The No. 1-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide and No. 3-ranked Georgia Bulldogs will continue their 72-year rivalry Monday night under the bright lights of the College Football Playoff National Championship.

It’s a rivalry that has been the bane of Georgia’s existence, with Alabama on the winning side of a 45-25-4 record, including a 41-24 victory at the 2021 SEC Championship Game.

Watch the College Football Playoff National Championship LIVE across on TSN1, TSN3, TSN4 and TSN Direct with coverage starting at 6pm et/3pm PT. You can also watch the Skycast broadcast on TSN2 or watch all parts of the CFP Megacast at once with TSN.ca Multiplex.

Should Georgia beat Alabama on Monday, the 2021 SEC Championship loss will be the largest by an eventual national champion since 1983.

Monday’s matchup will also be a rematch of the 2018 CFP National Championship, which was won by Alabama in overtime by a score of 26-23. Georgia had two 13-point leads in the second half but could not hold on.

Coaching Battle

The coaching battle is a familiar one as Alabama’s Nick Saban will be taking on former disciple Kirby Smart.

Saban historically dominates his former assistant coaches, running up a record of 25-1, including 4-0 against Smart.

Georgia held a lead in each of Smart’s four losses to Alabama. In three out of the four losses, Georgia held a double-digit advantage, including in the 2021 SEC Championship Game.

Saban is looking to win his eighth national title to extend his lead for the most all-time. Saban can also become the second coach to win a national championship after turning 70, joining Bobby Bowden with the 1999 Florida State Seminoles.

Heisman History

Bryce Young became the first Alabama quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy this season. Should he lead his team to victory on Monday, it would be the third straight year a Heisman Trophy winner went on to win the national championship, the longest ever streak.

Young dominated Georgia in the SEC Championship game, throwing three touchdown passes with 421 passing yards, which was the most ever in a SEC championship game.

The 20-year-old quarterback goes into Monday’s game with 4,503 passing yards with 46 touchdowns, both Alabama records. The 46 touchdowns are also second all-time in SEC history, only trailing Joe Burrow’s 60 in 2019.

Underdog Upsets

Despite Georgia’s loss in the SEC Championship Game and Alabama’s historical dominance, Georgia is a three-point favourite to win, according to Caesars Sportsbook (as of Jan. 1).

The last time the No. 1 seed was an underdog was Nov. 9, 2019, when number LSU was a five-point underdog against No. 2 Alabama. LSU ended up defeating Alabama 46-41.

Saban has been the underdog only once in his career while coaching a top-seeded team. His Crimson Tide were a 10-point underdog to No. 2 Florida in the 2008 SEC Championship game and lost 31-20.

Since 2008, Alabama has a 5-1 record as the underdog, with all five victories coming by 11 points or more. Three of the five wins as the underdog were against Georgia (2008, 2015, 2021).