Entering the 2026 season there are two clear favorites in the SEC. Vegas gave Texas and Georgia much better odds to win the conference than anyone else, so that has given off the feeling that it is a two team race this season.
That however couldn't be further from the truth.
Texas may be the biggest threat to Georgia's hopes of winning the SEC for a third year in a row, but that doesn't mean they can overlook every other team in the league. That is especially the case with Alabama who Georgia will have to play on the road this season, and Nick Saban made sure that UGA doesn't overlook them even for a second.
NEW: Nick Saban on Alabama ahead of the 2026 season:
— On3 (@On3) July 22, 2026
"They’re flying under the radar."
(via @SECNetwork) https://t.co/PJ8Pupo0tI pic.twitter.com/YtBNzRWM1g
Nick Saban warns Georgia to not overlook his Crimson Tide
Alabama has slid as a program ever since Saban retired. Most people expected that to occur, but it is a bit strange to see the Tide not be as strong as they once were.
That being said, they are still really good. In the two years post-Saban they have beaten Georgia twice and made it to the SEC Championship game. Georgia thankfully got the last laugh by beating them in the SEC Championship game last season, but they are still a program that is capable of beating any team in the country.
That includes this year even if they have to start a new quarterback.
Saban could just be saying this because of his Alabama ties, but he most likely is right that they are flying under the radar. Alabama dominated for so long that everyone was happy to see them finally take a step back these last two years, but just because they aren't as strong as they were during the prime Saban years doesn't mean they still aren't really good.
The three team Georgia should be most worried about in 2026
Texas may be the favorite to beat Georgia this year, but the Bulldogs do not play them during the regular season. They do however have three really strong teams that are threats in SEC that they do face during the regular season, so that's who Georgia should be worried about most right now.
Alabama is one of those teams along with Oklahoma and Ole Miss.
The Sooners are Georgia's first true test of the season in week four. Thankfully they do get Oklahoma at home, but the Sooners may have the best defense in the conference this year to pair with a healthy John Mateer under center.
Then there is Ole Miss who has beat Georgia each of the last two years and has arguably the best quarterback in the country in Trinidad Chambliss who torched UGA last season.
It's unlikely that Kirby Smart will allow Georgia to overlook any of these teams, but that is especially the case with Alabama. He wouldn't have overlooked them even if Saban never said this because of how many times he's lost to the Tide, and anyone who overlooks Alabama probably shouldn't be a college football head coach in the first place.
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