3 ways the Crimson Tide can beat the Bulldogs

The expansion of the College Football Playoff doesn’t necessarily make this a “must-win game,” but…it’s a must-win game for both Georgia and Alabama, albeit for slightly different reasons.

For Georgia, it’s the first of three gigantic road tests against top-10 teams that will go a long way toward defining the team this season.

And for Alabama, it’s a prime-time showcase for Kalen DeBoer to prove that, at least initially, he’s the right man to replace Nick Saban and that he has the coaching credentials to take on an SEC powerhouse to deal with.

While not everything is at stake, there is still a lot at stake, and the loser is a notable step backwards in their respective projects.

Where does Alabama go in this game? Here are the three biggest things the Crimson Tide need to do to beat Georgia on Saturday night.

Going into DeBoer’s first season, one of this team’s big questions, including from Saban himself as an ESPN analyst, was the state of Alabama’s back-seven pass defense.

It lost two great cornerbacks in Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold and two elite safeties in Caleb Downs and Jaylen Key.

Their backup players — including Michigan transfer safety Keon Sabb, former USC defensive back Domani Jackson and five-stars Jaylen Mbawke and Zabien Brown — have performed well as defensive coordinator Kane Wommack has rotated the backcourt personnel, leading to led to different results.

Most of them are great: The defense as a whole has done well against the pass, ranking 7th nationally in total yardage allowed and allowing just 52.3 percent completions to opposing passers while allowing just 6.2 yards per attempt allows the best grade in FBS.

Georgia has some speedy speedsters for Beck to call upon, including Dominic Lovett and Arian Smith, but so far that receiving corps appears to have regressed in the absence of Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey.

It’s no secret that Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe is a great dual threat, but DeBoer has exploited that mobility a bit more aggressively than Saban did at this point last season.

The results have increased the Tide’s offensive capacity on big plays. One of the best rushing quarterbacks in the country, Milroe has 156 yards rushing this year and two rushing scores in each of the last three games, already 50 percent of his rushing TD total from a year ago.

And while Alabama has honed its repertoire of explosive plays, Georgia’s defense, suffocating at almost every stage, looked vulnerable in limited action against mobile quarterbacks. Kentucky’s Brock Vandagriff, on the other hand, averaged almost 8 yards per carry.

Milroe’s game is far from limited to his legs: 5 of his 8 passing touchdowns are longer than 20 yards, the best mark of any quarterback in the country.

But his ability to leave the Bulldogs’ scrimmage tacklers half a step behind with a series of improvised runs, and the ability to extend plays to spread them out and give his receivers that much-needed extra second to get out of their coverages breaking out will be critical.

Kirby Smart has preferred to build his Georgia offense around the running game, hoping to initially control the line of scrimmage and use that strength later to open things up downfield.

But that strategy could run into trouble as No. 2 running back Roderick Robinson is expected to miss the game, guard Tate Ratledge is injured and Alabama’s front seven appears ready to attack.

Georgia’s ground attack failed against Kentucky as the team managed less than 4 yards per carry, and this year it ranks just 84th nationally averaging 145 yards per game.

The lack of an articulated run-blocking system might bring back memories of when the Bulldogs ran for just 2.5 yards per reception in the SEC title game last year. Advantage, Alabama.

More… How Georgia can beat Alabama

And…Georgia vs Alabama score prediction by expert model

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