Alabama is back in SEC play Saturday night with South Carolina coming to Tuscaloosa, and the Crimson Tide will be looking for a cleaner start after spending the last two weeks digging out of early holes.
No. 8 Alabama, now 3-0, hosts the 2-1 Gamecocks at Bryant-Denny Stadium at 6:00 pm C.T. on ESPN.
The matchup also lands with South Carolina in need of a response after a home loss to Mississippi State, a result that added more pressure on head coach Shane Beamer. Alabama saw the danger in that kind of spot last week against Florida State.
The Tide have won the last two games the hard way. Two weeks ago in Lexington, Alabama trailed Kentucky 17-13 at halftime before rolling to a 32-0 second-half edge.
Then last weekend against Florida State, the Crimson Tide fell behind 21-6 late in the second quarter and answered with 44 unanswered points from that point on. If Alabama wants to stay in the National Championship conversation, the slow starts can’t keep showing up, and neither can the uneven defensive play that appeared against FSU after a much sharper Week 2 showing.
The betting line has Alabama favored by 12.5 points, with the over/under set at 53.5. On the moneyline, Alabama is -520 and South Carolina is +385, according to FanDuel.
Alabama’s injury report lists DB Jorden Edmonds, LB Cayden Jones, DB Nick Sherman, and DL Jeremiah Beaman as out. South Carolina’s availability report will be updated when the SEC releases it Wednesday evening.
This one will feature a new broadcast crew for Alabama this season. Dave Pasch will handle play-by-play, Dusty Dvoracek will be the analyst, and Taylor McGregor will work the sideline.
Weather shouldn’t be much of a headache, either. It figures to be warm for late September, with kickoff temperatures in the mid-to-low 80s and dropping into the 70s by the fourth quarter. There is a passing chance of rain, but not much indication of another night threatened by lightning delays.
This is the 19th meeting between Alabama and South Carolina, and the third straight season the teams have played. Alabama owns a 14-4 edge in the series, and Kalen DeBoer has already won both matchups against the Gamecocks in 2024 and 2025.
Both were close calls. Alabama edged South Carolina 27-25 in Tuscaloosa two years ago after surviving a Hail Mary attempt, then pulled out a 29-22 win in Columbia last year when Ty Simpson sparked consecutive touchdown drives to tie the game and then take the lead.
In Other News...
Bryant-Denny Just Gave Alabama Fans A New Gameday Price Debate
Bryant-Denny Stadiums concession stands can make even a routine snack feel like part of the bigger gameday experience, and the Burnt End Nachos are a good example of how Alabama fans are now weighing taste against the kind of price tag that comes with eating inside a major venue. The review of the item found a decent portion and a familiar enough lineup of ingredients, but also noted that the same dish carries a much friendlier price at a local restaurant than it does under the stadium lights.
For fans filing through Tuscaloosa on Saturdays, the real debate is less about whether the nachos are enjoyable and more about whether they justify nearly $20 before tax for what is still, at the end of the day, a plate of stadium food. Thats the tradeoff Alabama supporters keep running into on game day: convenience, atmosphere, and a specialty menu item, all wrapped into one purchase that leaves the taste buds satisfied but the receipt hard to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Keelon Russell Just Entered A Bigger SEC Conversation
Rece Davis used his latest look around the SEC to put a spotlight on the leagues next wave of quarterbacks, and Alabamas Keelon Russell was right in the middle of it. As Davis sized up the conference heading into Week 4, he said Ole Miss remained his top team, but he also singled out four young passers who have already started to change the way their teams are viewed.
Russells inclusion matters because it keeps Alabama in the center of the SEC conversation even as other programs try to build momentum behind emerging quarterbacks like Tennessees Faizon Brandon, Vanderbilts Jared Curtis and Mississippi States Kamario Taylor. For Alabama, it is another sign that the Tides future at the position is drawing real attention, and that Russell is already being discussed alongside some of the leagues most promising young talents. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Pass Rush Has A New Difference-Maker Entering SEC Play
Through the first three games, Devan Thompkins has already become one of the more important additions on Alabamas defensive front. The USC transfer leads the Crimson Tide with three sacks, and his impact has shown up in more than just the stat sheet. Against Kentucky and Florida State, he gave Alabama a needed presence off the edge while also showing the versatility and poise the staff has come to lean on as SEC play begins.
Now the challenge gets a little more demanding, with South Carolina next on the schedule and Alabama looking for Thompkins to keep setting the tone up front. For a defense that wants to disrupt timing and force offenses into uncomfortable spots, his role only gets bigger from here. The early returns have been strong, but the next stretch will show how much of a difference-maker he can be when the competition tightens. [Read more 🡒]