ATHENS — The stage is set for Georgia and Alabama to battle for early SEC supremacy, both with unbeaten records heading into next Saturday’s matchup in Tuscaloosa.

An undefeated Texas -- idle on Saturday — holds the nation’s No. 1 ranking, but the Tide and the Bulldogs account for the past six SEC championship game trophies and 11 of the past 12.

Next Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. game in Bryant-Denny Stadium will be the 10th meeting between the teams in the past 10 years. Six of those recent meetings took place in the postseason, including UGA’s 33-18 CFP championship game win after the 2021 season, and the Bulldogs 28-7 win in last season’s SEC championship game.

“These are the games you look forward to,” Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton said, moments after beating Vanderbilt, 38-14 on Saturday.

“You know they always have a great home environment , so you know you’re always looking forward to it.”

UGA hasn’t won in Tuscaloosa since 2007, when reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford directed a 26-23 overtime victory over Nick Saban’s first Alabama team.

The No. 2-ranked Bulldogs and No. 7-ranked Tide have successfully navigated their schedules this season to set up the battle of unbeaten teams many projected when the schedules were released last December.

Alabama (5-0, 3-0 SEC) took care of business early Saturday, scoring early and often in a 56-23 win over previously unbeaten and No. 16-ranked Mississippi State (4-1, 2-1) in a game that kicked off at 11 a.m. local time in Starkville.

Georgia (5-0, 3-0) pulled way from an inspired Vanderbilt in Athens in another early game (12:45 p.m. eastern kick), as Stockton passed for a season-high 295 yards with three TD passes.

UGA coach Kirby Smart, 2-7 against Alabama, said the Bulldogs will stay consistent in their approach to game week.

“It’s the next week in the SEC guys, guess what? The week after that one, there’s another week, they’re all big,” Smart said, noting the significance of an SEC win over Vanderbilt.

“I’m enjoying this victory, and then we’ll turn the page tomorrow, and come Sunday we’re going to turn the page on that one,” Smart said.

“That’s what we do, and we’re really consistent in our approach to things, and we’ll let y’all deal with the highs and lows.”

There have been plenty of peaks and valleys for both teams over the past 10 years, with Alabama beating Smart — its former defensive coordinator before taking the Georgia head coaching job before the 2016 season — in the CFP championship game following the 2017 season by a 26-23 count in overtime.

The Tide also ended the Bulldogs’ school-record 33-game home win streak last season with a 24-21 win before Georgia avenged the loss with a win in the SEC title game.

“We played Alabama in the SEC championship game, we had a lot of film on them,” UGA linebacker Chris Cole said on Saturday. “Georgia and Alabama, it’s always a great game because it’s two good teams competing.

“We’re gonna watch game film and get ready for it.”

Cole and the Bulldogs will get an eyeful from the Tide’s impressive win at Mississippi State.

Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell was 16-of-22 passing for 285 yards and three touchdowns and had five carries for 16 yards including a 17-yard touchdown run that staked the Tide out to a 21-7 lead seven seconds in the second quarter.

Alabama forced four turnovers and rolled up 483 yards of offense, out-rushing Mississippi State 179-18, as the home team was forced to play catch-up after facing an early two-touchdown deficit.

“I think we continue to get better, these guys are in a mindset, which is what you want every day at practice,” DeBoer said, citing the team will reset for the Bulldogs, per AL.com. “Nothing we did here today carried over into next week.

“Love that we can get on a bus, get here, put on the pads, go play ball. These guys love it. They play for each other. As long as that continues to happen inside our program, the sky’s the limit.”