Paul Finebaum highlights Georgia's biggest issue ahead of its heavyweight clash with Kalen DeBoer's Alabama

Georgia travels to Tuscaloosa this weekend to clash with Alabama in a highly anticipated Sotheastern Conference encounter. Both teams are coming off open weeks and boast perfect records.

The No. 2-ranked Bulldogs (3-0, 1-0 SEC) have encountered some difficulties on the gridiron lately despite being favored to claim the national title during the preseason. This has seen them lose the No. 1 in the AP Poll to Texas, and college football analyst Paul Finebaum sees a couple of issues ahead of Saturday's game.

In his appearance on the “Matt Barrie Show” on Monday, Paul outlined a host of struggles the Bulldogs are dealing with ahead of their trip to No. 4 Alabama (3-0, 0-0). According to him, Kirby Smart's team could be at a disadvantage for the crucial matchup that could have playoff implications.

“Three weeks ago, Georgia looked like this game was in the bag,” Finebaum said. “Now, it's completely reversed because of how poorly Georgia played. What we saw at Kentucky (with Georgia surviving 13-12 on Sept. 14), I don't think it was an aberration.

“They've got serious injury problems. They lost (guard and team captain Tate) Ratledge (to knee and ankle injuries), probably their best lineman offensively. That's a big deal with (quarterback) Carson Beck having a shaky game against the Wildcats. They're missing some key components on the defensive side.”

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Paul Finebaum believes Georgia is under more pressure

During his appearance on “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning” on Monday, Finebaum emphasized that he doesn’t want to fall victim to recency bias in what is a long and unpredictable season. However, ahead of the Week 5 game, he believes Georgia is the team facing the most pressure.

“You said it earlier, prisoner of the moment,” Finebaum said. “I think that’s where we are right now, whether real or not, on Alabama. I’m the same way.

“Two weeks ago, I was thinking this could be a really bad moment for Alabama. Now, I think ... you can debate who the pressure is on. To me, it seems like it is on Kirby Smart.”

Georgia narrowly defeated Kentucky 13-12 in Week 3, requiring a comeback to secure the win in Lexington. The Bulldogs struggled offensively in the SEC game, managing just 262 total yards. They must overcome this to get a win in Tuscaloosa on Saturday.

With the Bulldogs' difficult schedule, featuring matchups against four teams currently ranked in the top six of the AP Poll, Finebaum believes a win on Saturday is important. It's crucial for the standing and future prospects of the program this season.