No. 2 Georgia, No. 4 Alabama Face Off In Classic Showdown

In a highly-anticipated marquee matchup, the Georgia Bulldogs will travel to Tuscaloosa to face the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday.

The last time the two undefeated powerhouses met was in the 2023 SEC Championship Game, which saw Alabama narrowly come out on top in a 27-24 win.

Underdog Crimson Tide

This marks the first time in 17 years that Georgia will face off against an Alabama program not led by Nick Saban. While the Crimson Tide are currently slated as slight underdogs this weekend, new head coach Kalen DeBoer isn’t particularly worried about it.

Alabama’s offense has come out firing on all cylinders, scoring at a rate of 49 points per game. The Crimson Tide also ranks first in the country in regards to third-down defense, allowing opposing teams to convert on third downs only 16% of the time.

This Crimson Tide squad is as confident as ever going into Saturday’s game, invoking the LANK mentality— Let All Naysayers Know.

“Even if there’s one doubter, that that falls along with the LANK mentality.

That’s what we get to do — let any of the naysayers know what we’re capable of…” Kalen DeBoer on @AlabamaFTBL being an underdog at home for the first time since 2007 pic.twitter.com/roV4sUUmX0

— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) September 23, 2024

If there’s one worry for the Crimson Tide, it’s the defense. While Alabama’s defense has put up shining numbers so far, allowing only 8.67 points per game, it’s been against some middling offenses at best. Georgia senior quarterback Carson Beck, one of the top signal callers in the country, will prove to be a challenge against an Alabama secondary that has had it somewhat easy through the first three weeks of the season.

Additionally, key defensive starters Malachi Moore and Qua Russaw both sustained injuries in the game against Wisconsin. They will remain out against Georgia.

Takeaways for the Bulldogs

Just like the Crimson Tide, the Bulldogs have refused to back down this season.

Georgia’s offense is currently averaging 31.7 points per game. Defensively, the Bulldogs rank above the Crimson Tide, allowing only six points per game. Georgia remains the only team in the country to not allow a touchdown yet this year.

https://twitter.com/Rivals/status/1838327794482172270

However, there has been one significant area of concern for the Bulldogs: third-down conversions.

Georgia is converting just 39.4% of the time on third down this season, clocking in at 74th in the country. Meanwhile, Alabama is operating at a cool 52.5%. After a somewhat lackluster performance in Week 3, which saw the Bulldogs score only 13 points against Kentucky, the team’s ability to execute on offense has been put into question.

Furthermore, sophomore wide receiver London Humphreys is unlikely to play on Saturday, which could potentially hinder the Bulldogs’ offensive depth even further.

Georgia is expected to be without WR London Humphreys (mono) vs. Bama. Smart wouldn’t confirm nor deny but he’ll be missed Saturday if that’s the case pic.twitter.com/P6J290vH8U

— Kramer (@KramerNFL) September 25, 2024

Keys to the Game

Both Georgia and Alabama are coming off bye weeks and will be equally rested.

The Crimson Tide have home-field advantage, and DeBoer will be eager to prove he can follow in Saban’s footsteps with a statement win against one of the team’s biggest rivals. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs will come into town looking for revenge.

Ultimately, the game will be decided by third downs. If Alabama can continue its two-way dominance on third down, it could prove to be a tough matchup for UGA. Nevertheless, this is a Georgia team whose defense ranks top three in the country. If there’s anybody who can shut down Alabama’s explosive offense, it’s the Bulldogs.

In classic Georgia-Alabama fashion, everything points to this game being evenly-matched and hard-fought. It’s anybody’s game to win.