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SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: GEORGIA v ALABAMANovember 26, 2012Christian RobinsonATLANTA, GEORGIA THE MODERATOR: Welcome to SEC Championship week. This will be our final teleconference of the week. This will be with three student‑athletes from each participating school. Christian could you just give us some brief thoughts on Georgia as it enters the SEC Championship game on Saturday? CHRISTIAN ROBINSON: We're a different team than last year heading into the SEC Championship game.  We were really excited, and I think we were just simply excited to be there and didn't realize what we could have done. We came out, had a great first half, and didn't finish like we wanted to. That's been dwelling on our minds since then. Obviously, we lost a bowl game as well. This whole season we've won a lot of games, but we haven't celebrated like we want to yet, because we're not satisfied with where we're at. Once we accomplish all those goals, that's when we'll start celebrating. So we're hungry and humbled group that's ready to get to the game. Q. Is there going to be any trouble, the offense that you faced the last two weeks, the triple spread option to adjust back to what Alabama does? Of course you all have the pro set as something that you see in practice every day, but talk about that for a few seconds? CHRISTIAN ROBINSON: I think our coaching staff has done a great job every week just getting us prepared for what we face. And we did happen to play two option teams back‑to‑back, but we also went against our offense every day in practice for at least four periods of just getting back to normal football for us. It was intense. We did well. I know that we'll just take what we've done up to this point and continue to be disciplined and work hard. Our practices haven't slowed up. We've intensified in the past two weeks. I think we're in better shape than we were prior. That would just help us getting ready for this game. We've played two physical teams, cut‑blocking teams, and we have our hands full this week, obviously, with a big offensive line and some great skill position players. Q. Could you just talk about Alabama? I mean, what you see on film, how similar are they to Georgia? They've got an efficient quarterback, good tailbacks, receivers that have battled injuries. When you see them on film, do they kind of remind you of the offense you face in practice? CHRISTIAN ROBINSON: They are very similar. They have great‑‑ like I was saying, they have great skill position. Great quarterback, he makes it all happen, running backs, and multiple running backs that pound the ball and wear you down like we have as well. The offensive line, the first thing I noticed is the size they have, and Jones makes it all run in the middle. He's the leader there. In the film we've been watching recently just getting prepared, a lot of times people run right down the linemen and they really hold the fort. They are very similar. They have a lot of size up front, and when we're looking at them, I see a lot of comparisons to our offense and that gives us hope to be able to prepare like we should for Saturday. Q. What do you think this means for Todd Grantham. Here's a guy who said he learned a lot from Saban, and Saban gave him his first big break in this business. What do you think this means for Coach Grantham going up against Coach Saban? CHRISTIAN ROBINSON: I think it's big. You always at any level you're just trying to get out and do your own thing. But you also remember who taught you and where you came from. I think that this one is big for us and especially for him. Coach Grantham is a very competitive guy. He takes everything really personally. And everything we do in the meeting room, in the practice field, whether it's a rep against an offensive lineman or one of his outside linebackers is practicing. Even at this big of a level, coach to coach, I think it's a huge match‑up for him, and it will be a test of how far we've come. Q. Just wondering, you were probably better suited to have an opinion on this than anybody. Certainly you're going to be biased with Todd Gurley, but watching film and what you know about Alabama, and T.J. Yeldon, I'm trying to compare these two freshmen backs. You know Todd intimately, but are there similarities, differences? Which one is better, do you think? CHRISTIAN ROBINSON: They are very similar. They both run really hard. When I look at Todd I just see lower body. You know, people try to hit him high a lot of times, and he just keeps turning his legs and gets those extra yards and makes a lot of people miss. What I've seen of Yeldon, he has the speed to get around the edge. He turns up a lot on people that don't think he's as fast as he really is. You've got to hold the edge of the defense or else he's gone. I think Todd has speed as well. He's obviously looking a little bit faster. But I would say Todd's a little bit bigger and more of a bruiser. Q. What can you say about their run game in general? CHRISTIAN ROBINSON: It's designed to put the ball in their hands and their line really fires off well. You don't see a lot of missed assignments. You see hat on a hat. If you get a hat on a hat, that means the running back finds the hole and is able to get to that second level a lot faster than some other teams we've maybe played in the past. Both of those backs are able to hit it up and spin, and turn for those extra yards that a lot of other backs that we've faced to this point haven't been able to do. So you've got to gang tackle. Again, another week of disciplined football similar to Georgia Tech. You've got to hold your gap and set the edge of a defense so those two guys can get out in space. Q. Aaron's not talking to us this week. He's been kind of a spokesperson since he's been there. I know you're his buddy and teammate. What do you think of his tact of saying I don't want to talk to the media this week. CHRISTIAN ROBINSON: I don't think it has anything to do with the media. Just him, personally, I don't think he's trying to send a message. I just think he's dedicated to this week, and being prepared. He wasn't at the house yesterday. He was here studying film all day. He's just a great competitor, one of my great friends, and I know this one means so much to him. He works his tail off every day, and people really don't see that sometimes. He just wants to be completely ready and not have big distractions. Sometimes talking to me takes a little time away, but at the same time, he's just trying to get prepared. And I don't think it's bigger than that. This is the biggest game of our career. Q. When you look at Alabama's offense, I know they've had some struggles against Texas A&M and LSU, but do you think this is going to be the toughest test of the defense considering the running game and the fact that they can throw the ball here and there? CHRISTIAN ROBINSON: I think so. They have great athletes and great coaching. When those two things are as well done as Alabama does, you're going to have some problems. Even just preparing like we always do, and we have an opportunity. We're just going to do everything we can this week to get prepared for it. They're the best team we'll face up to this point. Q. When you looked at film on Sunday what really stuck out to you about that offense? CHRISTIAN ROBINSON: Mainly the offensive line and their skill players. McCarron doesn't make a lot of mistakes, and when you have that offensive line, he gets a lot of time back there to throw. And the running game, they're able to get down there quick on you. When you're able to run the ball and do play action and you have the skill guys outside, that's dangerous. Everybody has to do their job, and that's what we've been trying to do ever since the SouthCarolina game. Everybody do your job and play physical, and that's how you win games. Q. Christian, tell me about Jarvis Jones, what makes him special? CHRISTIAN ROBINSON: Jarvis is a special guy. He makes a lot of plays for us. He works his tail off in practice and he really cares. It's hard to just match‑up with him one‑on‑one. When you have a guy like that on your team, you know in the back end if you're covering a guy or on the other side, that if you do your job, if he doesn't get there before you, you have a chance. He comes to practice every day and makes it easier for guys to want to play like he does. Q. What is the most amazing thing you've seen him do? CHRISTIAN ROBINSON: I'd have to say he just back‑to‑back Florida games. I think those are the two games he showed up the most on a national stage for us. He made plays when we needed them. On the fumble at the end of the game, he was running and rushing the passer. He turns around and hustles and doesn't give up on the play when it looks like they're about to run in the score. He just doesn't give up. That's what won the game for us. That one always stands out in my mind. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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