Editor’s Note: Four students from the Sports Capital Journalism Program at IUPUI are covering the College Football Playoff National Championship. Here are their predictions for the 2022 game:
Coaching edge? Saban over Smart. Quarterback edge? Young over Bennett. Mental/Confidence edge? Alabama, for its win over Georgia last month in the SEC Championship game along with being the defending national champions. The Crimson Tide have been there, done that, got the T-shirt.
Alabama 38, Georgia 21.
By Bryan Carter
Last week, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart told reporters he didn’t know what the bogeyman was. On Monday night in Indianapolis, he’s going to find out. The Tide have proven they can beat you in just about any way this season, and will find a way to put up enough points against the Bulldogs’ No. 1 defense. Tide coach Nick Saban will become the first coach to beat a team twice in a season en route to winning a national championship and pass Bear Bryant for most titles by a Crimson Tide coach. Never bet against Saban – especially when his team’s an underdog.
Alabama 31, Georgia 28.
By Jordan Morey | @JordanAMorey
Alabama wins in a close one determined by how each defense and each quarterback can adjust to each other’s play styles. Some factors are: Bryce Young and Stetson Bennett adjusting to the defense on the fly, seeing which quarterback makes a mistake first and whether it will cost his team points and momentum. The defense that makes the most impact plays throughout the game will win.
Alabama 42, Georgia 38.
By Zach Powell | @ZiggidyZach_
Entering Monday night’s championship matchup, Alabama coach Nick Saban owns a 9-2 all-time record against the Georgia Bulldogs and is 7-1 as a coach for Alabama. He’s 4-0 against Kirby Smart, his former assistant, and is 29-14 against top-five ranked opponents in his career.
Though working under Saban might give Smart a mental edge or an unlikely prescience for this year’s championship, Saban is 25-1 against his former assistant coaches, suffering his first loss ever earlier this year against Jimbo Fisher’s Texas A&M. The legend of Nick Saban doesn’t lie, doesn’t overexaggerate and it doesn’t often concede defeat.
Alabama 24, Georgia 9.
By Meghan Rominger | @MeghanRominger
