College GameDay podcast makes SEC Championship picks for Alabama vs. Georgia

Anticipation is building for Saturday’s SEC Championship Game. With that in mind, the College GameDay podcast crew laid out their predictions for Alabama vs. Georgia, with both Pete Thamel and Rece Davis offering their assessments of a rivalry that has defined the conference for over a decade.

First, Thamel leaned toward Georgia, pointing to the Bulldogs’ steadiness and Alabama’s injury concerns entering the matchup: “Georgia has been more consistent this season than Alabama,” he said, noting that the Crimson Tide may be without running back Jam Miller and have already sustained other injuries elsewhere. 

Additionally, Thamel believes the Bulldogs have mastered the art of pulling out close wins. “They’ve sort of learned the skill,” he added. “So I think they’re going to push forward. It’s going to be Gunner Stockton’s night.”

Meanwhile, Davis emphasized Alabama’s deep-rooted confidence in the series despite Georgia’s rise under Kirby Smart: “They’ve lost 10 out of 11 to Alabama, even predating Kirby,” Davis explained. “Alabama believes that they’re going to beat Georgia. They just have an innate confidence when they play them.” 

Still, Davis ultimately sided with the Bulldogs in what he expects to be a dramatic finish. He predicted Georgia would “repeat as SEC champion and nip Alabama,” leaving the Crimson Tide sweating out Selection Sunday to see if they’ve done enough to slip into the College Football Playoff.

Moreover, Saturday’s showdown marks yet another chapter in a rivalry that continues to shape the sport’s highest stakes. Smart, who is 1–7 against Alabama, acknowledged the playoff-like intensity surrounding the matchup earlier this week. 

“Every game is a playoff game because for us, every game to this point would have probably taken, you know, us out of the SEC Championship game or out of the playoffs. So your back’s against the wall every week in this conference. It’s not new to either team. It’s the next one and you can’t make it bigger than it is,” Smart stated. 

“It’s a big moment. It’s a chance for an SEC Championship and around our place, they put numbers up, you know, in the banners in the hallways for when you win SEC Championships and that’s significant to me. These kids, these players, want an opportunity to win this conference. 

“They mostly grew up around this conference and they know how hard it is to achieve an SEC Championship. So, we want to be at our best. And we got an elite opponent to go against to do it.”

With postseason hopes hanging in the balance for both teams, the SEC Championship Game is once again positioned to deliver one of the most consequential results of the season. We’ll see who gets the job done, but the College GameDay podcast is rocking with the Dawgs.