TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — All eyes are on Tuscaloosa.

That's tended to happen when Alabama and Georgia go head-to-head in recent years. The two college football goliaths have created one of the most competitive modern rivalries in the sport, and Saturday's matchup between the No. 6 Crimson Tide and No. 2 Bulldogs marks a continuation in a series marked with largely competitive games.

I sat down this week and watched every snap from all five of Georgia's games to date. Kirby Smart's squad has rolled to blowout victories against Tennessee State, Western Kentucky, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Vanderbilt. The average margin of victory in those games has been a calm 38 points. So despite the fact that none of those teams looks particularly good this year, we can draw a number of conclusions about the Bulldogs through the sheer dominance they have displayed.

So without further ado, here is what's coming at Alabama this weekend...

Quarterback

Can we please get rid of the negative connotation around "game manager?" The term gets tossed around in an almost derogatory manner, a slur in football verbatim. But the fact of the matter is that Gunner Stockton is a game manager, and he is a great one.

And he does everything Georgia needs him to do to win games.

This program just won consecutive national championships with Stetson Bennett at the helm. Stockton is playing as well, if not better, than Bennett ever did. He looks as polished, as mature, and as disciplined as any quarterback in the nation right now.

The numbers speak for themselves— 1,049 yards, 13 touchdowns, one interception. He leads the SEC in completion percentage (73.5%) and passer rating (202.0). One of the biggest storylines in this game will be whether or not Alabama can force Bennett into a mistake. It won't be easy, especially if rain is a factor.

It doesn't matter how good Alabama's defensive front looks or how many turnovers the secondary has forced. There is no quarterback this team has faced like Stockton, who is also probably the single player on this team whom I feel is least affected by the level of play to start the season. He's shown so many of these traits against some of the best in the SEC already, so I have little doubt that he will be unable to set Georgia up to win the game.

Inside Linebackers

I don't have enough positive things to say about Chris Cole. I'd noticed him in last year's games, I'd seen him in the mock drafts, but I didn't have a full apprecation for how elite he was until I watched these five games without distractions. He is the single player on Georgia who consistently impressed me the most. My NFL scouting analysis should be taken with far less regard than that of the pros, but I fully see why he is being talked about as potentially going in the top half of the first round.

I've been impressed with Alabama's inside linebackers; I think that Caleb Woodson and Luke Metz have formed the core of what has become one of the stronger units on the team. But seeing Georgia reminds us that there are levels to this, and Cole is the heart of an elite group. HIs pursuit and mid-play recognition is elite, and I cannot wait to see him in the open field against EJ Crowell. The freshman has shown flashes of brilliance in making guys miss, Cole has shown a relentless refusal to get beat, so what will happen when they meet?

Then there's Raylen Wilson, whose 24 tackles and two tackles for loss lead the team. The senior is facing Alabama for the fifth time on Saturday, and Alabama fans may recall his 15-tackle masterpiece in the 2023 SEC Championship Game. He's continued to develop and should hear his name called in Day Two of April's draft.

Both of these guys continue the tradition of great Bulldog linebackers. They are the center of Glenn Schumann's defense, and are the single position group on either side of the ball that I have complete confidence in to dominate.

In Conclusion

I thought this game was going to be very fun on Sunday as I started to prepare for the matchup. After watching 300 minutes of Georgia football, I feel very strongly that we could be in for an instant classic.

Neither team has been tested with anything close to what they will face on Saturday, so we'll learn a ton about them both in Bryant-Denny Stadium. My prediction: regardless of who comes out on top, we'll all leave thinking that we just witnessed a great football game between two bona fide national championship contenders.

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