By : Sabri Haidar
(Photo/Sabri Haidar- The Mojo Network)
You read that right: Alabama vs. Vanderbilt is carrying the “Game of the Week” tag in Week 6 of college football. What a world.
ESPN’s College GameDay is headed to Tuscaloosa, where No. 10 Alabama welcomes No. 16 Vanderbilt in a matchup nobody would’ve circled a year ago. The Crimson Tide are riding high after knocking off Georgia on the road, while Vanderbilt rolls in at 5-0, brimming with confidence and swagger under quarterback Diego Pavia.
Pavia proved last season he wasn’t afraid of the stage, engineering an upset of Alabama in Nashville. The question now: can he do it again inside Bryant-Denny?
The Line Moves Early
Oddsmakers opened with Alabama as a 13.5-point favorite, but bettors weren’t buying it. Early money came in heavy on Vanderbilt, and by Monday, FanDuel had trimmed the spread to Alabama -10.5. That swing says plenty about how seriously people are taking the Commodores this time around.
No Surprises This Year
Last season, Alabama looked flat after an emotional win over Georgia, and Vanderbilt pounced for an early lead. That won’t be the case this time. Under Kalen DeBoer, the Tide are expected to bring sharper focus — and Vanderbilt’s rise isn’t sneaking up on anyone anymore.
But that doesn’t mean the Commodores will shrink from the challenge. Pavia has given the program a new edge, and this group has already proven it can win tough road games, knocking off Virginia Tech and South Carolina in hostile environments.
Measuring Stick in Tuscaloosa
For Alabama, this is the next big test. Beating Georgia showed the Tide can handle adversity. But what about prosperity? Can they follow up a program-defining win with a clean, businesslike performance against a dangerous opponent?
Vanderbilt, meanwhile, enters with nothing to lose and everything to prove. They won’t be intimidated by the lights or the crowd — not with Pavia’s confidence fueling the huddle.
All eyes will be on Bryant-Denny Stadium. And the fact that Alabama vs. Vanderbilt is the headline act tells you everything you need to know about how wild this college football season has already been.