No. 1 Georgia (12-0, 8-0 SEC, No. 1 CFP) vs. No. 8 Alabama (11-1, 8-0, No. 8 CFP), Saturday, 4 p.m. EST, in Atlanta (CBS)
Line: Georgia by 6½, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Series record: Alabama leads 42-26-4.
KEY MATCHUP
Georgia's rushing offense vs. Alabama's rushing defense. The Bulldogs have quite a 1-2 punch with Daijun Edwards and Kendall Milton. Edwards leads the team with 781 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns, while Milton has gone into Beast Mode the last three weeks with 349 yards, five touchdowns and 8.5 yards per carry. They're facing an Alabama defense that surrendered a whopping 244 yards on the ground to a one-dimensional Auburn offense last week. The Tide won't be able to stack the line against a well-rounded Georgia attack led by one of the nation's best quarterbacks. Carson Beck has completed more than 72% of his throws for 3,495 yards and 22 touchdowns.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Alabama: QB Jalen Milroe. Benched early in the season, he has blossomed into one of the nation's most dynamic players. Milroe is a threat with both his arm and his legs. He's thrown for 2,526 yards and 21 touchdowns, to go along with 439 yards rushing and 12 TDs. He'll long be remembered for the “Milroe Miracle” — his 31-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Bond on fourth-and-goal to pull out an improbable 27-24 win over Auburn in the final minute last weekend.
Georgia: TE Brock Bowers. A weapon all over the field when healthy, Bowers has been slowed by an ankle injury that required surgery. He missed three games after the procedure, returned to catch 10 passes with two TDs in dominating wins over Ole Miss and Tennessee, then sat out last week's victory over Georgia Tech with lingering soreness. Despite missing four games, Bowers still leads the Bulldogs with 51 receptions for 661 yards and six touchdowns.
FACTS & FIGURES
Georgia is trying to become only the ninth FBS school to win 30 consecutive games. The longest streak in NCAA history is Oklahoma's run of 47 straight victories from 1953-57. ... Alabama has 10 wins against teams ranked No. 1 by The Associated Press, more than any other school. ... Crimson Tide K Will Reichard is one successful kick away from becoming the NCAA’s career scoring leader all by himself. He has 530 points, tied with former Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds (2012-15). ... Georgia's last loss was a 41-24 setback to Alabama in the 2021 SEC championship game. ... The Bulldogs haven't beaten Alabama in Atlanta since 1942. Beginning in 2012, the Crimson Tide has won four straight over Georgia in the A-T-L — three of those for the SEC title, the other in the national championship game.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
