No. 3 Georgia travels to No. 2 Alabama on Saturday (8 p.m., CBS) in the biggest matchup of the 2020 college football season to this point.
The Crimson Tide and Bulldogs are the last two remaining unbeaten teams in the Southeastern Conference. The winner of this matchup will have an easier path to the SEC championship, where a rematch is possible. Alabama (3-0) has the highest-scoring offense in the FBS at 51 points per game. The offense hasn't missed a beat with quarterback Mac Jones, but there are questions about the defense.
Of course, the biggest storylline revolves around Alabama coach Nick Saban, who tested positive for COVID-19 this week and is self-isolating at home. The line on the game has dropped 2.5 points since this development.
MORE: Week 7 picks against the spread
Georgia (3-0) leads the SEC with a defense that allows just 12.3 points per game. The Bulldogs have settled on quarterback Stetson Bennett, but Alabama poses the toughest test for the young quarterback. It's a matchup that was circled for both teams all summer. Now, it's here. With that in mind, a full look at the top-five showdown.
Alabama vs. Georgia odds
Spread: Alabama -4.5
Over/under: 56.5
Point spread odds: Alabama -110, Georgia -110
Alabama vs. Georgia all-time series
Alabama leads the all-time series 40-25-4. The Crimson Tide have won the last five meetings, which include two SEC championship games and a College Football Playoff championship game.
Georgia won the last meeting at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Sept. 22, 2007. That was a 26-23 overtime thriller in Saban's first season.
Three trends to know
— This marks the 11th meeting when both teams are ranked. The teams are knotted at 5-5 in those meetings. Alabama is 4-2 S/U against Georgia when both teams are ranked in the top 10.
— Alabama is 1-2 ATS this season, but all three of those games were double-digit spreads. The Crimson Tide won the past five meetings with the Bulldogs by an average of 13.2 points per game.
— Georgia is 6-3 ATS as an underdog since Kirby Smart took over as head coach in 2016. The Bulldogs are 1-1 ATS as a road underdog in that stretch.
Three things to watch
— Najee Harris vs. Georgia's run defense. The Bulldogs have smothered opposing offenses with a defense that allows just 38.3 rushing yards per game — tops in the FBS. Harris is fresh off a 206-yard, five-touchdown performance against Ole Miss, and he is a factor in the receiving game. The Bulldogs need to find ways to make Mac Jones uncomfortable — and taking away Harris would be the top priority early.
— Alabama's defense. The Crimson Tide have allowed an average of 30.3 points per game and 322.3 passing yards per game, and that has prompted questions about whether this defense is national-championship caliber. The Crimson Tide have lost three games since 2018, and Clemson, LSU and Auburn combined to average 46 points in those games. Alabama has something to prove on that side of the ball.
— Psychology matters. Georgia had double-digit leads in the second half against Alabama in the College Football Playoff championship game in 2017 and the SEC championship game the next season. Saban is 21-0 against his former Alabama assistants, but he won't be on the sideline. Smart hired longtime Crimson Tide strength coach Scott Cochran in the offseason. The Bulldogs face more pressure in this game from a psychological standpoint given those past two meetings.
Stat that matters
13.3
Jones is averaging 13.3 yards per passing attempt this season with the receiving trio of Jaylen Waddle, DeVonta Smith and John Metchie III. It’s the same-old explosive passing attack Georgia faced in the past two meetings. Bennett averages 8.2 yards per attempt, and Kearis Jackson is the only Georgia receiver with more than 100 yards this season. Can Georgia match those big plays in the passing attack?
Prediction
Emotions will run high in what has the potential to be the game of the year. Georgia will take the early lead on a TD run by Zamir White, and Smart will do his best to control the tempo of the game. Jones, however, will hit a pair of TD passes that push Alabama ahead at halftime, and the Crimson Tide will hold on to the lead in the second half. Expect to see this same matchup in the SEC championship game.
Final score
Alabama 34, Georgia 27
