Lane Kiffin breaks down 2023 SEC Championship matchup between Alabama, Georgia

No matter what happens in the final two games of the regular season, Alabama is going to play Georgia in the SEC Championship game. There is plenty to play for down the stretch but it’s all related to the College Football Playoff. The matchup in Atlanta is set, with another heavy-weight bout between Nick Saban and Kirby Smart scheduled.

To this point, a few teams in the SEC have played both Alabama and Georgia. Lane Kiffin is the most recent of the two, taking a tough loss in Athens this past Saturday. Ole Miss traveled to Bryant-Denny Stadium earlier in the year and fell by two touchdowns.

Kiffin was asked his opinion on the SEC Championship, saying both teams are playing at a high level at the moment. Things might have been a little different for Alabama back on Sept. 23, still attempting to figure out their offensive game plan.

Things have changed since then, though. Kiffin is expecting two incredible teams to take the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

“Every game is independent of each other,” Kiffin said during Wednesday’s SEC Coaches Teleconference. “The days we played them, Georgia, I think everybody would say, was better. But again, that was a long time ago we played Alabama. They were still figuring out their quarterback. I think that, from what I’ve seen, Alabama seems to be playing dominant lately as well.”

Because of the Ole Miss win, Georgia was rewarded with the No. 1 spot in Tuesday night’s updated College Football Playoff rankings. Smart’s team was facing off against a ranked opponent for the second consecutive week and was able to secure a blowout against the Rebels.

Kiffin got a good look at the back-to-back national champions, seemingly playing well at the right time.

Ole Miss definitely traveled to Tuscaloosa before Alabama’s peak. Only recently has there been four quarters of complimentary football being played. Jalen Milroe has turned into a superstar and will have to continue his good form moving forward.

As Kiffin mentioned — if you base the SEC Championship solely on their performances against Ole Miss, you would assume Georgia is going to blow out Alabama. Both teams got the Rebels at home and the Bulldogs had a larger win margin.

But as Alabama has evolved, we are set up to have an incredible contest between the two. It should be just the latest chapter in what has turned into the most high-profile matchup in college football.