Tag: Alabama Football News

Alabama HC Nick Saban tests positive for COVID-19

BREAKING: Alabama head coach Nick Saban tests positive for COVID-19, what that means for Georgia football.

Breaking news has come out of Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Alabama football head coach Nick Saban, as well as Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne have tested positive for COVID-19, per ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi.

This is a major shakeup for the college football world as Georgia was scheduled to play the Crimson Tide this Saturday in a heavyweight showdown.

Reports say that both Saban and Byrne left the facility immediately and are now quarantining in their homes.  Saban announced that offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian will act as head coach while Saban works from home.

“I found out earlier this afternoon that I had tested positive for COVID-19. I immediately left work and isolated at home. At this time, I do not have any symptoms relative to COVID,” Saban released in his statement today. “I informed our team of my positive test at 2 p.m. today on a Zoom call and let them know offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian will oversee preparations at the complex while I work from home.”

There have been positive player tests at Ole Miss, who Alabama beat last week, and the SEC has already bumped two games this week due to COVID-19 outbreaks.  The Missouri vs Vanderbilt game and the Florida vs LSU game will both be played the week of December 12 due to positive tests at Florida and Vanderbilt.  Nineteen players tested positive for Florida.

No statements have been released on the status of Saturday night’s game between Georgia and Alabama.

Georgia vs Alabama: Expert picks and predictions

The UGA Wire presents our weekly expert score, stat and game predictions ahead of Georgia football at Alabama.

The No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs (3-0, 3-0) travel to Tuscaloosa this weekend to face off against Nick Saban and the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide (3-0, 3-0).

This matchup features two of the top quarterbacks in all of college football so far.  Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett, A.K.A. ‘The Mailman’, currently has the No. 3 QBR at 93.1 while Alabama quarterback Mac Jones has the No.2 QBR at 95.3.

Alabama currently leads the series 40-25-4 and is sitting on a five game win streak that dates back to 2008.

This is without a doubt both teams biggest game on their 10-game conference only schedule for 2020.

With that said, the UGA Wire staff has put together a number of score, stat and game predictions ahead of Saturday’s matchup.

Here are the picks:

The money makers:

No. 3 Georgia (+6) @ No. 2 Alabama (-6)

(Odds courtesy of BetMGM)

UGA WIRE Game Picks:

Joe Vitale: Georgia

James Morgan: Alabama

Henry Sillen: Georgia

J.C. Shelton: Georgia

 

Spread Pick (Georgia +6 / Alabama -6):

JV: Georgia +6

JM: Alabama +6

HS: Georgia +6

JS: Alabama +6

 

Over/Under (57):

JV: Over

JM: Over

HS: Under

JS: Over

 

Score prediction:

JV: Georgia 31, Alabama 34

JM: Georgia 24, Alabama 35

HS: Georgia 27, Alabama 24

JS: Georgia 30, Alabama 28

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

SEC football TV times and schedule set for Oct. 24

he fifth week of SEC conference play features several primetime games including Alabama at Tennessee and possibly UGA at Kentucky.

The fifth week of SEC conference play features Auburn at Ole Miss, Alabama at Tennessee, South Carolina at LSU, Missouri at Florida, and Georgia at Kentucky.

Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Mississippi State, and Texas A&M all have the week off.

Will Georgia or Alabama have a let down following their primetime game against each other? Both teams face somewhat formidable opponents in week five of their respective seasons. The winner of the Bulldogs at Crimson Tide bout will be the final undefeated team in the SEC.

The Georgia Bulldogs are set to have a night game against Kentucky. The only question is will the game be televised at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN or 7:30 p.m. on the SEC Network? The Missouri at Florida game is UGA’s competition for the primetime ESPN slot.

As always in the SEC, there are a lot of good match-ups:

The headliner for the week has to be Alabama at Tennessee. Can the Vols put up a fight against the Crimson Tide? Tennessee has played well to begin the season and Alabama’s defense isn’t as good as usual.

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Kirk Herbstreit unveils his latest top six rankings

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit released his rankings of the top college football teams including UGA, Bama, Clemson, and more

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit released his rankings of the top college football teams who have played so far this season. His top six excludes top teams such as Ohio State, Penn State and Oregon because they haven’t played.

