ESPN College GameDay will have a familiar face making picks in Alabama this weekend.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young said on the Pat McAfee Show that he’ll serve as the guest picker for Saturday’s show ahead of the Georgia-Alabama matchup. The game brings together No.
6 Georgia and No. 2 Alabama, with all eyes on the showdown in Alabama.
Young’s selection fits the setting. He won the Heisman Trophy at Alabama in 2021 as a sophomore, when he was in his first full season as the starter.
That year, he threw for 4,872 yards with 47 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Now in the NFL, Young leads the league in passing through four weeks with 1,268 yards and has established himself as the Panthers’ franchise quarterback.
The game itself is also dealing with uncertainty. Hurricane Isaias is threatening the matchup, and while Georgia is currently preparing to face Alabama in the state, there has been discussion about the game possibly being postponed or moved.
If it goes on as scheduled, weather could shape it into a throwback kind of contest. Wind and rain are expected to be factors, and that should put even more pressure on both offenses. Georgia enters with the stronger run game, led by Nate Frazier, who will be a major focus for Alabama’s defense.
Georgia did get a setback Wednesday night when Chauncy Bowen was ruled out. Bowen has 124 yards and six touchdowns this season.
For Alabama, Daniel Hill leads the way on the ground with 247 yards and four touchdowns.
In Other News...
Lane Kiffin Is Building An LSU Threat Ole Miss Can't Ignore
The first half of Lane Kiffins opening season at LSU has already given Ole Miss plenty to keep an eye on, even with the Rebels handing the Tigers an early loss. Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt pointed to the defense as a reason for optimism, suggesting LSU has enough on that side of the ball to stay in the SEC race as the schedule intensifies.
From an Ole Miss perspective, the uneasy part is what comes next. LSU has not yet reached the toughest stretch of its slate, which means the Tigers still have a chance to show whether that early buzz is real or just September noise, and the next few weeks should go a long way toward answering whether Kiffin has built something the Rebels will have to chase all season. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Faces A Real Offensive Question Before Vanderbilt
Ole Miss heads into its matchup with Vanderbilt this week with the kind of offensive question that tends to loom larger when the calendar flips and the sample size gets smaller. The Rebels have been compared to last seasons group through TeamRankings numbers, and while some of the broad production markers remain familiar, there are enough differences in efficiency and rhythm to make this offense feel less settled than the one fans watched a year ago.
Kewan Lacys limited availability in recent games has been part of that uncertainty, especially on the ground, where the Rebels have had to adjust to a different kind of rotation and output. Add in an unusual kickoff time and a series with some historical weight, and this trip to Vanderbilt becomes less about simply staying on schedule and more about whether Ole Miss can find a dependable offensive answer before the SEC slate tightens again. [Read more 🡒]
Jared Curtis Is Back In The SEC Spotlight Georgia Never Lost Sight Of
Jared Curtis is expected to be back under center for Vanderbilt when it lines up against Ole Miss, according to CBS Sports insider Matt Zenitz, and that instantly gives this matchup a different feel. Curtis had missed the previous game because of an undisclosed injury, but he has been the Commodores starter through the first four games of the season, giving the offense a steadier face and a player with enough dual-threat ability to matter in more ways than one.
Through those first four appearances, Curtis has thrown for 746 yards with four touchdown passes and three interceptions, while also adding 133 rushing yards and two scores on the ground. For Ole Miss, the news matters because a healthier Curtis changes the way Vanderbilt can structure its offense, and it puts one more layer of uncertainty on a conference game that was already going to test the Rebels preparation. [Read more 🡒]