No. 5 Alabama and No.
12 Georgia meet Saturday night in Tuscaloosa with both teams sitting at 5-0 and staring at the kind of game that can reshape the College Football Playoff picture in a hurry. The loser will still have plenty left, but the winner will leave with a serious edge and a path that looks a lot cleaner from here.
For Alabama, this is about proving the early surge is real. Georgia arriving in this spot feels routine; Alabama crashing the party does not.
Kalen DeBoer’s team opened the season at No. 13 and spent the offseason outside the loudest title conversations. Now the Crimson Tide have worked themselves right into them.
That climb has come with substance. Alabama has already picked up road wins at Kentucky and Mississippi State, and it has added home victories over Florida State and South Carolina.
Every one of those wins has come by at least two touchdowns. That kind of start has changed the mood around this team fast.
If Alabama wants the night to mean more than just another big win, it has to handle the same thing that has haunted so many teams against Georgia: the line of scrimmage. A victory would not only quiet any lingering questions from last year’s SEC Championship Game, it would also reinforce the offseason overhaul up front on both sides of the ball.
The betting market sees a coin flip. According to FanDuel, Alabama is a 1.5-point favorite, the over/under is 51.5, and the moneyline sits at Alabama -126 and Georgia +105 as of 5am ET on Saturday.
On the field, the pressure falls on Keelon Russell to keep playing like the star quarterback Alabama has seen over the last few weeks. Georgia will try to muddy things up for him, and likely succeed at times, but Alabama is going to need Russell to answer with explosive plays anyway.
The run game has improved through five weeks, but this is not the kind of front that usually makes life easy on the ground. Georgia will make Alabama earn everything.
That also puts even more weight on the turnovers. Alabama’s defense forced four last week in the win at Mississippi State, and in a matchup this tight, that kind of disruption could be the difference.
It’s the biggest test of the season for both teams, and while Georgia under Kirby Smart will be ready, Alabama looks battle-tested enough to believe it can survive it.
Pick: Alabama
In Other News...
Alabama Could Get A Needed Offensive Boost For Georgia
Alabamas offense may be getting a timely lift just in time for the Georgia game, with tight end Josh Ford expected to be available after missing time with a broken arm and subsequent surgery. Ford practiced during the week, and coach Kalen DeBoer sounded encouraged about where things stood as the Tide worked through their final preparations for one of the biggest matchups on the schedule.
For an Alabama attack that could use every available option against Georgia, Fords presence would add another layer to the game plan and another body defenses have to account for. The injury picture around the SEC is still shifting, with Georgia expecting running back Nate Frazier back from bruised ribs while Chauney Bowens remains out, and other teams dealing with their own uncertainty as Floridas Vernell Brown III and Tennessee quarterback George MacIntyre head into the week with bigger questions of their own. [Read more 🡒]
Pat McAfee Put Alabama Fans Through A Brutal GameDay Moment
Week 6 of College GameDay delivered one of those scenes Alabama fans will remember for a while, as Sam and Mason took part in Pat McAfees field goal contest on the set. Mason had a real chance to turn the moment into a massive payday, only to miss twice at winning more than $500,000, leaving the crowd with that mix of agony and disbelief that only live TV can produce.
McAfee still turned the segment into something meaningful for the Alabama area, pledging to donate $500,000 to hurricane relief efforts. It was a rough ending for the fans who lined up for the kick, but the Crimson Tide now move on to a far bigger stage, with Georgia coming to town for an upcoming SEC showdown that will command plenty of attention of its own. [Read more 🡒]
Roman Harper Turns Kentucky's Latest Snub Into A Huge Statement Game
Roman Harper was not interested in the idea that Kentucky should be pushed aside after stacking up wins early in the season. The former Alabama safety, now an SEC Nation analyst, made it clear he thought the Wildcats had earned more respect after their recent run under coach Will Stein, especially with a 4-1 record that suggests a team trending in the right direction.
LSU is the next chance to make that case in a big way. Kentucky gets No. 10 LSU in a primetime matchup, and Harper pointed to it as the kind of stage that can settle the debate over where the Wildcats belong. For a team that just took a hit in the AP Top 25, the timing could not be better. [Read more 🡒]