The college football slate is packed, but no game is more anticipated than Saturday night’s SEC showdown.
The No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs, led by head coach Kirby Smart, are set to travel to Tuscaloosa to take on the No. 6 Alabama Crimson Tide, led by first-year quarterback Keelon Russell.
Ahead of the matchup, there has been plenty of speculation about whether President Donald Trump would attend the game.
President Trump’s Comments This Week on Georgia-Alabama
With Hurricane Isaias expected to affect Alabama on Saturday, Trump acknowledged this week that the weather could influence his decision to attend. Reports had initially indicated that he planned to be at the game.
“Well, hurricane and football, I love Alabama. I got to go to a game. I can’t be — it’d awfully hard. Look, I mean if there’s an emergency, if there’s a hurricane, I don’t want to do anything to take the focus of all of the great people that work on those things. You know, they have some tremendously great people. I don’t want to take the focus off, but so, we’ll have to see. I hadn’t heard about a hurricane,” Trump admitted on Oct. 7. “A hurricane is going in the vicinity of Alabama? That’s not good. Certainly, I’m going to let the hurricane determine — I want people to be safe. That’s all.”
Trump on whether he’d still attend the Georgia-Alabama football game amid the landfall of Hurricane Isaias….
“Well, hurricane and football, I love Alabama. I got to go to a game. I can’t be — it’d awfully hard. Look, I mean if there’s an emergency, if there’s a hurricane, I don’t want to do anything to take the focus of all of the great people that work on those things. You know, they have some tremendously great people. I don’t want to take the focus off, but so, we’ll have to see. I hadn’t heard about a hurricane. A hurricane is going in the vicinity of Alabama? That’s not good. Certainly, I’m going to let the hurricane determine — I want people to be safe. That’s all.”
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 7, 2026
Trump Makes Final Decision on Attending Game
Despite rumors throughout the week, Trump confirmed Friday evening that he will not attend Saturday night’s game due to the emerging hurricane, according to CNN Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins.
“President Trump confirms he’ll no longer attend the Alabama-Georgia game,” Collins reported.
President Trump confirms he’ll no longer attend the Alabama-Georgia game.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) October 9, 2026
Key Storylines to Watch
Weather has been one of the biggest concerns heading into Saturday night’s game, but conditions now appear less threatening than initially expected.
According to AMS broadcast meteorologist James Spann, skies will be mostly cloudy, with temperatures dropping into the mid-60s at kickoff. Winds are expected to range from 7 to 14 mph, with little rain or drizzle possible.
As for the matchup, both teams enter undefeated, and Georgia won their most recent meeting in last year’s SEC Championship Game. However, Alabama has dominated the rivalry over the past decade, winning seven of the previous nine meetings.
President Trump Makes Decision on Attending Georgia-Alabama Game