By RALPH D. RUSSO, Associated Press
If a No. 2 vs. No. 3 matchup can be a Game of the Century, this might be it.
No. 2 Alabama hosts No. 3 Georgia on Saturday after the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs held their spots behind No. 1 Clemson in the latest AP Top 25.
The Tigers received 59 first-place votes, but don’t be surprised if that changes dramatically after Georgia and Alabama square off.
In college football history, the No. 1 vs. 2 regular-season matchups usually get the Game of the Century moniker.
There have been 24 of those in the history of the AP poll, dating to 1936, including LSU-Alabama last year.
The 2-3 game has been even more rare. This will be the 17th in the regular season, not including conference championship games, and the first since Ohio State and Michigan played one in 2016. You might remember it for an overtime spot on a critical fourth down that went the Buckeyes way.
Some of the other notable 2-3 games include: 1992 Miami-Florida State, aka Wide Right II; Colorado’s breakthrough victory against Nebraska in 1989; and Minnesota beating Michigan 7-6 on the way to the 1940 national championship in the first 2-3 game.
As for this 2 vs. 3, Alabama has the No. 1 offense in the country at 8.66 yards per play. Georgia has the No. 1 defense (3.7 yards per play) among teams that have played more than one game.
The game not only has Southeastern Conference championship and College Football Playoff ramifications, but the winner could very well grab the No. 1 ranking away from Clemson for the first time this season
| RK |
TEAM
|
REC | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 (59) |
4-0 | 1546 | |
| 2 |
 (2) |
3-0 | 1463 | |
| 3 |
 (1) |
3-0 | 1430 | |
| 4 |
 |
3-0 | 1317 | |
| 5 |
 |
3-0 | 1190 | |
| 6 |
 |
0-0 | 1152 | |
| 7 |
 |
3-0 | 1069 | |
| 8 |
 |
3-0 | 971 | |
| 9 |
 |
0-0 | 970 | |
| 10 |
 |
2-1 | 904 | |
| 11 |
 |
2-1 | 883 | |
| 12 |
 |
0-0 | 817 | |
| 13 |
 |
3-1 | 790 | |
| 14 |
 |
2-1 | 703 | |
| 15 |
 |
4-0 | 693 | |
| 16 |
 |
0-0 | 633 | |
| 17 |
 |
4-0 | 522 | |
| 18 |
 |
2-1 | 463 | |
| 19 |
 |
0-0 | 417 | |
| 20 |
 |
3-1 | 405 | |
| 21 |
 |
3-0 | 342 | |
| 22 |
 |
3-1 | 302 | |
| 23 |
 |
2-1 | 199 | |
| 24 |
 |
0-0 | 177 | |
| 25 |
 |
0-0 | 124 |