No. 4 Alabama hosts No. 2 Georgia in Week 5’s biggest showdown
The GIST: Tomorrow’s Week 5 battle between the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs and the No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide could be the biggest showdown since Kendrick vs. Drake. With kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC, consider your Saturday night booked.
The history: As modern college football’s dynasties, both squads expect to win, no matter the opponent, which creates an extremely spicy rivalry between these SEC powerhouses.
- In the past three seasons, Georgia has only lost two games — both to Alabama in the SEC championship. The Bulldogs defeated the Tide to claim the 2021 natty, but last year, Bama’s dub allowed them to steal Georgia’s College Football Playoff (CFP) spot.
The stakes: Alabama debuted a new look this season thanks to legendary head coach (HC) Nick Saban’s January retirement. Tomorrow will be the first true test for new HC Kalen DeBoer’s Tide, and it’s difficult to imagine a tougher SEC opener — even if Georgia looked distinctly un-Georgia-like in their narrow Week 3 win over Kentucky.
- While last year’s meeting catapulted one team over the other into the then-four-team CFP, this season’s expanded 12-squad bracket means tomorrow’s loser will still have a shot at the natty…but whoever wins will instantly become a favorite for the ’ship.
The stars: Both teams boast second-year starting quarterbacks (QB) who could feasibly win this season’s Heisman Trophy (college football’s MVP award). After the Dawgs’ Carson Beck struggled against Kentucky, the Crimson Tide’s Jalen Milroe leapfrogged Beck in the award’s watch list. But both are bonafide superstars, minting tomorrow’s tilt as a must-watch game.
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