It's about that time. The time for talk is over. Alabama and Vanderbilt - the most unlikely "game of the week" - is here. College GameDay is in town for this Top 20 showdown as the Crimson Tide has vengeance on its mind.
The most stunning defeat of the Kalen DeBoer era at Alabama happened a year ago in Nashville. Led by Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt knocked off Alabama 40-35 in one of the biggest upsets of the 2024 college football season.
There won't be any surprises this time in Tuscaloosa. Alabama is fully aware that Vanderbilt is a quality football team. The Commodores are cocky and confident. Kalen DeBoer knows his team will have to play a complete, 60-minute football game in order to come out on top.
Pavia presents a lot of problems, and he's been one of the best quarterbacks in the country this season. But the 'Dores are much more than Pavia this season. They've got quality running backs, receivers, and an elite tight end. Their scheme is difficult to stop.
The biggest change for the 'Dores this season is that their defense has been much better this year than last. Vanderbilt comes into this game ranked No. 27 in the country in yards per play defense, per Team Rankings.
This will be the biggest challenge Vanderbilt's defense has faced, however, and while they've been stingy against the run, they're 69th in the country in passing yards allowed per game, and they haven't seen a quarterback or wide receiver group like they'll see at Bryant-Denny.
Betting odds for Alabama vs. Vanderbilt
Odds courtesy of FanDuel as of 6am E.T. on Saturday, October 4th
Spread: Alabama -12.5
Over/Under: 56.5
Moneyline: Alabama -490/Vanderbilt +380
Predictions from the Bama Hammer Team
We here at Bama Hammer are taking a wait-and-see approach with Tide defensive coordinator Kane Wommack. It feels like a near certainty that Ty Simpson and Alabama's offense are going to have a big day against the Vanderbilt defense, but whether or not this is a four-quarter battle is going to come down to whether Wommack has figured out how to defend against this offense.
This game will likely determine whether Wommack is long for this job or not. I think Alabama's defense will be better prepared, but still not be able to fully stop Pavia because he's just too good to take away completely.
I think Alabama wins the game by two touchdowns, but I'm torn between whether that two-touchdown win is because Vanderbilt scores a garbage-time touchdown with the Crimson Tide leading by three scores, or if Alabama puts Vanderbilt away with a late touchdown in a game that was back and forth for most of the night. The homer in me prefers the former. The realist is expecting the latter.
Picks:
John Mitchell:
Alabama 38, Vanderbilt 24
Josh Yourish:
Alabama 44, Vanderbilt 35
Ron Evans:
Alabama 34, Vanderbilt 24