The Georgia Bulldogs will play for the national championship on Jan. 10 when they take on the Alabama Crimson Tide. Below you can find live updates, an injury report and the latest practice news for the 2022 National Championship Game.

The two teams convincingly won their College Football Playoff semifinals, with Georgia beating Michigan 34-11 and Alabama easily getting past Cincinnati 27-6. These two teams met in the 2018 National Championship game, with Alabama winning 26-23.

Georgia football-Alabama live updates, practice news

9:00 a.m., Jan. 9 update: Georgia coach Kirby Smart and Alabama coach Nick Saban are speaking with the media to preview Monday’s game.

  • “If you recruit well and have a good strength program, you’re going to have a chance to be successful.” -- Kirby Smart
  • “I think the number of players in the transfer portal, I think everyone can make their assessment on whether this is a good thing or bad thing. I do think there are benefits to having to work through adversity. I do think there’s a little fad that if there is some discontent with the program that they’re in, that they are going to transfer somewhere else. I hope it doesn’t continue that way.” -- Nick Saban on the transfer portal.
  • “It’s the furthest thing from your mind. It makes you think hard about the kids you recruit. I think a lot of in what you look at is their makeup and history. We try to spend a lot of time looking at that in the portal.” -- Kirby Smart on the transfer portal.
  • “A little more comfortable now than I was when I was in year two in terms of deligating. The core belief in the way we do things though hasn’t changed.” -- Kirby Smart on what has changed since 2017.
  • “I think Kirby Smart’s program is one of the elite programs in the country. The people in that country have made that program into what it is. The most consistent program we believe this entire season. It probably will be for sometime in the future as well.” -- Nick Saban on the Georgia program.
  • “I would say I’m proud of how our team has responded to success. We played well throughout this year and didn’t have a lot of letdowns. We’ve been trying to improve in areas since that game. They won more matchups in that game. Have to do a better job in redzone, third down and forcing turnovers. -- Kirby Smart on the growth of the team.
  • “The biggest jump we’ve made is in offensive skill players. They’re finally healthy.” -- Smart on the wide receivers.
  • “If you want to have any success in this game offensively, you have to control that defensive front in some way. They create negative plays, they have really good pass rushers. It’s going to be critical for us to play well up front.” -- Nick Saban on the Alabama offensive line.
  • “This guy is Houdini.” -- Kirby Smart on Bryce Young.
  • “Brian Robinson seems like he’s been there for 100 years because I remember recruiting him there when he was in high school.” -- Kirby Smart on Brian Robinson.
  • “That really is the furthest from my concern because I don’t really control that. If you do that right, the other stuff will take care of itself. My entire focus and mine is on what can I do to get our players to play better.” -- Smart on Georgia not winning the national championship since 1980.
  • “Of all the teams I’ve had, this one is the most connected that I’ve had in terms of embracing one another.” --
  • “Name, Image and likeness is a positive thing for players. I think what is a little concerning is how is that used to get players to decide where they go to school. Because I don’t think that was the intention. I think there needs to be some national legislation because that could create an imbalance if that isn’t regulated in some form or fashion.” -- Nick Saban on Name, Image and Likeness.
  • “It’s tough to navigate in a time like right now. A lot of the negotiating that is being done is going on right now while we’re getting ready for a national championship game. You’re going to have the have’s and have not and the separation is only going to continue to grow there. I don’t want decisions based on that but a lot of young men are basing their decisions on that.” -- Kirby Smart on Name, Image and Likeness.

7:00 p.m., Jan. 8 update: Georgia held its final practice live from Indianapolis on Saturday. The Bulldogs will have a walkthrough on Sunday and then complete the 2021 season on Monday night against Alabama.

Defensive tackle Jordan Davis did share a funny anecdote about the team’s final practice in Athens.

