ESPN FPI and sportsbooks have differing opinions on the Week 5 matchup between Georgia and Alabama.
Georgia-Alabama is a matchup that takes center stage in the college football world when the two teams meet. A new edition of the SEC rivalry will take place in Week 5, and for the first time since 2015, the pair will face off in the regular season.
The Crimson Tide prevailed in the latest meeting with a 3-point win in the 2023 SEC Championship Game. UGA’s latest win in the series came in the 2021 national championship.
There are some notable differences for both programs entering this game. Nick Saban is no longer at the helm in Tuscaloosa, which is seemingly good news for ninth-year Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, who has a career record of 1-5 against his former mentor. Additionally, former Alabama assistant Travaris Robinson is in the midst of his first season as co-defensive coordinator in Athens.
Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer has had a perfect 3-0 start to his tenure, but Smart and the Bulldogs will serve as a welcome to the SEC moment for the former Washington Huskies head coach.
No. 2 Georgia is currently a 2.5-point road favorite, according to FanDuel. That number does not reflect what ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) projects the outcome to be, with No. 4 Alabama holding a 67% chance to win the game outright.
The Bulldogs hold the best win between the two, a 34-3 drubbing of No. 21 Clemson to open the season. But last week’s 13-12 win at unranked Kentucky has led to doubts for the 2021 and 2022 national champions.
This will be by far the toughest test the Crimson Tide have faced this season after convincing wins over Western Kentucky, South Florida and Wisconsin.
Fans of premier quarterback play will want to certainly tune in with Carson Beck on one side and Jalen Milroe on the other. It’s not often that two Heisman Trophy contenders square off in the regular season, but this is exactly what the rivalry game will provide in Week 5.
The winner will take the driver’s seat in the SEC Championship race and likely College Football Playoff projections. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC).
