74th meeting. Deep-seated rivalry. Top-5 matchup. There’s a lot to be excited about in regards the Georgia and Alabama primetime battle.

With so many angles to take, here are three storylines to follow that make Saturday’s affair even more interesting:

Welcome to SEC football, Kalen DeBoer

Coach DeBoer’s first rodeo in Tuscaloosa hasn’t faced many bumps in the road, as Alabama has beaten their first three opponents by an average of over 40 points per contest. 

That all changes on Saturday with Georgia coming to town in one of college football’s most-anticipated matchups of the regular season. Drenched in history, the rivalry journeys far beyond the lines, as both programs have connections to the other side. Wherever the game has been played, a high-scoring affair that produces numerous viral snapshots is guaranteed.

DeBoer isn’t new to the big stage, taking Washington to the national title game last season, but Georgia-Alabama is a different animal. There’s no better, yet difficult, way to start conference play for the head coach.

As Nick Saban’s successor, it will be interesting to see how DeBoer fares in the rivalry game.

Performances will play into the Heisman race

As both quarterbacks prepare to face a top defense, what can a top-tier performance do to their Heisman chances? Carson Beck and Jalen Milroe are hoping to remain firmly in the mix among other top contenders.

Although a win is the top priority, a strong showing could give them a leg up on another, and more importantly, on the remaining field. 

Throwin’ DIMES. 🎯
pic.twitter.com/3y466diC6D

— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) September 14, 2024

Effect on the College Football Playoff

Even though it’s only Week Five, a top-5 win for either program provides motivation and moves them one step closer to the SEC title game. Additionally, it builds up their resume for the College Football Playoff.

The Bulldogs have three currently ranked teams remaining on their regular season schedule, and they are all currently in the top 10: No. 1 Texas (Oct. 19), No. 6 Ole Miss (Nov. 16) and No. 5 Tennessee (Nov. 23).

The Crimson Tides’s schedule includes four more ranked opponents after Georgia, with three of them being back-to-back-to-back: No. 5 Tennessee (Oct. 19), No. 11 Missouri (Oct. 26), No. 14 LSU (Nov. 9) and No. 21 Oklahoma (Nov. 23). 

The CFP’s 12-team expansion allows one-loss teams to still build a strong argument for a spot. Two losses, though, make that case much harder to argue.