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Reggie Ragland, Mark Ingram give thoughts on National Championship Game
By Cody McClure
Published:
A pair of former Alabama players recently was asked about the upcoming College Football Playoff National Championship showdown with Georgia in Atlanta.
The SEC Network posted soundbites on Friday with comments from recent linebacker standout Reggie Ragland and Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram. The duo gave their take on the upcoming showdown between Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide and Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs.
“Man, it’s hard to beat the teacher,” Ragland said. “Coach Smart is the student and Coach Saban is the teacher. Coach Smart has done a great job with Georgia. Just for them to win the game that they won, the fashion they won it (vs. Oklahoma), I’m happy for Coach Smart.
“But I’ve got to go with my alma mater — ‘Roll Tide’ until the day I die.”
Ingram noted that he’s been impressed with what Smart has accomplished at UGA, but he’s still leaning toward Alabama, unsurprisingly.
“They’re really good, man … really good,” Ingram said. “Their defense is flying around, playing good. Our offense, we’ve got to be explosive and make plays. As long as we play our football, we’ll be alright.
“SEC on SEC, man. We’re gonna have to be ready to go. Kirby knows us well, but we’ll be ready to go. We fell short last year, so I think we’ll take advantage of the opportunity.”
Alabama and Georgia kick off at 8 p.m. ET Monday. The game will be televised on ESPN.
Cody McClure is an SEC Football Writer for Saturday Down South. He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he also co-hosts a midday sports radio show for FOX Sports. Cody previously worked for Athlon Sports.
