Georgia, Alabama coping with high expectations at top of SEC

By CHARLES ODUM
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA (AP) — Life at the top of the Southeastern Conference can be difficult, especially when anything short of a national championship in football is considered unsatisfactory. Alabama’s 2021 season has been described as a disappointment even though the Crimson Tide won the SEC title and played in the national championship game. Georgia won its first national championship since 1980 by beating the Tide. Georgia now faces criticisms that its time at the top will be only a one-year stay. Coach Kirby Smart says there is no cause for complacency in Athens because so many key players from the 2021 team are now on NFL rosters.