The number two ranked Georgia Bulldogs will run into a hostile environment tomorrow night in Tuscaloosa, Alabama as they will take on the fourth ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. It’s no secret that this is the biggest game of the College Football season so far and it might just be for the rest of the year. Georgia is coming into this one off of a much needed bye week as the Dawgs have been battling the injury bug as of late. The last time we saw the Dawgs on the field, they escaped with a very ugly but close 13-12 win over the Kentucky Wildcats; putting them at 3-0 on the young season. The Crimson Tide are also coming into this one off of a bye week as they took down the Wisconsin Badgers in their previous game by a score of 42-10. The Tide have yet to have had a close game on their schedule so far as Kalen Deboer has seemingly taken over the keys to this program without missing a beat. Tomorrow night’s game is set for a 7:30 kick-off and can be seen on ABC and ESPN+.
Georgia Defense vs. Bama Offense
Georgia’s defense has been nothing short of great this year as the Dawgs’ have yet to allow a touchdown on the season. The Dawgs currently rank 4th in the country in terms of total defense along with ranking 10th in defensive passing efficiency and first in passing yards allowed as the Georgia secondary has continued to be solid. The one minor problem Georgia could have within their defense is their rush defense. Georgia’s defense currently ranks 42nd in that category as the Dawgs average 110.7 yards per game given up on the ground as that is something that will have to be addressed tomorrow night. A lot of those troubles can be chalked up to injuries in that d-line room, especially with the injury of Mykel Williams as we need to see the Dawgs’ Linebacker room be way more downhill and aggressive against the Tide.
Lining up against this Georgia defense will be one of the most dynamic offenses in the country within the Crimson Tide. First year Bama Head Coach, Kalen Deboer has transitioned his spread out over the top offense pretty well within the Alabama program so far, as Junior Quarterback Jalen Milroe has been dynamic in the new system. Alabama currently ranks sixth in scoring offense as they have yet to score less than 42 points on the year. Bama’s scoring offense can be attributed to Deboer putting Milroe in a position to make high percentage throws for big gains especially to true freshman sensation Ryan Williams. Williams has 10 receptions for 285 yards and four touchdowns as Georgia’s secondary will have to play their best game and avoid getting beat over the top as the Tide rank fifth in passing efficiency. Bama’s high powered offense doesn’t stop there unfortunately, as the Tide are pretty effective on the ground as well. Bama averages 238 rushing yards per game as Jam Miller, Justice Haynes, and Jalen Milroe can all be credited with Bama’s success on the ground; as the trio have attributed 586 of 714 total rushing yards by the Tide. With that being said, Georgia’s d-line and Linebackers have to be get downhill along with working sideline to sideline to limit Bama’s rushing attack.
Overall, the Dawgs’ defensive success comes down to making Jalen Milroe uncomfortable in the pocket in order to avoid him dotting up those big shots down the field. If and once they make Milroe uncomfortable in the pocket, they have to make sure they limit him using his legs in the middle of the field as pressure up the middle by the Dawgs’ defense will be crucial to how this one turns out.
Georgia Offense vs. Bama Defense
Georgia’s offense is going into this one with hopefully a fire lit under them as the Dawgs are coming off a bad offensive showing in Lexington. The Dawgs currently rank 58th in scoring offense as Georgia averages 31.7 points per game with the opening up of the playbook kept to a minimum so far this season. Carson Beck will be looking for a big bounce back game if he wants himself back in the Heisman conversation as the Senior completed 15 of 24 passes for 160 yards and no touchdowns last week. When it came down to it though, Beck completed crucial passes in crucial situations against the Wildcats in order to get the win as he will more than likely need to do that all night tomorrow. Through the air, Georgia ranks 48th in the country as the Dawgs have kept things simple play calling wise and have taken very few deep shots as Dominic Lovett and Arian Smith are the only two Georgia receivers with 100+ receiving yards on the year. Rushing wise, the Dawgs would love to get back to their old ways of being a top rushing offense in the country as Georgia ranks 84th in that category this season averaging 145.7 yards per game. Now I understand that is a low ranking, but a lot of that can be attributed to Georgia hardly running the ball as the Dawgs have only rushed 81 times this season as they still average 5.4 yards per carry. With that being said, the Dawgs need to get things going on the ground in order to take some of that pressure off Beck so the playbook can open up to take those deep shots.
As far as Bama’s defense, the Tide currently rank 13th in total defense as they have yet to allow 20 points this season. A hole to look at within this Bama defense is their rush defense, the Tide currently rank 68th in the country in that category as they average 132.3 yards given up on the ground as it will be interesting to see if the Dawgs’ can break through in the trenches. A bright spot within this Tide defense is their pass defense. Like Georgia, Alabama ranks top ten nationally in passing yards allowed as they give up 115.7 yards per game through the air as Beck’s ball placement will need to be on point tomorrow night.
Overall, Georgia’s offense must start fast in order to win this game. I expect to see a lot of guys make an impact tomorrow night as Dillon Bell, Oscar Delp, and others could have their breakout game. As far as rushing offense, I expect more of a heavy dose of Trevor Ettiene and Nate Frazier to match Bama’s speed on the defensive side of the ball with Branson Robinson coming in to do the dirty work in the red zone. Again, the Dawgs must start fast!
Prediction
UGA-31 Bama-27
This one is about as evenly matched as it gets, even when breaking down the numbers this is still Georgia vs. Alabama and it is due to be another all time classic. As always, Go Dawgs!