Anyone around sports, especially football, has heard the adage 'it's tough to beat a team twice in one season' and time and time again, this has been proven true.
Tough, but not impossible.
Alabama and Georgia meet for the second time in 38 days on the gridiron when the two SEC teams clash for the NCAA National Football Championship. The Crimson Tide won the previous meeting -- 41-24 over the previously unbeaten Bulldogs in the SEC Championship game.
That win helped propel Alabama to take the top seed in the college playoffs and dropped Georgia to No. 3.
The Tide rolled up No. 4 Cincinnati, 27-6, and the Bulldogs bit No. 2 Michigan, 34-11, in the semifinals. Alas, a rematch. Bama going for a repeat, and Georgia coming for revenge.
As of Wednesday, the betting line favored Georgia by 3 with an over-under of 52. Take the Dawgs, and the over.
Everything about the playoff system, since it started in 2014, and No. 4 Ohio State beat No. 2 Oregon for the national title, says No. 1 teams come here to fall.
In seven national title games settled by the bowl playoff system, there's as many teams that were seeded No. 4 to win the title as No. 1. The other No. 4, that was Alabama when it pulled off a 26-23 upset of No. 3 Georgia in overtime at the end of the 2017-18 season.
There have been no back-to-back champions -- none -- and the other three champions were the No. 2 seeds. The Tide won last year's title, but the Bulldogs haven't claimed a national championship since 1980.
Isn't about time we got a No. 3 seed to claim the crown? Can bronze take gold?
Don't be surprised if this is finally the year for that.
Both teams come in at 13-1. The Bulldogs score 39.4 points and allow 9.5 points per game. Alabama racks up 42.2 and gives up 20.2 per outing.
Georgia averages 442.8 yards of total offense (247.9 passing, 194.9 rushing), and the Crimson Tide racks up 495.5 yards of total offense (347.9 passing, 147.6 rushing).
The Bulldog defense allows almost 53 yards fewer per game than Alabama (253.9-306.2).
None of that will matter when the teams take the field Monday night. All that will matter is who hoists that trophy at the end of the night.