On Monday, Jan. 8 the Georgia Bulldogs will play against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the College Football National Championship. Both teams finished the season with just one loss and just came off a semifinal win on Jan. 1. Photo fair use of RSHighlights.
Sports staffer Caedmon Churchwell predicts the outcome of the National Championship game between Alabama and Georgia.
On Jan. 8, the University of Georgia Bulldogs football team will play in the College Football National Championship game against the University of Alabama Crimson Tide.
The Georgia Bulldogs have not won a National Championship since Heisman Trophy winner and running back
Herschel Walker played for head coach Vince Dooley in 1980.
The Alabama Crimson Tide has won four of the last eight national championships and has made an appearance the last four college football playoffs.
The championship experience is there for head coach Nick Saban. He has a coaching record over the past 11 years of 131-20 with an all-time winning percentage of 86.8 percent at Alabama. Saban is also 11-0 against former assistants, including University of South Carolina’s Will Muschamp, Michigan State University’s Mark Dantonio and former University of Florida head coach Jim McElwain.
As for the Dawgs, the team just came off their first appearance in the College Football Playoff semifinal with an intense win over the University of Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl.
Under their second season with head coach Kirby Smart, a former Alabama Defensive Coordinator, the Dawgs have found success under two words this season: composure and physicality. Although it has worked so far up to this point having a 13-1 season, the Dawgs will face off against a more composed and physical team in Alabama.
Both Georgia and Alabama have dominated teams defensively with two of the best defenses on paper all season. But the real question is can UGA run the ball? Alabama is the best rush defense in the league allowing just 2.7 yards a carry on the season.
If Alabama shuts down the best rushing tandem in college football in Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, then the Dawgs will have to rely on true freshman Jake Fromm, who has played at a high level over the course of the last few weeks. However, can Fromm get it done again against a defense led by defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick?
At the end of the day, I predict the Alabama Crimson Tide will take home another national championship under Nick Saban’s name, but at home, we will still be rooting for the Dawgs.