SEC Round-Up: LANK? Alabama rare home underdog vs. Dawgs

One of the most stunning events in college football occurred on Nov. 3, 2007.

On that Saturday, Navy defeated Notre Dame in triple overtime to end a 43-game losing streak to the Irish.

Also that day, Alabama was an underdog at home against LSU. That was the last time the Crimson Tide was rated an underdog at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Seventeen years later, that streak will come to an end.

No. 4 Alabama is a two-point underdog to No. 2 Georgia in Saturday’s Southeastern Conference clash.

The underdog status is not lost on Alabama players.

“That definitely fuels us a little bit more,” linebacker Deontae Lawson said Tuesday. “But, you know, we’ve always got a chip on our shoulder. ‘LANK,’ we’re living by that.”

In Alabama jargon, “LANK” stands for “Let All Naysayers Know.”

The Naysayers should know that despite Georgia’s recent dominance of college football, coach Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs are just 1-5 vs. Alabama. That includes the Crimson Tide’s 27-24 victory in the SEC championship game last year.

But those five Alabama victories over Georgia were recorded with legendary Nick Saban as the Crimson Tide’s head coach.

Former Washington coach Kalen DeBoer now patrols the Alabama sideline. As luck would have it, Georgia is his first conference opponent.

Luke Evangelist, TexAgs

Now in his 10th season as a head coach, Kalen DeBoer previously led Washington (2022-23) to a 25-3 record including an appearance in the CFP National Championship, where the Huskies fell 34-13 to Michigan.

Welcome to the SEC.

“Every game is a first — first road trip, first game in Bryant-Denny, first conference game,” DeBoer said. “But I think you really just try to simplify it. Any big game, you know, the next one is always the biggest one, right? You win this one, the next one becomes the main one and so forth.”

Not quite. Vanderbilt is next for Alabama. Although the Commodores are indeed improved, that game is not nearly as big as a clash between SEC traditional powerhouses.

DeBoer would be wise to realize this. Smart already does.

“It’s the reason kids wanna come to Georgia,” Smart said. “They say, ‘I wanna play in games like that.’ Most viewed game two weeks ago Saturday night was our game. It’s gonna probably be that way this Saturday night. When you start looking at it, kids wanna have an opportunity to play in those type of games. And we’re gonna have more of them after this.”

They could have more big games vs. Alabama. There’d be little surprise if Georgia and Alabama played three times this season. Would it really be a shocking surprise if they meet again in the SEC championship game and in the College Football Playoff?

The teams have their similarities. Both are 3-0. Both have struggled at times. Georgia eked out a 13-12 victory over Kentucky. Alabama blasted South Florida, 46-16, but that game was 21-16 with less than six minutes remaining.

Also, both teams have routed a highly regarded Power 4 opponent. Georgia rolled over Clemson, 34-3. Alabama dominated Wisconsin, 42-10.

The similarities end there.

Georgia’s success is based on a physical, dominant defense which has not allowed a touchdown this season.

Alabama has an explosive offense which is ranked sixth in scoring.

“You’ve got a system that’s in place where guys are understanding and trusting who’s gonna be where,” DeBoer said of Georgia. “So what you’ve got to try to do is create the opportunities with your matchups, create opportunities and try to do what you can do to get a step and get that defense to freeze or flinch.”

That starts with Jalen Milroe, a dual-threat quarterback who’s thrown for eight touchdowns and rushed for six.

“People think he's just a runner, and that's not the case,” Smart said of Milroe. “He can do things with his arm that other people can't. He can reach spots on the field and get it there faster than you can brake on it better than most ‘arm talent’ people.”

But no defense is more capable of containing a threat like Milroe than Georgia.

That's why Alabama is again an underdog at home.

Around the SEC

This week’s games: No. 24 Texas A&M vs. Arkansas (Arlington); Kentucky at No. 6 Ole Miss; No. 21 Oklahoma at Auburn; Mississippi State at No. 1 Texas; No. 2 Georgia at No. 4 Alabama; South Alabama at No. 14 LSU

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In 22 games across four seasons in Baton Rouge, Garrett Nussmeier has passed for 2,967 yards (242-of-379) and 24 touchdowns with nine interceptions.

Who’s hot: Despite playing three Power 4 opponents and two among the nation’s top 30 in pass defense, LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is ranked No. 7 in the nation in passing. He’s thrown for 1,247 yards and 13 touchdowns while completing 70.6 percent of his attempts. He threw for 308 yards and two TDs vs. USC, which No. 24 in pass defense. He had 285 passing yards and two TDs vs. South Carolina, which is No. 30. Last week he had a season-high 352 passing yards and three touchdowns vs. UCLA.

Who’s not: Mississippi State’s run defense is weak. That’s being kind. The Bulldogs are ranked last in the SEC and 124th in the nation. They allowed 346 rushing yards to Arizona State. Last week Florida rushed for 226. Even Toledo has 169. Those are season-high rushing outputs for each of those MSU opponents.

Keep an eye on: Arkansas running back Ja’Quinden Jackson leads the SEC with 472 rushing yards. He’s rushed for at least 75 yards in every game and has scored eight TDs. He’ll test the Texas A&M run defense, which has been vulnerable at times but has held its last two opponents under 100 yards rushing. The Aggies will be in good shape if they contain Jackson and force Arkansas into obvious passing situations. If Jackson has success, especially on early downs, it could be a long day for A&M.

Pressure is on: Freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins may be counted on to save Oklahoma’s season. The Sooners are an underwhelming 3-1 after falling to Tennessee last week. In that game, Hawkins came off the bench to replace mistake-prone starter Jackson Arnold. Hawkins fared well by completing 11-of-17 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown. Hawkins will provide hope for Sooners fans if he plays well and leads OU to a victory over hapless Auburn. If he struggles, the Sooners faithful may go into full panic mode with Texas, Ole Miss, Missouri, Alabama and LSU remaining on the schedule.

Best matchup: Georgia’s defense hasn’t allowed a touchdown since the SEC championship game a year ago. Of course, that was against Alabama, which the Bulldogs face in the biggest game of the week in college football. Georgia is ranked fourth in the nation in total defense and third in scoring defense. Meanwhile, Alabama is averaging 49 points to rank sixth in the nation in scoring. It’s a classic matchup between an explosive offensive and powerful defense.