Without Alabama In SEC Title Game, Georgia-LSU Was Bust On Field And At Box Office

For the primary time since eternally (OK, since 2011, however it appeared longer), the SEC championship recreation wasn’t the must-see occasion out of all its friends throughout the weekend after the ultimate common season of faculty soccer.

It was the Large Ten championship recreation.

Nicely, no less than in keeping with TicketIQ.com, which had the most affordable get-in worth at $192 to observe Large Ten groups Michigan and Purdue battle Saturday night inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in comparison with the decrease mark of $187 for the sooner Saturday convention title recreation between defending nationwide champion Georgia versus LSU at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Each video games had been duds. After unranked Purdue teased No. 2 Michigan by way of the primary half, the Wolverines clobbered their principally common opponent 43-22. In distinction, LSU by no means teased. No. 1 Georgia simply crushed No. 14 LSU 50-30.

“Yeah, successful the SEC is an enormous deal,” Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett stated, and he was named the sport’s most useful participant after finishing 23 of 29 passes for 274 yards and 4 touchdowns. “That is the perfect convention in soccer. Nationwide championships are enormous and nice. That’s our subsequent purpose. However SEC is the primary purpose.”

So, regardless of the rarity for Georgia of defensive lapses right here and there, Bennett’s Bulldogs emphatically confirmed they had been proper heading in the right direction with their purpose of turning into the primary repeat nationwide champions since Alabama (do not forget that identify) in 2012. LSU by no means bought near Georgia, however this blowout wasn’t the first purpose the SEC championship recreation misplaced its crown because the undisputed king this season of those contests.

LSU wasn’t Alabama.

LSU was simply fortunate to be right here, partly as a result of the Tigers spent November at house slipping previous Alabama on a two-point conversion in time beyond regulation, which gave LSU the SEC West title. Similar to that, LSU had an opportunity to succeed in the School Soccer Playoff (CFP) with solely two losses on the time and with a victory over Georgia within the SEC championship recreation.

Then LSU was shelled 38-23 at Texas A&M to finish the common season, and the Tigers had been uncovered much more as a CFP wannabe by Georgia.

The general public already knew as a lot.

See these low-cost ticket costs.

Ultimately, Saturday’s crowd of 74,810 was solely the fourth-highest within the historical past of SEC championship video games held in Atlanta. They got here to the town from Birmingham in 1994, once they befell on the Georgia Dome (71,228 capability), and so they continued in 2017 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (71,000).

In case you’re questioning, the most important crowd for an SEC championship in Atlanta was 78,030 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2021.

Georgia was concerned.

So was Alabama.

Alabama attracts. Large time. It begins with Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban, whose newest crew completed the common season this season solely 10-2, however each losses got here on the street on the final play of the sport.

You even have the micro image of Alabama’s enchantment: Saban is the proprietor of seven nationwide championship rings, together with six at Alabama, starting with the one after the 2009 season. Not solely that, however eight of Saban’s 10 SEC titles got here with the Tide, and so they entered this season with three journeys to Atlanta for the SEC championship recreation within the earlier 5 years and 6 previously eight.

This was simply LSU’s second journey to the SEC championship recreation (the opposite was in 2019 when quarterback Joe Burrow destroyed Georgia 37-10 alongside the way in which to a nationwide title) because the Tigers flattened Georgia 42-10 in 2011.

2011?

Georgia-LSU?

Wasn’t that the final time earlier than this Georgia-LSU matchup that the SEC championship recreation wasn’t a box-office hit?

Simply saying.