Why beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa is pivotal for Georgia in 2024

There are massive expectations for the Georgia Bulldogs going into the 2024 season with the expanded College Football Playoff and a talented roster. At the same time, the Bulldogs are also facing a difficult regular season schedule.

As Jake Rowe from DawgsHQ explained on Andy Staples On3, the Alabama game on the road in Tuscaloosa

“The reason I circle the Alabama one more than anything,” Jake Rowe said. “To borrow from Eli Drinkwitz, what did he say, ‘We stand on business.’ … I think Georgia would stand on business after beating Texas with Texas being Texas. There’s no history there. I think Georgia will be able to stand on business if they got and beat Ole Miss at Ole Miss and handle them next week even though Texas they have the bye week.”

None of those games are necessarily going to be easy for the Georgia Bulldogs to win. However, as Rowe explained, they don’t come with the same amount of pressure as the Alabama game is going to come with.

“But, man, there’s just something about Alabama being Georgia’s version, a relative version, of a boogeyman. Literally, the only team Georgia has lost to since 2020. Okay? The only team Georgia has lost to since that year,” Rowe said. “I will say, every time they’ve played them outside of Mercedes-Benz in that time they’ve beat them, but I just think there might be an emotional, not just with the players, but there might be a little emotion with the coaches. As hard as they try, we’re all human.”

On top of all of that, Rowe also has some concerns that the Alabama game is going to have a ripple effect and could impact Georgia the next week against Auburn.

“I just look at that Auburn game. I don’t necessarily think Georgia will lose it, but I think Auburn is in a good spot on Georgia’s schedule if you’re trying to get a signature win and bring this team back down to Earth.”

One major difference moving forward is that Nick Saban is gone, which many might think changes the math. However, Rowe doesn’t think it’s a major change because Alabama still is Alabama and everything that comes with.

“I don’t necessarily think that was because of Nick Saban,” Rowe said. “I think it was because of the colors and that script on the helmet and just what Alabama was and what it represented, and I still think that’s what it means to them.”

Regardless of the outcome, the Georgia game against Alabama is going to be emotionally taxing for both teams and will likely help shape the regular season in the SEC.