The D line had to carry the seniors off on the field yesterday at practice,” Davis said. “So it was me, Vonte(Wyatt) and Julian Rochester. So we had about like four people each trying to carry us off the field. Each position group, they had to carry the seniors off. So that’s kind of like the tradition that the seniors have each year.”

Below you can see highlights from Georgia’s practice in Indianapolis.

Davis shared some more thoughts on Georgia as Monday will be his last game as a Bulldog. The senior has turned himself from an unheralded recruit to possible first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

“It’s definitely a bittersweet moment,” Davis said. “Grateful to be in this position playing for a national championship. But it’s also sad that it’s my last go-around. But at the end of the day, you just have to leave the nest. I can’t be here forever. I’m grateful for the time I had here. The University of Georgia has been so great to me and my family. I thank them.”

9:00 a.m., Jan. 8 update: Georgia linebacker Nakboe Dean, offensive tackle Jamaree Salyer, defensive tackle Jordan Davis and quarterback Stetson Bennett are all set to meet with the media shortly.

  • “A lot of guys look up to him. He’s become a more vocal leader than in year’s past. He just loves the game of football and goes out and plays it hard.” -- Jamaree Salyer on James Cook.
  • “It’s my line. now. It makes it easy to be the old guy room. You don’t have to chase around guys and tell them to get this done. I’m definitely lucky and blessed to be the captain of this offensive line.” -- Salyer on the Georgia offensive line.
  • “It is what it is. You can’t run away from the truth. You want to have a composed attack. We have to do what we do. The stakes are different from this game to the last game.” -- Salyer on past games against Alabama.
  • “He’s a very high motor guy. He plays to the whistle. What he’s trying to do, trying to accomplish. He’s a very talented player. Just playing at a different speed than everyone else. Very excited for it again.” -- Salyer on facing Will Anderson.
  • “He’s going to be Stetson at all times. At all times we’re going to get Stetson, not somebody else.” -- Jamaree Salyer on Stetson Bennett.
  • “Things can be different this time. We control our destiny.” -- Jamaree Salyer on the Alabama narrative.
  • “It’s definitely special. It’s crazy, as you have one foot out the door, first time meeting guys, first time being on campus and walking down memory lane. It’s been a fun ride but the ride ain’t over yet. The craziest part about it is that we’re here. Can’t wait to go out and play in a great environment.” -- Jamaree Salyer
  • “The mental approach makes a big difference. the whole thing of it being a national championship. You should be prepared mentally. You should be prepared to go on the field.” -- On the mental approach for Georgia in this game.
  • “No matter how it happens, how pretty or ugly it is, our one goal is to win the game.” -- Nakobe Dean on the goal entering this game.
  • “It’s a motivation factor of course. That’s as far back as I’m thinking, just as far as me playing them. Right now I’m just focusing on them winning this game.” -- Nakobe Dean on the Georgia history against Alabama.
  • “He can get you going. A lot of guys, if you had seen them, you wouldn’t think they’re around them all the time. He’s coming from a great place. He wants you to be great. The only thing he cares about is winning this game. The only thing he’s going to do is win it for you.” -- On Kirby Smart the motivator.
  • “He’s one of the best ones in terms of staying in the pocket and staying calm. Just sit there and be calm and extend plays. His ability to do that, just makes it tougher for the front seven to get that rush. We’re trying to make it a different outcome than last time.” -- Dean on Bryce Young.
  • “The things I tackled in college from a time management standpoint and a real-world standpoint has matured me into the young man I am today.” -- Nakobe Dean on getting to this point.
  • “There’s a point where you stop being a fan. But I do know the magnitude on getting to this point because I was one at this point.” -- Stetson Bennett on Georgia winning its first national title since 1980.
  • “It’s not an ignorant confidence. It’s come from work. My parents have always supported me and I’ve always had really good players around me. That’s really important on the football field.” -- On where he gets his confidence from.
  • “You want these type of games. You come to the University because you think you’re a good enough player. We’re playing against the best in the country this week. I think we’re all ready for it.” -- Stetson Bennett on playing in the national championship.
  • “They still sell them at Verizon stores. I guess it was June or July. I had a bunch of school, football, why spend an hour on my smart phone a day. I’ve thought about it for years. I’ve got all this important stuff, let’s try to not let anything get in the way of that focus. I’ve still got a laptop and a tablet for email. I’ll just use my cellphone for text and calls. One thing that’s a pain is I have to carry a notepad around because i used to write things down in my notes app.” -- Stetson Bennett on his flip phone.
  • “I owe everything to them. Teaching me right from wrong, which helped me through not leaving and all that hoopla. Through the walk-on process. My little brothers and my little sister they’re always there for me. There’s no telling how many miles they traveled across the country and they never complained about it. It’s impressive. It inspires me that if they can do all that and be successful, what’s a little bit of football.” -- Stetson Bennett on his parents.
  • “I’m not going to be some nomad unless I decide to.”
  • “There’s a lot of things that go unsaid from that frustration. You’re the hero or the zero. I’m glad it was me instead of anybody else because I can handle it.” -- Stetson Bennett.
  • “His resiliency. He went from Rose Bowl scout team coming in. He’s that guy you want to be around.” -- Jordan Davis on Stetson Bennett.
  • “These teams are pretty much evenly matched. The thing that sets apart is mentally and who does things better.” -- Jordan Davis on the rematch.
  • “In the SEC, it was down to mental execution. They’ve got big plays on. I’ll say we weren’t as conditioned as we should’ve been, especially on my part. I’m about to go run after this meeting. It’s about pushing yourself to the next level. This is for all the glory.” -- Jordan Davis on how Alabama had success the first time.
  • “Beating Alabama would be an accomplishment. Not only for me but for coach Smart. I’ve had three shots at Alabama and haven’t beaten them yet. We haven’t won a national championship since 1980. To be able to do this after the regular season we had, that would be an amazing feeling.” -- Jordan Davis on what a win on Monday would mean on Monday night.
  • “A lot more film, a lot more paying attention to details. Learning how to operate a little bit more. We took that time to work on ourselves. It’s about working on ourselves and getting over that mental hurdle.” -- Jordan Davis on playing Georgia.
  • “That game, it definitely stung a little bit. Not winning that game in the SEC championship, definitely hurt a little bit.” -- Jordan Davis on the game against Alabama.
  • “He never gets too high or gets too low. I definitely think, there’s a lot of trash talk about him after the SEC championship game and we wanted him to know we stand behind him. We all know what he’s capable of. We need his best and he needs our best.” -- Jordan Davis on Stetson Bennett.

