Nick Saban lays out formula for Alabama victory over Georgia

On Saturday's edition of College GameDay live from the Penn State campus ahead of the Nittany Lions' matchup vs. Oregon, Nick Saban spent some time breaking down what his former school, Alabama, must do to earn a huge road victory over Georgia.

The history is well-documented, that Alabama has won nine out of ten against Georgia with a lone loss in the College Football Playoff championship game back in January of 2022. But the Crimson Tide haven't visited Athens in a decade and Coach Saban no longer roams the sidelines, so there's no telling what to expect from a Tide side that should be desperate to get on the board with an SEC victory.

In Nick Saban's eyes, Alabama's success could come down to their effectiveness on the ground.

"I think the big difference is Ty Simpson is playing with confidence, but I think one of the most important things playing against Georgia is... you got to be able to establish the run, alright, so that you have balance on offense," Saban emphasized. "You can't let them tee off, they can't get you in third-and-long. This is going to be one of the most challenging things because Georgia is so good and prides themselves on stopping the run."

Saban knows well from his own run-ins with Kirby Smart's Bulldogs that they do not give an inch in the run game. But if Alabama can fid that crucial balance, that could open Ty Simpson up to hit some bombs against an imperfect back end of the UGA defense.

"One thing Alabama has improved on is their ability to make big plays in these last few games," Saban explained. "Ty Simpson has done a great job since the Florida State game. So this is going to be a key, because Georgia's had a little issue giving up some big plays, not playing the ball well in the deep part of the field, which is critical in playing good defensive back."

In summation, Saban laid out a simple formula for an Alabama loss: fail to establish the run, face inconsistency on early downs and, consequently, too many long third downs where he believes Georgia can dial up "100 ways to pressure you."

A Georgia defense that has to keep more of its pieces around the line of scrimmage might have to leave its secondary more exposed, and that's a secondary that's struggled to keep the lid on defenses the way we typically expect for Georgia. So, per Saban, that's why an efficient run game creating third and manageable is so important.