The real season starts now. After a Week 1 warm-up against the AAC's East Carolina Pirates that produced a dominant 48-10 win for Alabama, the Crimson Tide will now go on the road to open SEC play in Week 2 against Kentucky.
With a nine-game SEC schedule this year, conference play starts much earlier than normal for Alabama this year. Kalen DeBoer and company would no doubt love one more game to get ready, but you work with what you have.
Keelon Russell will make his first road start on Saturday, and an inexperienced Alabama offense will need to clean up the miscues from a week ago to avoid allowing Kentucky to have a legitimate shot at pulling an upset.
You can bet that first-year Wildcats head coach Will Stein has had this game circled. A win over Alabama would immediately invigorate the Kentucky football fanbase and earn him an immediate signature win that energizes the program.
These are the exact type of games that have been dicey for Alabama under DeBoer. It's a great opportunity for him and the Alabama team to prove that this year will be different.
How to watch No. 13 Alabama at Kentucky in Week 2
- Date: Saturday, September 12th
- Time: 2:30 pm C.T.
- Venue: Kroger Field
- How to Watch (TV): ABC
- Streaming: fubo TV
- Alabama record: 1-0
- Kentucky record: 1-0
What are the betting odds for Alabama at Kentucky?
Odds courtesy of FanDuel.
Spread: Alabama -10.5
Over/Under: 49.5
Moneyline: Alabama -400/Kentucky +310
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Injury report for Alabama and Kentucky
Alabama:
- DL Jeremiah Beaman: Knee (Out for season)
- CB Jorden Edmonds: Leg (Out)
- CB Nick Sherman: Leg (Out)
- WR Noah Rogers: Leg (Out)
- S Jireh Edwards: Arm (Questionable)
- RB AK Dear: Arm (Questionable)
Questionable designations are educated guesses and will be updated when Alabama's official availability report is released Wednesday night.
Kentucky:
TBD - will be updated when the SEC's availability report is released on Wednesday.
Who are the announcers for Alabama vs. Kentucky?
SEC Nation will be in Lexington for Alabama and Kentucky this week. On the broadcast call for ABC will be Sean McDonough (Play-by-Play), former Tide QB Greg McElroy (Analyst), and Katie George (Sideline Reporter).
What will the weather be like for Alabama football on Saturday?
The forecast currently calls for partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 80s, which is a cold front in comparison to the high temperatures this past weekend in Tuscaloosa for the season-opener. There is a chance of a passing storm, with a current 30% chance of some rain.
Alabama vs. Kentucky series history
Alabama has dominated Kentucky like few other SEC opponents, which really makes the confidence coming from Wildcat fans this week all the more curious. The two teams have met 42 times previously. The Crimson Tide won 39 of those meetings. Those meetings include a tie back in 1939, so Kentucky has only ever beaten Alabama twice.
Alabama has won the last eight meetings dating back to 2003. Kentucky's last win over Alabama came in 1997 in Lexington when the Wildcats beat the Crimson Tide 40-34. That's their only win over Alabama in the last 100 years. To find the other victory, you have to go back to a 6-0 decision back in 1922.
This will be DeBoer's first meeting against Kentucky since becoming Alabama's head coach. The last meeting between the two was in 2023 during Nick Saban's final year with the Crimson Tide. Alabama beat Kentucky in Lexington that season, 49-21.
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