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It's a rematch for the SEC crown

Mecole Hardman and the Georgia Bulldogs will face Auburn in Saturday's SEC Championship.
Mecole Hardman and the Georgia Bulldogs will face Auburn in Saturday's SEC Championship. (Radi Nabulsi)

It’s a rematch.

On the line – the SEC Championship. Beyond? Perhaps a shot to play for college football’s holy grail.

This is the opportunity that awaits the 7th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs when they face Auburn for the conference crown on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. At stake, league bragging rights for the 13th time in school history, but perhaps even more important than that – a likely berth as one of the final four teams in the College Football Playoffs.

Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. The game will be televised live on CBS.

“One of the greatest events I’ve ever seen is the SEC Championship,” Bulldog head coach Kirby Smart said. “It’s by far the toughest conference, you get two of the best teams in the country. It’s a great opportunity for us. It’s what you want.”

Smart said the plan going in will be simple.

“It’s not any different for me than going to Auburn, to Tennessee, to any other SEC game.

We’ll prepare the same, don’t make the moment any bigger than it is,” Smart said. “We’ve got to do a good job, prepare the best we can. It is what it is. I’ve been in a lot of big games and I don’t see it any. I wanted to win when I was the defensive coordinator as much as I do as a head coach.”

Following Saturday’s 38-7 rout of Georgia Tech, the Bulldogs (11-1) should be playing with a renewed air of confidence, but getting past Auburn won’t be easy.

The Tigers, meanwhile, are coming off a 26-14 win over Alabama in Saturday’s Iron Bowl.

Georgia already knows how tough the Tigers (10-2) will be.

Auburn rolled past the Bulldogs 40-17, a game which saw the Bulldogs dominated along both lines of scrimmage with running back Kerryon Johnson rushing for 167 yards and quarterback Garrett Stidham throwing for 214 yards and three touchdowns.

Johnson, however, suffered what the CBS broadcast described as a shoulder injury against Alabama. His status for the game at this early junction is unknown.

Defensively, the Tigers held Georgia to just 46 rushing yards, and obviously that’s a number that will have to change for the Bulldogs to alter the outcome.

Smart has his fingers crossed.

"Our kids have played really hard," Smart added. "They've gotten better throughout the year. They've bought into what we're trying to do as a program. We're really excited about where we are, and we've got a challenge next week."

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