Alabama vs. Georgia prediction, pick, odds, spread: Crimson Tide host Bulldogs in battle of SEC titans
The eyes of the SEC and the nation will be on Tuscaloosa this weekend in a battle between to bona fide CFP contenders
• 3 min read
Two top-six teams will play Saturday night in Tuscaloosa and yet the potential impact of Hurricane Isaiah has overshadowed No. 2 Georgia at No. 6 Alabama.
The hurricane, expected to make landfall on Friday, could bring significant bad weather to the state of Alabama on Saturday. It could even be as strong as a Category 2 hurricane – sustained wind speeds between 96 to 110 miles per hour – when it makes landfall on the Gulf Coast.
Both schools and the SEC have been monitoring the situation but the game is still scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night. Assuming it goes off as planned, it pits two of the SEC's premier teams against each other. There is plenty of history between the two schools as Alabama won a regular season game at Athens last season while Georgia avenged the loss with a win over the Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship.
Alabama is coming off a convincing 56-23 win on the road over then-No. 16 Mississippi State. Quarterback Keelon Russell, who has emerged as a Heisman Trophy favorite, was fantastic against the Bulldogs, throwing for 285 yards and three touchdowns on just 22 pass attempts.
Georgia has crushed all its competition this season. The Bulldogs' lowest scoring output of the season came last week over Vanderbilt in what was still a 38-14 win. Georgia has the best scoring margin in the country with an average victory of 32.5 points.
How much could Hurricane Isaias impact the game? It's one of the biggest looming questions of the weekend. Alabama has the nation's third-best scoring offense while Georgia ranks third in rushing defense, seventh in total defense and 12th in scoring defense. Alabama's run game is improved this season but still ranks only 44th nationally which could be a significant factor if the pass game is ineffective in poor weather conditions.
Alabama vs. Georgia: Need to know
Leading TD rusher out: Georgia will be without running back Chauncey Bowens who leads the Bulldogs with six rushing touchdowns. Bowens has been especially valuable as a short-yardage back which could have come in handy in what might be rainy and messy conditions Saturday night. While his loss is significant, the good news is Georgia will likely have running back Nate Frazier back. Frazier missed the Oklahoma game and played sparingly in the Bulldogs' win over Vanderbilt last weekend. Frazier has been dealing with bruised ribs and should be in for a larger workload with Bowens out.
He's trying to do what?!: Alabama starting tight end Josh Ford broke his arm against Mississippi State, an unfortunate development for the 6-foot-6 junior from Oklahoma. The crazy thing? He's still trying to play this weekend against Georgia. Ford was listed as questionable on Alabama's availability report, a wild development given he broke his arm less than a week ago. Ford isn't a huge part of the passing game -- he has one catch for one touchdown -- but plays a key role as a run-blocking tight end. That he even has a shot to play the game speaks to how tough a player the Oklahoma State transfer is.
CFP implications: Both teams are currently well-positioned to make the College Football Playoff. Georgia (93.1 percent) and Alabama (81.8 percent) have two of the five highest playoff odds, according to CBS Sports forecasting and projections. Even with a loss each team will still be in a good position to make a field. But with a win? It'd almost guarantee a spot. Georgia's odds would improve to 97.7 percent while Alabama's would jump to 93.5 percent.
Where to watch Alabama vs. Georgia live
Date: Saturday, October 10 | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Bryant-Denny Stadium -- Tuscaloosa, Alabama
TV: ABC | Live stream: Fubo (try free)
Alabama vs. Georgia prediction, picks
Can Alabama really beat Georgia in three consecutive regular season games? Kalen DeBoer has had the edge over Kirby Smart in the regular season -- Georgia did, however, beat Alabama in last year's SEC Championship -- including in memorable fashion the last time the two teams played each other in Tuscaloosa. The weather conditions create the ultimate unknown but I think they tend to favor Georgia which isn't as reliant on its aerial passing attack. This one will be close as they always seem to be in the regular season, but the Bulldogs eke it out late. Pick: Georgia +1.5
 Tom Fornelli |  Chip Patterson |  Brandon Marcello |  John Talty |  Richard Johnson |  Shehan Jeyarajah |  David Cobb |  Brad Crawford |  Chris Hummer | |
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| BAMA -1.5 |  |  | |||||||
| SU |
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