Greg McElroy predicts winner of Georgia-Alabama game

ESPN college football analyst and former Alabama quarterback, Greg McElroy, ran through his Week 5 predictions on the latest episode of his podcast, Always College Football, where he went in-depth on the Alabama at Georgia matchup.

The Dawgs and Tide are already battle-tested on the road and in spotlight matchups, and this is a chance for Georgia to grab a stranglehold on an SEC Championship spot, and for Alabama, it's an opportunity to rebound on the big stage after a tough loss at Florida State to open the season. Predictably, but perhaps surprisingly in terms of picks, McElroy sided with the Tide to pull off a massive road victory.

"I’m taking Alabama in this game," McElroy declared, explaining how Georgia has some holes that Alabama can exploit. "Part of the reason why is... I feel like the weakness of Georgia was exposed in the Tennessee game. That was their pass rush or lack thereof, or their inability to cover down elite-level wide receivers. I think Alabama’s weapons are better than Tennessee’s. I think Alabama’s secondary is better than Tennessee’s. I think Alabama gets this win in what should be a hard-fought battle there in Sanford Satdium."

McElroy also preached the importance of a fast start for Alabama, not just for gaining the advantage, but to force Georgia to play catch-up, which is not usually their preferred brand of football.

"If Alabama can start fast, take the Sanford Stadium crowd out of it, that could be huge," McElroy added. "If Ty Simpson surgical, hitting some deep shots to Germie Bernard, Ryan Williams, Isaiah Horton, and they can build a double-digit lead at some point, that could force Georgia out of their comfort zone and become a little bit more pass-heavy than they probably want to be."

That would be advantageous for Alabama, McElroy says.

"That kind of plays directly into the hands of Alabama’s super opportunistic ball-hawking secondary," he added. "The Sanford Stadium blackout crowd is a factor. They can cause false starts. They can cause communication issues for the Alabama offense. So I think it’s imperative for the Tide to get off to a good start."

Alabama certainly did not get out to a fast start against Florida State, much the opposite, actually, but if the Tide can jump on the Bulldogs with some early scores + stops, their momentum could be difficult to slow down for a reeling Georgia squad.

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