No. 13 Alabama still a force, routs No. 8 Georgia 38-10

And Tennessee failed to hold onto another double-digit lead, losing 24-20 to Arkansas at home yet, and suddenly those trendy preseason picks favoring the Vols for the East title look pretty shaky.

This is October’s first Saturday in one of the country’s best college towns.

Of those three developments, the Gators’ performance probably is the most surprising. Before kickoff, a large group of Georgia players gathered near the tunnel as Alabama’s players entered the field.

Of course, a huge challenge is coming up.

The college football coaches poll released their updated Top 25 rankings on Sunday.

Big win on Saturday for Louisville, which went on the road and took down unbeaten NC State in the rain in what set up as a pivotal game for its season. With their dominant win over Georgia, and Florida’s drubbing of Ole Miss, Alabama once again looks like one of the favorites to win the conference.

Now that Georgia has fallen Texas A&M has taken up the media mantel of the team that will beat Alabama.

Nick Saban doesn’t want his Alabama team to care what outsiders think. “And I’m hoping that nobody on our team is playing for you”. I think we have to show that we can play with consistency. And Saturday’s results might have been as much about convincing the Tide of that as anybody else. It’s Eastern Michigan, so there’s no reason to get too fired up about any part of the win – even with Mr. Fournette taking off for big run after big run for 233 yards and three scores.

“I said before I believe in our team”, Saban said. Our fortitude’s being tested. Chubb said Walker did not talk to him before the game. The opportunities are there. We’re dead and buried and gone.

Alabama had a lot more to lose in this one than Georgia.

‘Bama strolled into Athens, Ga., and promptly shred all of its incorrect labels, beating Georgia, and their forever-a-bridesmaid coach, 38-10.

It was late in the first half when Greyson Lambert was told he was being benched. You can’t really be hot until you’ve gotten a couple of victories in a row under your belt.

Georgia added to its reputation of flopping in the biggest games. But the coverage was too good, and Lambert ended up scrambling several times, or just throwing it away. And even Nick Chubb needed an 83-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter – when it was already over and most of the fans had headed for a drier environment – to extend his streak of 100-yard rushing games to 13, besting former Georgia great Herschel Walker. Coker was abysmal in the Crimson Tide’s loss to Ole Miss but stepped up in a major way against the Dawgs, passing for 190 yards and hitting open receivers whenever he saw fit.

“Once our offense couldn’t get anything done, we knew the game was going to be on our defense”, said King, the Iowa cornerback who had two interceptions and has five on the season.

He downplayed the accomplishment given the loss, though he did give credit to his teammates and the Georgia system for making it possible. Will Grier, the Gators freshman quarterback, was shockingly efficient, finishing 24-29 for 279 yards and four touchdowns. Thank the Volunteers for volunteering back the lead and then missing the game-winning field goal by three inches. “It kept anybody from flinching, and we did a really nice job of responding from there on out”. “They’re just a bend-but-don’t-break kind of team”. “That’s the defense I know“, senior SS Rohan Gaines said.

“I hate that he even said that”, Mitchell said. “We are a great defense, and tonight I feel like we showed it”. According to Clemson’s sports information department, the win over Notre Dame improved the Tigers to 7-3 under coach Dabo Swinney against top 10 teams.