3 bold predictions for Alabama Football vs. Vanderbilt

Alabama Football takes to the road this week to battle Vanderbilt in Nashville. This has all the makings of a potential trap game after an emotional victory over Georgia.

Vanderbilt presents a much different challenge than Georgia, with the Crimson Tide battling complacency as much as they are battling the Commodores on Saturday afternoon.

Vanderbilt is an improved, well-coached football team, having already scored a power-four win over Virginia Tech and pushed Missouri to the brink of an upset two weeks ago in Columbia. Look past the 'Dores at your own peril in 2024.

We nailed two of the three bold predictions for the Georgia game last week. We correctly predicted that Alabama would force multiple turnovers. Georgia turned it over four times. We also correctly predicted that Jalen Milroe would leave the game as the Heisman favorite. Check.

The only miss was predicting Kendrick Law to go over 100-yards from scrimmage. I will acknowledge that while it wasn't likely to happen, Law did leave the game in the second quarter with an injury and didn't return.

Let's try to go three for three this week!

3. Jalen Milroe's two by two streak comes to an end

Jalen Milroe has thrown for at least two touchdowns and rushed for at least two touchdowns in all four games this season so far. Most pundits didn't expect that he could do that against Georgia's defense, but Milroe did what he has consistently done and proved critics wrong by having the single best game of his career last Saturday night in Tuscaloosa.

Unfortunately, I think that streak comes to an end this week. Not because I don't see Milroe having a good game, I do. I just think Kalen DeBoer and OC Nick Sheridan will have an emphasis in the gameplan this week to get Jam Miller and Justice Haynes a lot of work.

It's important to keep those guys engaged, and when Alabama gets into the redzone, I imagine they will be looking to get one of, if not both of, those guys into the endzone.

Speaking of which...

2. Either Jam Miller or Justice Haynes goes over 100 yards rushing

This goes hand-in-hand with the first bold prediction. I think Miller and Haynes will be a focal point this week. Part of why is to keep them engaged, while another part is to take some of the workload off of Milroe to ensure he stays healthy.

Milroe has been outstanding this season, but he is also shouldering a heavy offensive burden. He only has seven less carries on the season than the two running backs combined.

Vanderbilt has a big defensive line, but the 'Dores surrender over four yards per carry on the ground this season. I think Alabama will look to establish the run this week with both guys, and I think one of them breaks enough runs to go over the century mark on the afternoon.

1. Alabama scores a non-offensive touchdown

It is bound to happen at some point soon with the amount of takeaways the Alabama defense is generating. Jihaad Campbell had a big return on an interception, and Deontae Lawson would have had a pick-six if he could have held on to the football.

There's also the possibility that Alabama breaks a kickoff or punt return. Kendrick Law has come close on a kickoff once already, and if Ryan Williams continues to return punts, it's only a matter of time before the dyanmic freshman takes one to the house.

I'm not sure how it happens on Saturday, but I think the Tide finds a non-traditional path to the endzone. I think the game will be a bit sloppy early on, and it'll be a defensive touchdown or a return touchdown that gives Alabama some breathing room either late in the first half or early in the third quarter.