Keys to Victory: National Championship Game

What are the keys to victory for both teams in the national championship game?

It is a rematch that's been the talk of College Football down in the southeast for much of the last three weeks following Alabama's 41-24 thrashing of then No. 1 ranked Georgia in the SEC Championship game back on December 4th. With the rematch now set, it usually means there will be major adjustments, especially on Georgia's side of things. 

What are the keys to a victory for either side next Monday in Indianapolis? 

Win Third Down 

The biggest difference from a statistical perspective the last time these two teams met has been third down. Georgia struggled mightily with third downs on both sides of the football. Alabama converted half of their third downs (7/14) against Georgia's highly touted defense. While Georgia's offense certainly did not help its struggling defense converting just 3 of 12 third downs.

If your offense cannot stay on the field while the defense simultaneously cannot get off the field, it is the formula for a loss, case in point December 4th, 2021.

Stay Ahead of the Chains 

A big reason for Georgia's big win over Michigan last Friday night was the ability of Georgia's offense to stay ahead of the chains. The chances of converting a third-down are much slimmer the farther the ball is from the marker, shocker I know. The balance of Monken's playcalling combined with the excellent execution on the field led to Georgia finishing 10/16 on third downs. 

Georgia found ways to stay ahead of the sticks and give Stetson Bennett and the Georgia offense a better chance at gaining the neccessary yardage, a similar case to what Alabama did versus Georgia. Although, throughout the 12 game regular season, it was evident that Georgia's defense was near unbeatable on third and longs, rarely did opponents convert on third and longs. The heroics of Bryce Young and the Alabama passing attack negated that situation. 

Get Pressure 

Last but certainly not least, if someone from the future told you Georgia wouldn't sack Bryce Young once when they met in Atlanta, you would've most likely been in shock. Sacks seem to be the most surefire way of slowing down the Alabama offense that last ran circles around Georgia's defense. 

Georgia's inability to stimulate pressure on Bryce Young while in the pocket meant more time for Alabama receivers to beat Georgia downfield in coverage. Defensive front impact for either defense will most likely determine the outcome of this rematch.

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