ESPN College GameDay heading to Tuscaloosa for Georgia vs Alabama showdown

The big grudge match between Georgia and Alabama didn't need any more hype, but it got it anyway thanks to the announcement made this morning on ESPN College GameDay.

Before the show in Norman, Oklahoma, was thirty minutes old, host Rece Davis announced that the show would be heading to Tuscaloosa for the much-ballyhooed game between the Bulldogs and the Crimson Tide.

"One of the biggest games of the year" ESPN proclaimed, and it's not hyperbole. People have been pointing to this rematch of the two SEC titans since the schedule was announced last year.

The Dawgs and Tide have battled for SEC and national championships six times since 2012, with only one of those games -- the 2022 National Championship Game -- going Georgia's way. It's been an epic series of games.

This will be the first regular-season meeting between the two teams since 2020, a 41-24 Alabama win in Tuscaloosa. Prior to that, Georgia and Alabama hadn't played in T-Town since 2007 when the Bulldogs topped Bama in overtime, 26-23.

How many times has ESPN College GameDay been in Tuscaloosa?

Per the official NCAA website, Alabama has hosted the ESPN pregame show 31 times since the show's start in 1993, with 19 of those coming in Tuscaloosa, starting with the Crimson Tide's 21-14 win against Auburn Nov. 19, 1994. The other times Alabama has been the host the location was in Birmingham

Alabama has 37 wins when appearing on College GameDay in 59 appearances, regardless of location, while Georgia has 36 appearances on the show with just 17 wins.

Both Georgia and Alabama are off this week, which means both teams should be rested and ready for the big game on September, 28. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 pm ET on ABC and ESPN+.