Georgia heads to Alabama this week for a top-five showdown in Tuscaloosa, Ala. It’s a monster matchup for all the obvious reasons, but there is a pocket of the college football internet that has complained that it is somehow lacking.
Now, of course it is not going to have the same stakes as some of the recent games between Georgia and Alabama. In the past three years, they’ve met twice in the SEC championship game and, famously, they played against one another in the national championship game in January 2022. A September showdown is never going to feel the same as those games.
But what I do take issue with is the insinuation that Saturday’s game is meaningless in the 12-team College Football Playoff era. I’ve seen a few pundits say this, and I hate this take. They think it’s a bad thing that the loser of this Georgia-Alabama game could easily still make the College Football Playoff — and because of that, they think the expanded Playoff devalues the regular season.
The thing is, the loser of a September game like this would always stay alive in the CFP race. The easy parallel is Texas-Alabama last year; both teams ended up making the four-team CFP. If you’re good enough to explain away a loss or show the selection committee you’ve improved over the course of the year, you’ve always been able to overcome what seemed like a debilitating loss, even when there were only four available spots in the CFP.
RELATED: Week 5 College Football Playoff projection
I freely admit that the loser of Georgia-Alabama will remain in the mix for a CFP berth in my weekly projections. I think the loser of this game could end up running the table in December and January and hoisting a trophy as confetti falls. To me, that takes nothing away from a high-stakes game in September. I’d never root for fewer games and less football just to make individual matchups seem bigger due to scarcity. I find joy in the sport beyond the chase for a national championship. And Saturday’s game means a lot to fans, coaches and players on both sides not just because of its CFP implications.
It is Kalen DeBoer’s first marquee matchup as the new Alabama coach. He replaced the greatest coach in college football history and the game’s elder statesman; Kirby Smart has stepped into that latter role quite nicely in the months since Nick Saban’s retirement. Even though Georgia missed out on the CFP last season, Smart’s program remains the gold standard in the sport and will serve as a great barometer for Jalen Milroe and co. on Saturday.
I, for one, can’t wait to watch two uber-talented teams go against each other for three and a half hours on a Saturday night — even if the result doesn’t completely wreck the loser’s season.
Here’s what else I’m watching for in Week 5 of the college football season:
Can Oklahoma fix its offensive woes?
Former five-star quarterback Jackson Arnold was benched in the first half of the Sooners’ loss to Tennessee a week ago. Now, true freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. gets his first start, and it comes against an Auburn team that already seems to be spiraling. The Tigers have quarterback issues of their own — which is a problem for Hugh Freeze, who is supposed to be something of an offensive guru — but both their starter and his backup appear extremely turnover-prone, so their options are limited. Oklahoma’s might not be. Last week against the Vols, Hawkins completed 11 of 18 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown, a stat line that isn’t impressive but was significantly better than what Arnold was doing out there. The Sooner defense is good enough to keep this team in SEC games. Can the offense improve to give the team a chance to win them?
Can Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard throw the ball effectively?
He’s probably going to need to, if the Irish are going to beat No. 15 Louisville at home. Leonard is a really good, tough runner — he’s rushed for more than 100 yards in each of Notre Dame’s last two games — but we’ve seen him miss some wide-open receivers and struggle to establish enough of a vertical passing game to actually stress defenses. Jeff Brohm’s offenses are always creative and explosive, which means that the Irish will need to be able to keep up when they have the ball, too. We’ll see what Leonard is capable of.
Will John Mateer’s magic run out against Boise State?
Through four games, the Wazzu quarterback has taken us all on a wild ride. He’s just as capable of throwing a backbreaking interception as he is of breaking off a long touchdown run. And he’s been sensational when the Cougs have had their backs against the wall in recent weeks. Can he lead Washington State to a 5-0 start with a win over No. 25 Boise State? The Broncos are led by star running back Ashton Jeanty, a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender. They’re also a favorite to win the Mountain West and contend for a spot in the CFP. This matchup might be one of the best of the weekend.