Herbstreit ranked his College Football Playoff contenders after the Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Tennessee Volunteers 44-21 in this week’s top SEC matchup. The Texas A&M Aggies upset the Florida Gators as well. Now, there are only two undefeated teams left in the SEC.

Clemson knocked off Miami, Alabama beat Ole Miss in a shoot out, and UNC outscored Virginia Tech in notable action from the weekend.

Below is who Kirk Herbstreit puts in his top six rankings. He ranks the Georgia Bulldogs second (remember no Pac-12 or Big Ten). He rated UGA fourth last week, so this is an upgrade for the Dawgs.

It is hard to disagree with the top three teams in Herbstreit’s rankings. The Clemson Tigers look strong, Georgia may have the best defense in the country, and Alabama has an explosive offense. Georgia and Bama square off this week, so that will settle any debate of which team is superior.

Notre Dame, who Herbstreit ranks fourth, beat FSU in a win on Saturday. The Fighting Irish have a fairly easy schedule until they host Clemson. They will also play UNC in November.

UNC and BYU round out Herbstreit’s rankings. BYU seems overrated considering who it has played and how unimpressive they were in a seven point win over UTSA. The Cougars face a this Friday against Houston.

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College GameDay announces Oct. 17 location

College GameDay has announced its location for the Oct. 17 weekend. It will be hosted in Tuscaloosa, Alabama for Georgia at Alabama.

College GameDay has announced its location for the Oct. 17 weekend. ESPN’s flagship college football preview show will be held in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on Saturday morning. They will be previewing the top five battle between the Georgia Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide.

GameDay is hosted by Kirk Herbstreit, David Pollack, a special guest, and more in a socially distanced outdoor studio. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, no fans can attend the event.

This past week the GameDay crew visited the Miami Hurricanes at Clemson Tigers game. Clemson dominated Miami in a 42-17 victory.

Despite the circumstances, there’s virtual guests, fans, and more for GameDay. The experience on TV is almost the same. Virtual fans can still bring signs as well.

GameDay will cover the Georgia Bulldogs for the second time this season. The crew also covered the Georgia win over Auburn earlier in the season.

This past week, Alabama beat Ole Miss in a shootout and Georgia dominated Tennessee with an impressive second half performance. Will we get another classic Georgia versus Alabama game?

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

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SEC football TV schedule set for Oct. 17

The Georgia Bulldogs face the Alabama Crimson Tide on Oct. 17 in one of the best college football games of the season

The Georgia Bulldogs face the Alabama Crimson Tide on Oct. 17 in one of the best college football games of the season. The game is set as CBS’s night game for the season and will start at 8:00 pm. Both teams are projected to be in the top five.

Both Georgia and Alabama missed the College Football Playoff last season. The duo is expected to compete for the SEC Championship this year. The Florida Gators are projected to be the biggest competition for the Dawgs in the SEC week.

Additionally, in the fourth week of SEC conference play, the Florida Gators will face a challenge from the LSU Tigers. Last season, the Tigers beat the Gators 42-28 in one of LSU’s closer games of the 2019 season. The year, LSU will travel to The Swamp in what will be a crucial game for both teams.

As always in the SEC, there are a lot of interesting match-ups:

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Kirk Herbstreit releases his updated top six rankings

ESPN College Football Analyst Kirk Herbstreit has updated his rankings of the top college football teams including Georgia, Florida and more

ESPN College Football Analyst Kirk Herbstreit has updated his rankings of the top college football teams who have played so far this season. His list excludes top teams like Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon and more because they haven’t played.

Herbstreit ranks his top six after the Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Auburn Tigers 27-6 in this week’s top match-up. The nightmare season for the Big 12 continued this Saturday. Texas lost to TCU for the seventh time in their last nine games. Oklahoma, a perennial contender, fell again for the second consecutive week.

UNC, Viriginia Tech, Clemson, Oklahoma State, and Florida all had big wins this past week.

Here’s who Kirk Herbstreit puts in his top six. He ranks the Georgia Bulldogs fourth (remember no Pac-12 or Big Ten).

It is hard to disagree with the top two teams in Herbstreit’s rankings. The Clemson Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide look to be on course for another College Football Playoff appearance. Alabama toppled Texas A&M in a dominant performance at home.

