Burning Questions Ahead of the National Championship Game
Let the many haters hate, but the SEC is the king of college football again. The conference has placed both teams in the College Football Playoff National Championship for the first time since Alabama beat LSU 21-0 in 2012 with the Georgia Bulldogs set to meet the Crimson Tide in Atlanta on Jan. 8.
Until then, we'll all be laser-focused on every matchup and nuance you can think of in the battle between 'Bama and the Dawgs.
In some ways, UA and UGA playing each other will be like looking in the mirror.
Both programs are SEC institutions. They're also hard-nosed, defensive-minded teams who line up and play old-fashioned football characterized by running the ball, pressuring the passer and controlling the lines of scrimmage.
That's no surprise considering UGA second-year head coach Kirby Smart is a disciple of Alabama's Nick Saban, having served as Saban's assistant coach and defensive coordinator since 2007 before taking over at his alma mater.
The Tide knocked off defending champion Clemson in the national semifinal, winning the rubber match over the Tigers, whom they've faced in each of the past three years. Georgia, meanwhile, outlasted Baker Mayfield and Oklahoma in a Rose Bowl overtime classic.
Now, the two teams can focus squarely on each other with the championship trophy hanging in the balance. In order to obtain it, several things must happen.
Let's take a look at some of the burning questions surrounding this winner-take-all grudge match between Alabama and Georgia.
Will Nick Chubb and Sony Michel Continue to Dominate?
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Georgia knew it would have a chance to turn the program's fortunes around this season when running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel elected to return to Athens for their senior seasons as the centerpieces of a team with 31 seniors.
All year, the duo put the offense on their shoulders as the Bulldogs broke in young but talented freshman signal-caller Jake Fromm.
That happened again in the Rose Bowl when Chubb and Michel kept UGA poised and helped it roar back from a 31-14 deficit for a 54-48 overtime victory over Oklahoma.
Michel was the dazzler, rushing for 181 yards on just 11 carries and scoring three times. Chubb was also impressive, carrying the ball just 14 times for 145 yards and another pair of touchdowns.
The Sooners were supposed to be the big playmakers with Baker Mayfield at the helm, but Michel and Chubb seized the spotlight. They averaged 13.0 yards per attempt between them and were the main reasons why UGA scored a remarkable 54 points on 63 plays.
But even though Oklahoma's defense had improved as the season matured, it was far from an elite front. The Bulldogs will face one of those in Atlanta against Alabama, which is rested, healthy and ready.
There's almost zero chance Chubb and Michel will be able to replicate the numbers they posted against the Sooners, but they don't have to. They can "dominate" by controlling the tempo of the game, keeping the chains moving and breaking a play or two against an aggressive Alabama front.
If the Bulldogs can rely on those two, they have a legitimate chance to dethrone the Tide in the SEC. If UA can stifle the pair, Georgia is in for a long night in a Mercedes-Benz Stadium that will likely have a home feel to it.
Which Jalen Hurts Will Show Up?
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Alabama sophomore quarterback Jalen Hurts isn't going to wow anybody with his passing skills or by throwing receivers open; he's not that kind of signal-caller yet.
But the Crimson Tide proved against Clemson that as long as their field general on offense is an adequate playmaker who takes care of the ball, that's more than enough to win. He was a steady 16-of-24 for 120 yards and a pair of scoring tosses and added 40 more on the ground.
Those aren't numbers that will make anyone mistake him for Mayfield, but they aren't bad considering Clemson tried to apply pressure to him all night, sacking him twice.
Georgia, much like Clemson, will try to follow the Auburn blueprint against Hurts. The hated Tigers from the Plains got to Hurts often, harassing him and forcing him into bad mistakes and errant passes. Against Dabo Swinney's team, Hurts mainly kept his composure.
That wasn't the case when, as a true freshman in last year's title game, Hurts failed to have any success throwing downfield. He was 13-of-31 and couldn't get the ball to Calvin Ridley and Co.
The Bulldogs are good enough in the front seven to apply pressure on Hurts if Alabama's offensive line doesn't play as well as it did against Clemson. They're also good enough to make the Tide one-dimensional by going after the quarterback.
How the sophomore handles the extra attention will go a long way in determining if Alabama wins or not. It's a safe bet that Georgia's defense rebounds from the way it played in the first half against the Sooners and looks more like the UGA unit that dominated after the break.
How will Hurts deal with it?
How Will UGA Freshman Quarterback Jake Fromm Perform?
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During the ESPN telecast of the Rose Bowl game, analysts Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler talked about how UGA freshman quarterback Jake Fromm had difficulty remembering the last time he actually got uncomfortable in a situation.
Indeed, it seems like the unflappable freshman has improved as the season has gone on, and the bigger the stage, the better he plays.
Fromm was brilliant in a lopsided SEC Championship Game victory over Auburn, and there was just one moment in the Rose Bowl where he looked immature: the underhanded intentional grounding as he was being sacked.
He finished 20-of-29 for 210 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Sooners. Most importantly, he didn't turn the ball over. That kind of performance wins championships, and Fromm has a good chance of leading Georgia to one of those Monday night.
Yes, Chubb and Michel do the heavy lifting, but you can't deny Fromm and what he means to the Bulldogs. For everybody who has been waiting for him to crumble like a first-year player, Fromm has proved us all wrong. But he has one gargantuan test remaining.
