Georgia vs Alabama Prediction, Game Preview, and Betting Lines
By Pete Fiutak,
24 days ago
This might be the first of three between these two.
It’s the first really, really, really big game for Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer at his new gig.
Beat Georgia, and the Bama expectations to win the national title become real as the post-Saban era goes into hyperdrive.
For Georgia, this has to be another day at the office.
When it rises up and brings its A game, forget it. This program under Kirby Smart occasionally has a way of making great teams look like they should never play college football again.
Remember when Clemson did absolutely nothing in the 34-3 loss to the Dawgs to start the season? Yeah, that Tiger team might end up running the regular season table.
But a strangely lifeless performance against Kentucky a few weeks ago made this look like a beatable team. This game has to prove otherwise.
Not to minimize the massive nature of this, but again, this might be Round 1. These two could end up playing for the SEC Championship, and both will almost certainly be in the College Football Playoff.
But for now, it’s the game of the first quarter of this season.
The loser still has some concerns - Georgia goes to Texas and Ole Miss, Alabama plays at LSU and Oklahoma, and they both get Tennessee - but the winner should be the No. 1 team in the country in both polls.
Sep 14, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Malachi Moore (13) celebrates following a Wisconsin Badgers fumble during the second quarter at Camp Randall Stadium.
That was the issue against Kentucky. The Wildcats were able to grind just well enough to control the tempo of the game and keep it close throughout.
Clemson couldn’t do a thing on the ground, and for the most part, neither could UK - the Cats just committed to the bit and kept handing it off.
Alabama will keep running it if it can, and the Dawgs can’t wear down. So far, Bama will run, run, run, lightning - that’s how all offenses would love to operate, and Bama can do it. Lull you in, and then come the quick strikes.
Keep the rotation on the defensive front fresh, don’t let Jalen Milroe get creative, and most importantly, go back to work when 4 connects on the big downfield pass.
Don’t let one huge play turn into two more. As USF and Wisconsin found out, this O can hit in a hurry.
Offensively … zero. That’s how many turnovers Georgia has given up in three games.
Don’t screw up, assume Bama will give it away at least once, maybe twice, and then …
Why Alabama Will Win
RELAX. Settle in. Don’t try to win this in the first five minutes.
The crowd will be insane. The Bama fans are dying for assurances that the happiness will continue with this new regime. They’re going to do everything to will that into existence.
But patience is the key here.
Again, Alabama has to commit to hammering away with the ground attack early on. No, there will be no loosening up of the Georgia defense, but that’s okay.
The Tide only averaged 2.8 yards per carry and ran for 114 yards in the SEC Championship last season against the Dawgs - but they ran 41 times.
Keep running, rely on the defense that stopped the WKU passing game cold and didn’t do a ton of breaking despite the bending against the USF ground attack, and the deep shots will be there.
Georgia vs Alabama: Who Will Win
Georgia 24, South Carolina 14. That was a fight in Week 3 last season, and the Bulldogs turned out to be pretty good.
The 2022 team had a hard time putting away Kent State in Week 4. It also needed everything in the bag to get by Missouri. That team went on to beat TCU 198-2 for the national title. (Oh, like 65-7 was much better.)
So the Bulldogs struggled in a 13-12 win over Kentucky. Every once in a while this team just survives and advances. We know what’s coming after that.
Welcome to methodical.
It won’t be anything scintillating, but Georgia will be efficient offensively, Carson Beck will keep things moving, and the defense will hold up despite getting hit with a few body blows.
Bama won’t get this one, but it’ll come away knowing it can beat this bunch in early December.
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