'That's just rat poison': Alabama football players react to underdog status vs Georgia
For the first time since 2007, Alabama football is underdogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
No. 1 ranked Georgia is favored to beat the No. 4 ranked Crimson Tide by 2.5 points on Saturday (6:30 p.m. CT, ABC). The Bulldogs and coach Kirby Smart are making their first trip to Tuscaloosa since 2020.
"That's just rat poison," Tim Keenan III said on Tuesday. "Of course we hear it, but at the end of the day, if we do what we need to do, we will be fine."
The last time Alabama was an underdog at home was nearly two decades ago in 2007 vs. then No. 3 ranked LSU, who went onto win the game 41-34. Seventeen years, six national championships and nine conference championships later, it's been a long time since the Crimson Tide is not favored to win at home.
Kalen DeBoer spoke on being a home underdog on Monday, saying it follows along with the team's 'LANK' mentality — Let all naysayers know — fueled by quarterback Jalen Milroe and cornerback Terrion Arnold last season.
Milroe added to that on Tuesday.
"When it comes to the LANK mentality, it's more an internal thing as far as how can we prepare the best in the country, how can we maximize the reps we have at practice," Milroe said. "Because we are going to reflect on that. We are going to reflect on how we prepared for an opponent ... The mentality, it never changes."
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Saturday also marks the first time Alabama opens SEC play against another top-10 opponent since 2013. Texas A&M, which was ranked No. 6 at the time, is the last top-10 opponent the Crimson Tide open conference play against, with Alabama going onto defeat the Aggies 49-42.
"It's SEC play, and Bama is still the standard," Keenan III said. "We are going to go out there and display it."
Anna Snyder covers high school sports and University of Alabama softball and football recruiting for The Tuscaloosa News. Reach her at asnyder@gannett.com. Follow her on X @annaesnyder2
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama football players react to underdog status vs Georgia