10:30 a.m., Jan. 5 update: Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken, defensive coordinator Dan Lanning linebackers Nolan Smith and Quay Walker, running back James Cook and wide receiver Kearis Jackson spoke with reports on Wednesday. You can see their comments below.

  • “We say here the best rush is the best coverage. We gotta get to the quarterback. We did not do that in the last game.” -- Nolan Smith on the pass rush.
  • “In talking over with the coaches, I trust in our plan to do that.” -- Nolan Smith on the Georgia pass rush.
  • “I think it would mean everything. I always talk about leaving a legacy. This is the ultimate. This is my goal and my dream and be able to point out “Son, this is what we did here.” -- Nolan Smith on winning a national championship at Georgia.
  • “Just being that relentless front we’ve always been. It’s a privilege to rush the passer. We just have to go do it this game. Just trust the game plan.”
  • “It’s crazy the things he brought into the SEC. Just being relentless up front. Doing a lot little with a lot more. We still do the things the old Bama did, we’re just doing it a little different. It’s obviously working and I love it.” -- Nolan Smith on Dan Lanning.
  • “The plan that our coaches implement. It’s one thing for us to understand it, but it’s another to execute it at a high level. Just to be able to trust the plan and play fast.” -- Nolan Smith on his play in the second half of the season.
  • “I cried. I’m 20, I’ve been playing football since I was four and I haven’t won anything.” -- Nolan Smith on his emotions after the loss to Alabama in the SEC championship.
  • “I should’ve been more aware to jump on the ball than run. It’s a game of inches.” -- Nolan Smith on the fumble in the first game against Alabama.
  • “I feel like he took me under his wing. He showed me how to work and how to trust the process. I never thought about leaving. This is where my mom wanted me to be, this is where I wanted to be.” -- Nolan Smith on coming to Georgia.
  • “We just have to execute on a high level. Just can’t give up no plays like we did in the national championship. For us we have to do what we have to do. Sack the impact and get after the quarterback.” -- Quay Walker on the plan for this game.
  • “We got really, really close a couple of times but you have to finish.” -- Quay Walker on sacking Bryce Young.
  • “He played a huge impact. I’m going to miss him.” -- Quay Walker on Dan Lanning.
  • “We’re not worried about proving anything to anyone outside this building. Our main focus needs to be on us and how to get better as a team. Do what we need to do on Monday.” -- Quay Walker.
  • “He’s pretty much weird different. He’s made a ton of plays and he’s made similar type plays in practice.” -- Quay Walker on Brock Bowers.
  • “On the sidelines, we were pretty hyped about it.” -- Quay Walker on Chaz Chambliss’ hit against Michigan.
  • “With no sacks and no turnovers, you’re probably not going to win. As bad as I wanted to say that it hurt, I knew why we didn’t win that game because of the mistakes we made up to it.” -- Quay Walker on his reaction to the loss to Alabama.
  • “This team hasn’t played Alabama in a national championship game before. It’s the biggest stage in our careers. Just being able to go against a fantastic team like Alabama, you can’t take this opportunity for granted.” -- Kearis Jackson on playing in the national championship game.
  • “Trust the technique. This game, you’re playing for something that’s special.” -- Kearis Jackson on playing in this game.
  • “George brings a lot of energy to the team. The block against Michigan, he does it all the time. That’s just the way George plays. Loves to do things that goes viral.” -- Kearis Jackson on George Pickens.
  • “The whole community has been showing love. All they say they want is a Georgia championship. We’re fighting for the ones in our community as well. It’s going to be major to go win one.” -- Kearis Jackson on winning a national championship.
  • “Every practice is like a game.” -- Kearis Jackson on the mentality at Georgia.
  • “He reminds me of Travis Kelce with the way he was making plays. He’s been certified in my book.” -- Kearis Jackson on Brock Bowers.
  • “It’s been like a dream come true and journey as well.” -- Kearis Jackson on playing in the national championship game.
  • “He’s always hyped up. He’s got a competitor’s mindset. He lets us go good on good. When you do that, all you’re doing is sharpening iron.” -- Kearis Jackson on playing with Kirby Smart.
  • “Everything is not going to go that your way. Don’t let one bad downfall define you as a person. Knowing what I’m doing for this team, I’m enjoying it.” -- Kearis Jackson on having a smaller role at Georgia.
