President Donald Trump is set to travel to Alabama this weekend for the marquee Georgia-Alabama football game — but the host state now sits squarely in the path of a strengthening hurricane.

Tropical Storm Isaias is gathering speed and power as it moves across the Gulf of Mexico, and by the time it reaches the area of the heavily anticipated matchup, it is expected to intensify into a Category 2 hurricane, according to the Capital Weather Gang. On the Saffir-Simpson scale, Category 2 storms carry sustained winds of 96 to 110 mph, with "major hurricane" status beginning at Category 3, at 111 mph.

Overnight, digital meteorologist Ryan Hall reported that Google's AI model ran 1,000 likely scenarios for Isaias, with 9 of 10 runs forecasting top wind speeds of 110 mph — "one mile per hour short of a major hurricane," as he explained. "Each dot is one run, and the pink ones are major hurricanes at that moment. Most of them reach the coast late Friday night, about 9 out of 10 on the Florida Panhandle."

"Storm surge, heavy rain and damaging winds threaten the Gulf Coast states from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle," the Weather Channel cautioned, forecasting landfall at around 1 a.m. on Saturday.

Tuscaloosa lies about 250 miles from the Gulf Coast, and kickoff is not scheduled until 6:30 p.m. local time. Still, no forecast currently shows the storm missing Alabama — a reminder that inland impacts are part of the picture with Gulf landfalls, as systems pushing north often carry torrential rain and tornado threats well away from the coast.

The Sun cited weather experts warning that the showdown "could be moved due to major weather reaching Bryant-Denny Stadium." That report pointed to ABC chief meteorologist James Spann, who cautioned that Isaias "could make landfall in nearby Mobile Bay."

"It would be a nightmare for everybody involved," Spann told AL.com. "But if we do get a Category 1, Category 2 hurricane coming right up Mobile Bay Saturday morning, I don't know if you wouldn't be playing that game in Tuscaloosa."

"You have the chance of winds gusting to 50 miles an hour, torrential rain and the chance of isolated tornadoes on top of everything else," he continued. "The idea of moving the game… It's clearly on the table."

The Southeastern Conference (SEC) said Tuesday that it was monitoring the storm and may move the game to avoid it. The contest will mark Trump's second visit to Alabama in eight days.

Equity research analyst Brett Gibbs also noted that three sizable renewable diesel facilities — Chevron Geismar, DGD Norco and SBR Chalmette — sit in the southern Gulf area at or near the hurricane's path, located in Louisiana between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Renewable diesel is made from fats and vegetable oils, including soybean oil. "Something to watch and could be part of today's bean oil move...," Gibbs added.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is already calling on residents to begin preparations. The immediate items to watch are the storm's final approach to the Gulf Coast and the SEC's next word on whether Saturday's showcase in Tuscaloosa proceeds as planned.