Interestingly, Kirk Herbstreit ranks the Florida Gators above the Georgia Bulldogs. Dawgs fans won’t be happy about this, especially after their impressive win over Auburn.

Miami and BYU round out Herbstreit’s rankings. BYU seems overrated considering who they have played. The Cougars won’t face a real test until they face Houston.

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CBS tabs Georgia football for two prime time games

Georgia football’s 2020 schedule is coming into place with two CBS prime time games against Florida and Alabama.

CBS has tabbed the Georgia Bulldogs for two prime time games throughout the 2020 college football season. University of Georgia fans will hope the Dawgs will play in a third (Dec. 19 SEC Championship Game).

Georgia’s two prime time games are: Georgia at Alabama on Oct. 17 and Georgia versus Florida on Nov. 7. Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs travel to Alabama for what is slated to be CBS’s prime time night game of the season with an 8 pm kickoff. Georgia faces Florida at the usual 3:30 pm time slot.

Georgia already knows its SEC-only schedule for the 2020 season. That being said, the Bulldogs don’t know the kickoff times for their remaining slate of contests.

The Georgia Bulldogs traveling to Tuscaloosa to play the Alabama Crimson Tide is anticipated to be the best SEC game in 2020. Will the match up live up to the hype? Georgia’s past couple of games against the Crimson Tide have been nail bitters.

Dec 1, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts throws against Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Channing Tindall during the fourth quarter in the SEC championship game. Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party will have a different feel this year. Although it will be at the normal kickoff time the lack of fans and tailgating will be disappointing for many Bulldog and Gator die-hard fans.

Despite the circumstances, from a fans’ prospective, some college football is better than no college football. Here’s a look at the full schedule of prime time SEC games this season:

The Georgia Bulldogs open their season at the Arkansas Razorbacks on Sept. 26.

Nov 2, 2019; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Lawrence Cager celebrates as he runs the ball in for a 2-point conversion during the second half against the Florida Gators at TIAA Bank Field. Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

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Georgia football recruiting: 2021 4-star DB Terrion Arnold set to release top schools Friday

Georgia football target, 2021 4-star DB Terrion Arnold set to release top schools this Friday. Details here

2021 4-star safety Terrion Arnold ( John Paul II Catholic High School) from Tallahassee, Florida has confirmed that he will be releasing his top schools this Friday, per his Twitter account.

The Under Armor All-American prospect is rated as the No. 10 player in Florida, the No. 2 safety and the No. 85 prospect overall in the 2021 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.

247Sports wrote:

“One of the more complete defensive back prospects in a loaded 2021 class for the Sunshine State. Should sign with a Top 25 program and develop into an all-conference type player. Potential is there to play on Sundays.”

As one of the elite defensive back prospects for 2021, Arnold has plenty of interest from some of the top programs in the country.

He holds 44 offers, including ones from Alabama, Florida State and Florida – who are rumored to be in the lead to sign Arnold as of now.

We’ve seen Georgia coach Kirby Smart pull talented guys from Florida before, so check back in Friday to see if Georgia makes Arnold’s top schools.

 

 

Georgia football No. 4 in AP Top 25 Preseason poll

The Associated Press has released its AP Top 25 Preseason poll. Georgia football is No. 4, where is the rest of the SEC? Details here.

The Associated Press has released its annual college football preseason top 25 rankings.

Georgia comes in at No. 4 with Alabama at No. 3, Ohio State at No. 2 and Clemson at the No. 1 spot.

The SEC leads all conferences with seven teams ranked in the top 25, followed by the Big Ten with six.

The Big 12 is next with four, followed by both the ACC and Pac-12 with three and the American with two.

In regards to the Bulldog’s opponent rankings for the 2020 season:

  • Alabama (3)
  • Florida (8)
  • Auburn (11)
  • Tennessee (25)

See the full preseason AP Top 25 here with SEC programs in bold:

1. Clemson (38)
2. Ohio State (21)
3. Alabama (2)
4. Georgia
5. Oklahoma
6. LSU (1)
7. Penn State
8. Florida
9. Oregon
10. Notre Dame
11. Auburn
12. Wisconsin
13. Texas A&M
14. Texas
15. Oklahoma State
16. Michigan
17. USC
18. North Carolina
19. Minnesota
20. Cincinnati
21. UCF
22. Utah
23. Iowa State
24. Iowa
25. Tennessee