Will Alabama football face Georgia football in 2020 SEC Championship game?
Alabama football and Georgia football are already playing once this year, but will they play twice?
According to SportsBetting.ag, the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs are the betting favorites to win their respective divisions in the SEC. Georgia is -140 to win the SEC East for the fourth year in a row, with the Florida Gators coming in at even odds. Alabama has even better odds to win the SEC West at -240 with the LSU Tigers trailing the Crimson Tide at +300.
Should we expect anything besides an Alabama vs. Georgia SEC Championship?
For us to get a better understanding of what the SEC landscape looks like in this 10-game, conference-only schedule, let’s take a look at all 14 member institutions’ odds to win their respective divisions. Let’s start with the SEC East and see who presents the biggest challenger to Georgia this season. Will it be Florida, or is there someone else we need to pay closer attention to?
SEC East division title odds (2020)
- Georgia Bulldogs: -140 (5/7)
- Florida Gators: +100 (1/1)
- Tennessee Volunteers: +1400 (14/1)
- Kentucky Wildcats: +1600 (16/1)
- Missouri Tigers: +2500 (25/1)
- South Carolina Gamecocks: +2500 (25/1)
- Vanderbilt Commodores: +5000 (50/1)
As expected, it is a big gap between No. 2 and No. 3. Georgia and Florida are clearly No. 1 and No. 2 with a huge drop-off to No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. The Tennessee Volunteers come in at +1400 to win the SEC East with the rival Kentucky Wildcats just off their pace at +1600. Those are the only four teams with better than +2000 odds to win the SEC East. Now, let’s look at the SEC West.
SEC West division title odds (2020)
- Alabama Crimson Tide: -240 (5/12)
- LSU Tigers: +300 (3/1)
- Auburn Tigers: +600 (6/1)
- Texas A&M Aggies: +900 (9/1)
- Mississippi State Bulldogs: +1800 (18/1)
- Ole Miss Rebels: +2500 (25/1)
- Arkansas Razorbacks: +10000 (100/1)
While Alabama has a decent-sized lead ahead of the next closet team in LSU, there are three teams with +1000 or better odds of winning the division and five programs with better than +2000 odds to get it done. The Auburn Tigers have the third-best odds at +600, the Texas A&M Aggies have the fourth-best odds at +900 and the Mississippi State Bulldogs have an outside shot at +1800.
Though Alabama and Georgia are widely viewed as the two best teams in the SEC entering this season, as many as six teams have a realistic shot of winning the conference title. Those teams are the ones with better than +1000 odds to win their division. Sorry, Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi State fans. Maybe next year will be your year?
For those thinking Alabama vs. Georgia in Atlanta is inevitable, there are three reasons to feel this way: They had incredibly favorable draws with their two additional non-divisional games, they only have one incredibly tough road test apiece, and these have been the two most consistently strong programs in the SEC throughout the College Football Playoff era.
Alabama picked up a home game vs. Kentucky and a road date with the Missouri Tigers. Those are guaranteed wins for the Crimson Tide. The same thing can be said for Georgia’s additional home date vs. Mississippi State and road date vs. the rebuilding Arkansas Razorbacks. Alabama’s one tough road game will be at LSU this year, while Georgia’s brutal road game will be at Alabama.
As for those who don’t buy into Alabama vs. Georgia in Atlanta being a forgone conclusion, there are three reasons that support this argument: Very rarely do the two divisional favorites at the start of the year meet in Atlanta, both teams have some degree of uncertainty at quarterback, and that 10-game conference-only schedule is a brutal gauntlet no one will come out of unscathed.
Last year, LSU wasn’t projected to win the SEC West and the Bayou Bengals won the whole thing. Mac Jones isn’t Tua Tagovailoa for the Crimson Tide, and we’re not certain Wake Forest Demon Deacons graduate transfer Jamie Newman will be a massive upgrade over Jake Fromm in Athens. And if you think the Crimson Tide or Dawgs are going 10-0 this season, go get your head checked.
So is it inevitable Alabama and Georgia will play for an SEC Championship this season? No, as one of these two teams probably will not live up to lofty expectations. This tends to be the case with at least one presumptive favorite in the SEC annually. However, we would be foolish to think Alabama and Georgia do not make it to Atlanta, as either the Tide or Dawgs will get it done.
If Alabama comes up short, it’ll probably be LSU getting back to Atlanta instead of the Tide. The Bayou Bengals have the second-best odds of winning the division. Auburn has to face Alabama in Tuscaloosa and Georgia in Athens this year, so good luck with that. As for Texas A&M, oddsmakers aren’t buying into the Aggies being championship-caliber this year, although they could be wrong.
Should Georgia come up short, the only team who could usurp them is Florida. Kentucky and Tennessee have good shots at being decent this season, but the Wildcats and the Vols have to play Alabama, Georgia and Florida this season, plus each other. It’s too daunting of a gauntlet for those two SEC East rival teams to realistically overcome. They’ll lose at least three games apiece.
While it isn’t inevitable Alabama will face Georgia in Atlanta, there is a reason it is likely to happen.
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