  • “I just wasn’t used to amount of running we were doing here. I was built for the physical part. I did have to learn how to push myself a little bit harder because things get a little bit longer when you get to college.” -- Kearis Jackson on practice being harder than games.
  • “I was hurt. All I wanted for my birthday was an SEC championship game. To lose those games was hurtful. Now I’m able to play in something bigger the 2022 national championship.” -- Kearis Jackson on playing in this game.
  • “I think you want to be at a place where you have no barriers to success. When you’re recruiting players and their families, you want to be at a place where you check all the boxes.” -- Todd Monken on coaching at Georgia.
  • “Coach (Todd) Hartley deserves credit for one recruiting him and two developing him.” -- Todd Monken on Brock Bowers.
  • “I don’t see it as those two games are going to predict the future. Like any player, he’s had games where they don’t play up to that standard. It just happened to come in the second half of those games. He’s been outstanding in the first half of those games and I’ve said that before.” -- Todd Monken on Stetson Bennett.
  • “I can do better as a coordinator to put him in positions to be successful.” -- Todd Monken on Stetson Bennett.
  • “We’ve got enough film on what they want to do. They’re successful and so are we. If you’re constantly changing I don’t think you’re going to be successful at anything. We’re looking forward to the opportunity and the shot at it.” -- Todd Monken on playing Alabama again.
  • “Just playing. I think we forgot at times that he hadn’t played a lot of football here. I think the consistency we’ve had in terms of guys here has helped.” -- Todd Monken on how Stetson Bennett has grown this year.
  • “I think the hardest part is the way our season has gone. We put ourselves in a position where we didn’t need the quarterback to take shots in the second half of the game. My mind was to get off the field and prevent injuries. I think it’s a little unfair to say we didn’t trust him to throw it downfield.” -- Todd Monken on JT Daniels’ pass attempts in the second half of games.
  • “We’d be guessing. We’ve got film of them playing some really really good players. We don’t anticipate a whole lot being different other than formations and calls. To think that they’re going to line up two guys over him and double team would be a stretch.” -- Todd Monken on adjustments with Brock Bowers.
  • “You certainly want to know where he is. If you get into the zone-read game, he’s going to try and hit you at the junction point. I think he has a tremendous skillset. He plays with relentless effort.” -- Todd Monken on Will Anderson.
  • “He wants all the little details right. If you get this look, he wants you to do it like it’s in the game.” -- James Cook on what makes Todd Monken different as the offensive coordinator.
  • “I make my opportunities count.” -- James Cook on limited touches in this game.
  • “I knew we had another shot so I wasn’t too down on myself. We got that taste out of our mouth on Friday.” -- James Cook on his emotions after the loss to Alabama in the SEC championship game.
  • “Just gotta stay physical and come to play.” -- James Cook on facing the Alabama run defense.
  • “Just play the brand of football we’re going to play. It doesn’t take anything exceptional or extraordinary in what we need to do.” -- On the Georgia defense bouncing back.
  • “I don’t want to give away all of our secrets. Hopefully, we can do that after the game. They did some unique things to protect him. There’s a lot of different ways we can pressure him.” -- Dan Lanning on pressuring Bryce Young.
  • “I think the biggest thing that is different in our league is the trenchs. The offensive and defensive lines. It’s all relative but the speed and size on the lines stands out.” -- Dan Lanning on coaching at Georgia.
  • “Probably not for the first game next year but they’ve got some tremendous talent in there. Some of these guys have tough decisions to make. It will be a good room.” -- Dan Lanning on the future of the outside linebacker room.
  • “They have talent at wide out. You’ll have to change your plan. We’re able to use guys from offense to give us a good look. There’s an awareness on where guys line up.” -- Lanning on the Alabama receivers.
  • “Brock is a headache for a lot of other teams. I’m glad he’s on our team. He’s developed a great amount of trust in the offense. You have to treat him different.” -- Dan Lanning on Brock Bowers.
  • “These guys have played at a really high level all year. He’s taken advantage of being an explosive blitzer. The physicality this guy plays with. He’s improved as a tackler. He’s more efficient with his movement. That comes with reps.” -- Dan Lanning on Nakobe Dean.
  • “We watch film pretty close and see what has good answers. We’re multiple and have a way to attack in a variety of ways. You gotta have answers and they had better answers than we had that day.” -- Dan Lanning on the first game against Alabama.
