TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Campus is buzzing as we inch closer to kickoff between Georgia and Alabama on Saturday night in Tuscaloosa.
One of the biggest matchups of the season will take place inside Bryant-Denny Stadium this weekend, as Kalen DeBoer looks to secure his first signature win as the Alabama head coach. And it would come against a team, and coach, that the Tide can assuredly call a ‘rival’ now.
The obvious difference in this game is the coach who will not be roaming the opposite sideline as Kirby Smart, but rather sitting in a suite above the field. We've seen countless classics between Nick Saban and Kirby Smart, but this time it's obviously different. But that hasn't changed the excitement for this top-5 matchup, as Alabama looks for its chance to get a leg up in the SEC, while also making sure the Bulldogs don't leave Tuscaloosa with a win.
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As for the fans, they packed the ‘Quad’ on Friday afternoon, some of them waiting for ‘College Gameday’ to go live, while others were soaking in the atmosphere of bands playing and students enjoying some cornhole to the sound of ‘Sweet Home Alabama’.
For the students and their interesting decorations that will welcome Georgia fans into town on Saturday, some of them got creative with their verbiage, while some won't get into this article. Driving around campus, it was hard not to feel the excitement level picking up, as students decorated their houses with bedsheets, with some entertaining words that even made me laugh.
Georgia Fans Traveling In Droves To Tuscaloosa For Game, Along With Trump
This is the most fascinating aspect to a rivalry game like this. I know, I'm a little weird, but seeing massive amounts of visiting team fans travel to watch their team play is pretty darn cool.
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This will certainly be the case for Georgia fans this weekend in the Tuscaloosa area, as plenty of Bulldogs made their way onto the Alabama campus on Friday. This doesn't compare to the amount of Georgia fans that descended upon the hotel I was staying at. Judging by the number of check-ins, this will be a raucous environment on Saturday night inside of Bryant-Denny.
Alabama fans are preparing for one wild party on Saturday, as Georgia heads into town
Alabama fans are preparing for one wild party on Saturday, as Georgia heads into town.
The biggest question I have concerns the security lines to get into the game on Saturday night, as former President Donald Trump makes his way to Tuscaloosa. Couldn’t he have gone to Penn State versus Illinois? I'm not election expert, but I would imagine there's more to lose in Pennsylvania. Thanks for making this already tough trip even worse, but I digress.
This is setting up to be one of the premier games in the conference, until the month of October comes around and we get Georgia at Texas, and Alabama at Tennessee.
But for the moment, all eyes will be on Tuscaloosa, as both teams enter this game with national championship aspirations. And guess what? Whichever team loses on Saturday night will still be in contention for the college football playoff.
Funny how this new 12-team format has taken some of the juice away. But don’t worry, there will be enough madness tonight in Alabama.
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