For the second time in the College Football Playoff era, Nick Saban of Alabama and Kirby Smart of Georgia will meet in an all-SEC national championship match.
Top-rated Crimson Tide secured their trip to Lucas Oil Stadium with an old school 27-6 victory over No. 4 Cincinnati in Cotton. Third place Bulldogs win rematch with Alabama with beat Michigan 34-11 in the Orange Bowl.
THAN: Georgia opens as the favorite in the CFP title game
The two have had a bitter rivalry since Smart left Alabama to become head coach at Georgia. This will be the fifth time the coach’s students have met with both teams ranked in the top 5, and Saban owns a 4-0 record. Alabama came from behind in all four games to win, three times erasing double-digit deficits.
Friday’s semi-final victory ensures the SEC will earn another national championship. The only question now is which will Saban and Smart win. The two have met this season, when Alabama recorded a 41-24 victory over the Bulldogs in the SEC championship game to secure playoff spots.
The win surprised many college football observers, not only because Alabama took 41 points for what is considered a potential all-time great defensive unit, but also because the Crimson Tide struggled struggled to win over Florida, LSU, Arkansas and Auburn. Georgia, meanwhile, played rough with each of their opponents throughout the season, never facing a serious threat until losing their first game.
That match was just the latest of high-profile meetings between Saban and Smart, following the 2018 College Football Qualifier championship game, so it’s fitting that the encounter was so recent. Their best came once again for the College Football Qualifier championship.
With that, Sporting News looks back at the history of Saban vs. Smart:
SEX: Georgia resets national championship hopes, gives Alabama rematch new hype
What is Nick Saban’s record compared to Kirby Smart?
Prior to the 2022 College Soccer League championship game, Saban’s record versus Smart was 4-0, a record that began with the 2018 CFP title game. Alabama also secured a win over Georgia in the match. 2018 SEC Championship, 2020 Regular Meeting, and 2021 SEC Championship Match.
| Season | Fit | Result |
| 2017 | 3 Georgia vs 4 Alabama (CFP Championship match) | Alabama 26, Georgia 23 (OT) |
| 2018 | No. 1 Alabama vs No. 4 Georgia (SEC championship match) | Alabama 35, Georgia 28 |
| Year 2020 | 3rd Georgia in 2nd place Alabama | Alabama 41, Georgia 24 |
| Year 2021 | No.1 Georgia vs No.4 Alabama (SEC Championship Match) | Alabama 41, Georgia 24 |
| Year 2021 | No. 1 Alabama vs No. 3 Georgia (CFP Championship match) | TBD |
SEX: Alabama, Nick Saban flexes the classic way of blowing
The series Nick Saban vs. Kirby Smart all time
January 8, 2018: Alabama 26, Georgia 23 (overtime)
The 2018 National Championship match between No. 4 Alabama and No. 3 Georgia marked the first meeting between Saban and Smart since the former player left Alabama as defensive coordinator to take up a coaching position. the head coach of his alma mater. The Bulldogs took a 13-0 lead, leaving Saban on the bench for two years starting with defender Jalen Hurts at half-time in place of Tua Tagovailoa.
The freshman helped Alabama move up the ladder before Georgia, led by then-midfielder Jake Fromm, extended the lead to 20-7. Tagovailoa led the Crimson Tide to 13 consecutive unanswered points (including a fourth-place finish) to send the game into extra time. Rodrigo Blankenship gave the Bulldogs the lead with a goal 51 yards from the field. Tagovailoa fouled for 16 yards on Tide’s first offensive play before beating DeVonta Smith with a 41-yard forward touchdown – their first lead of the game – to win 26-23 in extra half.
December 1, 2018: Alabama 35, Georgia 28
4 Georgia rematched the highest ranked team Alabama in the SEC championship match for a place in the College Football Playoff Round. Looks like the Bulldogs will exact revenge on the Crimson Tide after they took a 28-14 lead in the third round. Tagovailoa managed to put the Crimson Tide in the first round after a 51m touchdown with Jaylen Waddle, but he lost the game with an ankle injury.
Once again, Saban looked to his backup – this time Hurts – to lead the way back to victory. He led Alabama to 14 points in the 4th round with no answers, including a 15-yard relay run with a 1:04 rule remaining, to a 35-28 win over Georgia.
October 17, 2020: Alabama 41, Georgia 24
Saban and Smart once again meet in a top four meeting, this time during the 2020 season. The team traded against each other on the way to a 24-20 lead for Georgia. The Bulldogs may have claimed their third-half lead in many attempts, but Alabama managed to pick up momentum with a 52-yard goal as halftime ended. Georgia managed to hold on to the lead for the first 11 minutes of the second half before Heisman Trophy finalist Mac Jones beat Waddle in a 90-yard encounter with four minutes left in the half.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGSFIuzXhHOLD
Alabama was able to seal a 41-24 win over the Bulldogs after two more touches and the defense was blocked in the second half.
December 4, 2021: Alabama 41, Georgia 24
Georgia once again took an early lead against Alabama, taking the lead with a 10-0 advantage. But Alabama overcame three consecutive goalscoring runs – two touchdowns and one goal – to take the first-game lead in the second quarter. Georgia finished the game at 17 minutes with a 32-yard pass from Stetson Bennett to Ladd McConkey with half-time remaining 2:06. But Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young brought Alabama to the top once again with a 11-meter dash with 26 seconds remaining in the round.
Alabama didn’t give up the lead for the rest of the game. The youngster hit Jameson Williams with a 55-yard touchdown for his second-longest touch of the game after a 67-yard runner earlier in the second half. A 42-yard return interception against Jordan sent the score 38-17 in favor of Alabama with 11 minutes remaining. The Bulldogs scored a late touch to get closer, but were unable to close the gap after the loss.
