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Former Alabama coach Nick Saban is giving UGA rat poison

College football analyst Nick Saban has been giving the Georgia Bulldogs rat poison ahead of UGA’s game at Alabama.

Former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach and ESPN “College GameDay” analyst Nick Saban has given the Georgia Bulldogs plenty of rat poison ahead of the 2024 Georgia at Alabama game. In the preseason, Saban predicted that Georgia would win the national championship and the SEC championship.

What exactly is rat poison?

“Rat poison is anything that distracts you from doing the things that you need to do to do your job,” explained Saban. “Whether it’s created by the media, the weather, it could be created by anything.”

Saban’s Alabama teams are normally the ones on the receiving end of rat poison, but now the tables have turned. Saban is the one giving Kirby Smart and Georgia some rat poison. The former Alabama coach had Georgia as the No. 1 team in his projected College Football Playoff this preseason.

Alabama can use Saban’s doubt as extra fuel against Georgia. The Crimson Tide want to prove their former coach wrong. Additionally, Alabama is home underdogs for the first time since 2007, so the Crimson Tide should have plenty of motivation ahead of Saturday night against Georgia.

Kirby Smart is glad that his former mentor and rival is still involved with college football after retiring as a coach. “I’m really happy he’s still part of college football because he makes college football better,” said Smart.

Georgia has a lot on the line against Alabama. The Bulldogs are looking to avenge their 2023 SEC championship loss to the Crimson Tide, which knocked UGA out of the playoff hunt. Georgia also knows how challenging its schedule is, so the Dawgs need to win to keep their playoff odds high.

It will be fascinating to see who Saban predicts will win the Georgia-Alabama game on GameDay.

Best Alabama football players NOT named Jalen Milroe

Here are the players Alabama has at their disposal that will be the biggest threats against a Georgia win.

In a matchup between two powerhouses of the SEC, several players can make or break the game for either opponent. There are several reasons why College GameDay is hosting this game, and here are some players that they will be highlighting from the side of the Crimson Tide.

*UGA Wire will look to discuss Jalen Milroe in his article since he’s a much more important part of the Alabama offense.

Tyler Booker, Parker Brailsford, & Kaydn Proctor, offensive linemen

One of the biggest storylines of the game will be Georgia’s defensive line against Alabama’s offensive line. With Georgia’s injuries on the d-line, and these three stalwarts on the offensive line, it looks one-sided on paper.

Proctor is probably the most notable out of the three because of his near-transfer to Iowa. Thankfully for Alabama fans, they got the stud freshman guard back. Proctor made the SEC All-Freshman team his freshman year and was a part of the 2024 All-SEC Preseason team.

Booker is the most decorated out of the bunch. Ever since his freshman year at ‘Bama in 2022, he’s been an anchor guard on the line. In 2023, he made the All-SEC Second Team, and this year, like Proctor, he made the All-SEC Preseason team in 2024. He’s eligible for the NFL Draft this year, and he has first-round talent

Brailsford also made the 2024 All-SEC Preseason team. Brailsford was a transfer from Washington, choosing to follow his coach Kalen DeBoer to Alabama. With Washington, he was an honorable mention for freshman offensive player of the year and was 2nd team All-Offense for the Pac-12.

Sep 14, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Ryan Williams (2) during the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Ryan Williams, wide receiver

Williams was mentioned by name in our article about how Alabama could pull off a victory over Georgia, and there’s a big reason why. Williams has dazzled in his first season in the SEC, garnering 285 receiving yards and four touchdowns on just 10 receptions. His 28.5 yards per reception put him fourth in the SEC (first with over 10 receptions) and eighth in the FBS. Williams is a dynamic talent that Georgia corners will have to contain if they have any hope of winning this game.

Malachi Moore, safety

Moore was not listed on the injury report after suffering a head injury against Wisconsin, which means he’ll be another player Georgia will have to contend with. Moore also made the 2024 All-SEC Preseason team, and with his four years of service at Alabama, he earned it, racking up 17 pass deflections and five interceptions. He’s also made the PFF All-SEC team in Week 3.

