Georgia vs. Alabama: 4 storylines to track ahead of marquee game
The college football game of the year is Saturday night. Yes, it’s time for Georgia–Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
Though the 12-team College Football Playoff takes a little air out of the stakes — the loser of this game will still be firmly in the postseason discussion — there is no question we’re about to watch two titans of this sport battle for SEC supremacy. This is college football at its best.
Let’s think through some of the angles of this game.
1. It’s a big day for Kalen DeBoer
Alabama went into the open week coming off a blowout win at Wisconsin. The Crimson Tide are 3-0 and a trendy pick to advance once it makes the College Football Playoff.
Alabama is deep. It’s talented. And, well, it’s very good.
If you zoom out, it feels like Nick Saban is still the coach because Alabama is still Alabama. But will Alabama still be Alabama on Sunday morning?
Georgia is coming to town for one of the most highly-anticipated games of the regular season. The Bulldogs are still the kings of the sport and Kirby Smart has replaced Saban as the unquestionable best head coach in college football.
Kalen DeBoer took Washington to the national title game and did it with a roster that was really talented. But DeBoer, one of the best offensive minds in the country, has never had this much talent to work with.
It’s not even so much about winning and losing. In the 12-team College Football Playoff era, the team that loses this game will still like make the field in December.
But what will DeBoer look like coaching against Georgia? Will he have the right game plan? Will he scheme up Georgia? Will Alabama fly to the football and play intensly on defense? Generally, will Alabama look the part?
Will DeBoer pass his first major test after taking over for the GOAT? Remember, Saban set a pretty high bar.
2. Is Georgia the best team in college football?
Most of the preseason polls and projections had Georgia No. 1 heading into the season. If you had to give out a prediction for who wins the national title before the year, the Bulldogs were the cop-out answer.
But if you peel back the curtain, is Georgia unquestionably the best?
Though there is no question the Bulldogs have as much or more talent than anyone in the country, there is one aspect of this team that should make you question whether it is just going to waltz to another national title this year.
Does Georgia have enough offensive skill talent?
If you asked a random, casual fan who the Bulldogs best offensive weapon is, do you think they’d be able to answer that question? And even if they couldn’t, will it ultimately matter?
It almost mattered against Kentucky. In the 13-12 win over the Wildcats in Lexington, Georgia had 262 total yards and scored only one touchdown.
There is no question Georgia has dudes. Trevor Etienne is a really good running back. Receiver Dominic Lovett has the potential to break out as a star this season. Oscar Delp is a playmaker.
But against Alabama, does Georgia have enough firepower to win if the Crimson Tide score 30 points?
3. Are Alabama’s offensive issues fixed?
Maybe there is just something about USF, but the Crimson Tide struggled a lot offensively in that game. The final score was 42-16, but Alabama was winning 21-16 with less than seven minutes remaining in the game.
What happened?
It all goes back to the offensive line. A late-game realignment of the offensive front helped the offense pour on three touchdowns on the Bulls late. Getting Elijah Pritchett back into the game at right tackle allowed Alabama to finally find some rhythm on offense.
Is it all fixed now?
It looked like it against Wisconsin. The Crimson Tide racked up 407 offensive yards against the Badgers and all six of its scoring drives took three and a half minutes or less. In the final minute before halftime, Alabama moved the ball 73 yards in 17 seconds for a touchdown that knocked Wisconsin out of the game.
But Georgia’s defense is a different animal. The story of this game is whether the Bulldogs can get Alabama feeling off balance offensively again.
Which brings us to …
4. Who is Jalen Milroe, really?
Look at Jalen Milroe‘s season stats so far: 590 yards, 11.3 yards per attempt, eight touchdown passes and no interceptions. He also has rushed for 156 yards and six more touchdowns.
It seems like forever ago, but Milroe got off to a really slow start last season. He even got benched for the USF game a year ago, which the Crimson Tide almost lost. But when Alabama threw him back in and started calling an offense around him, he got better and better as the year went on.
But what is DeBoer known for? He can design the heck out of an offense and make a quarterback look really, really good.
Milroe has found his way into the Heisman Trophy discourse through the first month of the season. Still, it’s fair to question whether an excellent defense — like the one Georgia possesses — can make him uncomfortable. He has much more experience than the quarterback he was last year, and that quarterback led Alabama to a win over these Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC title game.
When you take a look around the country in search for the face of the sport this year, that may be a hard thing to find. There is no Caleb Williams this year. But with weapons like receivers Ryan Williams and Germie Bernard and running back Jam Miller, Milroe has a chance to take the country by storm Saturday night.
Is that who he is this year?