Alabama football fans like to boast that the Crimson Tide lives rent-free in Georgia heads, especially in the mind of Kirby Smart. In the lead up to the SEC Championship game, I have argued that the history between the two teams will have at most little, and probably no impact on Saturday's game.
Of course, Georgia players want a payback win after losing to the Alabama Crimson Tide in Athens and having their long win streak broken. Beyond that, it feels like a major stretch to argue that the history between the programs gives Alabama Football any advantage.
A very different perspective comes from Dawn of the Dawg's Trevor Michael. Michael wrote that the Bulldogs "can't let Alabama beat them before the game begins." Michael also provided three 'must-do' keys for Georgia to win the game. Two of the three are all about the Alabama Crimson Tide: "Ignore the past" and "Don't pay attention to what Alabama is saying."
While that is sound advice for any upcoming big game, having only one 'Georgia' key suggests that maybe the 'living in the head' thing is more than just talk. Michael's third key was for the Bulldogs to "understand they are the better team." Michael may or may not be correct. Even if he is, is the collective psyche of the Georgia Bulldogs in need of propping up? Surely not, because if it is, the confidence of Georgia players to beat Alabama could crumble with in-game adversity.
Alabama Football and Georgia will fully expect to win
More realistically, both teams will equally expect to win. The Georgia Bulldogs have won five SEC Championship Games, two against LSU and one each over Arkansas, Auburn, and Texas. That the Bulldogs have never beaten Alabama in four previous SEC Championship Games will have zero impact on Saturday's outcome.
What will happen is there will be game-changing plays made by young men fully focused on the moment. Hopefully, there will be no game-changing bad calls by officials that determine the outcome. Neither side has any control over the officiating, but that will not temper the anxiety of Crimson Tide and Bulldogs' fans.