After a bye week last week, Georgia will face one of its many tests of the year against the tradition-rich Alabama Crimson Tide. This is ‘Bama’s first game in conference this year, and Kalen DeBoer has a lot on the line keeping alive the 5-1 record the Crimson Tide have on Georgia since Kirby Smart was hired.
Georgia is still considered the favorite, albeit not by that much. Of course, Smart’s 1-5 record against Alabama says otherwise, but Carson Beck will have to overcome his past performance, losing Alabama in the SEC Championship to knock Georgia out of the playoffs and give Alabama the nod for the last spot.
Of course, with the expanded College Football Playoff, there shouldn’t be an issue of a one-loss team missing the playoffs this time around, especially the SEC, but Georgia will need to win this game to get back to the No. 1 spot they lost in Week 3 after an ugly 13-12 win over Kentucky.
With this game getting so much hype, here’s what the media is saying about this game:
A Shootout
Colin Lynch of College Football Network believes this game will be a shootout that will rely on clutch quarterback plays to decide a winner:
“Expect a high-powered showdown when Georgia and Alabama face off, featuring two of the best quarterbacks in the country. Carson Beck leads Georgia with 680 passing yards, seven touchdowns, and no interceptions, showcasing his precision and poise.
Reputation
Brandon Marcello of CBS Sports gives a team the nod based on the superior reputation, from this season and in the past. It was a last-second pick.
“I was leaning toward Alabama early in the week on Alabama, which gets the benefit of a great home crowd and the underrated off-week preparation of DeBoer, but then I couldn’t stop thinking about what I saw in person when Georgia drilled Clemson in the season opener. That game could have been closer if the Bulldogs hadn’t adjusted their offense near the end of the first half by attacking the edges instead of running into the mouth of Clemson’s beastly defense. Georgia does seem more limited offensively this season, especially at receiver, but the Bulldogs also had another week to erase that putrid performance at Kentucky (worst offensive performance in three years).
Defensive Duel?
Greg Bosworth of Bama Hammer believes that the biggest decider of the game will be the Alabama defense:
“ For me the answer is simple and that is the Alabama defense.The Alabama defense shows up for the whole game like we’ve seen in spurts throughout the first three weeks in the season, Alabama will win the game. On the other side if the defense doesn’t show up and show out on Saturday night then Georgia will walk out of Bryant-Denny Stadium as the winner.”
Don’t Doubt the Old Empire
The writers at ForTheWin have a split decision on each team, but most of them are leaning towards the old empire of the SEC.
Blake Schuster: “The Crimson Tide are a home underdog for the first time in 17 years. You don’t tempt fate in Alabama. You don’t crown a new SEC dynasty until you’re absolutely sure the old one is dead. Jalen Milroe Heisman SZN is here.“
Mitchell Northam: “New Bama beats the old Bama at Bama.“
Christian D’Andrea: “Home underdog Bama? With Jalen Milroe looking like a full-stop stud?”
Michelle Martini: “I have my reservations about this Crimson Tide team, but Jalen Milroe seems to be improving each week. And with both teams coming off a bye, I have a feeling Kalen DeBoer has some moves that may surprise the Bulldogs.”
Tyler Nettuno: “I’m still a bit skeptical about this Alabama team, and it’s hard for me to imagine Kalen DeBoer scores a win over Kirby Smart in his first try, even at home.“
