Matchup History: Alabama V. Georgia Is A Fitting End to the Current Era of SEC Football

With the landscape of the CFB scene changing next year, let's discuss why Alabama versus Georgia is the perfect championship game to end the division era of SEC football.

A couple of weeks ago, the SEC Championship game was set, with Alabama and Georgia meeting yet again for the conference title. With the joining of two new universities to the SEC play next year in the form of Oklahoma and Texas, this SEC Championship Game is a fitting end to the current division era of SEC football. 

The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide have met 72 times, with Alabama leading the matchup history with a 42-26-4 record against the Dawgs. With some historic marks on the line this game, such as Georgia defeating Alabama for the first time in the SEC Championship game, it seems this rivalry is what the SEC needs to end the era of divisions and their tenure with CBS. 

It will also be a matchup of former acquaintances battling it out on the field on Saturday. Once again, Nick Saban will face off against one of his former assistants. Saban has been a demolition crew in these games, with a 28-3 record against people who used to be on his staff. But, when Saban tallied his first loss to an assistant when Jimbo Fisher, Zach Calzada, and Texas A&M took down Bama in the 2021 season, Kirby Smart and his Bulldogs got their revenge from that season's SEC Championship game, defeating Bama for the national title. 

Georgia running back Kendall Milton (2) moves the ball past LSU safety Major Burns (28) during the second half of the SEC Championship NCAA college football game between LSU and Georgia in Atlanta, on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. Georgia won 50-30. (Joshua L Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK) / Joshua L. Jones

Despite that one victory against Saban, all be it a very meaningful victory that kickstarted the birth of a dynasty, Saban's former defensive backs coach at LSU turned defensive coordinator at Alabama has a head-to-head record of 1-4, and three of those losses coming from Atlanta and the SEC Championship game. Despite the staggering head-to-head record, the two's overall first eight years at their respective programs have been glaringly similar. Another familiar face coming in this game will be Jermaine Burton, who has been exceptional for Saban and the Tide since he transferred there from Georgia. 

Some may say that the final thing for Smart and the Bulldogs to do to cement them as the next dynasty is to knock off Alabama during this SEC Championship game and put the final nail in their coffin. Smart doesn't feel that way and wants him and his team to take a step closer to making their third straight College Football Playoffs. 

With a division-less SEC landscape coming in 2024, the meaning of the SEC Championship may dissipate with the consistency of powerhouses playing each other head-to-head during the regular season instead of the championship game. It could look more like the BIG 12 Championship. Ending the division era of SEC football with the recent heated rivalry between Georgia and Alabama will be great for their transition in 2024. 

How to Watch the SEC Championship

• Gameday: Saturday, Dec. 2. 2023
• Game time: 3:30 pm ET
• TV: CBS
• Location: Mercedes Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia)
• Live stream on fuboTV: Start with a 7-day free trial!
• Stream on ESPN - HERE
• Broadcast Call: Brad Nessler (play-by-play) and Gary Danielson (Color) will be on the call

Other Georgia News:

• Georgia Clinches the SEC East for Third Straight Season
• CFP Rankings Released - Georgia Remains on Top on CFB
• WATCH: Kirby Smart Talks Georgia Tech Rivalry, Updates Injury Report

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