Paul Finebaum evaluates how likely it is to see Georgia, Alabama meet in SEC Championship

ESPN’s Paul FInebaum took a look at the SEC title picture and found it hard to not pick Georgia and Alabama to head to Atlanta in December.

At this point, it looks like the SEC is bound to have both of those teams represent the East and West divisions, respectively, and play for the conference crown. The Bulldogs are in position to win a third straight national title while Alabama looks to return to the College Football Playoff.

Finebaum was overly confident in Georgia to play for the title and likely Alabama too.

“Well, certainly Georgia fans should (buy their tickets),” Finebaum said on McElroy and Cubelic. “I’m not quite as confident about Alabama. I don’t mean to be the guy at the end of the bar. But this is not a team that I want to be heavily invested in more than I can afford to spend. I suspect they will be in Atlanta but there’s still some things to deal with. 

“The only thing stopping me … the one thing that I probably would put a couple of coins down on being in Atlanta is I don’t see who else is going to come take it away from them.” 

Georgia-Alabama bound for SEC title game clash?

Alabama was on upset alert against Texas A&M last weekend, but the Crimson Tide ultimately pulled away.

“It looked like A&M had the best shot,” Finebaum said. “You certainly can’t trust LSU, Ole Miss has to play Georgia, so I mean the path is pretty clear for Alabama. But something that continues to haunt me, if you go back three weeks ago to the decision to bench Jalen Milroe, I really would like an autopsy on what was said at that meeting the next day.” 

Milroe did not play in Alabama’s close win over South Florida, but returned to the lineup since and looked much improved.

“(At least in) terms of how are we going to win without Jalen Milroe,” Finebaum said of the decision. “And I know it’s easy after the fact, but to put entirety of the blame on him for the Texas loss seems pretty foolish now when you factor in what he has accomplished since.”

On the road against Texas A&M, Milroe threw for 321 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He had himself a game.

Alabama’s crossover games with the East division remaining are Tennessee and Kentucky, hosting and then hitting the road, respectively. Plus, the Crimson Tide still have to play LSU at home.

The schedule isn’t easy, but Alabama is certainly the favorite moving forward.

Georgia has to play a crossover game with Ole Miss November 11 and still has to play rival Florida, as well as hit the road against Tennessee in mid-November. But again, like Alabama, Georgia is the favorite moving forward.