No. 4 Alabama hosts No. 2 Georgia Saturday in one of the most important games of the 2024 college football season. This seismic clash will go a long way toward determining not only the final SEC standings, but it will also make its mark on the College Football Playoff race.
That tends to happen when the Crimson Tide and the Bulldogs take the field against one another. This marks first regular-season matchup between the two powers since 2020, though they have played plenty in the interim. From 2021-23, Alabama and Georgia faced off twice in the SEC Championship Game and once in the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Alabama won the conference both times — including last season’s battle that sent the Tide to the playoff — but Georgia gained the advantage in 2022 with the national title on the line. That was the first time the Bulldogs had bested Alabama since 2007. The Crimson Tide hold an 8-1 advantage in matchups since.
But that record came with coach Nick Saban patrolling the sidelines, and Georgia coach Kirby Smart was 1-5 against his former boss. Now that Saban’s retired and Kalen DeBoer has stepped up in Tuscaloosa, Saturday’s game will certainly feature a different feel.
Here are three keys for Georgia if it wants to give DeBoer a cornerstone win early in his tenure.
RELATED: 3 keys for Alabama
Georgia is playing at a different level defensively than the rest of the sport. Georgia is the only team to not allow a touchdown this season and the first team since 2016 to not allow a touchdown in four straight games dating back to its 27-24 loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.
The Bulldogs are doing all of the above without one of their star players — pass rusher Mykel Williams (ankle) — on the field….
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Author : Brandon Marcello
Publish date : 2024-09-26 13:31:26
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