  • “I think what makes Travon special is his athleticism. You saw in that last Michigan game, he’s started to play with physicality in that Michigan game. He’s got speed, he’s got the ability to drop in coverage, he’s got the ability to rush the passer and that production will come in time.” -- Dan Lanning on Travon Walker.
  • “To me the people. I’ll certainly miss the people. It doesn’t feel like work.” -- Dan Lanning on what he will miss about coaching at Georgia.
  • If we play our best game, we’re confident that we can win that game.” -- Dan Lanning on the rematch against Alabama.
  • 1:00 p.m., Jan. 3 update: Georgia coach Kirby Smart, quarterback Stetson Bennett and defensive back Derion Kendrick will speak with reporters shortly to preview the national championship game.
  • “We’re excited to get another shot. We’ve got a lot of respect for Coach Saban. We know we’ve got to play one of our best games.” -- Kirby Smart on playing Alabama again.
  • “When you’re playing a rematch game, a lot can go into. You have to be careful. The things you break down will change. What tendencies change, what matchups you’re looking for.” -- Smart on the rematch.
  • “We’ve worked hard the last 30 days getting better about us. It was never about Michigan or Alabama. At the end of the day we’ve been trying to get our players better.” -- Smart on playing Alabama again.
  • “Brock is good. That shoulder injury is nothing new. I had it when I played. He’s a football player, it’s not going to go away in season.” -- Kirby Smart on Brock Bowers’ injury.
  • “You gotta play well. You gotta play well in the red area and execute.” -- Smart on playing Alabama again.
  • “It’s really important. He(Bryce Young) did a good job of moving around in the pocket. Has elite spatial awareness. It wasn’t for lack of trying. We tried a lot of different pressures. Somebody has to win one-on-one. We had some really critical third-down losses. You’re giving them extra snaps every time that happens.” -- Kirby Smart on pressuring Alabama and Bryce Young.
  • “The truly great players understand that NFL scouts, decision-makers call me and say “How much did Roquan Smith, Nakobe Dean play as a freshman. They start evaluating guys in year three. So where do you go to get that? You go where they have the best. It’s an easier decision than you think.” -- Kirby Smart on recruiting so many great players.
  • “It’ll never be about me and him. It’s about the players.” -- Kirby Smart on Nick Saban.
  • “We can’t do anything if we don’t win upfront. Jamaree, Warren, all those guys inside felt slighted a bit by the Joe Moore Award going to Michigan. That those two guys would ruin the game for us and they took it as a challenge.” -- Stetson Bennett on the Georgia offensive line.
  • “We know the guys on our team that are game-changers and we want to get them the ball. But when the play starts, I throw the ball to whose open. When the ball is snapped for me, unless its those specific scenarios, I throw the ball to the guy who is open. I think that’s a strength of our team.” -- Stetson Bennett on the offensive philosophy.
  • “I’m just treating this as a football game. Do I know this means a lot to a lot of people, yes. Am I going out there and trying to be a savior to a lot of people? No. Is it just another game, no I’m not silly. I don’t think for 20 year old kids you can put that pressure on yourself because you might go crazy.” -- Stetson Bennett on the magnitude of this game.
  • “Yeah coaches say that but those guys are going to get every chance to fail where before a walk-on gets a chance to succeed. Usually, 5-stars are better than walk-ons, that’s how it goes. I think our team does a good job of not worrying about 5-stars with this and that when you get in the door. I don’t know any recruiting. I know we did well. I don’t know who was ranked where and I will tell you every senior on this team doesn’t care.” -- Stetson Bennett on recruiting rankings coming in.
  • “Is Alabama going to send us an email this week with every change they’re going to make? I would love that. If there is a wrinkle on Monday night, whoever adjusts best to that is probably going to win.” -- Stetson Bennett on adjustments being made for this game.
  • “If you follow football, you know my situation. I just came in, put my head down and worked. They accepted me for who I was and not what I did in the past.” -- Derion Kendrick on arriving at Georgia.
  • “Just gotta lock-in. Just everybody make plays. It’s the top of the collegiate level so everyone is going to make plays. You just gotta make the next one.” -- Derion Kendrick on defending Jameson Williams.
  • “I see it almost every day. He’s a great player, always works hard. Usually, when you work that hard, good things happen.” Derion Kendrick on Brock Bowers.

