ATHENS — There is plenty of attention on Georgia’s game this weekend against Alabama.
And with the national media circling, there are two positions in particular that have come into focus.
The first is wide receiver.
“Being around the Alabama staff before the Wisconsin game, I got the sense there’s a lot of confidence in the front seven but some concern at cornerback, where the Tide have junior USC transfer Domani Jackson but are otherwise very young,” ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg said. “The question is whether Georgia’s wide receivers, who haven’t really popped, can exploit some of Alabama’s back end youth.”
Georgia will be without wide receiver London Humphreys and could be without freshman Sacovie White as well, as he is listed as questionable on the injury report. That will put more on the plates of Dillon Bell, Arian Smith and Dominic Lovett entering the game.
Lovett is the team’s leading receiver, catching 12 passes for 155 yards. Ryan Williams, Alabama’s leading receiver, has 10 catches for 285 yards and 4 touchdowns.
The wide receiver group isn’t the only position of worry for Georgia, as Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports points out what a significant loss Tate Ratledge could be.
“The Crimson Tide offense is explosive and the defense is causing problems, the latter of which gives me cause for concern for Georgia here,” Fornelli said. “The interior of Georgia’s offensive line has been phenomenal, but now they’ve lost Ratledge. Georgia’s tackles have not been up to the typical Georgia standard, and I worry that losing Ratledge not only impacts the interior.
“Being on the road in a tough environment and a little short along the offensive line is not conducive to an outstanding result, I worry. Still, this game feels like a coin flip.”
Ratledge will be replaced by Micah Morris, who will be making his first career start.
Georgia will be looking to bounce back after a poor showing against Kentucky, which the Bulldogs won just 13-12. But to start the season against Clemson, Georgia so clearly played like one of the best teams in the country with a 34-6 win.
“I’m so impressed with Georgia from the Clemson game. You had to see who Clemson was after the Georgia game, and they’re not bad,” an anonymous coach told Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports. “Then you watch [Georgia in] the Kentucky game. Sometimes it’s week-to-week.”
Dodd did point out that this could be the first of three times this season that Georgia and Alabama could play. Georgia and Alabama could play each other in the SEC championship game on Dec. 7 and then potentially meet again in the College Football Playoff.
Still, the stakes for this game are incredibly high, as Joel Klatt notes.
“The loser of this game is behind the eight ball,” Klatt said while appearing on The Herd with Colin Cowherd. “I don’t think that the loser of this game is going to be able to get back to the SEC Championship because of the schedule that Missouri plays, the way that Tennessee is playing. The way that Texas is playing, what their schedule is – it’s favorable as compared to, like, let’s say Georgia’s schedule the rest of the way.”
Alabama does play Missouri and Tennessee, while Georgia will see Texas and Tennessee. The Bulldogs also have a game at Ole Miss for good measure.
Georgia has already beaten one top-25 team in Clemson this season. But the Bulldogs will have to be even better on Saturday against an Alabama that head coach Kirby Smart is just 1-5 against. Georgia has not won in Tuscaloosa, Ala., since 2007.
Saturday’s game is set for a 7:30 p.m. ET start, with ABC broadcasting the game between No. 2 Georgia and No. 4 Alabama.
