ESPN’s Greg McElroy sees a tight one coming when Georgia heads to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama on Saturday night.
With weather permitting, the matchup will put a top-10 showdown on center stage, along with the usual SEC title and College Football Playoff stakes that come with it. Both teams have started the 2026 season looking dominant, which is why plenty of people are having a hard time picking a winner.
McElroy landed on Alabama, but only by a slim margin. On an episode of his “Always College Football” production, he projected a 31-28 Crimson Tide win.
“I’m taking the Crimson Tide to win, 31-28,” McElroy said during an episode of his ‘ Always College Football’ production. “On paper, Georgia has the much better defense…but right now they haven’t seen anything quite like anything Alabama has offensively. And Keelon Russell is playing the best football of anybody on the entire field.”
McElroy, a former Alabama quarterback, pointed to six issues that could swing the game:
Can Georgia run the ball on a front that hasn’t let anybody?
Can Georgia’s quick game find Alabama’s big-play leak?
Can Russell hold it long enough to hit deep - and survive?
Does Alabama need a running game - or just the rumor of one?
Who settles for 3?
Can Alabama take the ball from a QB who doesn’t give it up?
He wrapped it up by giving Georgia the better defense, but saying Alabama has the edge almost everywhere else.
“I think Georgia brings the better defense into Bryant-Denny on Saturday night, but I think Alabama has the edge just about everywhere else,” McElroy concluded.
In Other News...
Georgias Biggest Alabama Worry Is Getting Harder To Ignore
Georgias focus heading into Alabama has centered on the same thing it always does in this matchup: can the Bulldogs force the Crimson Tide out of rhythm before Alabama starts stacking efficient drives? Georgia brings the more experienced quarterback in Gunner Stockton and a defense that still has enough pass-rush talent to change a game, but Alabama has paired balance on the ground with an opportunistic style that can turn even a clean-looking possession into trouble.
The part that is getting harder to dismiss is the way Alabamas offense has settled in behind Keelon Russell. He has been giving the Tide a steadier week-to-week ceiling, and when that is combined with a defense that thrives on stealing momentum, Georgia is left needing answers in more than one phase. The Bulldogs can live with a long, physical game, but the margin shrinks quickly if they cannot create pressure and make Alabama uncomfortable early. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Backfield Suddenly Has A New Concern Fans Will Watch
Chauncey Bowens has given Georgia a steady presence at tailback this season, so seeing him added to the injury report after the Vanderbilt game immediately put a spotlight on the Bulldogs backfield depth. The right lower leg and ankle injury came in the middle of a contest where Bowens still found a way back onto the field in the second half, logging both carries and receptions and showing the kind of toughness Georgia has come to value in that rotation.
The bigger concern now is less about one game than the ripple effect across the room. With Bowens dealing with the injury and a cluster of other tailbacks already seeing the field, including Nate Frazier, Dwight Phillips Jr., Bo Walker, Nick Peal and Jae Lamar, Georgia has been forced to keep adjusting on the fly. The Bulldogs have options, but how healthy and settled that group can get will be worth watching closely as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]
Georgias New Rotation Already Gives Fans A Reason To Pay Attention
The exhibition season already offered Georgia fans a first look at how the new rotation can take shape, and the early signs were encouraging. In a lopsided 94-61 win over Georgia State, the Bulldogs had a chance to mix transfers and freshmen into the lineup and see how the pieces fit before the games start to count for real.
Around the country, other programs were using the same kind of tune-up to sort out their own depth charts, from Cincinnatis comeback over Ohio State to Xaviers win over Dayton. For Georgia, the bigger takeaway was less about the final score and more about the way the new faces blended with the holdovers, giving the staff an early glimpse at options it can keep leaning on as the season moves closer to opening night. [Read more 🡒]