11:45 a.m., Jan. 3 update: Alabama coach Nick Saban, running back Brian Robinson and linebacker Will Anderson will speak with reporters at noon. Kirby Smart, Stetson Bennett and Derion Kendrick will speak to reporters at 1 p.m. ET.

  • “This team has overcome a lot of adversity over the course of the year. Extremely proud of how they have put themselves in a spot to win a championship. It will be a tremendous challenge. They’re a great team, they’ve got great balance. This is a really, really good all-around team.” -- Nick Saban on Georgia and Alabama.
  • “I think in that, there are some subtle changes you need to make so that you put your players in the best chance to be successful.” -- Saban on what’s changed with the game being a rematch.
  • No updates on the offensive line from Nick Saban. “Hopeful we’ll get some guys back.”
  • “It starts up front. We’re always trying to prepare our players changed extremely well.”
  • Saban mentions this is an extremely young team. Only three or four senior starters. Talks about how this team has grown over the course of the year.
  • “I think this guy is one of the premier players in college football. He’s physical, he’s tough, he’s got wide receiver skills in every shape and form. It makes it difficult for bigger guys to cover him and smaller guys to cover him. He’s been extremely productive in a lot of ways.” -- Nick Saban on Brock Bowers.
  • “Being an underdog is being an underdog. I think it’s important for our players to know that they need to continue to have success regardless of what happened in the last game.” -- Saban on being an underdog.
  • “He’s a tremendous athlete, very long, very athletic. We need to make sure we do a great job of covering him. We just need to play our game and make it as effective as it can be.” -- Will Anderson on Brock Bowers.
  • “We gotta expect some new things. We think they’re going to come out as a completely different team. We gotta prepare for this week.” -- Alabama running back Brian Robinson.
  • “Being an underdog, it’s one of those feelings. It’s just a mindset that our team has, that we live with. We’ll be motivated and come out with the underdog mentality.” -- Alabama running back Brian Robinson.

