Bama’s runners, Saban’s gaffe and a classic SEC title game
Georgia's Marshall Morgan's toe meets leather to start the SEC title game. (AJC photo by Ben Gray)
This post is an adjunct to the game column, which can be found here.
1. Alabama shattered the SEC Championship game record for yards rushing. The Tide ran for 350 yards, with two backs — game MVP Eddie Lacy and backup T.J. Yeldon — each going way over 100. (Lacy had 181, Yeldon 153.) And it was, almost inevitably, the fear of the Alabama ground game that spawned the Tide’s winning touchdown. AJ McCarron threw deep to Amari Cooper, who had run past Damain Swann, for the winning touchdown with 3:15 to play. But Alabama couldn’t run out the clock inside the final two minutes, and it nearly cost the Tide the game.
2. Even the best in the business sometimes whiffs. Alabama coach Nick Saban waited until five seconds remained in the first half to use his first timeout. After converting on third-and-2 at the Georgia 39 with 42 seconds left, the Crimson Tide allowed the clock to tick under 30 seconds before snapping the ball again. AJ McCarron’s 22-yard scramble to the Georgia 5 came too late for the Tide to do anything but kick a field goal, which put Bama ahead — but by three points, not seven.
3. This SEC Championship game matchup was one of the best in the event’s 21-year history. The 1994 pairing of No. 6 Florida versus No. 3 Alabama has always been considered a high point by conference insiders, given that it was the first time the game had been staged in the Georgia Dome and the game itself — Florida won 24-23 — was a stone-cold classic. The two No. 1 against No. 2 games between Alabama and Florida — the Gators won in 2008, the Tide in 2009 — are likewise high points, but this game featured No. 2 against No. 3 in a BCS play-in, and it also featured two storied programs that had never collided in such a setting. No wonder tickets were reselling for crazy money. Gary Stokan of the Chick-fil-A Bowl spoke to an Alabama booster club in Atlanta on Thursday and witnessed four tickets for Saturday’s game auctioned for $7,000. (Oh, and the game itself: The best SEC Championship ever.)
By Mark Bradley
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323 comments Add your comment
1980
December 2nd, 2012
1:46 am
1980 and counting…. lol
1980
December 2nd, 2012
1:49 am
Hey Todd Smith, how much are eggs in China?
1980 and counting
December 2nd, 2012
2:00 am
lol, lol, lol, lol, lol… How bout them poodles!!!!… lol, lol, lol. I know poodles, it was the refs or it was the distance you had to travel, or some other lame duck excuse. Hey, look on the bright side, there is always next year, and the next year, and the next year… you all know the drill, you’ve been doing it for 32 years, lol, lol, lol.
dawgfan22
December 2nd, 2012
2:04 am
Mark,
While everyone seems to be so focused on how Alabama ran the ball, if they were so great why was Georgia running up and down the field on them all night so I think some of these people need to get a grip.
But, something that no one has mentioned is the non-call on roughing the passer when they hit Murray on the interception at the end of the first half. I still wonder, given the length of the pass, whether the interception would have been overturned since the roughing the passer would have probably happened first-that is, if they had called it. At worst it would have penalized them 15 yards and may have altered that field goal. That would have left Georgia needing a field goal at the end instead of a touchdown. I still cannot believe they did not call that after calling it against Georgia earlier. As always, some teams get the benefit of ref’s calls that affect the outcome and I would like to hear some Bama fan say that shouldn’t have been called.
Just wondering what the ruling on that would have been.
Yellow Fuzz
December 2nd, 2012
7:11 am
To the entire dog nation (AH’s too):
The fact is you controlled your own destiny. If you won last night, you play for the BCS Championship Game against Notre Dame and have a chance to win your first National Championship in 32 years. If you lost, you knew that you would fall behind Florida in the BCS rankings and not be eligible for a BCS bowl (no conference gets to send more than two teams). You knew this for over a week.
