Georgia a mirror image of Alabama football from years past

“And I hope they do”. If Alabama hesitates in the moment, it could be the difference in a pivotal, tight game.

Reality check: Well, yes. I want it packed in the stands. If he absolutely had to pick a basketball team it would be the Knicks, but he’d gladly trade them for just one championship for either of his other three teams. Mark Richt’s squad was ranked as high as No. 6 in 2014, but a heartbreaking road loss to South Carolina derailed a promising season. He ranks second in the SEC and No. 6 in the nation with 149.75 rushing yards per game. “The guy’s a really good coach, the players respond well to him and he’s a good teacher”.

Not only did the Crimson Tide, leading 31-0 against highly-regarded Georgia, seem headed for the BCS Championship Game in Miami, it seemed that the only logical opponent would be Tulane, the only foe that Alabama hasn’t thoroughly vanquished this season. Both were 3-0 and Georgia was a 7-point favorite. This is a winnable game for the Dogs.

Saban, also, was very kind to Georgia’s first-year starting QB, Greyson Lambert, as might be expected in the pregame build-up. But this is Alabama. Next week will obviously be a much greater test against Georgia’s extremely efficient offense and Heisman candidate Nick Chubb. Also, he can’t afford turnovers. Let’s wash out the Tide in a Sea of Red on Saturday.

Roddy White (84), Andy Levitre (67) and Levine Toilolo (80) celebrate a touchdown by running back Devonta Freeman during the Falcons’ win over the Dallas Cowboys. And we know it’s going to be a challenge.

GameDay chose to go to Clemson to watch the best team in the worst Power 5 conference play a team that is too stubborn to join the ACC as a full-time member.

Reality check: The logical side of my brain says: Something will go wrong at a few point. For the Georgia Bulldogs, this is our biggest game of the year and there’s no excuse not to show up in this one. “They’ve won (two) national championships with one loss”. Jabriel Washington will probably be available for this game. So at the risk of jumping ahead, they could be 5-0 going to New Orleans on a Thursday night (Oct. 15). As for the coach of that “complete team”, Richt has a chance to surpass Coach Wally Butts’ win total at Georgia. It’s a refreshing change from the last two seasons. All their down linemen are returning starters, and they do a good job of freeing up the linebackers. This time around more players are downplaying it.

“I think Jake has improved and played well”. While I would love to see Corso, Desmond Howard and David Pollack make it to Athens later this year, would they really want to come to the Classic City for either the Mizzou or United Kingdom game? Chris Black, ArDarius Stewart, and Calvin Ridley each dropped passes that would have gone for a first down in the game, and if Coker is ever going to gain the confidence he needs he will need for his receivers to make plays for him. I don’t see both hypotheticals happening this fall. But against Notre Dame, they didn’t look like a major bowl contender, and against Duke they didn’t look like an ACC contender. It’s not the actual jersey, but the thoughts that go with them.

Overreaction narrative: They smoked their first two opponents, then got cocky! Kennesaw State almost lost to Division II Shorter last week. “We had six drops in the last game which didn’t help the so-called statistics that a lot of people look at”, Saban said.

MAHOMES IFFY: Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury said quarterback Pat Mahomes is day to day after the sophomore injured his left knee in the first quarter of a 55-52 loss to No. 4 TCU.