No matter how many boobirds are in Bryant-Denny Saturday night (and there should never be any Crimson Tide ones), Alabama will beat South Carolina. The Crimson Tide's Game 4 script will feature another head coach on a scalding hot seat. South Carolina players will possibly rally around Shane Beamer and play their best game of the season. Even if they do, it will not be enough to topple the Crimson Tide.
Alabama still has much to prove in the 2026 season, and no position group has more to prove than Alabama's defensive backs. That does not bode well for South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers. Since his outstanding 2024 season, Sellers has thrown 11 interceptions against 18 touchdown passes. The Gamecocks' defense caved last week in the loss to Mississippi State, but Sellers' two drive-killing interceptions factored into the loss.
South Carolina should be somewhat buoyed by the return of offensive lineman, Jacarrius Peak and edge Dylan Stewart. Borh players returned from injury last week, but neither were 100%. Stewart is arguably South Carolina's best player. He played only 14 snaps against Mississippi State.
Florida State having an embattled head coach didn't help the Noles much. Alabama Episode 2 of "Embattled Coaches' will star Beamer on Saturday night, and perhaps to the dismay of Bama boobirds, will not feature Kalen DeBoer, Ryan Grubb, or Kane Wommack.
An Alabama Football Oddity
An oddity may be happening this week: Alabama fans looking ahead to the Mississippi State game in Week 5. The Bulldogs, led by sensational quarterback Kamario Taylor, will host Missouri. When was the last time any Crimson Tide fan diverted attention from a game by looking ahead to playing Mississippi State? For many, that answer must be never.
The Alabama Crimson Tide staff and players will not be looking ahead. The predicted game-score average of the Massey, Connelly, Sagarin, and Fremeau computer models is Alabama winning 31-21. I trust the models more than my own predictions. They appear to accurately reflect that the Crimson Tide is still a work in progress. However, Alabama is the better team, playing at home. The game can only be close if the Crimson Tide damages itself. My prediction is Alabama 38 - South Carolina 20. The game could be closer than my prediction because Alabama is expected to be short-handed at the Wolf position.
Will there be an Alabama "Embattled Coaches' Episode 3? Probably not when Mike Elko brings the Aggies to town. Possibly, and trending toward probably, an Episode 3 could be when Alex Golesh and a limping Auburn team visit Bryant-Denny in November.
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