Alabama's national championship hopes came down to fourth-and-31 with a loss and some less dramatic close calls along the way. 1 and had a much less treacherous path to the Southeastern Conference Championship Game meeting of powerhouses Saturday in Atlanta despite some key injuries. It has certainly been the case for this team, which hasn't had the seemingly smooth path as some of his six Alabama national championship teams. It's the third time Saban and Smart have met in the SEC Championship Game, with Saban winning the first two. But on their last meeting, Georgia rallied for a 33-18 victory in the national championship game in January 2022.

---

Persons: Isaiah Bond, ”, Milroe, “, Nick Saban, ” Saban, hasn't, Kirby Smart, ” Smart, They’ve, FanDuel, Saban, Brock Bowers, Rara Thomas, Tate, Smart, Bowers, soreness, Jase McCellan Organizations: Georgia Bulldogs, Southeastern Conference, Bulldogs, SEC, Georgia Tech, Auburn, Alabama, Saban, South, Georgia, Ladd, Yellow Jackets, Iron Bowl, College Football, AP Locations: Atlanta, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, South Florida