Why it will not take Alabama Football's best game to beat Georgia

It is overly optimistic to believe Alabama Football will play its best game of the 2024 regular season against Georgia. Alabama is simply too much of a work in progress to play its best so soon in Kalen DeBoer's Crimson Tide tenure. The Tide's best can be anticipated later, in the latter third of the regular season and the postseason.

Less than its best does not mean the Crimson Tide cannot beat Georgia. On Monday, Alabama OC, Nick Sheridan said that execution will determine Saturday night's winner. In evenly matched contests execution is often the main determinant.

Is it accurate to state the two teams are evenly matched? Both rosters are loaded with talent. Many pundits claim Georgia has a winning edge with its defense and also because of Carson Beck. Not every college football expert agrees. Check out the tweet below with two widely recognized college football experts assessing Alabama and Georgia, based on Defense, Offensive Line, Skills Position, and Quarterback.

Cole Cubelic and Roman Harper did not agree exactly, but both of them deemed Alabama as having an advantage in three of the four areas.

Georgia fans will loudly disagree with Cubelic picking Alabama's defense over Georgia and Jalen Milroe over Carson Beck. Cubelic did say if Georgia's injured defenders return, he might change his pick. What must shock Georgia fans is for any opposing quarterback to be rated more highly than Carson Beck. Georgia fans appear to be convinced that if Georgia loses it will be because Mike Bobo kept Carson Beck from being the game's best quarterback.

An Alabama Football Advantage

Kirby Smart said preparing for Jalen Milroe is difficult because Milroe cannot be simulated in practice sessions. That might give the Crimson Tide a slight advantage. Alabama could have another much larger advantage, capable of determining the game's outcome. That advantage is Kalen DeBoer's offense. It is not the previous Alabama football offense the Georgia staff knows well. It is also not a repeat of DeBoer's Washington offense. Along with Crimson Tide fans, the Georgia staff has seen little of the new Alabama offense.

Nick Sheridan is correct about the importance of execution. But schematic surprises on both sides of the ball could be a trump card for the Crimson Tide. Alabama will not play its best game against Georgia. That may not matter, if Georgia does a poor job making in-game adjustments to deal with DeBoer's and Kane Wommack's surprises.