The highly anticipated SEC showdown between No. 2 Georgia and No. 6 Alabama is facing a massive curveball. Tropical Storm Isaias is churning in the Gulf Coast and threatening to turn the heavyweight battle into a muddy monsoon. With the potential for torrential rain, 40 mph wind gusts, and even flash floods on the table, fans are understandably anxious.

In SEC football, heavy autumn rain and coastal storms are the ultimate equalizer. A bad storm strips away fast-paced passing attacks and forces elite teams into ugly, low-scoring ground battles. Across the South, top coaches do not just pray the storm passes; they spend whole practice weeks soaking footballs and practicing slippery handoffs so their players do not freeze up when game day turns into a mud bowl.

However, Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart joined ESPN’s SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt to explain that when it comes to the elements, his team isn’t just sitting around hoping for blue skies. Smart revealed that preparing for a major storm requires getting creative on the practice field. “You turn on the sprinkler systems, and you start spraying things down,” Smart said when Scott Van Pelt asked how you prepare for a game like this.

It may seem like a chaotic way to practice, but Smart believes forcing his players to adapt to wet conditions is the only way to build the muscle memory needed before stepping into a stadium under a literal weather warning.

This extreme preparation routine isn’t something Smart came up with on the fly. It is a direct page out of the Nick Saban playbook. Smart spent years as Saban’s defensive coordinator at Alabama and recalled his former mentor’s strict preparation routine.

“Under coach Saban, every third or fourth day in camp we would do the wet ball drill. And there are a lot of coaches, especially receivers coaches and quarterbacks coaches, that didn’t like it, but you appreciated it when you played in the rain,” Smart said.

Even with the sprinklers running at full blast during practice, Smart was incredibly candid about how difficult it is to fully simulate a tropical system. He admitted that during a real storm, the football moves and feels “a little looser” than it does during a controlled practice session.

“So it’s something that we prepare for, we look at, but you can’t realistically prepare because the ball is a little looser. We played a game earlier this year in the rain and weather, and we had multiple fumbles, so did the other team.”

Georgia experienced rainy conditions earlier this season against Western Kentucky in Week 2. Although the Bulldogs dominated the Hilltoppers in a 70-20 victory, the slick football created problems for both teams.

There were four fumbles in the game, with each side losing two. In one of the wildest plays of the season, Georgia safety Blake Stewart intercepted a pass and returned it toward the goal line, only to fumble the ball just before crossing the end zone.

Fortunately for Georgia, teammate Tyriq Green recovered the loose ball in the end zone to secure a bizarre touchdown.

That experience made ball security the ultimate priority. Against Western Kentucky, Georgia managed to overcome those mistakes. But against an Alabama team that thrives on creating turnovers, protecting the football could become the deciding factor.

Adding to the challenge, history has not been kind to Georgia against the Crimson Tide. The Bulldogs have not beaten Alabama in the regular season since 2009, and Smart is just 2-9 against his former team.

Smart also believes the weather could have a major impact on the kicking game. However, Georgia kicker Peyton Woodring appears to already be preparing for the challenge.

Woodring, who is riding an incredible streak of 206 consecutive extra points made, echoed his coach’s comments by explaining that the team practices with “wet ball drills” every week. The wind is projected to bring gusts between 30 and 40 mph.

Woodring explained that his plan is to use pregame warmups to understand how the wind moves through both sides of Bryant-Denny Stadium, creating a mental map of how much he needs to adjust his kicks.

While meteorologists suggest the worst of the rain could move through Tuscaloosa before the 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff, the uncertainty is still creating major concerns. Some analysts and weather experts, including Alabama meteorologist James Spann, have suggested that moving the game to Sunday night could be the safest option.

However, doing so would create a logistical nightmare because of conflicts with Sunday NFL broadcasts. For now, the SEC and Alabama athletic officials have maintained that there are no official plans to change the kickoff time.

Kirby Smart is doing his best to block out the outside noise and treat the weather as something completely out of his control. Along with the tropical storm concerns, Georgia is also preparing for a unique environment with increased security protocols, as President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend the game in person.

Regardless of the conditions, whether they play under clear skies or in the middle of a literal monsoon, the Bulldogs plan to rely on their physicality and finally get the job done against Alabama.