No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 4 Alabama football: Time, TV channel, how to watch

You can take Nick Saban out of Alabama football, but you can’t take Alabama football out of Nick Saban.

Well, sort of. 

ESPN’s College Gameday announced on X on Friday afternoon that former Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s wife, Terry Saban, also known as "Ms. Terry," will be the celebrity guest picker for the Week 5 show. The program will be taking place in Tuscaloosa ahead of Georiga and Alabama's primetime matchup. 

In the announcement, Terry Saban asked Crimson Tide fans to come to Denny Chimes tower on Saturday morning and added that she's going to beat her husband in predictions.

Nick Saban joined the College GameDay crew in February after he retired in January.

The show will air from 9 a.m. ET to 12 p.m. ET.

This weekend in Tuscaloosa we are so excited to have the one and only Ms. Terry as our guest picker! 🤩

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay)

74th meeting. Deep-seated rivalry. Top-5 matchup. There's a lot to be excited about in regards the Georgia and Alabama primetime battle.

With so many angles to take, here are three storylines to follow that make Saturday's affair even more interesting:

Welcome to SEC football, Kalen DeBoer

Coach DeBoer’s first rodeo in Tuscaloosa hasn’t faced many bumps in the road, as Alabama has beaten their first three opponents by an average of over 40 points per contest. 

That all changes on Saturday with Georgia coming to town in one of college football’s most-anticipated matchups of the regular season. Drenched in history, the rivalry journeys far beyond the lines, as both programs have connections to the other side. Wherever the game has been played, a high-scoring affair that produces numerous viral snapshots is guaranteed.

DeBoer isn’t new to the big stage, taking Washington to the national title game last season, but Georgia-Alabama is a different animal. There’s no better, yet difficult, way to start conference play for the head coach.

As Nick Saban’s successor, it will be interesting to see how DeBoer fares in the rivalry game.

Performances will play into the Heisman race

As both quarterbacks prepare to face a top defense, what can a top-tier performance do to their Heisman chances? Carson Beck and Jalen Milroe are hoping to remain firmly in the mix among other top contenders.

Although a win is the top priority, a strong showing could give them a leg up on another, and more importantly, on the remaining field. 

Throwin’ DIMES. 🎯

— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL)

Effect on the College Football Playoff

Even though it's only Week Five, a top-5 win for either program provides motivation and moves them one step closer to the SEC title game. Additionally, it builds up their resume for the College Football Playoff.

The Bulldogs have three currently ranked teams remaining on their regular season schedule, and they are all currently in the top 10: No. 1 Texas (Oct. 19), No. 6 Ole Miss (Nov. 16) and No. 5 Tennessee (Nov. 23).

The Crimson Tides's schedule includes four more ranked opponents after Georgia, with three of them being back-to-back-to-back: No. 5 Tennessee (Oct. 19), No. 11 Missouri (Oct. 26), No. 14 LSU (Nov. 9) and No. 21 Oklahoma (Nov. 23). 

The CFP’s 12-team expansion allows one-loss teams to still build a strong argument for a spot. Two losses, though, make that case much harder to argue. 

Arguably the regular season game of the year, Georgia and Alabama meet less than 12 months after their matchup in the SEC Championship where Alabama won 27-24. On top of snapping the Bulldogs' 29 straight conference victory streak, an SEC record, the win catapulted the Crimson Tide into the College Football Playoff and pushed Georgia out.

Saturday marks the first regular season meeting between both teams since 2020. And with seven ranked opponents combined left on their schedules, a win could eventually become the determining factor of whether each team makes it into the CFP.

Seasons so far

• 🐶 Georgia
  • Dominated in season-opener against then-No. 14 Clemson 34-3, but struggled offensively against unranked Kentucky, winning 13-12
  • Following the win against Kentucky, sophomore linebacker Raylen Wilson was named Co-SEC Defensive Player of the Week; junior defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins was named Co-Defensive Line Player of the Week
  • The Bulldogs' defense has been lights out in their first three contests, ranking first pass yards per game allowed (91.3), third in total yards per game allowed (202.0) and fourth in points per game allowed (6.0). 
  • Coach Kirby Smart said that he’s "hopeful" defensive end Mykel Williams, a projected top pick in the 2025 NFL draft, is ready to go after injuring his left ankle against Clemson
• 🔴⚪️ Alabama
  • Quarterback Jalen Milroe holds the fourth-best passer rating in the nation at 213.4
  • Alabama’s offensive line was chosen as the Outland Trophy Players of the Week following the team’s strong performance against Wisconsin in Week 3
  • 17-year-old phenom wideout Ryan Williams leads the Crimson Tide in receiving yards with 285 yards on 10 receptions and four touchdowns.

Alabama's 17-year-old WR Ryan Williams has made an immediate splash

In the latest AP Top 25 Poll rankings, much hasn’t changed for either team — Alabama has stayed stagnant each week while Georgia has remained at or close to the top. The Bulldogs and the Crimson Tide are in bold.