Honorable Mentions: Justice Haynes, Jam Miller, Deontae Lawson

Stat breakdown of No. 1 Georgia at No. 4 Alabama

Looking at key stats that may decide the Georgia Bulldogs at Alabama Crimson Tide football game

A clash of SEC championship contenders is taking place this Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. ET as the Georgia Bulldogs will play the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The game will be televised on ABC, with “College GameDay” heading to Tuscaloosa for day.

Both teams had a bye week in Week 4, but Georgia lost the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll in Week 3 after an ugly 13-12 win against the Kentucky Wildcats. Alabama has looked strong as the No. 4 spot, coming off of a 42-10 win over the Wisconsin Badgers, but this will be their first SEC game of the season.

Kirby Smart is 1-5 in his career playing against Alabama, but with Nick Saban no longer coaching at Alabama anymore, Smart will look to improve his record against the Tide.

Here’s a statistical look at each team, provided by CFB Stats.

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Scoring Offense:

Georgia: 31.7 points per game (58th)

Alabama: 49.0 points per game (6th)

Alabama’s impressive scoring offense is a big reason why we think the Crimson Tide may have a significant edge against Georgia.

Rushing Offense:

Georgia: 145.7 rushing yards per game (84th)

Alabama: 238.0 rushing yards per game (19th)

Passing Offense:

Georgia: 256.7 passing yards per game (48th)

Alabama: 228.7 passing yards per game (69th)

Total Offense:

Georgia: 402.3 total yards per game (t-65th)

Alabama: 466.7 yards per game (24th)

Scoring Defense

Georgia: 6.0 points allowed per game (3rd)

Alabama: 8.7 points allowed per game (6th)

Georgia is the only defense in the country that has not allowed a touchdown all season.

Rushing Defense:

Georgia: 110.67 rushing yards allowed per game (42nd)

Alabama: 132.33 rushing yards allowed per game (69th)

Passing Defense:

Georgia: 91.3 passing yards allowed per game (1st)

Alabama: 115.7 passing yards allowed per game (7th)

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe represents the biggest challenge (by far) for the Georgia secondary this season.

Total Defense

Georgia: 202.0 total yards allowed per game (4th)

Alabama: 248.0 total yards allowed per game (13th)

Both teams have a top-15 defense in yards allowed per game, along with a top ten defense in points allowed per game. The question will be which offense reigns supreme in this one. Carson Beck, who is seeing his Heisman candidacy slip, will need to lead the Georgia offense without one of its top receivers against the only team he’s ever lost to in his career.

Kirby Smart’s record coming off a bye week

How have Georgia football teams played under head coach Kirby Smart’s after bye weeks

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart is 7-1 coming off bye weeks during his time at UGA. Smart and Georgia typically have a bye week ahead of the Florida Gators game. That remains the case in 2024.

However, this year, Georgia has two bye weeks. Georgia has one bye ahead of its Sept. 28 game against the Alabama Crimson Tide in Week 5. Georgia’s second bye week is ahead of the Georgia-Florida game.

If you include two postponed games in 2020, Smart’s record improves to 9-1 following bye weeks. Increased time for preparation helps Georgia’s cause during the Kirby Smart era.

“You know, it’s always about improvement. I mean, you know, we’re better never rest,” said Smart during Georgia’s bye week ahead of the Alabama game. “We’re trying to get better all the time, so I’ve never had a bye week that I’ve ever had in all my years coaching that wasn’t about improvement.”

The bye week also offers Georgia a chance to heal ahead of the Alabama game. The Bulldogs are banged up along the defensive line and should be healthier against the Crimson Tide.

Kirby Smart’s career results at UGA after a regular-season bye week

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart and UGA has an extra week to prepare after earning a narrow win over the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. Tanner Pearson-Imagn Images

2023: Georgia 43, Florida 20

2022: Georgia 42, Florida 20

2021: Georgia 34, Florida 7

2020: Georgia 49, Missouri 14 (came off postponed game)

2020: Georgia 31, Mississippi State 24 (came off postponed game)

2020: Georgia 14, Kentucky 3

2019: Georgia 24, Florida 17

2018: Georgia 36, Florida 17

2017: Georgia 42, Florida 7

2016: Florida 24, Georgia 10