Saturday in Tuscaloosa may not just be about Georgia and Alabama. It may be about surviving the weather.
The forecast is leaning hard toward a soaked, miserable afternoon, and the possibility of things getting even uglier is tied to what that tropical system decides to do. At this point, there are no plans to postpone the game, but that doesn’t mean the idea can be completely dismissed. With the timeline the way it is, nothing feels fully off the table.
That kind of setup immediately brings back memories of the 2015 mess in Athens, when Georgia was embarrassed and fans were left cold, wet and miserable. This one could create a different sort of conversation if the field turns borderline unplayable and the game starts drifting into a debate about how the result should be viewed, especially if either team is hovering near the CFP seed picture. Then again, the people in charge of those decisions have never exactly made life simple.
On the field, Georgia is at least sounding ready for a fight. Elijah Griffin, who checks in at 310 pounds, is not the kind of player expected to shy away from a heavyweight game, and this week he has talked like Saturday could turn into a straight-up bruiser. The weather would only pour more fuel on that.
And if the conditions really do get ugly, Georgia may have one more detail to watch closely: kicking. The Banner-Herald spoke with Peyton Woodring about kicking in bad weather, and that conversation could end up mattering a lot if Saturday turns into the kind of game nobody remembers for clean footing or dry jerseys.
In Other News...
Georgia Alabama Suddenly Faces One Massive SEC Decision
The buildup to Saturdays Alabama-Georgia matchup has quickly been complicated by Tropical Storm Isaias, which has strengthened and is now forecast to become a strong Category 2 hurricane as it approaches the northern Gulf Coast. With the storm bringing the threat of strong winds, heavy rain and even tornado risks to parts of Alabama, the logistics around one of the SECs biggest games of the week have suddenly become part of the conversation.
The storms exact landfall point is still uncertain, but the forecast is serious enough that the conference could be forced to weigh whether the game needs to be postponed or moved. For now, no official announcement has been reported, leaving both programs and their fans waiting on the next update as the weather picture continues to sharpen. [Read more 🡒]
Kirby Smart Faces His Biggest Early Georgia Test Yet
Kirby Smart is heading into one of the early measuring sticks of Georgias season, and this one comes with familiar stakes. The Bulldogs travel to face Alabama in an SEC showdown between unbeaten, ranked teams, with Georgia trying to break a long drought in Tuscaloosa and prove its offense can travel as well as it has played at home. Gunner Stockton has helped give Georgia a high-scoring look, while the matchup also carries the kind of national weight that tends to follow these two programs whenever they meet.
Alabama brings its own challenge with quarterback Keelon Russell leading the way, and both coaching staffs have already acknowledged the respect and difficulty built into the game. For Georgia, it is more than another conference trip, because a win would say plenty about where Smarts team stands this early in the season. For Alabama, it is another chance to protect a home field that has been a hurdle for the Bulldogs for far too long, which is why this one feels like an early-season test with a little extra edge. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama-Georgia Suddenly Faces A Threat Bigger Than The Game
The build-up to Alabama and Georgias top-10 SEC showdown at Bryant-Denny Stadium has taken on an uneasy backdrop, with Tropical Storm Isaias now looming over the weekend forecast. Heavy rain, strong winds and even the possibility of tornadoes have put the weather front and center, even as the game itself remains on the schedule and both fan bases wait to see how the storm develops.
For now, Alabama officials say there are no plans to alter or cancel the matchup, and the university is monitoring conditions while staying in contact with the Southeastern Conference office. It leaves the game in a familiar holding pattern for September football, with the competition itself ready to take a back seat for the moment to something far less predictable. [Read more 🡒]