For Georgia-Alabama SEC title showdown, who has the edge at each position?

Georgia and Alabama continue to tower above the rest of the SEC in what has become a survival of the fittest.

It’s Kirby Smart, the two-time national champion coach with a 116-20 career mark including a 24-10 record against top-10 teams, against Kalen DeBoer, 123-18 as a head coach, 6-1 against top-10 teams.

“Who prepares the best?” Smart said on Thursday. “Who mentally prepares for it best, who handles it best?”

The No. 3-ranked Bulldogs (11-1) and the No. 9-ranked Crimson Tide (10-2) have had plenty to handle leading up to the SEC championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Georgia is missing its best offensive lineman, veteran center Drew Bobo, and it won’t have its best perimeter receiver (Colbie Young) like it did the last time it played Alabama.

The Tide is missing veteran defensive lineman LT Overton, who stuffed UGA’s pivotal fourth-and-1 attempt in the team’s last meeting, and rugged running back Jam Miller is also questionable to play.

“There’s new guys on both of our teams that are making plays that probably weren’t as big a part of the game plan back in Week Four,” DeBoer said Thursday.

“That’s a tribute to coach Smart and what he does with his program developing their players. I know that’s something we take a lot of pride in, as well.”

Said Smart, “Got a tremendous respect for Alabama, Coach DeBoer, the job he’s done, the gauntlet his players went through in terms of the games they had to play, earning their right to play, as well.”

The coaches are covering all the staples of championship play in the lead up, with Smart looking to keep it simple for his players, saying it’s a matter of who blocks and tackles better, while DeBoer looks to inspire yet another special effort, referencing mental toughness and resiliency.

Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson said it best in the build-up to the teams’ first meeting: “We’re the gladiators, and that’s the coliseum.”

Knowing all of that, here’s a quick take on which team has the edge by position group:

Quarterback: Alabama

Simpson and Gunner Stockton both possess enough mobility to be effective running the ball, with Stockton a much bigger part of his team’s run game. Simpson, despite a lower completion percentage, is the more dangerous and accurate passer, as his 25-4 TD-to-interception ratio suggests.

Running back: Georgia

Alabama back Miller faces “long odds” to play, per ESPN, and second-leading rusher Kevin Riley is out, giving UGA the clear advantage, especially with Nate Frazier being on a recent tear and putting his fumbling issues behind him.

Receiver: Georgia

Zachariah Branch has emerged as one of the top receivers in the nation, on par with the Tide’s go-to option Germie Bernard. Ryan Williams, a freshman sensation, has had an inconsistent sophomore season as Isaiah Horton has stepped up. UGA’s Texas A&M transfer, Noah Thomas, has steadily emerged in the absence of Young, and London Humphreys has proved a timely threat. Georgia’s tight end options, led by Oscar Delp and Lawson Luckie, give UGA the edge with Alabama’s top tight end, Josh Cuevas, carrying an uncertain injury status.

Offensive line: Alabama

Georgia’s inexperienced line has overperformed but will be challenged with Bobo missing at the center position, giving a talented and experienced Tide unit a decided advantage. UGA has just two linemen with more than six consecutive starts, Alabama has projected first-rounder Kadyn Proctor (6-7, 366) at left tackle and All-American candidate Parker Brailsford at center.