No. 10 Alabama will look to get revenge for last year’s loss when it squares up with No. 16 Vanderbilt on Saturday.
This will mark the 87th meeting between the two schools, and the first time since 1937 that they have met with both teams being ranked. The Crimson Tide hold a commanding 63-19-4 record in the series. However, Vanderbilt won the most recent meeting with a 40-35 win last year over at the time the No. 1 team in the country in Alabama.
Here are a few things to watch this Saturday.
- Simpson vs Pavia
Two of the best quarterbacks in the SEC, Ty Simpson and Diego Pavia, will battle it out on Saturday. Simpson has enjoyed early success in his first year in the starting role and has propelled himself on Heisman voters’ short lists, averaging 284 yards passing per game. Pavia is a gritty vet who models his game after Johnny Manziel and has the confidence to back it up. Pavia is middle of the pack in the SEC in passing with 242 yards per game, but contributes more to the offense with his legs. His ability to escape the pocket adds extra stress to opposing defenses and, as a result, he averages 54 rushing yards per game.
- Home Field Advantage
Bryant-Denny Stadium is home to one of the toughest places to play in the country. With a perfect 2-0 record at home to start the 2025 season, Alabama has the third-longest active home win streak in the country with 14 straight home wins. The Crimson Tide trail Oregon, which leads the nation with 18 straight wins, as well as Missouri with 15. If Alabama can survive Vanderbilt on Saturday, it will have a chance the following week to end Missouri’s streak and move up to the second-longest home winning streak.
- Defending the Run
Vanderbilt thrives in the running game, and that happens to be the weakness in Alabama’s defense this year. The Commodores find themselves second in the SEC, averaging 223 rushing yards per game, while Alabama is near the bottom of the SEC in defending the run, allowing 160 yards on the ground per game. Slowing down the conventional run as well as containing the quarterback run will be crucial if Alabama wants to win on Saturday.
- Taking Vanderbilt Seriously
Last season, Alabama was coming off a huge win against Georgia and fell to Vanderbilt because it didn’t see Vanderbilt as a threat. This year, the Crimson Tide are in the same position, but there is more juice surrounding this Vanderbilt team as it finds itself 5-0 and ranked 16th in the country. As a result, ESPN "College GameDay" will be on site in what they think will be one of this week’s top games. Judging by the comments from Alabama players and coaches this week, Vanderbilt will not be taken lightly this time.
- Turnover Battle
Alabama is one of three teams not to turn the ball over this year. Protecting the football has been a key factor in the Crimson Tide's success this season, and it will need to continue on Saturday. Turnovers played a big part in Vanderbilt’s upset last season with the Commodores forcing two turnovers and allowing zero. In Alabama's first offensive possession last year, Vanderbilt intercepted a Jalen Milroe pass and returned it for a touchdown, and the Crimson Tide were never able to recover.
Alabama will host Vanderbilt on October 4 at 2:30 p.m. The game will be televised on ABC.
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