No. 1 Alabama is on a quest for its seventh title of the Nick Saban era while winning back-to-back national championships for the first time since the 2011-12 seasons. Despite being one win away from accomplishing that mission, the Crimson Tide find themselves as underdogs heading into the College Football Playoff National Championship against No. 3 Georgia, which they defeated 41-24 on Dec. 4 in the SEC Championship Game.
So why are Saban (the greatest coach of all time) and Alabama (the nation’s top-ranked team) entering Monday’s title tilt as underdogs? One reason: Georgia was the best team in the country on a week-in, week-out basis throughout the regular season. After the Orange Bowl semifinal thrashing of No. 2 Michigan, many believe the loss to Alabama in Atlanta was an anomaly in an otherwise championship-caliber season.
The Tide may have won the first meeting handily thanks to a 24-point explosion in the second quarter, but the Bulldogs are likely not going to be dispatched as easily in the rematch. So what will it take for Alabama to beat this talented and dominant Georgia team twice in 37 days? Let’s get into the keys to the game for the Crimson Tide.
Keys for Georgia: How the Bulldogs can defeat Alabama for the CFP title
1. Keep Bryce Young’s jersey clean
OK, this is highly unlikely to be met as a goal, but it functions as a key focus for the rematch after what occurred in the SEC title game. Georgia has one of the most dangerous defensive fronts in the entire country, but for all of their efforts to overwhelm Tide offensive line, the Dawgs did not register a single sack against quarterback Bryce Young. Alabama’s offensive line was identified as a potential liability heading into that game, but with a good game plan to get the…
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