Paul Finebaum does not think Alabama needs this game as badly as Georgia does. Both teams are 5-0. Both are ranked in the top six. Both have already put together stretches that look much different from last season.
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But Georgia has something Alabama does not have hanging over Saturday night in Tuscaloosa. Kalen DeBoer has beaten Kirby Smart in both regular-season meetings since taking over at Alabama.
“I think it’s bigger for Georgia because of what they have in front of them,” Finebaum said on ESPN on October 7. “Alabama has really exceeded expectations so far, and their schedule has gotten easier.”
That is the uncomfortable part for Smart. DeBoer beat Georgia 41-34 in Tuscaloosa in 2024 after Alabama built a 28-0 lead in the first half and then won 24-21 in Athens in 2025.
Georgia eventually got its revenge last December, beating Alabama 28-7 in the SEC Championship Game. Still, DeBoer’s regular-season record against Smart, who is on a $13 million per year contract, is 2-0.
“The idea of Kirby Smart losing three straight seasons in the regular season to DeBoer is almost unthinkable,” Paul Finebaum said. “When you think about Kirby as far as being the premier coach. That’s what Georgia has left. It doesn’t look very difficult, but Florida is extremely good, and so is all this in Missouri.”
Saturday is still different from the last two meetings. Georgia has become more efficient on offense. Alabama has become more dangerous with the ball. Through five games, Georgia is averaging 51.4 points and 478.8 yards per game.
The Bulldogs are throwing for 265.8 yards and running for 213.0. They have scored 35 touchdowns and turned the ball over only four times. Gunner Stockton is a major reason.
A year ago, Stockton threw for 2,894 yards with 24 touchdowns and five interceptions over 14 games. This season, he has completed 75.5% of his passes for 1,049 yards, 13 touchdowns, and one interception through five games.
On top of that, Georgia also has a real run game. The Bulldogs are averaging 6.5 yards per carry, and that balance gives Mike Bobo more options when Alabama starts changing the picture up front.
The Crimson Tide averages 49.6 points and 473.8 yards per game. Keelon Russell has given DeBoer the quarterback play Alabama needed. And the biggest improvement is that Kalen DeBoer’s team is no longer waiting for its QB to settle down.
Russell is making plays outside the pocket, extending possessions and attacking downfield. The offensive line has also developed more depth, while running back EJ Crowell has emerged as another piece for DeBoer’s offense.
Defensively, though, Georgia has been more dominant, as is the case every year with Kirby Smart. The Bulldogs are allowing only 13.4 points and 244.6 yards per game.
They have given up 57.4 rushing yards per game, and opponents are averaging only around 4.9 yards per play. That creates the central matchup.
Alabama wants Russell to make Georgia defend the entire field. Georgia wants its front to make Russell uncomfortable and force Alabama into longer situations. The first quarter could tell us a lot.
Georgia has been excellent at starting games. Alabama has also shown the ability to score quickly, but its biggest advantage may be what happens if the game becomes a fourth-quarter possession battle. Then there is the weather.
A tropical system is threatening the Gulf Coast and could bring heavy rain and strong winds to Tuscaloosa on Saturday. The forecast remains fluid, but if conditions deteriorate, the game could become much more dependent on field position, the run game, and turnovers.
That would change the equation. Georgia’s defense and rushing attack make it comfortable in that type of game. Alabama’s explosive passing game gives it another route if the weather cooperates.
Georgia may have already answered plenty of questions this season, but Saturday gives Kirby Smart a chance to change the one that still follows him. DeBoer has won both regular-season meetings, and with both teams entering 5-0, this time there is nowhere for that streak to hide.