Georgia vs. Alabama: Which coach, program is going through essentially the most strain?

No. 2 Georgia heads to Tuscaloosa to battle No. 4 Alabama in a rematch of final season’s SEC title sport. So far each crew has performed what they had been alleged to do. Both groups are 3-0, with Georgia selecting up a win in opposition to Kentucky and Alabama successful comfortably in opposition to Wisconsin in Week 3.

With each groups holding serve so far, the importance of this match stays the identical since I listed it as one of many 10 matches that can outline the 2024 season in June. I’ll have a full on-field preview of this matchup on Thursday’s episode of “The Joel Klatt Show.” But as a result of the implications of Saturday’s final result will seemingly be monumental, I need to take a 30,000-foot view to guage the place these applications stand relative to the remainder of the game and the place every of them stands of their respective historical past.

Obviously the 2 coaches current in Saturday’s sport are actually good. I think about Kirby Smart the most effective coach in school soccer proper now. His report speaks for itself: two nationwide championships with each victories coming within the final three years.

However, the place is the strain on this sport, no less than so far as the coaches are involved? You may be considering to your self, “Well, the apparent reply to that query is the man who replaces Nick Saban.” If you are considering this, decelerate for a second. I really assume there may be extra strain on Smart in Saturday’s sport.

Smart has performed all of it and dominated everybody within the sport. Well, he did all the things besides one factor: outperform his mentor at Alabama, Nick Saban. He was 1-5 in opposition to Alabama in six video games in opposition to Saban after turning into Georgia’s coach in 2016. Even throughout Georgia’s dominant run the previous three seasons, Alabama has been its kryptonite. Georgia’s solely two losses since 2021 have come at Alabama, going 1-2 in opposition to the Crimson Tide within the final three years.

So, the narrative round Smart, no less than to me, is that he is the most effective coach in school soccer, however he could not beat Saban. If Smart really loses this sport on Saturday, this could turn out to be an enormous downside for him. The solely downside he had would flip from a Nick Saban downside into an Alabama downside he nonetheless has.

So far, you may no less than clarify the issue Smart has had with Alabama up so far by saying, “He’s solely dropping video games to Saban, the best coach within the historical past of the game.” But if Smart loses to Kalen DeBoer on Saturday, Alabama’s downside amplifies. Alabama has an amazing recruiting class coming in, and DeBoer getting a signature win like this early in his tenure would solidify what he is constructing in Tuscaloosa. That would not be good for Smart.

Kirby Smart coached with Nick Saban for 9 seasons at Alabama. Went 1-5 in opposition to Saban as head coach at Georgia.

On the opposite hand, individuals who assume DeBoer has extra strain on him in Saturday’s sport have good cause to assume so. Saban’s success in opposition to Georgia pushes DeBoer to do the identical factor. If Alabama fails to win on Saturday, then the Tide may take a step again from the place they’ve been for many of the final 15 years. I do not assume Alabama followers can be too proud of a transparent step again.

DeBoer has but to be examined in his younger tenure at Alabama. We thought Wisconsin may be his first large take a look at, however the Badgers weren’t ready to threaten a crew just like the Crimson Tide with all of the firepower they’ve. Maybe that sport was extra of a breadbasket forward of the sport in opposition to Georgia.

DeBoer must win this sport. If not, it will not solely be a transparent step again from how issues have gone at Alabama, nevertheless it may influence its subsequent recruiting class. Alabama’s 2025 recruiting class is the second-best within the nation, in accordance with 247 Sports. But that does not imply the category shall be ranked very excessive on signing day, and I feel this sport may sway some recruits in sure instructions.

I’ll give this warning to DeBoer, although: If he loses in a very shut sport and Alabama performs rather well, I feel everybody’s going to say, “OK, you realize what? We’re good.” If Alabama loses by a number of factors in an enormous evening sport, some folks would possibly assume to themselves that this can be a clear step again from the Saban days. DeBoer desperately desires to keep away from that. He does not need to deal with it as a story round him or on the recruiting path.

Georgia vs Alabama: Who could have essentially the most strain on Saturday?

What would actually occur if Alabama gained? This can be a seismic alternative for DeBoer. It can enable him to plant the flag and say, “There shall be no abandonment of the best coach within the historical past of the game.” That’s saying all of it. Here’s why it will be a seismic win for DeBoer and Alabama.

Getting again to the recruiting component, Alabama really has the very best participant score within the class of 2025 out of 247 sports activities. The Tide have extra five-star commits than anybody. So, DeBoer has already recruited exceptionally effectively in his brief time at Alabama. A win over Georgia would ship that class, which has simply 20 commitments, into hyperdrive. Maybe you will get one other 5 stars or two to shut out that recruiting class.

By taking away the coaches and specializing in the applications, the implications of a loss for every crew can be fairly extreme for this season. One of the issues that irritates me is individuals who say that the 12-team playoffs are making a meaningless common season and that it does not matter what occurs in video games like Saturday’s.

I strongly disagree with this sentiment. The loser of Saturday’s sport will discover themselves ready the place will probably be almost not possible to get again to the SEC championship sport. It’s not totally not possible, however the loser would most likely need to run the desk. Even then, it will not be assured that the crew would make it to the convention title sport.

Is Alabama’s Jalen Milroe the most effective participant in school soccer?

If you may’t make it to the SEC Championship Game, meaning you positively will not get a first-round bye within the College Football Playoff. This is an enormous downside. Looking on the schedule that every crew has after Saturday’s sport, it’s in no way a assure that even the loser will lead the standings. If that crew suffers a second loss, not solely will you not get a bye, however you’ll seemingly play on the highway within the first spherical of the CFP.

Let’s take a fast have a look at every crew’s schedule. Georgia nonetheless has video games at No. 1 Texas and No. 6 Ole Miss earlier than internet hosting No. 5 Tennessee in November. As for Alabama, it has video games at No. 5 Tennessee, at no. 14 LSU and at no. 21 Oklahoma. It additionally has a house sport in opposition to No. 11 Missouri and closes out the 12 months in opposition to Auburn, which has at all times been a troublesome beater even throughout Saban’s finest seasons.

Suffice it to say, the loser of this sport has a slim path to the SEC title sport. That alone would make this sport monumental. When you think about the strain, expectations and narratives surrounding the 2 coaches and applications, this can be a large matchup.