Georgia rematch on tap in SEC title game. Will it be Alabama or Ole Miss?

ATHENS — Georgia will be playing in the SEC championship game in a rematch, but the Bulldogs don’t yet know which team they’ll be facing again this season — Alabama or Ole Miss?

If No. 10-ranked Alabama (9-2, 6-1) wins at Auburn (5-6, 1-6) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Georgia will have a chance to avenge its only defeat of the season — a 24-21 home loss to the Crimson Tide on Sept. 27 — at 4 p.m. next Saturday in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

But if the Tigers (5½-point underdogs) can pull the upset over Alabama, it would put the No. 7-ranked Rebels (11-1, 7-1) in the SEC title game opposite of Georgia.

The Bulldogs came from two scores down in the fourth quarter to hand Ole Miss its only loss of the season, 43-35, on Oct. 18.

The Crimson Tide, meanwhile, has two losses this season, losing at Florida State in its opening game, 31-17, and at home against No. 8 Oklahoma two weeks ago, 23-21.

Texas’ 27-17 win over No. 3-ranked Texas A&M (11-1, 7-1 SEC) on Friday night set the wheels in motion for the No. 4-ranked Bulldogs (11-1, 7-1) to be making their eighth appearance in the SEC title game in the past nine years.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart, who along with Steve Spurrier is now the only coach to make five straight SEC titles games in a row (Florida’s run from 1992-1996), likely won’t put much energy into rooting for an opponent.

There are reasons for Georgia to have preference — or deference — for both potential opponents, Alabama and Ole Miss.

The Crimson Tide would be entering the game on the heels of two consecutive wins since its disappointing loss to the Sooners two weeks ago.

Alabama rolled FCS Eastern Illinois last week, 56-0, getting back on track after former Heisman Trophy front-runner Ty Simpson had two turnovers in the disappointing home loss to the Sooners.

Simpson had his break-out game in Athens earlier this season, completing 24-of-38 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 12 yards and a touchdown on four carries.

“I told them before the game, ’It’s Alabama against the world, when we walk out there, we’re gladiators, and this is the coliseum,’” Simpson said after the game in his on-field interview after the game.

“We played complementary football, when we couldn’t get it going on offense in the second half, our defense did a helluva job.”

The Crimson Tide scored on first two possessions of that game in Athens, converting on eight consecutive third downs en route to a 24-14 halftime lead.

The Bulldogs appeared on the verge of a comeback in the fourth quarter, but on fourth-and-1 at the Alabama 8, down 24-21, the Tide took advantage of two freshmen offensive linemen who missed a block and dropped Cash Jones for a 3-yard loss with 13:20 left.

Georgia had just one more possession in the game, but quarterback Gunner Stockton was unable to generate a scoring drive, and the Bulldogs were forced to punt with 3:20 left.

Alabama picked up two first downs on its subsequent drive, converting on two more third-down plays (13 of 19 in the game), and was able to run out the clock.

The loss dropped Smart to 1-7 against Alabama, a statistic that will come up often should the Tide beat its rival, Auburn, in the Saturday night game in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Tide coach Kalen DeBoer has his own pressures, as a loss in the SEC title game would put Alabama in a challenging first-round College Football Playoff game at an on-campus site Dec. 19-20.

Ole Miss represents an entirely different, but just as unpredictable, opponent.

The Rebels beat Mississippi State 38-19 on Saturday, but coach Lane Kiffin has yet to reveal where he will coach next season.

There is speculation Kiffin could coach at LSU, Florida or return to coach at Ole Miss. The Rebels’ players responded well to the situation with their win in Starkville, but who knows how they might be affected by another week of speculation?

Georgia has split its past two meetings with Ole Miss, losing 28-10 in Oxford last season before this season’s victory.

The Rebels scored on their first five drives against the Bulldogs and were leading 35-26 as the game entered the fourth quarter.

Georgia dominated the fourth quarter, however, holding Ole Miss to just 13 yards and one first down over their final three offensive series as Trinidad Chambliss was just 1-of-10 passing over the final 15 minutes of play.

Kiffin lamented the Rebels’ inability to stop Stockton in the second half, as he was 12-of-12 passing for 135 yards and three touchdowns over the final two quarters.

Kiffin equated the loss to a “slow death,” as George’s offense steamrolled Ole Miss to the tune of 34 first downs in the game.