Georgia and Alabama were the only two teams to hold the No. 1 ranking during the 2021 season. Now, one of those teams will end the season as the No. 1 team in the country.

These two teams met earlier this season, with Alabama easily besting the Bulldogs 41-24. It is the only time this season the Georgia defense has given up more than 17 points in a game this season. The Georgia offense also struggled in the second half, with Bennett throwing two costly interceptions in the game.

Minutes after Georgia took down Michigan, Smart quickly shifted the conversation from celebrating the win over Michigan to focusing on Alabama.

“I want to get focused on Alabama,” Smart said. “They got a five, six-hour head start. To be honest with you guys, I’m not interested in celebrating that. We’ll look back on that win and that’ll be great, but we’re focused on the task ahead, and that’s the objective and that’s what our guys -- they worked their tail off for three to four weeks to get this opportunity, and it was a one-game season, and now it’s another one-game season.”

Much will be made about Smart and Georgia’s inability to beat Saban and Alabama, as the Alabama head coach has won seven consecutive games against Georgia dating back to 2008. The Bulldogs have lost close games against Alabama and also in blowout fashion. This game will be played in Indianapolis, the first time these two teams will have met outside of the south. The prior matchups all took place in either Athens, Ga., Tuscaloosa, Ala., or Atlanta.

A win for Alabama would give the Crimson Tide back-to-back national championships. For Georgia, it would be its first national championship since 1980.

Georgia football injury report for 2022 National Championship Game

Arian Smith (out, knee), Tykee Smith (out, knee), Trezmen Marshall (out, knee), Rian Davis (out, quad), Jalen Kimber (out, shoulder), Tate Ratledge (out, foot)

Georgia football-Alabama game time for 2022 National Championship game

The Georgia football-Alabama game is set for an 8 p.m. ET kickoff

Georgia football-Alabama TV channel for 2022 National Championship game

The Georgia football-Alabama game will be broadcast on ESPN.

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