Familiar showdown highlights SEC slate as No. 2 Georgia visits No. 4 Alabama

Updated Sep. 26, 2024 6:00 a.m. ET

Associated Press

Things to watch this week in the Southeastern Conference:

Game of the week

No. 2 Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC) at No. 4 Alabama (3-0, 0-0), 7:30 p.m. EDT, Saturday, (ABC).

The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide meet again, just 10 months after ‘Bama’s 27-24 SEC championship-game victory ended Georgia's 29-game winning streak and derailed the ‘Dawgs’ quest to win a third consecutive national title. Alabama opens league play after an off week following a 42-10 victory at Wisconsin led by quarterback Jalen Milroe, who passed for three of his five touchdowns and 196 of his 271 yards of offense. Milroe has passed for eight of his 14 TDs this season and been mentioned as a possible Heisman Trophy candidate. The Tide come in averaging 466.7 yards per game and rank sixth in SEC offense. The Bulldogs had a week to regroup after escaping Kentucky 13-12 in their SEC opener to extend their impressive defensive streak of not allowing a touchdown to four games dating to last season's Orange Bowl win over Florida State. Georgia ranks third in FBS scoring defense (6.0 points per game) and fourth in total defense (202 yards). Alabama is 11 spots lower at 248.0.

Georgia is favored by 1-1/2 points, according to BetMGM College Sports Odds.

Game-time decision

The other four SEC matchups include top-ranked Texas (4-0) hosting rebuilding Mississippi State in its inaugural league game; No. 6 Ole Miss opening SEC play against visiting Kentucky, which seeks its first league win; Oklahoma visiting Auburn; and Arkansas traveling to Texas A&M after both won their conference openers.

Texas is a 38-1/2-point favorite according to BetMGM, but the Longhorns don’t know who will start at quarterback. Quinn Ewers returned to practice this week from an abdominal strain that sidelined him against Louisiana-Monroe but is questionable. Arch Manning earned his career win as a starter, passing for two TDs along with two interceptions in the 51-3 rout. MSU lost transfer QB Blake Shapen to a season-ending shoulder injury and will start Michael Van Buren, with Chris Parson also expected to play.

Impact player

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier threw TD passes of 45, 35 and 5 yards and 352 overall to beat Big Ten newcomer UCLA 34-17. He completed a career-best 32 of 44 attempts and led second-half scoring drives of 96 and 92 yards for a two-TD lead. Nussmeier has four 300-yard passing games in five starts dating back to last season’s ReliaQuest Bowl. His 113 completions lead the nation and he ranks second with 28.3 per game.

Inside the numbers

Tennessee held Oklahoma to a season-low 36 yards rushing in a 25-15 victory, its fewest against an SEC foe since Florida gained just 19 on the Volunteers in 2020. ... Missouri graduate running back Nate Noel Noel rushed for a career-high 199 yards on 24 carries against Vanderbilt, the most yardage by a SEC player this season. … Blake Shapen had thrown for 974 yards and eight TDs before his injury, totals that rank third and fourth respectively in the SEC. His 108 completions also rank fourth … Kentucky snapped a two-game touchdown drought with four rushing scores against Ohio, a 41-10 win that ended a two-game slide. Receiver Dane Key had seven catches for a career-high 145 yards.

Productive down time

Georgia has won just two of the past 10 meetings against Alabama but is coming off an off week, where the Bulldogs have excelled under coach Kirby Smart. They are 10-1 after an open date in his tenure, most recently 43-20 over rival Florida last season in Jacksonville.

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