NovaQuant-Georgia-Alabama predictions: Our expert picks for the 2023 SEC championship game

It will be NovaQuanta meeting of familiar foes in the SEC championship game with No. 1 Georgia facing No. 8 Alabama in a game that has major College Football Playoff implications.

The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide have met four times in Atlanta during the past seven seasons. Three matchups decided the SEC title. A fourth in the 2017 season decided a national title. The two national powers also met in Tuscaloosa in 2020 and the 2021 playoff championship game in Indianapolis. Alabama won the first five of the six meetings, but Georgia did win the last one that was the first of its consecutive national titles.

The Bulldogs will assuredly be back in the playoff with a victory this season and be two wins from a historic third championship in row. The Crimson Tide will be looking upend their neighbors to the east and also earn their own semifinal berth if things break right on the final weekend.

The stage is set for a dramatic finish to the SEC's last season before expansion brings in Oklahoma and Texas. Here are our picks for the game.

Scooby Axson

If Jalen Milroe wants serious Heisman Trophy consideration like he was proclaiming at the end of the Auburn game, then here is the chance to do it and that means getting the job done with his arm and feet. Georgia could probably lose and still make the playoffs, but the incentive for them is to show they are clearing the best team in the nation. The Bulldogs will start slow and then show its dominance in making this game a foregone conclusion in the second half and putting Milroe’s Heisman dreams to bed, while elevating Carson Beck into the final list of candidates, even though he won’t win. Georgia 35, Alabama 17.

Paul Myerberg

There’s definitely something magical going on at Alabama. The Crimson Tide have found a way to reach this point after a rough September and are a win away from the playoff. To beat Georgia, they’ll have to play an error-free game on offense and get an elite performance from Jalen Milroe, which is definitely possible. The Bulldogs are just the safer bet to seal the deal and win a close one to land as the top overall seed in the semifinals. Georgia 34, Alabama 27

SCENARIOS:The path for eight teams reaching the College Football Playoff

COACHING CAROUSEL: The jobs open and those that have been filled

Erick Smith

Alabama could be an agent of chaos this weekend with an upset of No. 1 Georgia. And while that might seem unlikely given the Crimson Tide struggled against Auburn, that performance Saturday could have some residual value by making the Bulldogs a bit overconfident. Is it a huge factor? No. But it is a small advantage in a game that likely will be close throughout. This game boils down the quarterbacks. Jalen Milroe has gotten a lot of attention for his up-and-down play this year for Alabama. Carson Beck is quietly having an outstanding first year as a Georgia starter. His play in the passing game should take advantage of an Alabama secondary and be enough to keep the Bulldogs marching toward a third consecutive national title. Georgia 34, Alabama 24.

Eddie Timanus

It’s difficult to put much faith in Alabama after needing a miraculous play to escape a six-win Auburn squad that had just gotten its doors blown off by New Mexico State. The Tide will almost certainly play better given all that is on the line, but Georgia will as well. The version of the Bulldogs that dominated Mississippi and Tennessee will show up here, and it will be off to the playoff. Georgia 37, Alabama 23.

Dan Wolken

This is a vibes-based pick. Alabama's turnaround this season has been impressive, but it still feels like Georgia is just a little bit better across the board. Jalen Milroe is a much better player than he was a couple months ago, but I believe Georgia just presents a few more things offensively that Alabama is going to have to worry about. Once Kirby Smart broke the seal on beating Alabama a couple years ago in the national championship game, the Bulldogs haven't looked back. Georgia 27, Alabama 20.

Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.