Last year’s Alabama vs Georgia was a thriller for sure. But this season, the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs are set to collide again at Sanford Stadium in Week 5 and history hints at another roller coaster. Kirby Smart’s Dawgs enter 3-0, ranked No. 5, and favored by 3.5 points at BetMGM. Kalen DeBoer and Alabama, meanwhile, are 2-1 after a humbling 31-17 loss at Florida State, but the Tide has roared with convincing wins over Louisiana Monroe and Wisconsin. The stage is set and Georgia fans love a hostile home crowd. And that noise could be the X factor. 

Rusty Mansel dropped a hint on Georgia Bulldogs Football on DawgsHQ on September 21. Kalen DeBoer’s star Ryan Williams may be Georgia’s weakness. “What Ryan Williams did last year against Georgia and kind of that was, he had that game and he really has been good,” he said. One of the highest-paid wideouts in college football at north of $1.8M this season, he’s the guy who can flip the game on a dime, and he’s motivated. The sophomore Tide receiver told On3 that Jeremiah Smith “had the better season last year … this time around, I hope I can flex.” And he has a flair for the dramatic. 

Last year, Alabama jumped out to a 28-0 lead, Georgia rallied to 34-33, and Ryan Williams immediately answered with a 75-yard touchdown from Jalen Milroe. One play, and the tide had turned again. This season, the Bulldogs’ defensive front has to feast. “So far for sure nobody benefits from a home crowd more than a defensive front,” Jake Rowe said. “Georgia needs to get as much as they possibly can out of that both from stopping the run and rushing the passer… I don’t see them rolling into Athens and winning this game if they can’t really run the football.” That’s where the Tide could expose the Dawgs’ Achilles’ heel. 

Alabama’s road struggles, 2-5 under Kalen DeBoer away from Tuscaloosa, are a warning sign for the Bulldogs. But he isn’t shy about his team’s mentality either. Post-game at the SEC Coaches Teleconference, he said, “We competed till the end… We kept believing and kept fighting… We’re in a fighter’s mentality mode right now.” That mindset could clash beautifully or painfully with Kirby Smart’s squad. The HC’s lone win came in the 2021 National Championship, a reminder that beating the Tide consistently in this era is easier said than done.

Can Kirby Smart’s Georgia hold its ground against Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama?

Georgia’s 2025 season has been a mix of dominance and close calls, setting the stage for another epic showdown with Alabama. The Bulldogs opened with a 45-10 statement win over Marshall, only to nearly stumble against Austin Peay, 28-6, in a game delayed by lightning. These early tests have forged resilience, giving Kirby Smart’s team the mental toughness it will need to withstand Alabama’s explosive offense and the hostile roar of Sanford Stadium.

Week three against Tennessee showed the Bulldogs’ fight isn’t just talk. They came back from five different deficits to beat the No. 15 Volunteers, 41-34, on the road. That kind of tenacity will be tested again, especially against Ryan Williams, who last year turned Georgia’s brief fourth-quarter lead into a 75-yard touchdown moment that flipped the game. History looms large too. Kirby Smart is just 1-6 against Alabama, and the Tide has consistently found ways to dominate in key moments across multiple venues.

Defense, crowd energy, and timing will be decisive. Georgia’s defensive front must stop the run and pressure Ty Simpson, because Alabama’s road struggles could worsen if the Bulldogs control the trenches. Every play counts, and turnovers or explosive moments could swing momentum instantly for Kalen DeBoer. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC, and fans should expect another SEC classic, with Sanford Stadium once again delivering noise, chaos, and drama worthy of the rivalry’s storied history.