For the second consecutive week, Georgia and Alabama were listed as the top-two teams in the CFP selection committee rankings. And barring some unforeseen meltdown, both powerhouses will clash in the SEC title game in early December.
If the primetime showdown occurs -- call it a safe bet -- there will be national championship implications. So, which team has a better chance to celebrate a conference title and trip to the coveted four-team playoff? Believe it or not, former Alabama safety and current team reporter Rashad Johnson reluctantly envisions the top-ranked Bulldogs getting the last laugh.
"If you were to ask some of my friends off-air, I've definitely said it lightly that Georgia's the better team," Johnson told The Zach Gelb Show on Wednesday. "Upfront, they do a great job of running the ball and controlling the line of scrimmage with their offensive line. And that defensive line, that front seven is just tremendous. It's what we're used to seeing here at Alabama.
"I think Kirby has done a great job of recruiting in that area, and he has some guys who've developed into some big-time players. That can cause us some trouble, if they control the line of scrimmage and run the ball, and then attack and rush the passer the way they have all season... Georgia's equipped with all the tools to bring trouble to us. I'm a little bit cautious about that game..."
Georgia, which is a perfect 9-0 this season, clinched a spot in the SEC title game a few weeks ago. They cruised to a 43-6 win over Missouri on Saturday, and will seek their first-ever 8-0 conference finish in a road matchup against Tennessee this weekend. Through nine games, the Bulldogs' defense ranks first in the nation in average points allowed (6.6) and second in yards (230.9).
According to FiveThirtyEight projections, Georgia currently has a 60-percent chance to win the SEC and a nation-best 37-percent chance to win its first national title since 1980. As for Alabama -- which enters this weekend with a record of 8-1 -- they have a 36-percent chance to win the conference.
The entire college football conversation between Johnson and Gelb can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow The Zach Gelb Show on Twitter @ZachGelb and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.