Alabama’s fate against the most complete team in college football will boil down to whether the November edition of Jalen Milroe can sustain itself.
Milroe has propelled the No. 8 Crimson Tide with a rate of 227.3 air yards and one total interception over the past four games.
Though it’s been his prowess on the ground that’s really surfaced his late-season Heisman Trophy case; Milroe topped 100 yards with his legs twice and ran the rock in for seven scores.
Saturday’s SEC Championship matchup against No. 1 Georgia presents a sparkling chance for Milroe to showcase his worth with a bid into the playoffs on the line.
Much of Alabama’s success has been contingent on explosive plays exceeding 20-or-more yards, which is a specialty that falls right into Georgia’s wheelhouse.
The Crimson Tide have executed 6.5 of these explosive plays per game.
Milroe is a talented deep-ball thrower as he’s accumulated 16 touchdown passes that have tallied 20 yards or more.
Those completions are tough to come by against the Bulldogs’ top 10 secondary in defending against explosive passing plays.
They have curbed opposing quarterbacks to a No. 5 ranked 5.8 yards per passing attempt.
Nick Saban’s key to yard gainage will be on the ground whether it be through Milroe’s legs or Roydell Williams, who will step up to lead-back duties in Jase McClellan’s injury stead.
Quarterbacks have found relative success scrambling against Georgia posting 19 rushing yards.
In the past month, Alabama’s offensive line has been night and day in contrast to the first two months of the season.
It went from allowing 35 sacks through eight games to only four in the past four. Georgia isn’t particularly scary in sacking with a percentage that ranks outside the nation’s top 60.
Considering Alabama’s outlook in September versus the opportunity they have in front of them, the Crimson Tide have all to gain and nothing to lose in their fourth SEC title meeting against Georgia in 12 years.
Milroe has recorded the game’s longest rush in four contests.
He will need to unleash that potential on Saturday if Alabama intends to bark back at the Bulldogs.
The play: Jalen Milroe Over 38.5 rushing yards.