Fresh off a bye week, Alabama football will look to prove that its last two games are more indicative of the quality of the team than the one that looked shell-shocked in Tallahassee. And what better opportunity than a road game against Georgia to prove that point.
Alabama enters Saturday night's matchup at 2-1 and in desperate need of a big win to restore itself as a National Championship contender. A loss to fall back to .500 through four games would put the Crimson Tide's College Football Playoff hopes on life support before the calendar even flips to October.
As dominant as Alabama has been against Georgia in recent history - and the Tide has won nine of the last 10 meetings - this will be the first time in a decade they have traveled to Athens, and the first time in the Kirby Smart era.
Georgia is 3-0 and has proven championship mettle that Alabama hopes it can develop. The Bulldogs have an impressive comeback win over Tennessee on their early resume. They have already proven they can get punched in the mouth and respond. It's on Alabama to prove they can do the same.
This weekend is not a "must-win," but it's an important one nonetheless. A loss would put Alabama in a position where it would need to win out against a brutal schedule to guarantee a playoff berth. 9-3 might be good enough this year, but that's certainly no guarantee.
For better or worse, we'll find out what this team is made of in just a few days.
How to watch No. 17 Alabama at No. 5 Georgia in Week 5
- Date: Saturday, September 27
- Time: 6:30 pm C.T.
- Venue: Sanford Stadium
- How to Watch (TV): ABC
- Streaming: fubo TV
- Alabama record: 2-1
- Georgia record: 3-0
What are the betting odds for Alabama vs. Georgia?
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Spread: Georgia -2.5
Over/Under: 52.5
Moneyline: Alabama +120/Georgia -144
Injury report for Alabama and Georgia
Alabama:
- RB Jam Miller: Probable (Collarbone)
- DL Tim Keenan: Probable (Ankle)
- LB Jah-Marien Latham: Questionable (Lower body injury)
- TE Danny Lewis Jr.: Questionable (undisclosed)
- DL Jeremiah Beaman: OUT (ACL)
Georgia:
- OG Earnest Greene III: Probable (undisclosed)
- LB Chase Linton: OUT (Leg)
- WR Thomas Blackshear: OUT (undisclosed)
Who are the announcers for Alabama vs. Georgia?
It wouldn't be Alabama/Georgia in prime time in the post-CBS era without ESPN/ABC's top broadcast team. Chris Fowler will be on play-by-play, Kirk Herbstreit will be the analyst, and both Laura Rutledge and Holly Rowe will be the sideline reporters. The "A" Team will be in Athens for Saturday night's matchup.
What will the weather be like for Alabama football on Saturday?
The weather on Saturday in Athens is expected to be mostly clear in the evening with the potential for morning showers. Rain is not expected at this time to be in the forecast for the evening. It should be pretty nice football weather with a high of 80 and a low of 63. With an evening kickoff, the weather should be in the high 60s to low 70s by the time toe meets leather.
Alabama vs. Georgia series history
This will be the 75th all-time meeting between Alabama and Georgia. The Crimson Tide holds a 44-26-4 advantage over the Bulldogs historically. Recent history has been even more in favor of Alabama.
In the 10 meetings since 2008, Alabama is 9-1 against Georgia, a record that is blaring in the brains of all Bulldogs fans this week. The Crimson Tide has consistently been a thorn in Georgia's side, even during the spectacular run of the Kirby Smart era. Smart is 1-6 in seven tries against Alabama.
Kalen DeBoer and Kirby Smart met for the first time head-to-head last year in Tuscaloosa. Alabama knocked off Georgia at Bryant-Denny Stadium 41-34 in one of the best games of the 2024 college football season.