On December 2, 2018 the Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Georgia Bulldogs 35-28 in the SEC Championship game in Atlanta,GA at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The Tide came into this game as the number one team in the nation with a record of 12-0. The Bulldogs came into the game as the number four team in the nation with a record of 11-1.

The game had major playoff implications as the winner was guaranteed a spot in the College Football Playoff and it was a rematch of last year’s national championship game.

The game will also be remembered for the iconic moment between sophomore starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and Junior backup quarterback Jalen Hurts, as they both had to come in for the other on two separate occasions against the Bulldogs in order to defeat them.

In the first quarter, Tide fans were nervous early when Tagovailoa took a sack and immediately grabbed his left ankle. He would return to the game and witness the Bulldogs score the only touchdown of the quarter when sophomore quarterback Jake Fromm threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to junior tight end Isaac Nauta.

In the second quarter, both teams scored two touchdowns each. First, Tide junior running back Josh Jacobs scored both touchdowns each from the 1 yard line. Next, Jake Fromm threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to sophomore running back D’andre Swift, who also rushed for a 7-yard touchdown later in the quarter to put the Bulldogs up at halftime 21-14.

In the third quarter, the Bulldogs opened with a three play, 51-yard touchdown drive that was capped off by 23-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Riley Ridley to put the Bulldogs up 28-14. The Tide responded with a four play, 72-yard touchdown drive that culminated with a 51-yard touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver Jaylen Waddle to end the third quarter down by a touchdown.

The fourth quarter is when the Tide started to roll, as their defense held the Bulldogs to zero points in the quarter. However, their offense took a hit when Tagovailoa re-injured his left ankle, prompting backup quarterback Hurts to enter the game. Hurts showed no fear and lead the Tide offense on two scoring drives and ran 15 yards for the game winning score to seal the win for Alabama 35-28.

Josh Jacobs was named the SEC Championship Most Valuable Player for his two touchdown performance.

With its swings in momentum and dramatic ending, the 2018 SEC Championship will go down as one of the best conference championships in not only SEC history but, also in the history of college football.

Alabama next will play the new number four team in the nation, the Oklahoma Sooners, in the 2018 Capital One Orange Bowl, which is also one of the semifinals of College Football Playoff. Georgia missed out on the Playoffs this year, but will play the Texas Longhorns in the 2018 Allstate Sugar Bowl.