A night game at Bryant-Denny Stadium is nearly indescribable for Alabama football offensive lineman Tyler Booker. It feels like a movie, he said, the closest the New Haven, Connecticut native will come to experiencing the football of “Friday Night Lights.”
“I’ve tried to describe it to friends and family back home,” Booker said. “On Thanksgiving, the big game is (Hillhouse High School vs. Wilbur Cross High School). So I said, ‘Imagine Hillhouse vs. Cross times 10,000.’”
Dec 2, 2023; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide offensive lineman Tyler Booker (52) dons an SEC Championship cap at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Alabama defeated Georgia 27-24 to claim the SEC Championship. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports
Alabama has already hosted two non-conference home games against Western Kentucky and South Florida.
But Saturday’s meeting with No. 1 Georgia feels different. It’s the game that, once again, makes Tuscaloosa the center of the college football world. And for many Alabama coaches and players, Saturday will be their first introduction to the SEC.
While Georgia remains an outlier, SEC play is a different animal in itself.
“Powerhouse. Physical football. Just got to be very detailed,” linebacker Deontae Lawson said. “This is the type of game (where) you can’t make many mistakes or it’ll cost you the game.”
Heading into Week 5, No. 4 Alabama is one of nine SEC teams ranked in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll along with No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Texas, No. 5 Ole MIss, No. 6 Tennessee, No. 11 Missouri, No. 13 LSU, No. 18 Oklahoma, and No. 24 Texas A&M.
Alabama’s last loss to an SEC opponent came against LSU in the 2022 season. Since then, the Crimson Tide has won 10 straight against conference opponents.
“Toughness” is the first word that comes out of running back Jam Miller’s mouth when asked to describe an SEC game, adding “it’s the big dogs out of everyone.”
“We got to go out there and just give them everything, shoot all (of) our shots at them,” Miller said. “Hitting somebody harder than you ever hit, you know. Just doing everything on a different level.”
How are new Alabama football players approaching SEC play?
Josh Cuevas has seen his fair share of “big football.”
The Alabama tight end transferred in after playing for DeBoer at Washington in 2023. The Huskies finished last season with a national championship loss to Michigan.
But Cuevas, a Los Angeles native, also knows the reputation associated with the SEC.
“There’s some big boys out here. Like big boys,” Cuevas said. “Everybody says West Coast football doesn’t compare to the South. And, I mean, sure. They’re in two different places. It makes sense. but, I mean, football’s football. If you love it, you’re going to find a way to win.
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“That comparison is always going to be there. But once you get here, you kind of understand from the first snap.”
Through his first three games at Alabama, freshman defensive back Jaylen Mbakwe said he hasn’t had a “Welcome to Alabama” moment, but expects it to come against Georgia.
Jalen Milroe has seen his fair share of SEC play across his four seasons with the Crimson Tide. Ahead of the SEC opener against Georgia, the Alabama quarterback stressed the importance of “stacking good drives” for success in conference play.
Dec 2, 2023; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) runs for a first down with Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Daylen Everette (6) pursuing at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Alabama defeated Georgia 27-24 to claim the SEC Championship. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports
“There’s going to be so many external factors that take place in the football game that we have to build on,” Milroe said. “No matter what goes on, we can’t flinch.”
Alabama football ‘already’ has the SEC play mentality
Linebacker Deontae Lawson knows what SEC play feels like. And while members of the coaching staff and roster don’t have experience in the trenches against a conference opponent, Lawson said it’s something the Crimson Tide is already prepared for.
“We already (had) to have that mentality,” Lawson said. “And it just starts on the practice field, just being detailed in everything you do, never taking a rep for granted and just playing the next play.”
Dec 2, 2023; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Deontae Lawson (32) puts on an SEC Championship cap at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Alabama defeated Georgia 27-24 to claim the SEC Championship. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports
For Booker, it comes down to emotional maturity: How can Alabama perform under the pressure, the weight of the SEC?
“It’s either everybody supporting you or everybody against you, so you just have to be able to manage your emotions and control your emotions through that game,” Booker said.
Alabama kicks off against Georgia at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ABC.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: How Alabama football players view Georgia, first SEC game
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