Georgia-Alabama confidential: Coaches and scouts explain

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – In almost every way, Alabama and Georgia have been the class of college football in recent seasons.

Entering the evening when Tua Tagovailoa came off the bench to beat Georgia in the national title game in January 2018, this is the seventh straight time these teams have met and both are ranked in the top 10. Only one of these games was not a top game. Five matchup: Last year's SEC title game, when the No. 8 Tide defeated the top-ranked Dawgs.

Program success means elite talent, and no school has produced more high-end NFL players in recent seasons. Alabama has produced 18 first-round picks in the last five years and Georgia has produced 13. So it's no surprise that 17 NFL teams are sending a total of 23 scouts to the game.

The rivalry is taking on a new face: Kalen DeBoer is facing his first high-profile test as Alabama coach. And he'll do it with Alabama as a home underdog for the first time since 2007. And Kirby Smart enters the game 1-5 against the Crimson Tide. According to ESPN Research, Georgia is 45-2 since the start of 2021, with both losses coming against the Crimson Tide.

How will this matchup between No. 4 Alabama and No. 2 UGA play out? ESPN spoke to a half-dozen NFL scouts and a handful of coaches who played against the teams. The vast majority chose Georgia, which clearly has more talent in the eyes of scouts.

Some predictions for Georgia have been underpinned with caution since Alabama's Jalen Milroe beat the Bulldogs in the SEC title game last year with two touchdown passes and an intense diet of quarterback running. “I still think Jalen Milroe is the hardest guy to tackle in college football,” said an assistant coach who played for the Tide this year. “If Georgia can’t beat him, they’re going to have a tough day.”

Mykel Williams, Georgia's star defender, is questionable and likely won't be at 100 percent when he plays, which will be significant.

While Georgia has a ton of talent, the level may not be quite as high as years like 2021, when there were five first-round picks.

Could the favorite be vulnerable? Let’s break down 10 key questions that could make or break it.

1. How talented is Georgia?

The Bulldogs set a record with 15 players drafted in 2022 and are poised to challenge it this year. According to multiple NFL scouts, it's not unreasonable to expect 11 players from UGA's offense to ultimately be selected, even though not all of them may make it out this year. (The initial assessment at Georgia, according to scouts, is that redshirt sophomore left tackle Earnest Green III, for example, will return.)

At least Georgia will be in the teens with draft picks. That's a huge haul. And it will depend on their early entry decisions whether they break their own record. There are at least three first-round picks in this group. Quarterback Carson Beck has the highest draft ceiling, Malaki Starks has the rare gifts needed to make a safety a first-round pick, and Williams is a player with the edge. The amount of talent in Georgia is best summed up by one NFL scout telling ESPN he has 25 players signed. That means they would all be considered at least priority free agents – 14 on offense, nine on defense and two on special teams. (Yes, even Georgia long snapper Beau Gardner is NFL caliber.)

However, scouts warn against getting too caught up in the sheer amount of talent.