Alabama def. Georgia 27-24 (2023 SEC Championship)
In what would be Nick Saban's last SEC Championship game, the legendary coach decided to ruin his mentee's season one final time.
Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs came into this contest virtually untouchable, winning their last 29 games. Alabama, coming off a heart-stopping victory against Auburn in Jordan-Hare, had every intention of knocking the two-time defending national champions off their pedestal.
With a strong defensive first half and a gritty performance from Jalen Milroe, the Tide secured their 30th SEC title. The upset catapulted Alabama into that year's College Football Playoff, dropping both Georgia and Florida State out of the top four.
Georgia def. Alabama 33-18 (2022 National Championship)
Sometimes, the student does conquer the master.
Going into the 2022 National Championship, the shadow of Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide still loomed large over Kirby Smart. The Tide had just bludgeoned Georgia's daunting defense in the SEC Championship, with Heisman winner Bryce Young facilitating a devastating aerial assault.
However, after pummeling Michigan in the first round of the College Football Playoff, the Bulldogs would get their shot at redemption.
Stetson Bennett's heroics and a game-sealing pick-six from Kelee Ringo gave Georgia its first National Championship in over 40 years. For the first time ever, Coach Smart could say that he went to war with the emperor of College Football and came out victorious.
Alabama def. Georgia 32-28 (2012 SEC Championship)
Four years after the infamous "blackout" game, the Tide sought to bring more sorrow to the state of Georgia.
The backfield duo of Aaron Murray and Todd Gurley posed a huge threat to Alabama's frightening defense, combining for nearly 400 total yards. Alabama would respond with a powerful rushing attack, with Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon gashing the Georgia defense for 350 yards on the ground.
Down 28-25 late in the fourth quarter, AJ McCarron delivered a 45-yard touchdown strike to Amari Cooper, giving the Crimson Tide a four-point lead with under three minutes remaining. Murray answered back with an inspiring two-minute drill, but Georgia's relentless attempt to get into the endzone would ultimately come up short.
Alabama would go on to make quick work of Notre Dame in the National Championship, causing many to label
this game the true showcase of college football's best teams in 2012.
Alabama def. Georgia 41-34 (2024 Regular Season)
The most prolific coach in college football history was gone, but that didn't mean the Crimson Tide's role as the thorn in Georgia's side would be discontinued.
In his first true test as Alabama's head coach, Kalen DeBoer would be tasked with taking on the new face of college football. The goal was quite simple: Let the nation know that the balance of power hasn't quite shifted.
Milroe and company got off to a nuclear start, firing off a 28-point performance in the first half. Kane Wommack's "swarm" defense suffocated Carson Beck and company, forcing multiple turnovers and holding the Bulldogs to just seven points through two quarters.
However, the second half was an entirely different story. The Tide's offense went completely stagnant, while Georgia managed to go on a 21-3 scoring run. Beck uncorked a 67-yard bomb to Dillon Bell late in the fourth quarter, giving the Bulldogs a 34-33 lead.
A monumental collapse seemed imminent for DeBoer's squad, but Milroe and Ryan Coleman-Williams had other plans. A dazzling 75-yard touchdown reception from the 17-year-old and a red zone interception from Zabien Brown helped the Tide survive the highest-scoring matchup ever between these two heavyweights.
Alabama def. Georgia 26-23 (2018 National Championship)
Jaw-dropping moments and devastatingly close calls have personified this rivalry, but no other game in the history of this conference quarrel has produced a more legendary moment than this one.
In just his second season as Georgia's head coach, Smart had the Bulldogs in position to hoist a National Championship trophy, knocking off Heisman winner Baker Mayfield and the Oklahoma Sooners in a thriller in Pasadena. The decision to place Alabama in the 2018 CFP came with much controversy (due to a 26-14 loss to Auburn), but a dominant victory over the Clemson Tigers silenced all doubters.
In the words of Chris Fowler, the Bulldogs were indeed barking in the first half of Saban and Smart's first faceoff. Georgia's defense, led by Butkus Award winner Roquan Smith, held the Tide to a measly 89 yards and zero points. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, they weren't aware that a certain southpaw freshman quarterback would soon be making an appearance.
Saban made the risky decision to bench Jalen Hurts for Tua Tagovailoa, a choice that would ultimately prove to be genius. The Ewa Beach-born signal caller completely revived Alabama's passing attack, tossing two touchdowns and leading the Crimson Tide into overtime with the score tied at 20.
With Rodrigo Blankenship nailing a crucial 51-yard field goal to give Georgia a 3-point lead, all pressure now rested on the shoulders of this young quarterback. His youth showed in a major way on the first offensive snap, taking an untimely sack for a loss of 16 yards. What followed, however, is still regarded as the greatest play in Alabama football history.
On 2nd and 26, Tagovailoa fired a 41-yard touchdown to future Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith, securing a sixth National Championship victory for Saban (fifth at Alabama). In a contest that provided Hollywood levels of theatrics, the Tide would not be denied.
Alabama and Georgia face for the 77th time in history on Saturday, Oct. 9; will they add another electrifying chapter to their rivalry? That remains to be seen.