Alabama football’s report card in the SEC Championship
Cornerbacks: A
Alabama has been moving around with corners all year. Josh Jobe, Jalyn Armour-Davis and Kool-Aid McKinstry have rotated as starters due to injuries and overall play. With Georgia getting its best receiver back, it was crucial for the secondary to step up to stop the passing attack.
Georgia had some success, but the corners stepped up. There were a few bad penalties, but the unit as a whole locked down Georgia’s talented receivers. This group has the potential to play like this every week, but they finally put the pieces together in this one.
Safeties: A+
Safety play has been sporadic all year. The Tide have changed starters a few times due to poor play, and many head-scratching moments come down to miscues by Alabama football’s safeties. Alabama returned all safeties from last year’s team, but the play did not take a step forward like many expected.
In this game, two interceptions by safeties made the difference. DeMarcco Hellams snagged one, and Jordan Battle took another pick to the house. This was the best you could ask for.
Were there some mistakes? Absolutely. However, there were also some game-changing plays from the safeties. In big games, the big plays matter more than the minor mistakes.