Alabama–Georgia football rivalry

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Alabama–Georgia football rivalry
Alabama Athletics logo.svg
Alabama Crimson Tide
Georgia Athletics logo.svg
Georgia Bulldogs
First meetingNovember 2, 1895
Georgia, 30–6
Latest meetingJanuary 10, 2022
Georgia, 33–18
Next meetingTBD
Statistics
Meetings total72
All-time seriesAlabama leads, 42–26–4[1]
Largest victoryAlabama, 36–0 (1905, 1923)
Longest win streakAlabama, 7 (2008–2021)
Current win streakGeorgia, 1 (2022–present)
[Interactive fullscreen map]
Locations of Alabama and Georgia

The Alabama–Georgia football rivalry is a college football rivalry[2][3] game between the Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama and the Bulldogs of the University of Georgia. Both schools were charter members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in 1933.[4][5]

The History[]

The two southern schools first met in 1895 in Columbus, Georgia.[6] Georgia defeated Alabama by a score of 30–6.[7] The teams did not meet again until 1901, another Georgia win, then continued to meet on a regular basis for the next several decades.[8][9][10]

The teams played each other in every season from 1944 to 1965. Highlights of that era included two separate five-game winning streaks by Alabama and the first-ever college football game to be televised by the ABC network, Alabama's 21-6 win in 1960 in Birmingham.[11]

In 1963, The Saturday Evening Post magazine reported that Alabama coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and Georgia athletic director and former coach Wally Butts had conspired to fix the 1962 game, which Alabama won 35–0. After the story broke, Butts resigned as athletic director, though Butts and Bryant denied the allegations. The two sued the magazine's publisher for libel, and the case reached the United States Supreme Court as Curtis Publishing Co. v. Butts (1967). The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Butts, with the publisher eventually being ordered to pay more than $3 million in damages. The lawsuit has been credited with leading to the end of the magazine.[11]

Following the scandal, the schools decided to end their annual series after the 1965 meeting. They have played only sporadically since, including just four meetings from 1971 to 1982, an era in which the Tide or Bulldogs won at least a share of every SEC title.[11]

Divisional era (1992–present)[]

When the SEC expanded to twelve teams and split into two divisions in 1992, Alabama was placed in the West Division, while Georgia was in the East. Each team in the league was matched with two "permanent" cross-division rivals. Because Alabama and Georgia were not paired as permanent rivals, they would play only on a rotating basis (twice in an eight-year cycle) or in the newly created SEC Championship Game.[12]

Later scheduling modifications, as well as the SEC's expansion to 14 teams, have resulted in just one permanent cross-division rival for each team, with Alabama playing Tennessee and Georgia facing off against Auburn.[13] The Crimson Tide and Bulldogs now see each other in the regular season only twice per 12-year cycle.[14]

Since 1992, Alabama holds a 7–4 record over Georgia, which includes five post-season contests, including three SEC Championship Games won by Alabama and two College Football Playoff National Championship appearances split between the two teams.[15]

The teams squared off in the 2012 SEC Championship Game on December 1, 2012 in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, with the winner likely to play for the national championship.[16] Alabama defeated Georgia, 32–28, after Georgia's final play fell five yards short of a winning score.[17]

Saban–Smart rivalry (2016–present)[]

Following the 2015 season, Georgia hired longtime Alabama assistant and former Georgia player Kirby Smart as head coach. Smart has since led Georgia to four post-season games against the Tide and his former boss, head coach Nick Saban.[18][19]

The first Saban–Smart match-up came following the 2017 season.[20] In the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Alabama overcame a 13-point deficit to defeat Georgia by a score of 26–23 in overtime, to clinch its 17th national championship.[21]

The following season, the teams played in the 2018 SEC Championship Game, also played in Atlanta. Georgia led 28–14 with just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter, only to see Alabama once again rally to win, 35–28.[19][22][23]

Both teams met in the 2020 regular season in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and was a highly anticipated game of the season, with both teams ranked in the top three. It was the first meeting in Tuscaloosa since 2007. The game was back and forth throughout the first half with the score 24–20, Georgia, at halftime. By the second half, Alabama outscored Georgia with 21 unanswered points, and took a 41–24 victory.[24][25]

On December 4, 2021 the two teams met again for the Southeast Conference Championship Game in Atlanta. Georgia was undefeated and ranked number one in the nation at the time while Alabama had one loss and was ranked number three. Alabama again prevailed, 41-24, this time dominating the majority of the game. After both teams prevailed in their national semifinal matchup, the teams again faced off on January 10, 2022, in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, marking the shortest span between two successive matchups in the rivalry. Georgia won the National Championship with a 33-18 victory. This marks Georgia's first National Championship since 1980. It was also Georgia's first win over Alabama since September 27, 2007, snapping a seven-game losing streak against Alabama.[26]

