It’ll be the first road game for the Alabama Crimson Tide since the embarrassing Week 1 loss to Florida State, and if you can believe it, this time it’ll be a level up.

Alabama walks in between the hedges to Sanford Stadium against the undefeated Georgia Bulldogs.

For the most part, the Tide have had the Bulldogs’ number, including Alabama’s win in Week 5 last season where wide receiver Ryan Williams emerged as a star. But here’s the difference – under coach Kalen DeBoer, Alabama has proven to be a vulnerable squad.

It’s almost unheard of for Alabama football, but with DeBoer as the coach, the Crimson Tide hold a 2-5 record, with the two wins being against Wisconsin and LSU last season.

The LSU game certainly holds a lot of weight due to it being in Death Valley, which is one of the hardest places to play in college football. But other road losses include Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and the ReliaQuest Bowl against Michigan.

Losing at Tennessee is acceptable, even if reading that pains Bama fans, but the rest weren’t up to “The Standard.”

So whatever DeBoer has done to typically get his team prepared for a road game, he’s throwing it out the window.

Since Week 1, there’s been an intensity, a hunger, and an aggressiveness to this program. DeBoer mentioned it, that the players need to hold onto that feeling of anger after the FSU loss.

Perhaps it’s not a sound long-term strategy, but for the first road game since then? You can bet it’s still in the players minds.

During his weekly SEC Coaches Teleconference, DeBoer was asked about last season’s Georgia game, where Alabama held a 30-9 lead at the half, only to let Georgia score 27 points in the second half, including 19 in the fourth quarter.

"We competed until the end. They did as well. Did a nice job in the second half. But we also kept playing. We didn't make our own breaks there a couple series,  and couldn't get off the field at times. But in the end, we made the plays too. Kept believing, kept fighting.”

That word. “Fight.” It’s a word that DeBoer and plan to instill his players with. 

"I expect that from our football team with kind of where we've been at and how we've attacked practice, attacked the games. We're in a fighter's mentality mode right now, too."

Ever since Week 1, it’s been a fighter’s mentality for the Tide. You can see it in the effort, you can see how intentional (another word that DeBoer loves to use) the players are.

But now? Now it’s about preparation and healing. 

Running back Jam Miller will likely return to the field, and perhaps even Tim Keenan. Having those two leaders who played for coach Nick Saban will be crucial for moments like these.

It’ll quite literally be walking into a dog pound for the Tide, but luckily elephants usually have the last laugh.

Alabama plays Georgia on Week 5 at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, September 27.