Georgia, Alabama set to face off in 'strength vs. strength' SEC showdown

It’s not every day you see perennial national title contender Alabama as a home underdog on the college football field. 

But it’s a role the Crimson Tide will play this coming Saturday against the mighty Georgia Bulldogs.

Georgia opened as a short 1-point favorite in Las Vegas and the initial push came on the Bulldogs out to -3. Then, Alabama resistance knocked it down to the current number of Georgia -2, with a total of Over/Under 48.

Alabama hasn’t closed a home pup in 17 years.

"I was a lot younger back then," Golden Nugget executive sportsbook director Tony Miller told FOX Sports. "That speaks to the dominance the Tide reached under Nick Saban and the program he built down in Tuscaloosa.

"It’s weird to see Alabama as a home 'dog. But the conference is loaded. Any of the top SEC teams can win on any given day. I think it’s going to be a barnburner. Watch it come down to whoever has the ball last."

Miller is simply enamored with the SEC’s strength. Five of his six highest power-rated teams are from the nation’s superior conference. Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Texas — not in that order — sit atop his sheet.

There’s basically a war every weekend from here on out.

"Look at Georgia’s slate coming up," Miller said. "They’ve still got Alabama, Texas, Ole Miss and Tennessee. That’s an unreal stretch against four of the best teams in the country. It doesn’t get any tougher than that.

"When you really think about it, Alabama just doesn’t have the pressure Georgia does right now. They’re sort of playing with house money. The Tide aren’t the No. 1 team in the country, they’re at home, and they don’t have Nick Saban ready to tear into them on the sideline for every mistake.

"I’m sure [Jalen] Milroe is a little more relaxed, too."

A big key for Milroe’s maturation at quarterback is Kalen DeBoer, a man who led the Washington Huskies to last year’s National Championship Game and is a whopping 107-12 all-time as a head coach. 

I repeat, 107-12.

On the other side, you’ve got Kirby Smart, a leading man who’s already won two national titles and cut his teeth under Saban. He’s the architect of a defense that’s allowed three points to Clemson, three points to Tennessee Tech and 12 points to Kentucky so far this season.

It’s basically strength vs. strength on Saturday — the offensive creativity of Alabama’s balanced attack against the stingy, work-for-every-yard unit that shipped championship trophies to Athens in back-to-back years.

It should make for strong betting opinions on both sides.

"It’s definitely two-way action so far," Miller reported. "But as you know, most of our money comes in on Thursday, Friday and Saturday for college. We’ll have a much better idea of what we need as we get closer to kickoff."

Playing things forward, Miller envisions a world where half of the new 12-team College Football Playoff field hails from the big, bad SEC. 

And honestly, after you get past Ohio State, Oregon, Miami and the Big 12 champ, why not?

Georgia? "Yup," Miller said.

Texas? "Yup."

Ole Miss? "Yup."

Alabama? "Yup."

Tennessee? "For sure."  

LSU? "Not so sure."

Mizzou. "Eh … let’s say on the edge."

Not too crazy when you talk it out, is it? 

"It’s the best SEC I can ever remember."

Sam Panayotovich is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and BetQL Network. He previously worked for WGN Radio, NBC Sports and VSiN. Follow him on Twitter @spshoot.

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