Alabama's defense is big, fast, aggressive and attacking. Last year's Tide defense may have been one of the all-time best, but the one they put on the field Monday against Clemson looked to be of a similar caliber.
With the way they disguise blitzes, press receivers on the outside and bait quarterbacks, this will be the best all-around defense Fromm has faced. But Fromm was unflappable in the rematch against Auburn after suffering his only hiccup in the first meeting.
The Tide likely will key in on the run, leaving more responsibility on the capable right arm of Fromm. If he's able to make a few massive plays, it could translate into a title.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Is Alabama's Defense Really Back?
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Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt is leaving his alma mater immediately after the national championship game to be the head coach at rival Tennessee, but having a dual focus on the Vols obviously isn't hurting his game preparation.
With the Crimson Tide healthier on the second level than they've been since early in the season, they obliterated any chances of Clemson repeating with a smothering 24-6 victory over the Tigers. Quarterback Kelly Bryant looked clueless against all the pressure.
Anfernee Jennings, Terrell Lewis, Mack Wilson, Da'Ron Payne, Minkah Fitzpatrick and many more impressed against the Tigers, making it feel like Clemson was facing 22 defenders instead of 11. Those first-down markers may as well have been a mile away.
That wasn't anywhere near the same unit that was manhandled by Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Once Saban's Tide were selected for the College Football Playoff, they knew they'd get rest, get healthier and keep that chip on their shoulder.
They played like it against Clemson. But is this what we can expect when they match up against the Bulldogs?
Georgia's rugged offensive line and running backs will be a tough test for the Tide, but this UA defense is playing with a different kind of attitude that hasn't been around since the first couple of Saban championships.
"They are ferocious at the line of scrimmage," Herbstreit told AL.com's Mark Heim.
There's no denying the waves of talent Saban, Pruitt and all those top-ranked recruiting classes can throw at you, and with the Tide being healthy and deep again, they looked like the most dominant unit in all of football for one night at least.
The biggest test of the year comes against Georgia.
Can Georgia Out-Bama Alabama?
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When a team has been as successful as Alabama has been under Nick Saban for the past decade, you want to find a way to bottle it up and replicate it.
That's easier said than done.
But Georgia has been able to get pretty darn close in Year 2 under Kirby Smart, who learned at the foot of Saban's throne for nine years. This is the Tide blueprint with a Smart signature at the bottom.
Stable of running backs of all shapes and sizes? Check. Dominant lines of scrimmage? Yep. Aggressive, big, fast playmakers on defense? Got it. Tons of talent and depth built through highly ranked recruiting classes? Got that too.
These two teams are very similar, even down to the talented quarterbacks who aren't normally asked to do too much.
But the biggest remaining question is whether Georgia can improve upon what Alabama has seemingly perfected. Also, can they do it under these circumstances, with Alabama feeling disrespected and looking even more dominant?
Monday night was 'Bama at its best against Clemson, uglying up the game to the point of a beautiful blowout. This was Saban ball at its finest, ending in a one-sided mercy killing of Clemson.
"The Crimson Tide quietly seethed, taking names and numbers and filing them away," wrote USA Today's Nancy Armour. "And on Monday night, Nick Saban and his ferocious defense unleashed the full force of that pent-up rage, making Clemson look like pretenders in the 24-6 win."
This happened after UGA survived allowing 48 points to Oklahoma in what was easily a strong defense's worst outing of the season, an outing you can't fathom seeing a Saban-led defense suffer through.
Was that an anomaly? Or was it the first sign that Georgia is on its way to being a "baby Bama" but is only in its second year of the transformation? The Bulldogs get their chance to complete the siege and seize the crown.
Can the Pupil Best the Master?
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We've already talked about the personnel, the battles in the trenches and the overarching similarities of the two teams featured in the national championship game.
Though Kirby Smart was a great defensive talent in his own right, leading the SEC in interceptions as a senior safety for Georgia, he cut his coaching teeth and sharpened his acumen under Saban, who is arguably the greatest modern defensive coaching mind.
For all the similarities in these teams, it's because Smart learned how to win championships while at Alabama. Like several before him and another one coming up this season in Pruitt, Smart left the safety net of college football's most dominant program to start one of his own.
Mark Richt didn't exactly leave the cupboard bare in Athens, but Smart has built upon that rock to make UGA his. Yes, the Dawgs have 31 seniors, but this year's team plays with a swagger that wasn't evident just a season ago. That's Smart.
And, in a way, it's an extension of Saban.
Now, Smart will try to do what nobody has before: best the boss.
Saban is an astounding 11-0 against his ex-assistants. From the easy ones like former Tennessee coach Derek Dooley to Will Muschamp and Jim McElwain to Jimbo Fisher at Florida State to open this season, Saban owns his assistants.
Until somebody takes it from him, Saban is the king of his college football domain. Though many of his assistants try to use the lessons they've learned in Tuscaloosa (or Baton Rouge) and improve upon it, the Tide are still the standard.
All that's at stake for Saban is his sixth national title, which would tie him with Bear Bryant. So, either way, Saban's legacy will swell a little more. But will this be a proverbial passing of the torch, or will everybody keep trying to topple the Tide?
Monday will provides answers.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
