A huge matchup looms in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, as the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs face the No. 6 Alabama Crimson Tide, with the winner remaining undefeated and moving a step closer to playing for the SEC Championship. The two teams have run through their first five games of the season with relative ease, with double-digit wins in each. Along the way, they've also established themselves as the nation's top two teams in total offense, with Georgia claiming the top spot ahead of Alabama.
While they might have made their first group of games look easy, tonight brings a harsh reality check for one of the teams. Both teams still face challenging schedules, mostly against SEC opponents, and multiple losses could weaken their chances of competing for the conference championship. More news: Nick Saban Makes Bold Prediction on Alabama Clash With Georgia Up next for Georgia after tonight's clash with Alabama is a home game against unranked Auburn next Saturday afternoon.
They follow that with a week off before hosting the No. 16 Florida Gators. The Bulldogs then travel to face No. 9 Ole Miss on Nov. 7, the team that eliminated them from the CFP in the quarterfinals, 39-34. The CFP game on neutral ground could've gone either way, but the outcome likely stung Georgia.
After that game, they'll host No. 14 Missouri on Nov. 14, followed by a visit to South Carolina and a home game against the ACC's Georgia Tech to close out the regular-season slate. According to ESPN Insights, a loss tonight for the Bulldogs gives them a 36% chance of making the SEC Championship Game, while Alabama will have only a 29% chance of making the game if they lose. The Crimson Tide's schedule could also offer a daunting list of upset-minded opponents, including road games at the current No. 15 Tennessee next weekend and the No. 10 LSU on Nov. 7.
They'll host Texas A&M on Oct. 24 and then have a week off to prepare for Lane Kiffin's Tigers. They'll then host Vanderbilt on Nov. 14 and close their season with home games against the SoCon's Chattanooga and the SEC's Auburn, both teams they could handle. However, first things first, Alabama must defeat the Bulldogs, which may not be easy given Georgia's strength and the threat of potentially severe weather, including heavy rain.
If Alabama wins tonight at Bryant-Denny Stadium, the Crimson Tide could emerge as an even stronger favorite to play for the SEC Championship, alongside No. 1 Texas. The Crimson Tide might particularly enjoy the revenge factor of denying the team that beat them in last season's SEC Championship Game a spot there again. Meanwhile, LSU, Texas A&M, and Ole Miss are outside contenders who could make noise and potentially claim an SEC Championship Game spot at the expense of tonight's losing team.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
