ATHENS — Georgia and Alabama are meeting again this season in the SEC championship game, but it’s not the same Georgia or the same Alabama, as Kirby Smart explained.
“We’re both dealing with different injuries,” Smart said on the coaches’ SEC championship game teleconference on Thursday. “So, there will be a lot of ‘next-man-up’ mentality in this game … It’s a different matchup this time, whatever that highlights or helps or changes for each team, who knows? We’ll find out.”
Indeed, the No. 3-ranked Bulldogs (11-1) will be the designated “visiting” team against the top-SEC-seeded Crimson Tide (10-2), who bring a No. 9-ranking into the 4 p.m. game Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Georgia center Drew Bobo is among the most notable players out with an injury, while Alabama will be missing LT Overton, a former Milton High School standout who transferred from Texas A&M to play for the Tide before the 2024 season.
Overton made the fourth-quarter, fourth-down stop the last time the teams met in September, helping to preserve the 24-21 Alabama win and is among team leaders with 4 sacks, 4 QB hurries, and 6 tackles for loss. He is out with an undisclosed illness.
Alabama tailback Jam Miller, who leads the Tide with 508 yards rushing, is also questionable to play after leaving the 27-20 win over Auburn last Saturday on crutches. Kevin Riley, who’s second on the team in rushing, has been ruled out.
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer indicated the injuries are just another test of his team’s resiliency, something he’s proud of his team for showing this season.
“I feel like our guys have continued to trajectory up, they continue to get stronger,” DeBoer said. “We have proof of that. We can see that. They feel it on the football field.”
Smart made no attempt to overcomplicate the rematch angle to the game.
“I think sometimes coaches overdo it, overthink it,” said Smart, who is leading to UGA to the SEC title game for the fifth-straight year and the eighth time over the past nine seasons.
“I just think it boils down to who blocks, who tackles, who prepares the best, who mentally prepares it is the best, who handles it the best.”
Georgia vs. Alabama, SEC championship game
• When: 4 p.m., Saturday
• Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (cap. 60,311)
• Rankings and records: No. 3 Georgia (11-1, 7-1 SEC); No. 9 Alabama (10-2, 7-1)
• TV/radio: Georgia Bulldog Sports Network and SiriusXM 106 or 190
• Weather: Dome.
• Series: Alabama leads 44-26-6. Alabama won in Athens on Sept. 27, 24-21.
• Key injuries: Georgia — OC Drew Bobo (ankle) is out, SS Kyron Jones (foot) is out; RB Bo Walker (jaw) is out; DL Jordan Hall (leg) is out; WR Colbie Young (leg) is out; TE Ethan Barbour (ankle) is out; DB Ondre Evans (knee) is out; Alabama — RB Jam Miller is questionable; OL Kam Dewberry is questionable; TE Josh Cuevas is questionable; TE Danny Lewis is questionable; DB Kameron Howard is out; LB Jah-Marien Latham is out; DB Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. is out; DL LT Overton is out; RB Kevin Riley is out; OL Mal Waldrep Jr. is out; DL Jeremiah Beaman is out.
• Last meeting: Alabama scored 24 points in the first half and was able to hold on for a 24-21 win in Sanford Stadium that snapped Georgia’s school-record 33-game home-field win streak. The Bulldogs rallied to within a field goal, but facing a fourth-and-1 at the Alabama 8-yard line with 13:20 left, UGA passed on trying a field goal and elected to go for the first down. Cash Jones was tackled for a 3-yard loss and turned the ball over on downs. Georgia’s next possession ended with a punt, and the Tide ran held the ball the final 3:19 of the game to win.
• Betting line: Georgia is a 2.5-point favorite on DraftKings.com.
• Tickets: The game is sold out. Tickets in the upper deck start at $250 each, and tickets in the lower deck start at $458 each.
SEC championship game storylines
Heisman Trophy hopefuls
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson and Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton are among the top 8 players in the Heisman Trophy odds, even if both are long shots to win, and either would need a stirring performance to finish in the top four and earn a trip to New York for the ceremony as a finalist.
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is the favorite at +160, while Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia is at +180. Ohio State QB Julian Sayin is +200, followed by Notre Dame tailback Jeremiyah Love +4000.
Simpson and Stockton, both first-year starters, are both at +30,000 along with Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez.
Georgia Football Cardiac kids
Georgia coach Kirby Smart used the phrase “Cardiac Kids” to describe his team after it came from behind to beat Florida, 24-20, in what proved to be a recurring theme.
The Bulldogs trailed in seven of their eight SEC games this season, coming back to win six of them, with the sole exception being the 24-21 loss to Alabama on Sept. 27 in Sanford Stadium.
Alabama football streaks
The Crimson Tide has won three in a row over Georgia since losing in the CFP title game 33-18, and they have defeated the Bulldogs four times in a row when meeting in the SEC championship game.
Alabama has also won 17 straight games in the city of Atlanta, dating back to a 31-20 loss to Florida in the 2008 SEC championship game. Since that loss to the Gators, the Crimson Tide has won nine consecutive times when playing in the SEC championship game, most recently in 2023, when Alabama beat Georgia 27-24.
Kirby Smart vs. Kalen DeBoer
Kalen DeBoer has defeated Kirby Smart in the coaches’ two meetings, winning in Tuscaloosa last season, 41-34, and again this season in Athens, 24-21.
Smart, who is 1-7 against Alabama all-time, has an NCAA-best 25 wins over AP Top 25 teams since 2021, while DeBoer is second with 19 wins over ranked opponents.
Georgia, Alabama on ESPN College GameDay
Georgia will be making its 43rd appearance at a site featuring ESPN’s College GameDay and brings a 22-20 record into the action in such games.
Since losing to Alabama 41-34 in Tuscaloosa last season, the Bulldogs have won their past five games with GameDay on site.
Alabama is 40-21 with GameDay on hand and has won its last three appearances in such games.
CFP playoff scenarios
Georgia, with a win, would likely clinch a first-round bye and is projected to be as high as No. 2 or maintain its current No. 3 rank.
The Bulldogs, with a loss, would likely drop no lower than No. 6 in the CFP rankings and host a first-round CFP game on Dec. 19 or Dec. 20.
Alabama, with a win, is projected to jump as high as No. 4 in the final CFP rankings, which will be released at noon on Sunday and set the 12-team CFP bracket.
The Crimson Tide, even with a loss, is projected to make the 12-team CFP field and would travel to play a first-round game on Dec. 19 or Dec. 20.
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