The last two years have proven that Georgia will likely have to defeat Alabama in any path to a national championship. They have met in the national championship and the conference championship. This video series combines the 2017 national championship and 2018 SEC title game to identify ways the Bulldogs can defeat the Crimson Tide.
Scoring plays
Rodrigo Blankenship is one of the nation's most reliable kickers. Georgia never makes it to the national championship if not for his leg in multiple games including the 2017 Rose Bowl. Of the 51 points UGA has scored on Alabama in the last two games, Blankenship is responsible for 15 of them. He is 3-for-4 on field goals and 6-for-6 on extra points.
On the four drives ending in field goal attempts, the worst case scenario is zero points. Georgia wound up with nine points. In a perfect world, those are all touchdown drives and Georgia tallies 28 points. That is a primary difference in Georgia's 2017 squandered lead and Clemson's 2018 national championship victory. In comparing national championship games versus Alabama, Georgia scored a touchdown on 40 percent percent of their scoring plays. Clemson scored a touchdown on 86 percent of their scoring plays.
Georgia's first touchdown in the national championship came from the Wild Dog formation. Jake Fromm shifts out while Mecole Hardman lines up behind center alongside Sony Michel. Alabama's tacklers get bottled up as their eye discipline is tested. Georgia has had success against Alabama with speed on the edge.
Teams that beat Alabama stretch their formations vertically. The Crimson Tide is far too athletic to defeat with conservative play calling for the entirety of a game. It is important to note that Jake Fromm only held the football for around three seconds on the play below. Quick and decisive plays lower the risk of sacks or fumbles.
Beating Alabama often requires a quarterback having confidence that borders on fearlessness. Jake Fromm delivers a perfect touchdown pass to Issac Nauta in traffic on the first scoring play of the 2018 SEC Championship. Fromm navigates a very small window and Nauta brings in the catch while twisting to prepare for the hit from a safety. Again, Fromm held the football for less than three seconds.
Passing windows are smaller against Alabama. So, too, are running lanes. D'Andre Swift displays patience and burst with his touchdown run in the SEC Championship. Georgia's blocking is solid and Swift's vision is excellent. He can make defenders miss and that is a great asset especially when the field shrinks in the redzone.
Swift has similar moves in the flat as a receiver. This play design has three crossing routes across the middle, all at different levels. It also has passing options in each of the flats. This uses the entirety of the field to keep Alabama from stacking the box. As much as Georgia's downhill running game is feared, the Bulldogs have scored by stretching the field horizontally.
Georgia's final touchdown in the SEC Championship was an example of the aggression needed to try and keep a score out of Alabama's reach. This is a first down play call deep in Georgia territory. The Bulldogs run essentially five vertical routes and allow Jake Fromm to put the football in a safe spot. Fromm is a great passer and should be trusted to complete these passes regularly.
Here is a quick recap:
-Field goals will not put Alabama away.
-Use speed to get to the edge quickly.
-Take deep shots.
-Get the ball out of the quarterback's hands quickly.
-Patient running.
-Stretch the field horizontally as well as vertically.
