Getty Georgia takes on Auburn in the 2017 SEC Championship.
Georgia gets a chance for redemption against Auburn in the SEC Championship. The title game kicks off in Atlanta on Saturday, December 2 at 4 p.m. Eastern on CBS. The game is a rematch of a November 11th matchup where the Tigers dominated the Bulldogs 40-17. According to OddsShark, Auburn is favored by 1.5 points in the rematch. Georgia was favored by 2.5 points in the last matchup, but now enters Atlanta as the underdog. It does look like Vegas is giving Georgia a bit of a bump for playing near Athens in what will essentially be a home game at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
In their final regular season game, Georgia dominated rival Georgia Tech 38-7, but knew they would represent the SEC East weeks ago. The Bulldogs once again relied on their run game as Jake Fromm only attempted 16 passes against the Yellow Jackets, but was extremely efficient completing 12 of those passes. Sony Michel, Nick Chubb and D’Andre Swift all had a rushing touchdown. Michel led the pack with 13 carries for 85 yards.
According to Dawg Nation, Georgia coach Kirby Smart insisted after the game the team had no preference on who they played in the title game.
We’ve got everything broken down on Alabama. We’ve got everything broken down on Auburn. So we’re set to go. I’ve been through this several times before where you didn’t know, you had to wait until the last week. That’s just the way you prepare.
Auburn relied on stellar play in the second half to defeat Alabama 26-14 in the Iron Bowl. Jarrett Stidham was 21-of-28 throwing for 237 yards, and Ryan Davis was the biggest beneficiary with 11 receptions for 139 yards. Kerryon Johnson had 30 carries for 104 yards and a touchdown against a stout Bama defense.
Heading into Week 13, Georgia ranked 5th in the S&P+ analytical rankings, while Auburn was seventh prior to the Iron Bowl matchup. The Bulldogs are 8-4 against the spread this season, while Auburn is 4-4-3.
Georgia gave up a number of big plays in their previous matchup, and Fromm struggled under center for the Bulldogs completing less than half of his passes for 184 yards. Johnson had a massive game on the ground against Georgia with 32 carries for 167 yards, but Johnson did leave the Iron Bowl with an injury. Johnson’s status for the SEC Championship will be a huge topic of conversation this week. Stidham did not put up mind-blowing stats, but was efficient going 16-of-23 for 214 yards and three touchdowns.
The game will have major College Football Playoff implications as the winner will likely make the playoff, while the loser is on the outside looking in. Even with two losses, Auburn has been looked at favorably by the committee. A big reason for that is Auburn has big wins over Georgia, Mississippi State and now Alabama while narrowly losing to Clemson at the beginning of the season. The Tigers have an opportunity to add a conference championship to their resume on Saturday.