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Bama heads to the playoffs after stunning Georgia in the SEC title game

Mercedes Benz Stadium in 2018, the site of the title game with Alabama versus Georgia
Pat Duggins
Mercedes Benz Stadium in 2018, the site of the title game with Alabama versus Georgia

Alabama is heading to the Cotton Bowl. The Crimson Tide is going to the college football playoffs against the Cincinnati Bearcats after stunning number one ranked Georgia in the SEC Championship over the weekend. Alabama upset the Bulldogs forty one to twenty four after entering the game as underdogs. Quarterback Bryce Young says the team rallied after last month’s win in quadruple overtime against Auburn in the Iron Bowl.

“I think, it was just us as a whole…us wanting to get off to a better start than we did,” Young thought. “But, I think we all stepped up, we all answered the bell, we all understood what was at stake, we all understood that we needed to step up.”

The Tide went into the weekend game as underdogs. And that bad news coverage may have sparked the Tide into action. Head Coach Nick Saban often complains about favorable news stories making his players complacent. Saban says the bad publicity before the SEC title game probably helped Alabama…

“You guys gave us a lot of positive rat poison,” Saban quipped. “The rat poison that you usually give us is fatal. But, the rat poison you put out this week was yummy.”

Rat poison is Saban’s nickname for the overly positive new coverage that can result in lackluster performances by the Tide. Alabama gave up seven sacks against a lesser defense at Auburn during last month’s Iron Bowl with Auburn.

Pat Duggins is news director for Alabama Public Radio.
Related Content
  • Alabama's defense went from being bullied to dominant in the span of a week. The fourth-ranked Crimson Tide's offensive line rose to the occasion with a win against number one ranked Georgia.
  • The University of Alabama college football team went from “zero” to “hero” during a tumultuous college football season, where the Alabama lost to its cross-state rival Auburn in the annual “Iron Bowl” game. That pushed the Tide out of the top four ranked teams where it had spent the year. Instead of being assured of a playoff slot, Alabama could only wait for a decision from the playoff committee on whether the team could contend for the 2018 title game in Atlanta.
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