For months Georgia had been favored over Alabama is Saturday night's Week 6 contest. Now the Bulldogs are the underdog against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Sportsbooks give Alabama a small points advantage, so small Bryant-Denny's home crowd is the difference.
ESPN Analytics has flipped the Crimson Tide to the favorite, with a 52.6% win probability. The ESPN computer model ranks the Crimson Tide as college football's most efficient team. Georgia is close behind with a No. 3 Efficiency ranking. ESPN rates the Bulldogs No. 1 in Offensive Efficiency and No. 11 in Defensive Efficiency. Alabama is No. 2 in Offensive Efficiency and No. 5 in Defensive Efficiency. Georgia holds a far higher Special Teams Efficiency at No. 11, compared to the Crimson Tide at No. 56.
Saturday night's game in Tuscaloosa will highlight Week 6. Minutiae will abound this week, with experts attempting to decipher the advantages and disadvantages for each team. Statistical comparisons are murky because Georgia has played such a weak schedule. The Dawgs have played no ranked teams and no FBS team with a winning record against other FBS teams. Combined, Western Kentucky, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Vanderbilt are 5-11 against FBS teams.
Since Georgia hasn't been challenged, does that mean they aren't ready for a close game against a top opponent? And is Alabama a good team, or a very good, and possibly elite, team? Answers will come on Saturday ... but until then.
Alabama Crimson Tide ranked No. 1
Two early-week looks provide clues to how Saturday's contest may play out. One is the current FBS rankings provided by Kenneth Massey's computer model. Massey has the Crimson Tide as college football's No. 1 team. Texas is No. 2, and the Georgia Bulldogs are No. 3.
Alabama Crimson Tide fans appreciate the College Football Nerds model. The Nerds' model has Alabama winning by a score of 32.8 to 28.6.
Add us as a preferred source on Google