Georgia vs Alabama Free Picks, College Football Predictions 9/28/24

GEORGIA vs. ALABAMA (UGA -1, 50.5)

CFB ODDS, CFB PREDICTIONS, CFB PREVIEWS

Georgia vs Alabama Free Picks, College Football Predictions 9/28/24

BULLDOGS @ CRIMSON TIDE 9/28/24

The absence of a well-known coach from one of college football's oldest rivalries will not lessen the excitement surrounding the matchup of enduring titans. For their 74th meeting, SEC rivals No. 2 Georgia (3-0, 1-0) and No. 4 Alabama (3-0, 0-0) will meet in Tuscaloosa.

The Crimson Tide will be without one of the best college football coaches in history, Nick Saban, for the first time since their meeting in 2003. As first-year Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer guides the Crimson Tide into their first conference game of 2024, a new face will emerge in the legendary history of the series.

In the SEC Championship Game last year, Alabama handed Georgia a 27-24 loss in Saban's last game before he retired. The new DeBoer era seeks to pave its own course. DeBoer's Crimson Tide have dominated Western Kentucky, South Florida, and Wisconsin by a total score of 147-26 through three games. Alabama is the home underdog for the first time since 2007 in this season's first national power matchup.

Jalen Milroe, the quarterback for Alabama, hopes to build on his strong opening performance. Milroe has 156 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground. He also has an 8-0 touchdown-interception ratio in his second season as the starter. Milroe was the last quarterback to beat Georgia, which has a 42-game regular season winning streak.

For Smart, he will play the Saban-less Crimson Tide for the first time this Saturday. In his ninth season at Georgia, Smart—who worked under Saban as Alabama's defensive coordinator from 2008 to 2015—isn't thinking about the past.

After defeating Tennessee Tech and then-No. 14 Clemson by a combined score of 82-6, Georgia emerged victorious in an unexpected 13-12 battle at Kentucky. Georgia is making its first trip to Tuscaloosa since losing 41–24 on October 17, 2020, and Smart is aware of the significance of the game for his program's future.

With eight victories in the last nine meetings, Alabama leads the series 43-26-4 overall.

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COACH RICK FREE PICK:

FREE PICK: CRIMSON TIDE (1Q) ML

Believe or not, the nation’s No. 2 team has not gotten off to a good start in any of its games this season. In their games against FBS opponents, they have zero first quarter points. In nine first quarter drives, the Bulldogs have a pair of touchdowns. Both came against FCS Tennessee Tech. Georgia could find the going tough on the ground against a pretty strong Alabama defensive front. The Tide has the best third-down defense in the country and the Bulldogs rank 75th in third-down conversion rate. Alabama averages 11.7 points in the first quarter. That’s the 9th-best number in the country.