Georgia vs. Alabama: 3 key position battles in the National Championship Game
Which position battles will be the focus of the National Championship Game, between Alabama and Georgia?
On Monday night, the Georgia Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide will go head-to-head in the 2018 National Championship Game. Each team won a semifinal game in the College Football Playoff and earned this opportunity at glory.
Georgia and Alabama are two tough SEC teams. Both play physical football, battling in the trenches on both sides of the ball and grinding out most of their games.
A game like this could boil down to position battles. One side may have the advantage at one position, like a superior wide receiver that can outplay the opposition’s secondary. Will something like that come into play?
Let’s break down some of the National Championship Game’s position battles and how it could impact the matchup:
Running backs vs. Front seven
Georgia and Alabama both play strong in the trenches. They attack with running backs and stop the rush with powerful front sevens, which Georgia head coach Kirby Smart took from coaching under Nick Saban. Does one side have the advantage, though?
The Bulldogs have Sony Michel and Nick Chubb at their disposal, who combined for nearly 2,500 yards. They’ll obviously be the featured offensive players, but will the offensive line create openings for them to sprint down the field? It could be problematic for a young right side of the offensive line, featuring sophomore Ben Cleveland and freshman Andrew Thomas. These will go head-to-head with Alabama’s defensive lineman, Da’Ron Payne and Raekwon Davis, two future pros. They clog up too much space to go untraced for 60 minutes, should find a way or two, to limit Michel and Chubb.
Aside from these linemen, there’s linebacker Rashaan Evans. His team-leading 11.5 tackles for loss and 66 total tackles likely means Georgia will consistently see him in the backfield. Shaun Dion Hamilton can’t be forgotten, either.
Along with this, Alabama’s rush defense allowed a paltry 1,193 yards on 2.7 yards per carry. Chubb and Michel combined for just two games of fewer than 4 yards per carry in the 2017 season.
It doesn’t get easier for Alabama’s running backs vs. Georgia’s defense, either. While there’s Damien Harris, Bo Scarbrough and quarterback Jalen Hurts, they have to go head-to-head with linebacker Roquan Smith, who’s among the best at his position in the nation. He totaled 124 tackles and 5.5 sacks, and maybe the best defensive player that steps on the field for either side.
Fellow linebacker Lorenzo Carter gets paired with Smith, too, to make a dynamic duo. Expect these two making tackles in the backfield, early and often.
Both sides have strong defensive presences. So, will they even each other out?