Analyst deems matchup vs Georgia HC Kirby Smart’s equivalent to Michigan for Ryan Day problematic for Bulldogs
Just as Ryan Day struggles with Michigan, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart has struggled with Alabama, under Nick Saban (1-5) and even Kalen DeBoer (0-1). To Smart’s credit, he’s also a College Football Playoff-winning headman like Day is as of January.
Regardless, ESPN’s Mark Schlabach believes the Bulldogs’ 2025 season will be defined by a Week 5 matchup with the Crimson Tide.
“No Saturday figures to be as important as Georgia’s Sept. 27 game against Alabama at Sanford Stadium, given the Bulldogs’ 1-6 record against the Crimson Tide under coach Kirby Smart,” Schlabach wrote. “Last season, Georgia nearly rallied from a 30-7 deficit at the half in a 41-34 loss at Alabama. The Bulldogs held a 34-33 lead, but then watched it disappear on Jalen Milroe‘s 75-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Williams with 2:18 to play. Another loss to the Tide wouldn’t knock the Bulldogs out of the SEC title game or the CFP, as we saw last season, but it would put them in an early hole.”
Alabama doesn’t yet have a QB. Ty Simpson, Austin Mack, and Keelon Russell can all conceivably start. The Crimson Tide’s QB competition is wide open with Ryan Grubb now in the mix as offensive coordinator.
As the old saying goes, if you have multiple QBs, you actually have none. Georgia is firmly behind Gunner Stockton, so if nothing else, UGA has a locker room leader who’s had the locker room all year. Alabama is playing catch-up, especially if they go transfer portal hunting in April.
Losing to the Crimson Tide at home would be a hard early-season narrative to overcome. Smart needs to avoid that just as DeBoer did last September.