Game results[]

Alabama victoriesGeorgia victoriesTie games
No.DateLocationWinning teamLosing team
1 November 2, 1895 Columbus, GA Georgia 30 Alabama 6
2 November 9, 1901 Montgomery, AL Tie0Tie0
3 November 1, 1902 Birmingham, AL Georgia 5 Alabama 0
4 November 5, 1904 Tuscaloosa, AL Alabama 16 Georgia 5
5 November 4, 1905 Birmingham, AL Alabama 36 Georgia 0
6 October 25, 1907 Montgomery, AL Tie0Tie0
7 November 14, 1908 Birmingham, AL Tie6Tie6
8 October 30, 1909 Atlanta, GA Alabama 14 Georgia 0
9 October 15, 1910 Birmingham, AL Georgia 22 Alabama 0
10 October 14, 1911 Birmingham, AL Georgia 11 Alabama 3
11 October 26, 1912 Columbus, GA Georgia 13 Alabama 9
12 October 18, 1913 Birmingham, AL Georgia 20 Alabama 0
13 November 30, 1916 Birmingham, AL Georgia 23 Alabama 0
14 November 22, 1919 Atlanta, GA Alabama 6 Georgia 0
15 November 20, 1920 Atlanta, GA Georgia 21 Alabama 14
16 November 19, 1921 Atlanta, GA Georgia 22 Alabama 0
17 November 25, 1922 Montgomery, AL Alabama 10 Georgia 6
18 November 24, 1923 Montgomery, AL Alabama 36 Georgia 0
19 November 27, 1924 Birmingham, AL Alabama 33 Georgia 0
20 November 26, 1925 Birmingham, AL Alabama 27 Georgia 0
21 November 25, 1926 Birmingham, AL Alabama 33 Georgia 6
22 November 24, 1927 Birmingham, AL Georgia 20 Alabama 6
23 November 29, 1928 Birmingham, AL Alabama 19 Georgia 0
24 November 28, 1929 Birmingham, AL Georgia 12 Alabama 0
25 November 27, 1930 Birmingham, AL Alabama 13 Georgia 0
26 October 27, 1934 Birmingham, AL Alabama 26 Georgia 6
27 October 26, 1935 Athens, GA Alabama 17 Georgia 7
28 October 25, 1941 Birmingham, AL Alabama 27 Georgia 14
29 October 31, 1942 Atlanta, GA #2 Georgia 21 #3 Alabama 10
30 November 4, 1944 Birmingham, AL Georgia 14 #19 Alabama 7
31 October 27, 1945 Birmingham, AL #6 Alabama 28 Georgia 14
32 November 2, 1946 Athens, GA #5 Georgia 14 #15 Alabama 0
33 October 25, 1947 Athens, GA Alabama 17 Georgia 7
34 October 30, 1948 Birmingham, AL #18 Georgia 35 Alabama 0
35 October 29, 1949 Athens, GA Alabama 14 Georgia 7
36 November 4, 1950 Birmingham, AL Alabama 14 Georgia 7
37 November 3, 1951 Athens, GA Alabama 16 Georgia 14
No.DateLocationWinning teamLosing team
38 November 1, 1952 Birmingham, AL #19 Alabama 34 Georgia 19
39 October 31, 1953 Athens, GA Alabama 33 Georgia 12
40 October 30, 1954 Birmingham, AL Tie0Tie0
41 October 29, 1955 Athens, GA Georgia 35 Alabama 14
42 November 3, 1956 Birmingham, AL Georgia 16 Alabama 13
43 November 2, 1957 Athens, GA Alabama 14 Georgia 13
44 November 1, 1958 Tuscaloosa, AL Alabama 12 Georgia 0
45 September 19, 1959 Athens, GA Georgia 17 Alabama 3
46 September 17, 1960 Birmingham, AL Alabama 21 #13 Georgia 6
47 September 23, 1961 Athens, GA #3 Alabama 32 Georgia 6
48 September 22, 1962 Birmingham, AL #3 Alabama 35 Georgia 0
49 September 21, 1963 Athens, GA #3 Alabama 32 Georgia 7
50 September 19, 1964 Tuscaloosa, AL #6 Alabama 31 Georgia 3
51 September 18, 1965 Athens, GA Georgia 18 #5 Alabama 17
52 October 7, 1972 Athens, GA #4 Alabama 25 Georgia 7
53 October 6, 1973 Tuscaloosa, AL #3 Alabama 28 Georgia 14
54 October 2, 1976 Athens, GA #6 Georgia 21 #10 Alabama 0
55 October 1, 1977 Tuscaloosa, AL #10 Alabama 18 Georgia 10
56 October 6, 1984 Birmingham, AL #20 Georgia 24 Alabama 14
57 September 2, 1985 Athens, GA Alabama 20 Georgia 16
58 September 22, 1990 Athens, GA Georgia 17 Alabama 16
59 September 21, 1991 Tuscaloosa, AL Alabama 10 #25 Georgia 0
60 October 1, 1994 Tuscaloosa, AL #11 Alabama 29 Georgia 28
61 September 30, 1995 Athens, GA #20 Alabama 31 Georgia 0
62 October 5, 2002 Tuscaloosa, AL #7 Georgia 27 #22 Alabama 25
63 October 4, 2003 Athens, GA #11 Georgia 37 Alabama 23
64 September 22, 2007 Tuscaloosa, AL #22 Georgia 26 #16 Alabama 23OT
65 September 27, 2008 Athens, GA #8 Alabama 41 #3 Georgia 30
66 December 1, 2012 Atlanta, GA #2 Alabama 32 #3 Georgia 28
67 October 3, 2015 Athens, GA #13 Alabama 38 #8 Georgia 10
68 January 8, 2018 Atlanta, GA #4 Alabama 26 #3 Georgia 23OT
69 December 1, 2018 Atlanta, GA #1 Alabama 35 #4 Georgia 28
70 October 17, 2020 Tuscaloosa, AL #2 Alabama 41 #3 Georgia 24
71 December 4, 2021 Atlanta, GA #3 Alabama 41 #1 Georgia 24
72 January 10, 2022 Indianapolis, IN #3 Georgia 33 #1 Alabama 18
Series: Alabama leads 42–26–4[1]

