RB Respect Month Vol. 3, Day Nine: Eddie Lacy and TJ Yeldon vs. Georgia (2012 SEC Title)
A masterclass in running the football.
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Welcome to day nine of Running Back Respect Month! Yesterday, we paid homage to Mike Alstott and the importance of the fullback position to the game of football. Here's where we're at today, and how the rest of the month looks:
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Today: Eddie Lacy and TJ Yeldon vs. Georgia (2012 SEC Title)
RB Respect Month Vol. 3, Day Nine: Eddie Lacy and TJ Yeldon vs. Georgia (2012 SEC Title)
Feel free to disagree with this take if you want, but anyone who was around for it knows what I'm about to say is the truth:
The 2012-13 national championship game didn't take place between Alabama and Notre Dame on January 7, 2013 in Miami. Sure, that's what the record books will always say, but the true title game was played 37 days prior in Atlanta. The SEC Championship Game between Alabama and Georgia was high-level college football at its finest, and for all intents and purposes, was the pinnacle of the 2012 season.
It had everything you could want in a football game. The stakes were massive, with the SEC Championship up for grabs and a trip to the BCS National Title on the line. There were five different lead changes, plus a double-digit comeback. Wild plays were sprinkled throughout, including a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown. Finally, like any truly all-time great game, it wasn't decided until the final play. As the confetti rained on Alabama after their 32-28 win, it was hard to deny the takes from SEC country that we'd just witnessed the true national championship game.
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If it feels like I'm laying it on thick here, it's because the 2012 SEC Championship is one of my favorite college football games ever. It's everything that makes the sport great, and stands the test of time on rewatch 14 years later. Outside of all the stuff I mentioned above, what I love most about it is the physicality of both teams. Alabama and Georgia beat the hell out of each other for 60 minutes, on every single play. The Tide showcased that physicality through their run game, as backs Eddie Lacy and TJ Yeldon combined for 334 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 45 carries:
Lacy (181) and Yeldon (153) became the first teammates to run for 100+ yards in an SEC Championship. It's a testament to both for showing out, but also to the guys blocking for them. Their linemen, tight ends, and fullbacks beat Georgia to a pulp in the trenches. What makes it even more impressive was their added mobility. Look at where the blockers are on some of these outside runs:
