The Georgia Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide have been regulars in the SEC Championship Game for years. In the third Georgia vs Alabama SEC title bout in six years, the two storied rivals delivered another classic.
All eyes were obviously on the SEC Championship Game because of its ramifications on the College Football Playoff. With the Texas Longhorns dominating the Big 12 Championship, Alabama needed a statement SEC title win to even have a shot at the CFP Semifinal. Meanwhile, Georgia controlled its fate with a victory securing the No. 1 seed as it makes a run at a three-peat.
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Georgia jumped out to an early 7-0 lead that seemingly made this seem like a one-sided battle. In the next 30 minutes, Alabama responded with 17 unanswered points. The Bulldogs rallied late in the fourth quarter, but big plays from Alabama’s defense and Jalen Milroe’s late-game heroics ultimately made the difference.
Let’s dive into the winners and losers from the 2023 SEC Championship Game as Alabama celebrates a 27-24 victory over Georgia.
Winner: Alabama Crimson Tide defense delivers
It hasn’t always been pretty for the Alabama Crimson Tide defense this season. In the Week 2 loss against Texas, Nick Saban’s group allowed the Longhorns’ offense to rack up 454 total yards without generating a takeaway. In the Iron Bowl, the Crimson Tide allowed Auburn to rush for 244 yards (5.8 ypc) with two scores.
Alabama put on a defensive clinic after the first drive in the SEC Championship Game. Following Georgia’s eight-play, 83-yard touchdown drive, the Crimson Tide held the Bulldogs’ offense to 238 total yards and 3-for-11 on third downs. It felt reminiscent of vintage performances by Alabama’s defense. While there was a little luck involved, mainly the fumble recovery at Georgia’s 17-yard line, this was a defensive masterpiece from Saban’s guys.
Loser: Georgia Bulldogs’ run game disappears in SEC title game
The Georgia Bulldogs rode a balanced offense into the SEC Championship Game and that was expected to carry them against Alabama. Heading into Saturday, Daijun Edwards (5.3 ypc, 11 rushing touchdowns) and Kendall Milton (6.5 ypc, 10 touchdowns) were extremely effective. Behind the two-man ground attack, Georgia averaged the 12th-highest yards per carry (5.3) with the seventh-most rushing touchdowns (32).
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On the opening drive, Milton ripped off a 17-yard touchdown run to give Georgia a 7-0 lead and the Bulldogs left the field with 24 rushing yards on four carries by their top running backs. The 17-yard run would be the last explosive run (10-plus yards) for Georgia, as they finished the game with 81 rushing yards, averaging just 3.5 yards per carry. The inability to gain yards early created 3rd-and-longs, which Alabama’s defense seized on.
Winner: Texas Longhorns are back
The Texas Longhorns needed several dominoes to fall their way on Saturday. They controlled what they could, devastating the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the Big 12 Championship Game behind a phenomenal performance by Quinn Ewers. However, Texas was still dependent on Alabama coming through in the SEC Championship Game.
Texas got what it needed. It delivered one of its best performances of the season, demonstrating to the College Football Playoff committee that it’s capable of crushing some ranked opponents. Then, the Crimson Tide came through on Saturday night with a decisive win over Georgia. There’s still a chance Florida State makes it in over the Longhorns, but Texas has earned a right to play in the CFP Semifinal.
Loser: College Football Playoff committee headed for uncomfortable discussions
Everything has been pretty simple for the CFP committee in recent weeks. Georgia, Michigan and Washington kept winning, seemingly locking up three spots in the CFP Semifinal. The only path for chaos to erupt would be Texas blowing out Oklahoma State and Alabama pulling off the upset over the Bulldogs. Here we are.
The easy part is putting Michigan at No. 1 and Washington in the No. 2 spot. After that, there is a debate. The Florida State Seminoles have the record to make it in, but the Seminoles aren’t a playoff-caliber team without Jordan Travis. Meanwhile, Texas has the head-to-head victory over Alabama and the Crimson Tide proved superior to Georgia on Saturday night. What matters to the committee? We’re about to find out, but the one guarantee is there will be millions of people unhappy when the final rankings come out on Sunday.
Winner: Jalen Milroe comes up clutch in SEC Championship Game
Sometimes it’s about more than the box score and a player’s individual stats. Jalen Milroe didn’t have one of his best statistical performances on Saturday. In fact, Alabama’s offense went through some long cold stretches. However, Milroe stepped up when it mattered and that’s the biggest reason the Crimson Tide won the SEC Championship Game.
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Georgia had momentum after cutting the lead to 20-17 late in the fourth quarter, putting the pressure on Milroe. On Alabama’s fourth-quarter touchdown drive to seal the victory, Milroe won it with his arm and pocket movement. Surrounded by pressure, Milroe bought time with his legs and kept his eyes downfield until a play came open. That alone extended the scoring drive. He also went 4-for-4 through the air, accounting for 57 of the yards. Then, he iced the victory with his legs. Milroe has saved some of his best for fourth-quarter heroics two weeks in a row and he’s the MVP behind Alabama’s turnaround. Not bad for a quarterback who Nick Saban benched earlier this season.