The last time Alabama and Georgia played, the Bulldogs were clearly the better team. For the Crimson Tide, much has changed since last December. Almost all the changes have been improvements.
Last December, as Georgia prepared for game week against Alabama in the SEC Championship Game, Kirby Smart asked his players to stand up if they had a "win over Alabama." None stood.
This week, Smart could ask his players if any of them can remember a Georgia win in Tuscaloosa. Few, maybe none, can, because Georgia's last win in Tuscaloosa was in 2007.
Georgia is a good football team, capable of beating Alabama on Saturday night. Unlike last December, the Dawgs aren't the team most capable of winning. Greg McElroy explained why: "They (Georgia) haven’t seen anything quite like what Alabama has." The word 'quite' was not needed. The Dawgs haven't seen anything like Alabama.
Georgia faithful are optimistic the Bulldogs can rise to a level not yet shown this season. They are not blindly optimistic. Dawn of the Dawg's Trevor Michael provides some reasoned thoughts about the game: "This will be a huge challenge for the entire team, but Gunner Stockton specifically will face pressure unlike anything he has experienced this season."
Michael added that Stockton will "have to be near perfect" because the Alabama offense could turn the game into a shootout.
Greg McElroy's score prediction is the Crimson Tide winning 31-28. Other experts and Jeff Sagarin's model are predicting a double-digit win for the Crimson Tide.
Why Alabama could beat the Bulldogs by two scores
Football teams are not like an animal patiently lying in the weeds, waiting for the right moment to make a lethal strike. Coaches don't have an on-off switch that can suddenly boost a team's potential. There is little doubt that against Alabama, Georgia will have its best performance through Week 6. What is legitimately in question is whether the Bulldogs will be better enough.
Alabama is so improved that some experts are starting to believe DeBoer's team will become Alabama's best since the 2020 National Championship team. Alabama will need more than a win over Georgia to prove that claim. Still, an Alabama win on Saturday will not be an upset, and a two-score win should not be shocking.
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