NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton got off to a much quicker start against Alabama in Saturday’s SEC Championship than he did last week against in-state rival Georgia Tech.
Stockton finished the Bulldogs’ dominating 28-7 victory over the Crimson Tide at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta with three touchdowns to secure Georgia’s spot in the College Football Playoff (CFP).
While winning the SEC title put Georgia in position for a first-round playoff spot, Alabama suffered its third loss of the year. The Tide are now in danger of missing out on one of the coveted 12 CFB postseason berths.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
Parker Brailsford of the Alabama Crimson Tide prepares to snap the ball against the Georgia Bulldogs during the first quarter of the 2025 SEC Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Saturday, in Atlanta. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Head coach Kirby Smart and Georgia’s win also ended Alabama’s dominance in the schools’ recent head-to-head matchups.
The Tide had won each of the last four meetings in the SEC Championship Game, and Smart was just 1-7 overall against Alabama. Before Saturday, the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship marked Smart’s lone win against the nearby state school.
Smart has now coached Georgia to four conference titles.
TEXAS TECH DOMINATES BYU TO WIN FIRST-EVER BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP
The Crimson Tide were thought to be in a good position when they moved up to ninth in last week’s CFP rankings, but the lopsided loss to the Bulldogs renewed concerns that Alabama could miss the playoffs for the second straight season under head coach Kalen DeBoer.
After the loss, DeBoer argued that the ninth-ranked Crimson Tide did not fall out of CFP contention.
Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen Deboer looks on during Saturday’s SEC Championship game against Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
“I think you look at the games we played during the season, but if you really look at this game, I mean it was a 14-point game with seven and a half minutes left and we had the ball,” DeBoer said. “You look at things that didn’t go well — we gave them four short fields. And again, I don’t want to take anything away from what Georgia did.
“The field position battle is part of it. But we gave them four short fields. I think that’s a testament to our defense being resilient.”
Late in the first quarter, Daylen Everette’s interception of Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson’s pass deflected by KJ Bolden gave the Bulldogs the ball near midfield. Stockton’s 1-yard score to Dillon Bell gave Georgia a 14-0 lead.
Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson throws against the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday in Atlanta. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
A block by London Humphreys helped Nate Frazier score easily on a 9-yard run to cap Georgia’s first possession of the second half, extending the lead to three touchdowns.
Alabama pulled off the biggest comeback in SEC Championship Game history when it beat Georgia 35-28 in 2018 after trailing by 14 points.
The latest CFP rankings and first-round pairings will be released on Sunday.
