It may be one of those games decided late by a long field goal with the clock reading triple zero. Who you got?
These teams are offensive juggernauts. The Bulldogs average 51.4 points per game, compared to the Tide’s 49.6. Georgia leads in total points scored, 257 to 248, and holds the advantage with 34 touchdowns to Alabama’s 28 (stats courtesy ESPN).
Could home-field advantage be the deciding factor? As of Monday afternoon, #6 Alabama is favored by 1.5 points, while #2 Georgia is the visiting underdog.
Gunner! (photo courtesy Dawg Nation)
However, Dawg Nation travels well. To win, Alabama must keep Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton (1,049 pass yds., 13 TDs, one INT), must also contain running backs Nate Frazier (211 rush yds., five TDs, 8.1 avg.) and Chauncey Bowens (124 rush yds., 6 TDs, 132 receiving yards), and wide receiver Craig Dandridge (177 rec. yds., one TD, 19.7 avg.) off the field.
On the other side of the field, the Tide has playmakers to control the clock. Through five games, three Alabama running backs have rushed for over 200 yards. Leading rusher Daniel Hill has 247 yards and four TDs on 4.8 yards per carry. Trae’shawn Brown has 211 yards and five TDs on 5.0 yards per carry, while E.J. Crowell rounds out the trio with 204 yards, three TDs, and 7.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, QB Keelon Russell (1,414 pass yds., 11 TDs, two INTs) is just twelve yards short of joining them, with 184 rushing yards, four TDs, and a 5.0-yard average per carry.
Keelon! (photo courtesy FOX News)
Alabama’s rushing attack, Russell’s passing, home-field advantage, and last weekend’s big win over Mississippi State help explain why the Crimson Tide are now favored.
Alabama’s ground game is complemented by two wide receivers with over 300 receiving yards on 20 receptions: sophomore Ryan Coleman-Williams (376 yards, four TDs, 18.8 avg.) and sophomore Lotzeir Brooks (352 yards, one TD, 16.8 avg.). Tight end Marshall Pritchett (6’5″, 245 lbs) adds 21.0 yards per catch on seven receptions, though he has yet to score a touchdown.
If the game does come down to a last-minute kick, both teams have exceptional placekickers: Georgia’s Peyton Woodring (4/4 FGs, 45 pts, 2026 long: 49 yards, career long: 55 yards) and ‘Bama’s Connor Talty (8/8 FGs, 53 pts, 2026 long: 45 yards, career long: 48 yards).
It’s on prime-time Saturday night: Alabama vs. Georgia, from Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on ABC-TV.
