mobility while keeping an eye on a talented backfield that didn't show much in the Sugar Bowl contest.
In order to open the field against Alabama, Chubb or Michel will need a few catches to spread defenders out and prevent crowding near the line of scrimmage. Without those open-field plays, the Tide's defense can simply focus on stopping the run.
Georgia doesn't have a threatening passing attack when sharing the field with a strong defense. Expect Alabama to dare Fromm to throw downfield by loading the box with an extra defender. With defensive backs Minkah Fitzpatrick and Ronnie Harrison on the back end, the Tide have enough talent to cover deep strikes.
Alabama will take a page out of Auburn's playbook during the regular season and outmuscle Georgia en route to another championship. Running backs Damien Harris and Bo Scarbrough should be the key players in the victory.
Prediction: Alabama 27, Georgia 24
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