Vanderbilt deserves plenty of credit for beating Alabama last season, but the fact remains that the Crimson Tide did not prepare the way it should have. They were caught sleepwalking and faced a 13-0 deficit just two total possessions into the game. Vanderbilt drove down the field for a TD on its first possession, and then Jalen Milroe threw a pick-six. The Tide was playing from behind for the rest of the afternoon.
If Vanderbilt is going to beat Alabama for a second year in a row - something they haven't done since before Coach Bryant came home - they're going to have to line up and do it without the element of surprise.
Alabama understands the parallels from a year ago: it faces Vanderbilt again, one week removed from an emotional win over Georgia. But if Tide QB Ty Simpson has anything to say about it this year, there will be no letdown against the Commodores.
"I felt how it was last year," Simpson told reporters on Tuesday. "The mentality of the locker room this week is ... we remember. We remember what happened last year. What are we gonna do about it? Even though it’s not about last year, it’s about us, we’re not gonna make the same mistake again.”
Simpson didn't play in last year's loss in Nashville. He might be the missing piece that allows Alabama to earn revenge against on Saturday in Tuscaloosa.
This is not the same Alabama - or the same Vanderbilt - as last year
The good news for Alabama is that they aren't the same team as last year. The offense is less likely to start as slowly as it did in Nashville a year ago, thanks to how steady Simpson has been at QB. He has been carving everyone up since an uneven first start against Florida State. He should be able to do the same thing against Vanderbilt this weekend.
The bad news for Alabama is that Vanderbilt isn't the same team, either. The 'Dores are much improved. They aren't sneaking up on teams this year because they don't have to. They can just line up and beat you.
Diego Pavia is one of the best quarterbacks in college football, and he brought a cockiness and attitude that has infected the locker room. Vanderbilt will be coming to Tuscaloosa 100% expecting to beat Alabama again.
Vanderbilt is 5-0 and ranked No. 16 in the AP Poll. They have won all five of their games by 20+ points, and have already won two Power Four road games, knocking off both Virginia Tech and South Carolina.
It will take 60 minutes of consistent effort for Alabama to win this game. It sounds like they are ready to bring that. They better be. Because Vanderbilt certainly will.