Everyone in college football knows that the BCS system is a crap shoot and that’s why it is being shelved in 2 more years. It sucks now, but it is what it is-an “everybody wins a trophy” type of system. While wanna bees like Louisville etc., get rewarded for underachievement, georgia needs to go to the Cotton Bowl, beat Texas by 30 and finish up a legitimate top 5 team! Think of where you came from just a few short years ago!
I could not be more proud of your players and coaches. They are top notch, though I think Grantham should have made adjustments and lined up Jarvis Jones in the middle instead of outside in the 2nd half. Same run defense, just more inside stunts and different looks for Alabama’s massive offensive line to contend with.
Nevertheless, Grantham is a great coach and georgia prepared for and played a tremendous game in the national spotlight. They won the hearts of many outside of the dog Nation (use Google and see for yourself). Coach Richt, Bobo, Grantham and company have brought you all the way back to national prominence. You can now compete NATIONALLY on the field and in the living room of the best recruits in America!
However, though I have gained a lot of respect for the Georgia program, I would not hesitate rolling one of you if you bark in my face in public.
CW
December 2nd, 2012
7:22 am
I’m never a proponent of going for 2 unless you absolutely need to. That said, what a different game ending it might have been had Bama simply kicked the extra point when they scored in the 3rd quarter to make it 21-16. Of course, if they had been unsuccessful on the conversion, a UGA spike and a field goal places them in the NC game.
Gaffe!
December 2nd, 2012
8:23 am
which clock gaffe was bigger:
saban–first half, cost 4 points
richt/bob—end of game, cost 7 points
Super Dave
December 2nd, 2012
12:41 pm
I’m a 2nd gen Bala alum. I lived in Forsythe county for 12 years ‘94-’06. UGA fans love their dawgs but not with animosity that LSU, AuB, and FLA fans have against Bama, and I always appreciated that. So to the sidewalk Bama fans posting on here rubbing it in, remember how you felt after the LSU loss last year and the A&M loss this year and cut them some slack. Roll Tide. Super Dave OUT.
GM
December 2nd, 2012
1:02 pm
I want to give credit to Georgia. All year long, I have been talking bad about yall and sayin I hoped we would play yall in the SEC title game so we could embarrass you. That didn’t happen and yall showed yall were a legitimately good team. It made for a great game and it all came down to coaching advantage and not to sound like an annoying Bama fan, but Richt has nothing on Saban, whether you like the guy or not, lets be real. The call at the end to not spike the ball was a terrible one. Georgia has needed to get rid of Richt for a long time and honestly, when Kirby Smart leaves, I would prefer him to be at Georgia and if UGA went on and would do it (which they wont since Richt has had two great seasons recently) they could probably get him. Either way Roll Tide
FootballTopFan(c)
December 2nd, 2012
3:51 pm
GREAT !!! GREAT !!! Great !!! SEC Championship Game.
Football Top Fan and football fans worldwide enjoyed this epic gridiron battle between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Alabama Crimson Tide.
CONGRATULATIONS to the Alabama Crimson Tide and Head Coach Nick Saban from Tuscaloosa Alabama for wining the Southeastern (SEC) Conference Championship.
Football Top Fan eagerly await the National Championship Game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Chan Bell
December 2nd, 2012
4:11 pm
What a game. No doubt clock should have been managed better at the end. GA out played AL in so many ways just run out of time. That hit on Murray should be dealt with and that ref standing right there should be too. No WHINNING here just telling the truth. I am so damn proud of our DAWGS!
Shep
December 2nd, 2012
5:30 pm
To feet of Clay and (L)oser Dawg. Go to hell dolts. Richt has more integrity in his little finger than the whole State of Alabama.
Ronald McDonald
December 2nd, 2012
9:40 pm
Who was that media person to ask such a DA question to Mark after the game?
