Final Score Predictions for SEC Championship between Georgia and Alabama
After completing a record-breaking third-consecutive undefeated regular season, this week Georgia turns its eyes to the postseason and a date with Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. The top-ranked Bulldogs are looking to cement their spot in this season's College Football Playoff, while at 11-1 and No. 8 in the CFP rankings, Alabama is looking to make its case for a Playoff berth by putting an end to Georgia's SEC record 29-game winning streak. With a win, Georgia will be guaranteed a spot in the CFP, almost certainly as the No. 1 seed. A loss, however, complicates its path to the Playoff and, depending on the outcomes of other conference championship games around the country, could result in the Bulldogs being left out entirely. Georgia enters the game as a 5.5-point favorite over the Crimson Tide as it continues its quest for an unprecedented third-consecutive CFP national championship.
The game will kickoff at 4:00 PM ET and will be the final SEC game broadcast on CBS.
The Dawgs Daily staff is here with our final predictions for the matchup between the two SEC powerhouses in Saturday's SEC Championship Game.
Brooks Austin: Georgia 34, Bama 24
Both of these teams are insanely talented, particularly on the defensive side of the football — this matchup features arguably the two best defensive back corps in College Football. It very well could be a rock fight midway through the fourth quarter, but Georgia’s offense is where they are just better. Carson Beck has been extremely efficient and they are one of the nation’s best on third down. Additionally, Jalen Milroe has had to play hero ball on the offensive side to keep this Bama unit afloat — constantly living in third and long. It's not historically a recipe for consistent success against a Kirby Smart and Glenn Schumann defense.
Jonathan Williams: Georgia 30 - Alabama 20
Looking back over the years of this matchup, both teams have had good defenses, but the team that has prevailed is the team with the best offense. This year that is the Georgia Bulldogs. They have been one of, if not, the most consistent offenses in the entire country. I think Carson Beck is the better quarterback in this football game and with those two factors piled in together, I think the Bulldogs will get the job done on Saturday against the Crimson Tide. Kirby Smart and his football team get another big win on the season in the SEC Championship and the Dawgs lock up the top seed for the college football playoff.
Tyler Graves: Georgia 31 - Alabama 20
Alabama is still very much a college football powerhouse, however this particular version of the Crimson Tide is not the version of yesteryear that still haunts the dreams of Georgia fans. This Alabama team has a statistical profile far more akin to that of Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M than it does the likes of Michigan, Oregon, or Ohio State. Given its superior performance through the totality of the 2023 regular season, this is a game that Georgia absolutely SHOULD win, but in the world of college football we know that the latest upset is just around the corner. Still, if the Bulldogs can weather the injury storm and play close to their "standard," they will win this football game. If Georgia plays below that standard as it has at various points this season, the margin between the two teams is clearly tight enough that Alabama is fully capable of winning this game. However, over the past three seasons, the Bulldogs have developed a habit of preserving their best for the biggest games and, if I am betting man, I am betting on that being the case once again.
Ethan Offutt: Georgia 28 - Alabama 27
The Crimson Tide and the Bulldogs have another date planned in Downtown Atlanta at the SEC Championship. In their previous dates, Bama has run the table, with the Tide winning each previous matchup. This year is a bit different, though, with Georgia being the dominant program the last two seasons and knocking off Nick Saban and Alabama in 2021 to win the first CFP Title. This game will be a game of closure for more than one reason: the end of the SEC on CBS era, the division era of the SEC, but more importantly, the era where the Crimson Tide and Saban are looking at the license plate of Georgia as they drive away from Atlanta Saturday night the new dynasty of college football. But, if there's anything we have learned from the previous Kirby Smart v. Saban feud, it will be a hard-fought, close victory for whoever manages to win this game. Georgia will win this game by a late mistake from Alabama, something that has bitten the Dawgs in the butt every time against the Tide other than the 2021 National Championship game.
Christian Kirby II: Georgia 27 - Alabama 30
I know, I know. How dare I? But the general belief from the public that Georgia will win this game makes me think that something crazy is going to happen. After all, this is a Georgia team that has trailed in eight of their nine power-five matchups this season and currently ranks 83rd nationally with a -0.2 turnover margin. Inopportune turnovers and playing from behind is a recipe for disaster when playing a Nick Saban-coached team. On paper, Georgia is the superior team, yes. But I fear that Georgia (a team that has shot itself in the foot more than usual this season) will see its winning streak end this Saturday.
