Kalen DeBoer’s seat has cooled off considerably in Tuscaloosa, and he has his gut to thank.
Rather than playing it safe and having 19-year-old Keelon Russell beat out DeBoer’s longtime backup Austin Mack, the Alabama head coach handed the ball to the teenager from the jump, and the Tide haven’t looked back.
Not only is Alabama undefeated and ranked No. 6 in the country ahead of Saturday’s visit from No. 2 Georgia, but the Crimson Tide have improved every time out on the field. Russell and the offense have exploded for 248 points across five games (49.6 average), and they just scored 56 and averaged 7.9 yards per play against red-hot Mississippi State.
Georgia vs. Alabama prediction
Alabama is back; make no doubt about it. But does that mean they’ll be able to handle the unflappable Bulldogs?
That’s a different question entirely.
The results look the same, but Georgia is doing things a little differently this season. The Bulldogs are still posting their usual dominant numbers on defense, but the offense has finally caught up in Athens.
The Bulldogs rank second behind Alabama in points per game, seventh in yards per play, and SP+ pegs them as the second-best offense in the country, once again, behind only Alabama.
But here’s the most important part of this riddle: Georgia put up 41 points against Oklahoma’s vaunted defense. The Sooners aren’t going anywhere this season, but their defense is elite, ranking No. 6 in SP+ as we barrel into Week 6. Alabama, for all of their success with the ball, has yet to face a defense inside the top-50.
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Russell and the Tide look like they’re going places this season, and they may very well get there eventually, but this will be a massive step-up in weight class for the redshirt freshman.
If he beats us, we’ll just tip our cap.
The Pick: Georgia +1.5 (-110, DraftKings)
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
