ATHENS — Georgia and Alabama have come to define the SEC over the past 10 seasons.

Starting with Smart’s arrival at Georgia in 2016, either Alabama or Georgia has won the SEC nine out of 10 times. Alabama won national titles in 2017 and 2020, while Georgia took home the national championship in 2021 and 2022.

The two sides met twice last season, with Alabama ending Georgia’s historic winning streak in Athens. The Bulldogs got revenge in the SEC championship game thanks to a dominant defensive display from Georgia.

The two sides will meet again in 2026, with Alabama hosting Georgia on Oct. 10. It’s one of the more intriguing rematches from the 2025 season, as Carter Bahns of CBS Sports lays out.

And while these two programs have gone back and forth over the last decade, Bahns lays out the case as for why Georgia is in a position to put some distance between itself and the Crimson Tide.

“They renew their budding rivalry early in the 2026 regular season with the potential to deliver another one of their patented thrillers,” Bahns said. “If one side has the potential to run away with it, though, it would be Georgia, which boasts more continuity at key positions with Gunner Stockton and Nate Frazier representing two of the most impactful returners in the SEC.”

Stockton returns as one of the top quarterbacks in the conference, having finished seventh in Heisman Trophy voting in 2025. He accounted for 34 total touchdowns while throwing just 5 interceptions.

Alabama has to replace Ty Simpson, with Austin Mack and Keelon Russell battling to be take over. Mack has been with Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer dating back to their time at Washington, while Russell was a five-star recruit in the 2025 recruiting cycle.

The bigger edge for Georgia may come at the running back position, as Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens return in 2026. Georgia finished fourth in the SEC in rushing a season ago.

Alabama, conversely, ranked 15th in the category among SEC teams and it must replace Jam Miller. The Crimson Tide had Hollywood Smothers lined up as a replacement, but the transfer portal running back flipped to Texas.

Frazier could very well be one of the best running backs in the country in 2026. One of the key differences between Georgia and Alabama in the SEC championship game came via the rushing attack. Georgia finished with 141 rushing yards. Alabama had -3.

Both teams still made the College Football Playoff last season. Alabama lost to Indiana in the quarterfinals while Georgia fell to Ole Miss in the same round. Bahns highlighted the Georgia-Ole Miss game as another marquee rematch. Those teams meet on Nov. 7 in Oxford, Mississippi.

For as much as Georgia and Alabama seem to be heading in opposite directions, Alabama is still 7-2 against Smart since he took the Georgia job. Under DeBoer, Alabama is 2-1 against the Bulldogs.