Stockton Takes Georgia to Tuscaloosa Without Bowens Keelon Russell and Alabama Are Favored

Georgia vs Alabama at a glance

No. 2 Georgia (5-0, 3-0 SEC) visits No. 6 Alabama (5-0, 3-0 SEC) on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, at 7:30 PM ET (4:30 PM PT) at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, on ABC, with College GameDay on site. Gunner Stockton leads Georgia without its rushing touchdown leader, Chauncey Bowens, against Keelon Russell and an Alabama offense scoring 49.6 a game. The line opened Georgia −3 and has flipped to Alabama −1.5, total 51.5.

Kickoff and TV

Saturday, Oct. 10, 7:30 PM ET, 4:30 PM PT. ABC.

Stadium

Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Natural grass. Around 69 degrees at kickoff with a chance of light rain (WeatherAPI via Blue Chip Analytics, Oct. 8).

Quarterbacks

Confirmed Gunner Stockton for Georgia: 77 of 102, 1,049 yards, 13 TD, 1 INT. Confirmed Keelon Russell for Alabama: 94 of 132, 1,414 yards, 11 TD, 2 INT, plus 4 rushing TD.

The line

Alabama −1.5, total 51.5 at DraftKings, Caesars and BetMGM; FanDuel has Alabama −2.5 (Saturday Down South, Oct. 5; WagerTalk, Oct. 8). It opened Georgia −3. Kalshi had Alabama at 52¢ bid, 53¢ ask, read 11:55 PM PT Thursday.

Ruled out

Out Georgia: RB Chauncey Bowens, WR Thomas Blackshear, S Tyriq Green, OL Marcus Harrison, OLB Amaris Williams. Alabama: LB Justin Hill, OLB Desmond Umeozulu, LB Cayden Jones, DB Nick Sherman, DL Jeremiah Beaman.

Questionable

Questionable Georgia WR Isiah Canion. Alabama TE Josh Ford (broken arm, surgery Sunday) and CB Jorden Edmonds. Unconfirmed Alabama RT Jayvin James, who left the South Carolina game.

The matchup that decides it

Russell, at 10.7 yards an attempt, against a Georgia defense allowing 13.4 points a game and forcing 2.5 turnovers a game.

The storylines

The line flipped against the public

Georgia opened −3 and Alabama was favored by Monday, a move of nearly five points (Saturday Down South). WagerTalk had 83% of spread tickets on Georgia as of Oct. 8, so the money that moved it came from the other side.

Kirby Smart and Alabama

Georgia is 2-7 against the Tide under Smart. The 2025 split: Alabama won 24-21 in Athens in September, and Georgia won the SEC title game 28-7 in Atlanta in December. Alabama leads the series 45-27-4 and is 9-2 against Georgia in Tuscaloosa.

Smart on Russell

“He’s accurate. He’s smart. He’s very talented.” (Kirby Smart, via ClutchPoints, Oct. 5)

Two offenses at 49 or better

Georgia scores 51.4 a game and has not trailed all season; Alabama has scored at least 45 every week and outscored opponents 248-104.

Sources: Saturday Down South, WagerTalk, georgiadogs.com game notes, ClutchPoints, AP.

Georgia vs Alabama injury report

The SEC availability report from Wednesday, Oct. 7 (AJC and 247Sports, read Oct. 9). Thursday’s update was not found at our read; the final report comes before kickoff.

How Georgia and Alabama got here

Georgia: 5-0

Beat Tennessee State 63-3, Western Kentucky 70-20, Arkansas 45-17 on the road, No. 24 Oklahoma 41-13 and Vanderbilt 38-14 (Stockton 25 of 32, 295 yards, 3 TD).

Alabama: 5-0

Beat East Carolina 48-10, Kentucky 45-17 on the road, Florida State 50-36, South Carolina 49-18 and No. 16 Mississippi State 56-23 on the road, where Russell threw for 285 and 3 TD, ran for another and Alabama outrushed MSU 179-18.

Where Georgia vs Alabama gets decided

Russell against the Georgia secondary

Russell completes 71.2% at 10.7 yards an attempt. KJ Bolden has 4 interceptions for Georgia.

Why it matters: Georgia forces 2.5 turnovers a game, fourth nationally, and Russell has thrown 2 interceptions in 132 attempts.

Georgia’s run game without Bowens

Georgia runs for 213.0 a game at 6.5 a carry, and Frazier returns. Alabama allows 78.6.

Why it matters: Bowens has 6 of the pair’s 11 rushing touchdowns.

Stockton against Alabama’s pass defense

Alabama allows 234.0 passing yards a game, 14th in the SEC. Stockton’s 202.0 efficiency is third in the country.

Why it matters: it is the softest unit on Alabama’s stat sheet, and Georgia’s receiver room is short Blackshear.

Alabama’s run game against the SEC’s best run defense

Georgia allows 57.4 rushing yards a game; Alabama ran for 179 at Mississippi State.

Why it matters: if Alabama cannot run, Russell carries everything against a defense allowing 13.4 points.

Turnovers

Alabama is +7, first in the SEC; Georgia is +6, second.

Why it matters: in a game priced near a coin flip, one short field decides it.

Kalshi against the books

Kalshi had Alabama at 52¢ to sell and 53¢ to buy at 11:55 PM PT Thursday, and Georgia at 46¢ and 47¢: close to even, with a small home lean. That lines up with the books, where a 1.5-point favorite prices a little above 50%.

The total of 51.5 says the books expect neither offense to reach its season average against the other’s defense. The status of Ford, Canion and James is the news most likely to move the price before kickoff.