Stewart Mandel tossed out the kind of playoff rematch that gets Alabama fans talking: Alabama and LSU meeting again in a College Football Playoff national semifinal. He also flirted with the Red River Rivalry before Lane Kiffin became the detail that really moved the needle. That idea opens the door to a bigger question: which regular-season rematch would Crimson Tide fans want most?
Alabama’s schedule gives them plenty of chances to create that kind of sequel. The Tide open with East Carolina on Sept. 5 in Tuscaloosa, then go to Kentucky on Sept.
- Florida State comes to Tuscaloosa on Sept. 19, followed by South Carolina on Sept.
- After a trip to Mississippi State on Oct.
3, Alabama hosts Georgia on Oct. 10, visits Tennessee on Oct. 17, and welcomes Texas A&M on Oct. 24 before the bye week. The back half includes LSU at Baton Rouge on Nov.
7, Vanderbilt on Nov. 14, Chattanooga on Nov.
21, Auburn on Nov. 28, and the SEC Championship in Atlanta on Dec. 5.
For this exercise, the focus stays on the teams already on the schedule and the possibility of seeing one of them again later. That includes the real possibility that Alabama could end up playing Georgia or Texas A&M three times if things break that way. With that in mind, here’s the ranking of the five rematches Alabama fans might like best.
- Texas A&M Aggies (Oct. 24, Tuscaloosa)
This one cuts both ways. If Alabama stumbles against Texas A&M at home, a second crack at the Aggies could be exactly what the Tide want. If Alabama wins the first meeting, though, fans probably won’t be eager to see them again.
Because Texas A&M was a playoff team a year ago and is again viewed as a serious contender, one loss in this game probably wouldn’t knock either SEC team out of the mix. That makes a rematch plausible, whether it comes in Atlanta or in the playoff. Still, it sits at No. 5 because it likely depends on Alabama taking a home loss in SEC play.
Alabama can beat Texas A&M once. Doing it twice is another matter.
- South Carolina Gamecocks (Sept. 26, Tuscaloosa)
South Carolina is probably the least likely of these five teams to reach the playoff, but the Gamecocks still bring some intrigue. They nearly made it two seasons ago, and despite big expectations last fall, Shane Beamer’s team never really got going in 2025.
The matchup comes early, which makes it one of the more interesting games in the first third of Alabama’s season. South Carolina has pushed Alabama in recent meetings, and with LaNorris Sellers at quarterback, the Gamecocks have enough to make things uncomfortable. A playoff rematch would almost certainly require Alabama to slip at home first.
That’s why this one only works for Tide fans if the first meeting goes wrong.
- Tennessee Volunteers (Oct. 17, Knoxville)
A rematch with Tennessee is also a long shot, but it has the kind of juice that makes it hard to ignore. The Vols made the playoff two seasons ago, though they’ve been trending down since then. Like South Carolina, Tennessee probably only gets back into the playoff picture if it beats Alabama.
And if that happens, the encore would carry real weight. The Third Saturday in October is already one of Alabama’s defining rivalry games, so another shot at Tennessee in December or January would be plenty compelling. The Tide have enjoyed plenty of success in this matchup, and the chance to keep that going again would be appealing.
It’s just not something to expect.
- LSU Tigers (Nov. 7, Baton Rouge)
This is the one Mandel highlighted, and it’s easy to see why. Alabama and LSU in a playoff rematch would draw huge attention. Alabama has already played LSU for a national championship this century, and that rematch worked out well for Crimson Tide fans.
The regular-season meeting in Baton Rouge should be a serious test, and the stakes figure to be enormous. The winner likely locks up a playoff spot, while the loser could be staring at a damaged path or no path at all. Whether both teams make it depends on how much belief you have in each of them, but one of them should be in.
A second Alabama-LSU meeting would absolutely be a spectacle.
- Georgia Bulldogs (Oct. 10, Tuscaloosa)
This was always going to be the answer. Georgia is the most obvious and most appealing rematch on the board. There’s even a non-zero chance Alabama could face the Bulldogs three times this season: at home, in Atlanta, and again in the playoff.
That possibility alone makes it the most attractive option. Alabama is more likely to win both games than lose both, and a split would be very much in play.
Even if the Tide beat Georgia in the first meeting, a second shot at the Bulldogs would still be compelling. The chance to hand Georgia multiple losses would have Alabama fans buzzing either way.
Win or lose, Kalen DeBoer has already shown he can more than hang against Kirby Smart.
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