This week in college football might feature the early favorite for Game of the Year.

Second-ranked Georgia will travel to Tuscaloosa to take on No. 4 Alabama in a battle between SEC powers. Both schools are expected to compete for a National Championship this season and this game will be a measuring stick for each.

In recent years, the Crimson Tide has been the kryptonite for Georgia. The Bulldogs are 44-0 since 2021 against teams not named Alabama. During that time, Alabama has beaten the Bulldogs two out of three, both coming in the SEC Championship Game.

The question we will have answered is, does Nick Saban retiring change the tone of this rivalry?

Kalen DeBoer has entered as the new head coach of Alabama and has hit the ground running. The Crimson Tide are off to a 3-0 start and the offense looks as good as ever. Jalen Milroe has benefitted from DeBoer coming in and implementing his offense, allowing the quarterback to use his dual-threat abilities.

Milroe has thrown for 540 yards and eight touchdowns this season. He has not thrown an interception and has an immediate connection with true freshman Ryan Williams. Milroe also has six touchdowns on the ground. He has inserted his name into the early Heisman conversation.

On the other side, Georgia returned Carson Beck, who is expected to be one of the first quarterbacks taken in the 2025 NFL Draft. Georgia has one of the best defenses in college football and a championship pedigree in recent years.

How Georgia Can Win?

The Bulldogs have been as good as there is in the nation at controlling the passing game.

Georgia completely shut down Clemson in the season-opener through the air and this led to a second-half blowout victory. Alabama has been a consistent offense in many ways. If Georgia can make them one dimensional, it will help slow down the explosive offense.

Williams has become a star in just three weeks in college football. The 17-year-old wide receiver has become a legitimate No. 1 threat. He will have his toughest test going up against the Bulldog secondary.

Georgia will have to slow down the run game for Alabama. It has been able to find success in many ways, including Milroe using a strong offensive line to create big plays. Defense will be the key to this game and for Georgia, it is about eliminating big plays.

How Alabama Can Win?

Alabama is home in this game. It is important for the Crimson Tide to play from ahead but do not use aggression in a way that can come back to bite you.

The Crimson Tide will likely be running on adrenaline and momentum from the crowd. This can lead to mistakes due to aggressive calls and trying to do too much early on. This is from an emotional standpoint. On the field, Alabama must do what it does well and match the physicality of Georgia.

With DeBoer at the helm, the Bama offense has looked for the big play and has been able to hit them. In this game, these plays might be few and far between, meaning Alabama will have to maintain drives and this happens on the ground. The focus for Georgia will be to stop the run and the Tide must find ways to counter.

Alabama has the defense to make this a defensive battle, low-scoring game.

Prediction: Alabama 23, Georgia 21