Three Matchup Thoughts: Vanderbilt Vs. Alabama

Vanderbilt football faces off against Alabama on Saturday in a game that will have America's eyes on it.

Oct 5, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores linebacker Randon Fontenette (2) knocks Alabama Crimson Tide tight end Josh Cuevas (80) out of bounds during the second half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

NASHVILLE---Vanderbilt departs for its matchup with No. 10 Alabama in the coming days and believes it has a real chance to pick up a victory as it goes into Tuscaloosa.

The Commodores are double-digit underdogs, but have a path to victory. Now, they'll have to win in the margins and hit on a few big plays to take advantage of the stage they've been given on College Gameday and ABC.

Here's three thoughts on the matchup.

Alabama won’t look over Vanderbilt this time

How could it after what’s happened between these two teams? 

Add in College Gameday, ABC and the supposed angst that Vanderbilt’s 40-35 win over Alabama created last season and there’s no world in which Kalen DeBoer’s team is overlooking this Vanderbilt team. There’s just no way. 

"We don't call them revenge games. So we gonna kill an ant with a sledgehammer this year," Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams said in a podcast hit with former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden over the summer. "Every game that we fell short last year, we definitely got red eyes going into them."

If Vanderbilt is going to knock off Alabama, it’s going to have to do it without sneaking up on it or tricking it with a foreign scheme that it hasn’t yet seen. Alabama knows that Vanderbilt is coming and will prepare accordingly. 

Clark Lea’s team will have to be at its best. 

Some jarring numbers

The last time these teams were both ranked heading into a matchup was 1937. It’s just the second time in program history that Vanderbilt has participated in College Gameday, as well. How about that for buzz. 

Vanderbilt will have to answer the buzz by doing something that it hasn’t done in years. This program hasn’t beaten Alabama in Tuscaloosa since 1984. It had lost 11 in a row when it went down to Alabama.

Time for it to rewrite the script? 

You aren’t likely to see all that many turnovers

Diego Pavia and Ty Simpson have both been surgical decision makers throughout their careers and will likely have a similar level of precision on Saturday.

Pavia has uncharacteristically thrown three interceptions this season while Simpson has 11 touchdowns and hasn’t given it away through the air yet. 

Saturday will present one of the best quarterback matchups on Vanderbilt’s schedule to this point. Pavia vs. LaNorris Sellers was spoiled by injury, if this one isn’t then it will be a treat.