From the HERE City State Desk
No. 2 Georgia and No. 6 Alabama still plan to play Saturday night in Tuscaloosa, even as Tropical Storm Isaias threatens to bring heavy rain, wind and possible flooding to the Southeast this weekend.
Forecasters say isaias could become a hurricane by thursday and make officials noted landfall late friday or early saturday somewhere along the alabama mississippi and Florida coastlines before moving north. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Eastern at Bryant-Denny Stadium, about 200 miles inland. The current forecast calls for a 90 percent chance of rain in Tuscaloosa on Saturday.
Alabama said there are no plans to alter the game at this time, and the SEC, which makes the final call, is monitoring conditions. The kickoff time could still shift, but the plan is to play as scheduled. Neither school has disclosed a backup plan.
President Donald Trump is planning to attend. Asked about the storm Wednesday, he said he loves Alabama and wants to go, but added that he did not want to take attention away from first responders and would have to see about travel.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart called the weather an uncertainty beyond his control and said teams cannot really practice for tropical conditions. The Bulldogs went through similar preparations last week before a 38-14 win over Vanderbilt, when the storm threat never materialized.
The Southwestern Athletic Conference already moved florida a m’s game at officials noted alabama state from saturday to friday morning because of the same storm system. An SEC spokesperson said the conference is keeping an eye on officials noted forecasts and staying in communication with schools whose games could be affected. Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer also addressed the weather on the conference call alongside Smart.
