Alabama football came up short against the Georgia Bulldogs in their top-10 clash at Bryant-Denny Stadium over the weekend, but Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt saw plenty of positives for the Crimson Tide in their loss to Kirby Smart's No. 1 ranked team.
On the Monday edition of his popular video podcast, the lead analyst and color commentator on Fox's weekly "Big Noon Saturday" games said of the Crimson Tide after their 20-17 loss:
"I thought Bama looked better at the line of scrimmage that I anticipated. I thought their offensive line held up OK. At the line of scrimmage, they're still not Georgia. Georgia is still the kind of team that can bully Alabama around a little bit. Was it to the extent that we saw in their last two meetings a year ago?
No, and for that I am optimistic about Alabama."
While Keelon Russell didn't have his best game, finishing 16 of 30 for 185 passing yards and one touchdown, Klatt was still impressed by the first-year starting quarterback and former five-star recruit from the 2025 class.
"(Alabama) proved a lot. Keelon Russell will improve. He was seeing this Georgia defense for the first time. The speed of that defense, the disguise of their secondary looks for the first time. He is going to grow from this game more than any other game that he's played."
Klatt rips 'horrendous' Alabama-Georgia no-call, compares blown pass interference to Saints-Rams NFC playoff game
Klatt had his own thoughts on the controversial no-call of Georgia defensive back KJ Bolden interfering with Alabama receiver Rico Scott late in the game with the Crimson Tide driving and down by three points.
"Yes, Georgia beat Alabama. Can you make a strong argument that the officials cost Alabama the game? Absolutely. At a minimum, they're going to have a great chance to tie the game with a field goal," Klatt said.
Klatt added that the missed call on Bolden was unquestionably a penalty.
"It is as clear a pass interference as I can remember seeing," he said. "This is going back to the NFC Championship. You remember the Saints (vs. Rams)? The horrendous non-call that we got in the NFL playoffs. It was tantamount to that. How is that not called?"
Paul Finebaum rips SEC for officiating mess in Alabama vs Georgia game
— Roll Tide Wire (@RollTideWire) October 11, 2026
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Joel Klatt considers Alabama football a national championship contender after Georgia loss
Klatt said Alabama could "absolutely" win the national championship in coach Kalen DeBoer's third season in Tuscaloosa.
"That team could firmly win a national championship. I firmly believe that. In particular, if Russell continues to improve and he becomes a little bit more efficient, and if the offensive line continues to develop under Adrien Klemm, then they've got something. They've totally rebuilt their offensive line, and it shows in a positive way.
"Bama fans are the last fans in the world that are going to want a moral victory, but there was a small moral victory in that game on Saturday night because it didn't look like the blood bath that was the SEC Championship Game a year ago. It just didn't. Was Georgia still more physical? Yes, Georgia is still the No. 1 team in the country right now, but man, that Bama team they showed me quite a lot."
Klatt also shared his belief that Alabama-Georgia might have been a showcase of the nation's two best teams in Week 6.
"Were we watching the two best teams in the country?" he said. "Of all the games that we've seen in college football, can you make a strong case that the two teams we saw play in Tuscaloosa on Saturday night are the two best teams? I think you can make a strong case for that. I really, really do."
Because of that, Klatt moved Alabama up one spot in his weekly top-10 rankings to No. 4.
Where Alabama sits in national title odds following loss vs. Georgia
— Roll Tide Wire (@RollTideWire) October 12, 2026
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Joel Klatt's top-10 college football rankings after wild Week 6: Alabama rises in spite of loss
Here's a look at the Klatt's full top-10 rankings after Week 5.
- 10. UCLA Bruins
- 9. BYU Cougars
- 8. Utah Utes
- 7. Texas Longhorns
- 6. Indiana Hoosiers
- 5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- 4. Alabama Crimson Tide
- 3. Miami Hurricanes
- 2. Ohio State Buckeyes
- 1. Georgia Bulldogs
Alabama football schedule 2026
Who has the edge? Latest odds for Alabama vs. Tennessee in Week 7
— Roll Tide Wire (@RollTideWire) October 12, 2026
📸 Randy Sartin, USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con https://t.co/aFBrRl8mO3 pic.twitter.com/cWDhAO4oYh
Alabama faces the 14th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville in Week 7 of the 2026 college football season. Kickoff is 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on ABC.
All times Central.
- Sept. 5: vs. East Carolina Pirates (W, 48-10)
- Sept. 12: at Kentucky Wildcats (W, 45-17)
- Sept. 19: vs. Florida State Seminoles (W, 50-36)
- Sept. 26: vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (W, 49-18)
- Oct. 3: at Mississippi State Bulldogs (W, 56-23)
- Oct. 10: vs. Georgia Bulldogs (L, 20-17)
- Oct. 17: at Tennessee Volunteers, 2:30 p.m., ABC
- Oct. 24: vs. Texas A&M Aggies, TBA
- Nov. 7: at LSU Tigers, TBA
- Nov. 14: at Vanderbilt Commodores, TBA
- Nov. 21: vs. Chattanooga Mocs, 1 p.m., SEC Network+
- Nov. 28: vs. Auburn Tigers, TBA
Record: 5-1 overall, 3-1 SEC.
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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Joel Klatt outlines positives for Alabama football after Georgia loss
