The last time that Alabama was an underdog, Tim Tebow was lining up under center across from the Crimson Tide defense.

Nick Saban’s squad will be an underdog (+2.5 opening) for the first time since 2009 when Alabama travels to Athens to face No. 8 Georgia in a Week 5 heavyweight title bout.

Being the favorite didn’t work out for Tebow and the Gators, as the Tide had little regard for their 4.5-point underdog status en route to rolling Florida 32-13 in that year’s SEC Championship Game. Georgia could care less about point spreads or that Alabama has played 72 straight games as the favorite. The Bulldogs believe the tide is turning in their favor and this is their year to claim the SEC East’s first conference title since Tebow’s Gators in 2008.

Both the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide are loaded from top to bottom. But the heart of each squad is their running game.

Georgia’s Nick Chubb and Alabama’s Derrick Henry figure to fight it out this season for the right to finish runner-up to LSU’s Leonard Fournette for the SEC rushing title.

  Yards YPC Att./G TDs 100-Yd Games Career Yards – TDs
Nick Chubb 599 8.4 17.8 6 12* 2,146 – 20
Derrick Henry 422 6.3 16.8 8 5 1,794 – 22

*One shy of Herschel Walker’s UGA record 13-consecutive 100-yard games

OK, it’s no secret that both teams are going to try to rely on their run games. After Chubb and Henry, there is very little drop-off in talent level on both teams. Fact is, this game is going to be running back heaven…or rush defense hell, whichever way you choose to look at it.

Chubb is looking to equal Georgia legend Herschel Walker against Alabama with his 13th-straight 100-yard rushing game. In fact, the sophomore has never rushed for less than 100 yards in games he’s started. Behind Chubb is a deep group of backs in Sony Michel (229 yards, 4 TDs) and Keith Marshall (129 yards, 3 TDs). All three tailbacks would be starters on a majority of the programs in the nation.

Alabama supports Henry with Kenyan Drake (215 yards, TD) and Damien Harris (101 yards). To top off the cavalcade of rushing talent, Saban announced this week that he’ll find a role for freshman Bo Scarbrough, whose four-game NCAA suspension for academics was lifted on Monday. Scarbrough is considered one of the gems of the Tides’ 2014 recruit class. So the question needs to be asked, who is more adept at stopping the run? The Alabama defense averages a paltry 56.8 YPG against it, but it should be considered that the Tide’s opponents have a combined rushing average of 158.5 YPG. This year’s unit hasn’t faced anything remotely close to Chubb and the Bulldog offense, which currently has the most team rushing yards in SEC. The Georgia defense is also generally untested against a strong running game, with its opponents averaging 152 YPG. Opponents have attempted only 12 rushing plays on first down against Alabama this year — tied for lowest in the nation with Appalachian State and NC State. Conversely, teams have thrown on first down against Alabama 36 times. Georgia will have to contend with a Saban offense that doesn’t like to waste any time.

A big test for Georgia will be playing a full game, literally and figuratively. The Bulldogs saw their Week 1 matchup against Louisiana-Monroe called due to inclement weather. Georgia’s other three games have been all-but-decided by the end of the third quarter.

Saturday will go a long way for both squads and their quests for an SEC title and beyond.

ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE CLOSER LOOK

Top Returning Player Offense: Derrick Henry, Jr., RB – In four games, Alabama leading rusher Derrick Henry (442 yards) is nearly halfway toward duplicating his team-high 990 yards in 2014. Henry’s 8 touchdowns tie him with LSU’s Leonard Fournette for the SEC lead in rushing touchdowns.

Top Returning Player Defense: Reggie Ragland, Sr. LB — Reggie Ragland’s return to the Crimson Tide for his senior year is proving a worthwhile gamble. Ragland — who finished runner-up on the Tide last season for tackles with 95 — leads Alabama with 34 tackles so far this season.

Top Returning Player Special Teams: Cyrus Jones is one of the lone return men back this season for Alabama. Jones is only returning punts this year and has tallied 69 return yards through four weeks. Last year he tallied 82 return yards. The senior defensive back also has an interception on the season, tied for the team lead with three others.