TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Alabama’s showdown with Georgia already had the feel of a full-scale event. Add in a possible tropical storm, a presidential visit and the usual flood of attention that comes with a top-10 matchup, and Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium is shaping up to be anything but routine.
President Donald Trump is expected to attend, while Nick Saban and ESPN’s College GameDay crew will be on the quad for the pregame show. For Alabama-Georgia, that kind of spotlight isn’t exactly new. The weather, though, brings a different wrinkle, with tropical storm Isaias expected to move near the stadium over the weekend and bring heavy rain and wind into the mix.
The Crimson Tide say they’re already adjusting.
“I know the centers have,” Lloyd said on Tuesday when asked if the team is practicing with a wet ball. “I've seen them getting the balls wet.
We're going to be ready for storms. If it rains, whatever.
We're going to be ready for anything that might come our way.
“It doesn't really affect me too much. Rain or shine, I'm doing the same thing no matter what. Plus we get to run the ball more, so that's always nice.”
Cornerback Zabien Brown, who picked off the game-sealing interception the last time Georgia played in Tuscaloosa, echoed that no-nonsense approach. He said the outside noise isn’t changing Alabama’s mindset.
“We're not worried about external factors,” Brown said. “Everything in our building stays in our building. We have our routine, our system, and that's what we're rolling on.
“I don't think we're motivated at all by [College GameDay coming to Tuscaloosa]. I feel like all of our motivation comes from internal factors.
It's us vs. everybody. That's our mentality.”
The matchup itself has all the ingredients of a heavyweight fight. Alabama and Georgia rank first and second nationally in points per game through five weeks, but Georgia’s defense has been just as imposing, allowing the 12th-fewest points per game. The Bulldogs also sit in the top 25 percent nationally in sacks, tackles for loss and third-down conversions, among other defensive categories.
Lloyd said Alabama knows exactly what kind of test is coming from Georgia’s front.
“Obviously, they're going to be super good,” Lloyd said of Georgia's defensive line. “It's going to be a super good test for us.
We're excited for it. Excited to go out there and compete.
They can do it all - they're big, strong, physical - but we're excited to go out there and play... They're all legit.”
The history between the programs is heavy, too. Alabama leads the all-time series 45-27-4, with the first meeting coming on Nov. 2, 1895, and the most recent listed as Dec.
6, 2025. At Bryant-Denny Stadium, the Crimson Tide own a 24-13-4 home record against Georgia and have taken eight of the past 10 meetings overall.
Still, Alabama’s most recent memory against the Bulldogs wasn’t a good one. Georgia beat the Crimson Tide 28-7 in the 2025-26 SEC Championship Game, a game in which Alabama finished with minus-3 rushing yards and was missing multiple key players.
No. 6 Alabama enters Saturday at 5-0 overall and 3-0 in SEC play, while No.
2 Georgia is also 5-0 and 3-0 in the conference. Kickoff is set for Saturday, Oct. 10, at 6:30 p.m. on ABC.
In Other News...
Alabama Georgia Showdown Just Got Another Twist Fans Will Notice
ESPNs College GameDay is headed to Alabama for the upcoming Georgia-Alabama matchup, adding another layer to a game that already had the feel of a major early-season measuring stick. The setting only raises the stakes for a meeting that will have plenty of national attention, and now a familiar name from Alabamas recent past is joining the pregame spotlight.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, the former Crimson Tide Heisman winner, said he will serve as the celebrity picker on the show, giving Alabama fans one more reason to tune in before kickoff. The game also carries a weather watch, with Hurricane Isaias potentially threatening the schedule or creating difficult conditions, while Georgia will be without Chauncy Bowen and Alabama will lean on Daniel Hill, who leads the team in rushing yards. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama-Georgia Could Swing On One Quarterback Clash
Georgia arrives with the edge of experience at quarterback, and that alone gives Saturdays matchup a familiar feel for a game that tends to turn on poise as much as playmaking. Gunner Stockton has already been through the pressure of the SEC Championship stage and came away with the MVP hardware, giving the Bulldogs a steady hand in big moments and a baseline of confidence Alabama will have to account for.
On the other sideline, Keelon Russell brings a different kind of threat, the sort of flashy talent that can change the scoring rhythm of a game in a hurry. For Alabama, the question is not simply whether Russell can make plays, but whether his style can tilt the matchup enough to offset Stocktons experience and help decide which team controls the evening. [Read more 🡒]
Herbstreit Sees A Different Alabama Team Ahead Of Georgia Showdown
Kalen DeBoers first Alabama team has already given observers enough reason to believe the program is starting to look different from the one Nick Saban left behind. Kirk Herbstreit recently pointed to a group that appears healthier, more balanced and more comfortable in its own skin, noting how the Tide have opened the 2026 season 5-0 while building toward a marquee matchup with Georgia.
Herbstreit also framed the early progress as more than just a hot start, crediting DeBoer for sticking with his own coaching identity even with the pressure that comes with the job. The bigger question now is whether Alabamas improved health and steadier play in the trenches can hold up when the competition level jumps again, because Georgia will offer a far stiffer test than anything the Tide have faced so far. [Read more 🡒]