Alabama isn’t quite all right. The unlucky No. 13 Crimson Tide have not been at their all-conquering best so far this season, in large part due to the supbar play of their offense. The Tide will need to rise up to the occasion this coming weekend as they face a dangerous road test against the No. 9 Georgia Bulldogs in Athens.
The Bulldogs are the early favorites to represent the SEC East in this year’s conference title game. Can they prove they’re legit championship contenders by bringing down one of the best teams in the West?
Read on for a comprehensive previewof this all-important all-SEC showdown. Meanwhile, check out Saturday’s other top matchups, Notre Dame vs. Clemson and Arkansas vs. Tennessee.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Georgia Bulldogs Preview
Where: Sanford Stadium, Athens
When: Saturday, October 3, 3:30 PM ET
Line: Alabama Crimson Tide (+2.5) at Georgia Bulldogs (-2.5) – view all NCAA Football lines
TV Broadcast: CBS
Betting on the Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama bounced back from its devastating 43-37 loss to Ole Miss by breezing past Louisiana Monroe, 34-0, on Saturday. But despite that seemingly dominant win, there are still some serious question marks with the Crimson Tide offense.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]Quarterback Jacob Coker, who completed just 46.7 percent of his passes and threw two interceptions in the loss to Rebels, could only go 17 of 31 (55 percent) against the significantly weaker Warhawks pass defense. Even the running game couldn’t get much going, as it averaged less than four yards per carry.
Top receiver Robert Foster is gone indefinitely with a serious shoulder injury, and an already limited Tide offense will be lacking big-time playmakers against Georgia. With all those question marks on offense, the Tide will enter as underdogs in Athens, the first time they’ll be considered such in an incredible 73 games.
Don’t count the Tide out just yet, though. Remember, it took five Tide turnovers (and a somewhat miraculous touchdown) for Ole Miss to beat them. That’s because the Bama defense remains remarkably strong, particularly against the run. They limited Louisiana Monroe to nine yards on 31 carries. If any front seven in the country can stop Nick Chubb, it’s Bama’s.
As shaky as Alabama’s quarterback play has been, Georgia’s isn’t as rock solid either. Don’t forget that Greyson Lambert couldn’t complete a single pass in the first half against Vanderbilt, which is the most competent defense he’s faced this season. Lambert is liable to revert into his ineffectual self if the Tide can put him under enough pressure.
Alabama has failed to cover the spread in its last seven road games, going just 0-6-1 during that span.
Betting on the Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia has looked like the team to beat in the SEC East though the first month of the season. The Bulldogs have gone 4-0 thus far, and 3-0 (2-1 against the spread) at home. It should be noted, though, that the Bulldogs have not exactly faced stellar competition, with Vanderbilt and South Carolina way down in the conference pecking order.
Nevertheless, they’ve taken care of business with ease, winning their four games by an average of 32 points.
Sophomore Nick Chubb has lived up to the preseason Heisman hype by rushing for 599 yards with seven touchdowns (six rushing, one receiving) in his first four games. With 131 more yards in their 48-6 win over Southern, he’s now rushed for over 100 yards in 12 consecutive games, tying the great Herschel Walker’s school record.
Chubb and the Georgia ground game should be good enough to churn out the yards, even against a formidable Bama front seven. But the emergence of quarterback Greyson Lambert and the passing game will give an added dimension to the Bulldogs offense.
After setting an NCAA record by completing 96 percent of his passes in their 52-20 win over South Carolina – he went 24-of-25 for a career-high 330 yards with three touchdowns – Lambert went 9-of-10 for 146 yards and two touchdowns in limited action against Southern.
Look for Lambert and senior receiver Malcolm Mitchell (13 catches for 218 yards and two touchdowns in his last two games) to ask questions of a shaky Alabama secondary that was burned for some big plays by Ole Miss.
Meanwhile, the talented Georgia front seven is fully capable of both slowing down Bama’s running game and putting pressure on Bama’s struggling quarterback, Jacob Coker.
Writer’s Prediction
Lambert fails to recreate his solid throwing numbers against the terrific Bama defense, which also slows Chubb down. The Tide roll to a 28-21 road win. Create a betting account now and get a winning streak rolling with all the top college football action on offer.
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