We are heading into Week 5 of the 2025 NCAA Football season. One of the games fans want to be sure to catch is the nationally televised matchup between longtime SEC rivals, Alabama and Georgia. This weekend’s game between the two storied teams marks the 75th meeting between the Crimson Tide and the Bulldogs. Saturday’s game takes place at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia.
Alabama heads into Week 5 of the NCAA season as the No. 17 team in the nation. They are 2-1 on the season. This week is the team’s first SEC matchup. As for Georgia, they are ranked No. 5 with a 3-0 record this year. The Bulldogs are 1-0 in the SEC coming off a 44-41 overtime win over the Tennessee Volunteers. Alabama dropped its season opener to Florida State (31-17). The Crimson Tide defeated the Wisconsin Badgers 38-14 in their most recent outing. Both teams head into Week 5 of the NCAA season having had a week off.
Alabama has the edge in its rivalry with Georgia, with a 44-26-4 record. The last time the teams met was in September 2024. The Crimson Tide won that game 41-34.
Alabama was one of the preseason favorites to win the SEC in 2025, those hopes might have been put on pause after their loss to Florida State, who are currently ranked at No. 8. The Crimson Tide have a chance to get back in that conversation in a big way with a win on the road against Georgia in Week 5.
This could be the toughest test of the year for Alabama, so expect the team to be well prepared for the Bulldogs. The key to the game for Alabama will be the passing game of junior quarterback Ty Simpson. If the Alabama offensive line can give Simpson the time he needs, he should be able to find receivers open against a Georgia secondary that has been good, but not great this season. Simpson did not have a good game against Florida State, going 23-for-43. But he was much better in the next two games, going 41-for-46 with seven touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Alabama is No. 2 in passing yards on offense in the SEC (335.7 per game), but the team is near the bottom of the conference in rushing yards (123.7 per game). If Simpson can’t establish the pass, the Crimson Tide will struggle.
Georgia is lucky to have a 3-0 record. The Bulldogs beat Tennessee in overtime, but that game could have easily gone the other way. If head coach Kirby Smart wants to put the Tennessee game behind him, and he should, he needs to have the Bulldogs dialed in on defense and ready for the passing game of Alabama.
Georgia’s defense is not the dominant force it once was so far this season. The Bulldogs defense in the bottom half of the SEC in yards per game (299.7), near the bottom in passing yards per game (217.0), while being fairly strong against the run (82.7) yards per game. Tennessee put up 371 passing yards against the Bulldogs, with Chris Brazzell II having 177 receiving yards. The Georgia secondary must be better against the aggressive passing game of the Crimson Tide.
Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton is 63 for 89 this year with a 70.8 completion rate. He has four passing touchdowns and zero interceptions. The team’s passing offense is in the middle of the SEC, averaging 261.3 yards per game. The Bulldogs are picking up an average of 209 yards per game on the ground.
This game could go either way, and the outcome won’t be a surprise. As good as Alabama has been in its past two outings, the team still has that flat loss to Florida State on its record this season, and that leaves one to wonder what version of the Crimson Tide will show up. Meanwhile, Georgia is playing at home after a tight game against Tennessee, expect them to be dialed in and to get a closely contested victory on Saturday.
The betting pick is for the Georgia Bulldogs to beat the Alabama Crimson Tide in Week 5 NCAA football action.
Trent is a professional sports journalist specializing in UFC, MMA, and esports coverage. His work has been featured in prestigious publications such as USA Today Sports, Vice, Bloody Elbow, Fight! Magazine, UFC 360, and Narratively. Trent's connection to MMA dates back to the early days when he and his friends pooled their resources to purchase the pay-per-view broadcast of UFC 1. He also has extensive experience in esports, particularly League of Legends and Counter Strike, dating back to the game's launch.