Alabama gets the bye week at 6-2 overall and 4-2 in SEC play, but the margin for error is gone. With two losses already on the board - against Georgia and Tennessee - the Crimson Tide have put themselves in a spot where the rest of the regular season feels like a survival test. One more stumble could damage their College Football Playoff hopes in a big way.
The stretch run starts in Week 10, and it begins with the kind of road game that can change the tone of a season.
Week 10: at LSU Tigers
When: Saturday, Nov. 7, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Prediction: Alabama 24, LSU 26
This is the toughest game left on Alabama’s schedule, at least on paper, and it carries the feel of a game that could knock one of these teams out of the CFP picture. The Crimson Tide open as the underdog in Baton Rouge, where they’ll face an LSU team that has one of the nation’s top 10 scoring offenses. The Tigers are led by the SEC’s leading passer, Sam Leavitt, and they also have head coach Lane Kiffin guiding the operation.
From there, Alabama heads to Nashville for a matchup that looks far more manageable.
Week 11: at Vanderbilt Commodores
When: Saturday, Nov. 14, in Nashville, Tennessee
Prediction: Alabama 40, Vanderbilt 17
This will be Alabama’s first trip to Nashville since the Crimson Tide were stunned by Vanderbilt in Kalen DeBoer’s first season. But the Commodores have had a rough year on both sides of the ball, with their offense and defense both ranking in the 100’s nationally. Given that profile, it’s difficult to see Alabama letting this one slip, even with last season’s loss still in the background.
The final two games are at home, starting with a nonconference matchup that should tilt heavily toward the Crimson Tide.
Week 12: vs. Chattanooga Mocs
When: Saturday, Nov. 21, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Prediction: Alabama 63, Chattanooga 6
Chattanooga comes to Tuscaloosa for Alabama’s last nonconference game of the regular season. The Mocs are an FCS team, and the Crimson Tide are projected to handle them comfortably at home.
The regular season ends with the Iron Bowl, as it always does, and this year’s version lands in Tuscaloosa.
Week 13: vs. Auburn Tigers
When: Saturday, Nov. 28, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Prediction: Alabama 36, Auburn 20
Auburn arrives for the latest edition of the Iron Bowl with first-year head coach Alex Golesh at the helm. The Tigers are coming off an upset of Georgia in Athens, but their season has also been inconsistent enough to make this a difficult team to trust. Alabama, meanwhile, has won the last seven Iron Bowls played in Tuscaloosa, which makes the pick lean the Crimson Tide’s way in the finale.
In Other News...
Former Alabama Rusher Sparks New Debate After Another Career Twist
Noah Carters path has taken another sharp turn, and it adds a fresh layer to a season that already had plenty of uncertainty around the former Alabama edge rusher. After transferring to Georgia Tech, Carter managed to appear in four games this year and still flashed the kind of pass-rush ability that made him a name to watch, finishing with three sacks even while dealing with injury issues.
Georgia Tech has now removed Carter from its football program, but the school has not offered an official explanation for the move. For Alabama fans who followed his development in Tuscaloosa, the latest twist only deepens the question of where his career goes next after a brief but productive stretch in Atlanta. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Bye Week Suddenly Comes With Real Stakes For The Tide
Alabamas open date arrives at a useful moment on the schedule, but it does not come with much room to exhale. The Tide have been dealing with injuries to key players, and a week off gives the staff time to reset, regroup and get a better sense of where the roster stands before the stretch run. Even without a game this Saturday, the attention around Tuscaloosa is still squarely on the bigger picture.
The rest of the SEC could make this bye week feel even more consequential, with results around the conference shaping Alabamas path to the SEC championship game and the College Football Playoff. And while the focus inside the program is on the season in front of it, there is also outside chatter about Kalen DeBoer and possible future coaching openings at USC, adding another layer to a week that already carries more weight than a typical pause in the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Playoff Path Just Got Tighter After Georgias Latest Statement
Georgias latest win over Florida did more than keep the Bulldogs rolling in the SEC East. It also sharpened the pressure on the rest of the league, including Alabama, as the conference race and the College Football Playoff picture continue to tighten with every late-season result. With championship projections and playoff contenders being sorted by recent form and what still lies ahead, the margin for error is getting smaller by the week.
For Alabama, that means the path forward is starting to depend as much on what happens around the league as what the Crimson Tide do themselves. Injuries and schedule difficulty are part of the equation now, along with the ripple effects from Georgias continued hold on the division and the broader SEC standings. The next stretch will go a long way toward determining whether Alabama stays in the mix or gets squeezed by the results stacking up in front of it. [Read more 🡒]