UGA Season Ticket Holder since 1986
December 3rd, 2012
6:38 am
Why in the world would anybody think that a team running an up tempo offense with a play already called against a disorganized defense should spike the ball and let the defense catch its breath? The play was a fade route to the corner of the end zone and the ball was tipped. It takes exactly the same amount of time to line up and spike the ball as it does to line up and throw a fade. Why in the world was Buck Belue so stupid as to throw the ball to Lindsey Scott? Why didn’t he just throw the ball away and call a better play on 4th down rather than to throw into the middle of quadruple coverage? Because stuff happens in football. I have yet to see a receiver catch a spiked ball for a touchdown. i’ve seen plenty of receivers catch fades for touchdowns. The fade was definitely the better of the two options. It just didn’t work out.
UGA Season Ticket Holder since 1986
December 3rd, 2012
6:40 am
Hey Bama Girl — Hate to break it to you but you didn’t grow any teeth or divorce your brother just because Bama won a football game. People are still going to make fun of you. Just kidding. That one was set up so well, I just had to take it.
Dawglb
December 3rd, 2012
12:49 pm
Hillbilly D: You probably don’t make $7000.00 a year!!!
Whiskey Breath
December 3rd, 2012
2:11 pm
Funny how you try to twist things Mark. Saban quickly admitted he did a poor job of managing the clock before he went into the halftime dressing room. Richt could have possibly lost the game at the end because of poor management of the clock. When asked Richt about it after the game, he didn’t take credit, he just acted like a ass. Somebody had to ask Richt, so dont blame it on the reporter.
My point is you knock Saban, but Richt ought to be the one you should be writing about.
Whiskey Breath
December 3rd, 2012
2:21 pm
Fan 22, get the facts right. The interception you are talking about was not roughing the passer.
The ball had already been picked off. When that happens then is the QB becomes a defensive player.
He just got the crap knocked out him AFTER the pick. Not while he was following thru with his pass.
Bama has the ball, the QB becomes a potential tackler.
Another thing, Ga was dirty as hell. On that personal fowl on the kickoff charged to Bama,
the Ga player eye gauged the Bama guy. Go review it.
But then again, you are not smart figure it out.
Gay-tor Hater
December 3rd, 2012
2:55 pm
Buckeye fan is commenting? nobowl due to cheating…..Gay-tor fan is commenting?….our defense crushed you…..Bama fan?….if we are so second tier, with all the bad calls and you barely beat us, guess ya’ll aint chit either, but I enjoyed the game, things could have been different but werent…….Murray impressed me for the first time in a big game, no problems with him coming back if thats the way he is going to play
Gay-tor Hater
December 3rd, 2012
3:01 pm
I don’t dislike Bama, just the DA talk, ya’ll didnt exactly have the toughest schedule either….LSU and T A&M, please dont say Michigan lol, you play who is there. we were set to play Bama til we got the Missouri sucks shoved in our conference and had to play them
Gay-tor Hater
December 3rd, 2012
3:08 pm
It is what it is, I dislike the rest of the SEC til bowl time, even then I will root for the Gators….as nauseating as that is
rollintide
December 4th, 2012
11:38 pm
Attila the Choir Director Yours is the most sane comment of all. Thanks for the sanity and respect for the teams.
Kenny D
December 5th, 2012
12:59 pm
I don’t think no other SEC team could have played the Tides Like the Dawgs ! I you can say BAMA fan wasn’t sweating defeat, that would be crap ! The dawgs played well ! However if the Dawgs could have adjust to the run, that would have been GREAT !!!!!!! i STILL SAY, WHY THE dawgs didn;t SPIKE the Ball with 10 sec left in the game, that’s 2 plays to go for the win.
Remember, everyone thinking, BAMA was going to Blow pass the Dawgs. The Dawgs couldn’t stop them and BAMA couldn’t stop the Dawgs. That was one of the best SEC championships games played in History…… Go Dawgs !!!!!!!!!!!!!!