Alabama heads into its matchup with Mississippi State ranked No. 7 in the country, and one college football analyst thinks the Crimson Tide are set up for a big night on the road.
Mario Navarro of The Athletic is predicting an Alabama win, and he expects Keelon Russell to be right in the middle of it. In Navarro’s projection, Russell throws for 305 yards and three touchdowns as the Crimson Tide take care of business against the Bulldogs.
That kind of forecast fits what Russell has already shown this season. He’s coming off a huge outing against South Carolina, when he passed for 365 yards and four touchdowns. He has been a major reason Alabama’s 2026 season has gone so well on both sides of the ball.
Russell has also given Alabama production as a runner, adding 168 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground. For a quarterback who entered the year with questions around his inexperience, he has answered plenty of them early.
Mississippi State, though, is not the same team Alabama has seen in the past. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 16 after climbing out of the bottom of the standings, and they bring a strong offense along with a defense capable of making things difficult.
That’s why Alabama has spent time this week focused on the environment as much as the opponent. Head coach Kalen DeBoer has talked at length about the crowd noise, and it could be a real factor in the game.
Still, the expectation from Navarro is that Alabama handles the challenge and gets the road win. If Russell delivers another strong performance and helps push the Crimson Tide past Mississippi State, it would only add to his growing standing in Tuscaloosa.
For Alabama, the mission remains the same: keep winning the kind of SEC games that are required to chase a national title.
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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 🡒]