No. 5 Georgia will host No. 17 Alabama in a major SEC matchup this Saturday at Sanford Stadium. This game between the Bulldogs (3-0) and the Crimson Tide (2-1) is significant for a number of reasons.
However, the most important thing is seeing if Georgia and head coach Kirby Smart can get over the hump with a win.
Smart and the Bulldogs have an Alabama problem. They’ve beaten the Crimson Tide only once in the Smart era — albeit for a national title — but the two teams have met seven times since 2016 when Smart came on board as head coach.
Going back even further, Alabama has a 9-2 record against Georgia over the past eight years. The last time the Bulldogs defeated the Crimson Tide in the regular season was in 2007, when Mark Richt was head coach at Georgia before Smart was hired.
Georgia and Alabama have had some good battles in Smart’s tenure. The 2018 national championship and 2018 and 2023 SEC title games typically come to mind, but also last year’s matchup — despite the Crimson Tide jumping out to a 28-0 lead.
Georgia enters this year’s game as a 4.5-point favorite with a projected 52.5-point total. The Bulldogs recently showed they’re legitimate contenders this season by going on the road and defeating a ranked Tennessee squad 44-41 in an overtime thriller.
Meanwhile, Alabama is coming off two straight wins following a disastrous loss to Florida State in the season opener.
The national media was ready to put the nail in the coffin of the Crimson Tide’s dynasty after week one. The team just didn’t look like what we’re used to seeing, and head coach Kalen DeBoer was put on the hot seat.
There’s certainly some validity to those claims. DeBoer started his career in Tuscaloosa with a 4-0 record last year, including a 41-34 win over Georgia. But the Crimson Tide went 5-4 to end the season, capped off by losing to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Also, DeBoer is 6-4 against unranked opponents at Alabama entering this matchup.
To win this game, Georgia needs to contain the Crimson Tide’s high-powered offense, especially at wide receiver. Ryan Williams, Germie Bernard, and Isaiah Horton, plus quarterback Ty Simpson, are all really talented. Tennessee exploited the Bulldogs’ secondary and gave up some explosive plays, so the key is to stop them early.
Georgia’s offense needs quarterback Gunner Stockton to continue leading the way by using his many weapons on the outside. The Bulldogs also must run the ball against one of the top defensive lines in the country.
Georgia has a better head coach in Smart and, based on many metrics, a better roster with more blue-chip players. Still, it’s tough to pick the Bulldogs in this game until they actually break through and beat Alabama.