One word is on the mind of Alabama fans today: revenge. Revenge for last season's disappointing loss to Vanderbilt in Nashville, where the Commodores stunned the Crimson Tide 40-35 in one of the biggest upsets of the 2024 college football season.
That win changed the narrative around Vanderbilt's program and emboldened its players that they are on a level playing field with Alabama. Both Diego Pavia and Sedrick Alexander have fueled the fire in Tuscaloosa with comments about "dominating" and the game "not being close."
But Vanderbilt's got to come to Bryant-Denny this year. They've got to go toe-to-toe with Alabama, with a raucous crowd on Saban Field, against a team that has plenty of motivation.
Revenge is not only on the minds of the fans. It's on the minds of the players and coaches as well. It's also on the mind of a former coach. Nick Saban talked about it on College GameDay this morning, hyping up the crowd on the set.
"Let me say one thing," Nick Saban said. "Revenge is not supposed to be a factor, but it is a factor today!"
"Let me speak up for Alabama now 😂😂
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 4, 2025
Revenge is not supposed to be a factor BUT it is a factor today" ~ Coach Saban #CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/aCcN8k3yyl
Nick Saban says revenge is a factor for Alabama vs. Vanderbilt
If you ask any of the players, you'll hear the normal answers of this being "just another game." But it's not. This game means something extra for this Alabama team.
Alabama was embarrassed last season by losing to Vanderbilt. It wasn't just that loss; it was a microcosm of the Crimson Tide's issues under Kalen DeBoer, particularly on the road. Alabama lost road games after that to Tennessee and Oklahoma, too. They lost away from home in the ReliaQuest Bowl to Michigan. They lost again on the road to Florida State to open the 2025 season.
That was fixed a week ago with a close road win over Georgia in Athens. But the job is not done yet. How does Alabama handle prosperity? Can they play well when they are expected to play well?
Everyone wrote the Crimson Tide off after losing to Florida State. Everyone is back on the bandwagon after beating Georgia last week on the road.
We'll find out more about DeBoer and whether or not the Crimson Tide has the mental fortitude to compete for a National Championship by how they perform against Vanderbilt today.