See also[]

  • List of NCAA college football rivalry games

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Winsipedia - Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Georgia Bulldogs football series history". Winsipedia.
  2. ^ "Alabama vs. Georgia history: Crimson Tide and Bulldogs don't routinely match up, even in the SEC". January 3, 2018.
  3. ^ Collin Huguley – Assistant Sports Editor. "Column: Buckle up, Georgia-Alabama is college football's new premier rivalry". redandblack.com. But the at the heart of this budding rivalry is the exact script that ended Monday night’s encounter.
  4. ^ "SEC History".
  5. ^ "SEC football history at a glance". The Tennessean.
  6. ^ "Alabama-Georgia Gridiron History". thesportshistorian.com. January 7, 2018.
  7. ^ Brown, Matt (January 5, 2018). "A historical guide to the national title game".
  8. ^ "Alabama vs. Georgia Head-To-Head Football History – Stadium". September 30, 2015.
  9. ^ "The 7 best pieces of Alabama-Georgia history". January 8, 2018.
  10. ^ Barra, Allen (November 3, 2011). "How Alabama Became College Football's Greatest Team". The Atlantic.
  11. ^ a b c "Why don't Alabama and Georgia play every year?". timesfreepress.com. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  12. ^ HARWELL, HOYT (November 29, 1990). "Southeastern Conference Will Split Into 2 Divisions, Presidents Decide" – via LA Times.
  13. ^ "SEC keeps rivalries, mandates 'power' foes". April 28, 2014.
  14. ^ "See all the SEC's rotational cross-divisional football games through 2025". May 20, 2014.
  15. ^ Burns, Gabriel. "Reviewing recent history between Georgia and Alabama". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  16. ^ "Alabama holds off Georgia in classic SEC title game". USA Today.
  17. ^ "Alabama vs. Georgia – Game Recap – December 1, 2012 – ESPN". ESPN.com.
  18. ^ "Column: Can Smart take down Saban? Check back in a few years". AP NEWS. January 5, 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  19. ^ a b "Alabama vs. Georgia - Game Recap - December 1, 2018 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  20. ^ "Alabama tops Georgia in OT to win another national title".
  21. ^ "Alabama vs. Georgia – Game Recap – January 8, 2018 – ESPN". ESPN.com.
  22. ^ "Alabama vs. Georgia score, results from Tide's comeback win in SEC title game". www.sportingnews.com. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  23. ^ Doughty, Andrew (January 3, 2018). "Alabama vs. Georgia: All-Time Series, Notable Games and Numbers".
  24. ^ "Georgia vs. Alabama Scoring Summary". ESPN. ESPN.
  25. ^ "Alabama dominates second half, beats Georgia 41-24 in huge SEC game". NCAA. NCAA.
  26. ^ "Alabama football wins SEC Championship over Number 1 Georgia". NCAA. NCAA.
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