Alabama heads to Starkville on Saturday for what looks like its toughest test of the season so far, and the matchup comes with plenty of questions. Mississippi State is unbeaten, the 11 a.m. CT kickoff is looming, and the Bulldogs are trying to make a statement of their own in the College Football Playoff conversation against a team they last saw in 2023.
The biggest one starts on the defensive side for the Crimson Tide: can Alabama slow down Kamario Taylor?
Taylor, a sophomore quarterback, has been one of the early revelations of Mississippi State’s undefeated start. Alabama has already seen dangerous offensive talent this season, including South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers and wide receiver Nyck Harbor, but Taylor may be the toughest challenge yet.
Nick Saban even singled him out during ESPN’s College Gameday pregame show, saying he would have been tampering to try to get Taylor to enter the transfer portal if he were still coaching. That offseason talk has already followed Taylor around, much to the annoyance of Mississippi State fans, and now the focus shifts to what he can do against Alabama. The Crimson Tide’s pass defense has had shaky stretches, especially against Florida State, so Taylor has a real chance to stress that unit from start to finish.
Weather could also play a major role in how this game unfolds. The forecast calls for a chance of rain in Starkville on Saturday, with some of it possibly heavy. If that shows up, the passing game could take a hit and turn this into less of a quarterback showcase.
That would put more pressure on the ground games, and Alabama’s has looked far better in 2026 than it did a year ago, when the rushing attack was, frankly, embarrassing. EJ Crowell has looked every bit as talented as expected, Trae’Shawn Brown has flashed, and Daniel Hill has been productive too.
Mississippi State’s Fluff Bothwell was listed as probable on the first availability report of the week, and he brings plenty of talent as well. Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack actually recruited Bothwell to South Alabama before moving to Tuscaloosa, which adds another wrinkle to a game that could get messy if the weather turns.
That leads to the final question for Alabama: can the offense keep its footing after the South Carolina game showed signs of real progress?
The Crimson Tide looked much better in that game than it had in earlier outings. Ryan Grubb pointed out in his weekly press conference that Alabama opened with a three-and-out, but after that, things started rolling. By halftime, the game was no longer in doubt.
If Alabama can build on that kind of performance, it should be in good shape against Mississippi State. But if the offense slips back into the slow starts and uneven stretches that showed up earlier this year, the Bulldogs have enough firepower to make it a problem. Against a team led by Taylor, another early stall could put Alabama in a hole it may not be able to climb out of.
In Other News...
Derek Meadows Is Becoming An Alabama Concern For A Bigger Reason
Derek Meadows season has taken on an odd shape for Alabama, because the sophomore receiver arrived with some interest but has barely found a foothold once the games started. He had three catches for 44 yards in the opener, then went quiet, while Rico Scott has settled into the tertiary receiver spot behind Ryan Coleman-Williams and Lotzeir Brooks. For a passing game that always has room for another trusted target, the absence of any real uptick in Meadows usage has become noticeable.
Alabamas coaching staff has not increased his role, and that leaves Meadows in a tricky place as the season moves along. The competition around him is real, his path to steady snaps is unclear, and the longer he goes without earning more work, the more his future with the program starts to feel like part of the conversation. With other players pushing for touches and speculation already drifting toward a possible transfer, this is becoming more than a depth-chart issue for the Tide. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces One Early Kickoff Test Before Mississippi State
Alabamas trip to Starkville comes with one of the more awkward scheduling quirks on the calendar, an 11 a.m. CT kickoff against Mississippi State that will send the Crimson Tide onto the road and into game mode before most stadiums are fully awake. It is the kind of setup that can test a teams routine, especially when travel and an early start are stacked together on the same day.
Bray Hubbard said the Tide are built for that kind of adjustment because their days already begin early with meetings and practice. For a program that leans on structure and pace throughout the week, the short turnaround between arrival and kickoff may be more of a nuisance than a hurdle, but it still adds a layer to a game Alabama will be expected to handle cleanly. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Saban Is Now At The Center Of An Uncomfortable Debate
Nick Sabans post-coaching profile has kept him in the middle of college footballs biggest conversations, and his latest involvement has only sharpened the spotlight. Since retiring after the 2023 season and moving into a broadcaster role with ESPN, the former Alabama coach has remained a powerful voice around the sport, including in his prominent push for the Protect College Sports Act.
Paul Finebaum, though, argued that Sabans presence in that debate may not resonate the way it once did, saying the Hall of Fame coach is out of step with todays players. Finebaum pointed to Georgias Kirby Smart as a sharper fit for the modern college football moment, creating an awkward contrast for a figure whose opinions still carry enormous weight in the sport and especially across the SEC. [Read more 🡒]