484846600 1057629496404295 2828489385823418952 N E1764871278907 — The Crimson Tide beat Georgia in the 2023 SEC Championship Game. (University of Alabama Athletics)

For the fifth time in the last 14 seasons, Alabama and Georgia will meet in Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game.

The Crimson Tide won the previous four meetings but the Bulldogs are considered 2.5-point favorites Saturday despite losing to Alabama in Athens earlier this season.

Here’s what you need to know before kickoff:

What: 34th SEC Championship Game
Who: No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs
When: 3PM central time
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 1 AMB Dr NW, Atlanta, GA 30313
Watch: ABC

Going to Atlanta?

695388Aa 09C0 4E7E 9Ccf 4489016Af37C — “View of Mercedes-Benz Stadium from Centennial Olympic Park Drive” by Gatorfan252525 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

The good news for those going to the game is you won’t have to worry about the weather forecast at kickoff. But you should be prepared for what’s coming during those tailgating hours + for after the game.

High: 48
Low: 37
20% chance of rain

If you’re hoping to grab some last-minute tickets, you might be waiting out in that weather for a while. As usual, the SEC Championship Game is one of the most coveted tickets of the college football season.

Currently, the resale market is the second most expensive of the weekend, just behind the Big 10 Championship featuring No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana.

Here’s some of the listings on the top ticket sites as of Thursday afternoon:

Cheapest
TickPick: $242
Seat Geek: $247
Ticketmaster: $238
StubHub: $242

Most expensive
TickPick: $1350
Seat Geek: $3489
Ticketmaster: $10,814
StubHub: $4665

Looking for things to do before kickoff? The Dr Pepper SEC FanFare will be held on Friday, Dec. 5 1-7PM and on Saturday, Dec. 6 from 8AM-4PM in Hall C of the Georgia World Congress Center.

By the numbers

485005282 1057629183070993 7606860919210578092 N — (University of Alabama Athletics)

3: This is the third time Alabama has played the same team twice in the same season since the turn of the century including Georgia in 2021 and LSU in 2011.

4: Four SEC Champions have gone on to win the national title since the College Football Playoff era started in 2014. Just one SEC Champion has won the title in the last four years.

5: Five coaches have won an SEC Championship in their first two seasons with a school including Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Gene Chizik, Gus Malzahn and Kirby Smart. Kalen DeBoer is hoping to become the sixth on the list + first to do so with Alabama.

9: Alabama has won nine straight SEC Championship appearances, last losing the title game in 2008.

10: After a three-touchdown game, Isaiah Horton has 8 receiving touchdowns this season. With two more in the postseason, he can become the first Tide wide receiver to reach 10 touchdowns since Jameson Williams in 2021.

12: This is the 12th consecutive SEC Championship Game to feature at least one of Alabama or Georgia. It’s the fifth straight appearance for the Bulldogs.

16: Alabama will be making its 16th appearance in the conference title game, the most of any SEC programs. The Tide currently has an 11-4 record in the game.

College Football Playoff impact

The SEC will tell you both teams have secured a spot in the playoff already but commissioner Greg Sankey will also say Texas and Vanderbilt should get a shot too.

One thing is for sure, the SEC will have multiple teams in the College Football Playoff. Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Oklahoma are safely into the field without having to play another game.

Georgia is also safely into the field but can secure a top-four seed + a first-round bye with a win Saturday.

Alabama’s case is more complicated but after moving up to No. 9 Tuesday night, it seems like the Tide would make the field even with a loss.

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