Alabama at Georgia: Three Key Matchups to Watch

Sep 26, 2015; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban prior to the game against Louisiana Monroe Warhawks at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

In a clash of SEC heavyweights with national championship aspirations, Alabama at Georgia is one of the must-see games of the 2015 college football season.

The Nick Saban-led Alabama football dynasty – which has included three SEC titles and three national championships to date – began September 27, 2008. That night, in front of a Blackout crowd of more than 92,000 at Sanford Stadium, No. 8 Alabama rolled to a 31-0 halftime lead over No. 3 Georgia, and held on for a 41-30 victory. The Crimson Tide finished the regular season undefeated, losing only to eventual national champion Florida in the SEC Championship Game, and won it all the following year.

More from Alabama Crimson Tide

• #10 Alabama football: 3 takeaways from close road win against USF
• College Football Playoff: Projected top 4 after Week 2
• Biggest winners and losers from College Football Week 2
• Alabama football: Is the Nick Saban Dynasty officially over?
• Alabama football: 3 bold predictions vs. No. 11 Texas in Week 2

Alabama and Georgia have met only once since, a 32-28 Crimson Tide victory in the 2012 SEC Championship Game, but the Bulldogs have fallen well short of the success Alabama has had since Saban took over in Tuscaloosa. Georgia has won the SEC East on just one other occasion during that span, and fell to LSU 42-10 in the 2011 conference title game. But this year’s Georgia squad is shaping up to be the best in over a decade.

As the teams prepare to kickoff between the hedges, the No.8-ranked Bulldogs are a slight favorite to knock off No. 12 Alabama. A win would be huge for head coach Mark Richt and company, who are seeking the program’s first national championship in 35 years and their first SEC title since 2005. A loss would also be severely damaging for the Crimson Tide, who come in 3-1 overall, but 0-1 in the SEC after a 43-37 loss to Ole Miss in Week 3. On the site in which the Alabama football dynasty unofficially began seven years ago, it could come to an end.

As we look ahead to the SEC game of the week, there are three key matchups to watch.

Next: Begin Slideshow