ATLANTA — The cold and rainy weather Friday didn't deter fans from tailgating early. More than two dozen RVs and motorhomes parked across from Mercedes-Benz Stadium to get ready for game day.
"To me, tailgating is as much part of the football game as anything," said Georgia fan Bob McCloud. "It's like a big family party. I mean, you just go from motorhome to motorhome and visit and share food and drinks and have a good time."
No. 1 Georgia is set to face No. 8 Alabama at 4 p.m. on Saturday in the SEC Championship. McCloud hopes a Bulldogs win can help propel his team to a third straight national championship title.
"You always wonder if they can be a three-peat and hopefully we're going to prove that it can be," he said. "[This year didn't] start off the best, but we've improved, like Alabama has, so hopefully the Dawgs will do it."
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Spencer Clemence and his family parked their setup next to McCloud. He's a Tennessee fan; his family loves Florida and Alabama.
"It doesn't matter who's playing, we always come and support the SEC," he said. "If it ain't SEC, it ain't football."
That's the probably the one thing fans in this parking lot can agree on.
"SEC is the best -- it is what it is," said Georgia fan Christine Grimsley. "It's Alabama and Georgia -- it's just that rivalry."
Her family's set up includes Georgia chairs, televisions and heaters to stay warm. Plus, they have their Saturday ritual.
"We are superstitious to the core. We all wear our same jerseys, we cook the same things," she said. "Wings, soups -- probably some elephant in there. We're cooking elephant in the Benz!"