In Week 5, Georgia met the new version of the Alabama Crimson Tide, the one without Nick Saban leading the program. It turns out that under Kalen DeBoer, Alabama is still Alabama and Kirby Smart fell to 1-6 all-time against the Crimson Tide with a 41-34 loss.
Jalen Milroe is leading the race for the Heisman Trophy after throwing for 374 yards with two touchdowns and adding another 117 and two touchdowns on the ground. DeBoer kept the core of the team together after he took over in Tuscaloosa and Saban certainly didn’t leave the cupboard bare.
Where Bama did shed talent, the secondary and at wide receiver, DeBoer had two freshmen step up. Ryan Williams, the 17-year-old phenom, caught the game-winning 75-yard touchdown, and Zabien Brown went one-on-one with Georgia wide receiver Colbie Young and sealed the victory with an interception.
Alabama has the best win of the season, even better than Texas winning in the Big House, and while the Longhorns continue to win with Arch Manning, they’ll be tested in SEC play soon enough and right now, I’m picking Georgia to win that matchup in Austin on October 19.
The game that I’m less confident that Georgia will win is against Tennessee. The Volunteers were on a bye in Week 5, but as we’re reshuffling and recalibrating the top of the conference, it’s hard to deny how dominant Josh Heupel’s team has been. I expect the top four teams in the SEC to make the College Football Playoff, and with Ole Miss’s 20-17 loss to Kentucky at home this weekend, it’s crystal clear who those four teams are.
Lane Kiffin still has a path back to the CFP picture, but that would include a win over Georgia and after Georgia’s second-half comeback in Tuscaloosa, I don’t see that happening.
Missouri has a favorable schedule, but so far the Tigers are coasting off the reputation they earned last season and haven’t looked nearly as dynamic on offense without running back Cody Schrader, who is playing for the San Francisco 49ers now. In Week 6, Eli Drinkwitz’s team will face Texas A&M and whichever team wins that game will have potential runway to the SEC Championship game.
Missouri’s toughest test will be at Alabama, but even with one loss, they could get in. Texas A&M has a non-conference loss to Notre Dame on its resume, but if the Aggies beat Missouri, they could be undefeated in SEC play when Texas comes to town on November 30.