Could Alabama survive a second loss this early in the season? That question was debated on ESPN this Friday.
ESPN’s “College GameDay” will be in Tuscaloosa this weekend to preview an epic showdown between No. 16 Vanderbilt and No. 10 Alabama. Both programs are coming into Saturday’s game playing their best football, so hopefully the product on the field will be outstanding.
Just a week ago, Alabama upset Georgia on the road. Ty Simpson had 276 passing yards and two touchdowns against Kirby Smart’s defense.
Even though Alabama picked up a huge win over Georgia, a 3-1 record isn’t exactly what fans want to see. That’s why a win over Vanderbilt seems like a necessity at this stage in the season.
Is Saturday’s game a must-win for Alabama?
According to ESPN’s Heather Dinich, a loss to Vanderbilt wouldn’t derail Alabama’s chances of making the College Football Playoff. She explained why on “Get Up” this Friday morning.
“Well, for Vandy, it’s a chance to go from the role of spoiler to an actual contender. For their quarterback, Diego Pavia? It’s a chance to really get into the Heisman conversation,” Dinich said, via On3. “And, look, for ‘Bama? They can technically afford to lose this game because any team with a chance to win its conference has a chance to play for the national title. Remember, they were the committee’s highest three-loss team last year.”
To be fair, Alabama will have plenty of chances over the next two months to boost its résumé. Over the next six weeks alone, the program will square off against No. 19 Missouri, No. 15 Tennessee, No. 13 LSU and No. 5 Oklahoma.
If the Crimson Tide handles their business in the SEC, there’s no question they’ll be firmly in the playoff conversation.
About the author
Chris Rosvoglou
Senior writer