Georgia’s No.1 and Alabama’s No.3, two of college football’s biggest heavyweights, head to a showdown at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday afternoon in the SEC Championship game. And, unsurprisingly, there will be more than the conference title at stake this weekend in Atlanta. The Bulldogs entered the title game with an unbeaten record, smothering defense and a big playing offense that was able to stretch the field whenever he felt it was necessary.

The Crimson Tide struggled last week in a quadruple overtime victory over rivals Auburn, and were not as sharp as they were last year. But coach Nick Saban knows how to win when it counts, and he’s once again led his team to the precipice of back-to-back SEC titles.

What to expect on Saturday afternoon? Let’s break the match down and make choices straight and against the spread.

Georgia vs Alabama: to know

The offensive line must be better: It’s safe to say that last weekend’s game against Auburn was an utter disaster for Crimson Tide’s offensive line. They allowed 11 tackles for a loss, quarterback Bryce Young was sacked seven times, and they averaged just 1.92 yards per carry. It was against Auburn. Comparing Auburn’s defensive front to Georgia’s is like comparing a pee-wee flag football team to the Green Bay Packers.

Saban said on Sunday he knew things needed to be fixed.

“Obviously it wasn’t very good,” he said. “We didn’t do a very good job of blocking passes. We didn’t do a very good job of finishing blocks on racing games. So it’s pretty obvious to everyone that we didn’t. not very well done. work in the second half I think. It hasn’t always been perfect, but much, much better. I think some of the adjustments we made were a little better for them to perform compared to the the way Auburn played us. “

George Pickens is back: The Bulldogs’ star wide receiver picked up a few snaps and caught an assist last week against Georgia Tech in what was his first action since tearing his ACL in spring practice. It’s clear at this point that trainer Kirby Smart did it for one reason and one reason only – to prepare him for the stretch run. The junior caught 36 passes for 513 yards and six touchdowns in eight games last season, and added 49 catches for 727 yards and eight touchdowns in 14 games as a true rookie in 2019.

He’s the kind of difference maker who can throw that attack – which has already turned out to be a big game attack in the air – in overdrive. Quarterback Stetson Bennett IV is averaging 10.8 yards per attempt, which is just behind Grayson McCall of Coastal Carolina in the country. If Pickens is back in the mix even as a minimal participant, the Alabama defense will have their work cut out for them.

Can Trey Sanders do it: Alabama running back Brian Robinson Jr. struggled with bumps and bruises but suffered a strained “lower body” muscle last week. This injury limited him late in the Iron Bowl, and has been a cause for concern in training this week. That leaves second student Trey Sanders as the only healthy scholarship to return to Tide’s roster, which is insane considering how deep they are typically at every position on the roster.

Saban trusts Sanders, who was a five-star prospect and the No. 6 overall player in the class of 2019.

“He did a good job,” Saban said on Sunday. “He did a good job catching the ball. He did a good job protecting against blocks, especially in some critical passing situations. When they were blitzing he made great pickups and directed the ball. quite efficiently. So we were satisfied. “

How to watch Georgia vs Alabama live

Dated: Saturday 4 December | Time: 4 p.m. ET
Site: Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta
TV: CBS | Direct: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports app (To free)

Georgia vs Alabama prediction, pick

Put simply, it’s a confrontational nightmare for the Crimson Tide. The offensive line hasn’t been able to block consistently all year, and last week against Auburn was their worst performance of the season. Now, is it suddenly going to go well against Jordan Davis and the Bulldogs’ top seven? Nope. No chance. Georgia will keep Alabama in check all afternoon, giving Bennett and the rest of this attack a chance to dictate the style and tempo of the game. The Bulldogs will win in double digits. Prediction: Georgia (-6.5)

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