Saturday’s Week 5 slate gets a heavyweight SEC matchup right out of the gate, with No. 7 Alabama visiting No.
16 Mississippi State at 12 p.m. EST.
Both teams are 4-0, both quarterbacks are playing like stars, and the betting market has already pushed the Crimson Tide into road favorite territory by more than a field goal.
The headliners are Alabama’s Keelon Russell and Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor, two of the hottest quarterbacks in the country so far. Taylor is currently third in the Heisman odds, while Russell has been climbing fast after back-to-back strong outings.
Russell’s rise picked up again after Alabama’s Week 4 blowout of South Carolina. He moved from +2200 to +1600 in the Heisman race after that game, and the numbers behind the jump are hard to miss.
Against the Gamecocks, Russell threw for 365 yards and four touchdowns while also adding 35 rushing yards and another score. Through four games, he’s up to 11 total touchdowns and more than 1,100 passing yards.
That performance has put Russell in position to keep climbing. If he wins the quarterback matchup against Taylor, he could move into the top five of the Heisman odds.
Taylor, though, has built his own strong case. In four games, he has completed nearly 70 percent of his passes for 1,192 yards, 14 touchdowns and only two interceptions.
He’s also added 185 rushing yards and a score on 37 carries. The sophomore helped Mississippi State knock off ranked Missouri in Week 4, and the Bulldogs now face a brutal run with Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma and Texas coming next.
That stretch could go a long way in shaping Taylor’s Heisman chances. If Mississippi State drops most of those games, the race gets tougher fast. Still, Taylor gives the Bulldogs a real chance to stay in the hunt for a College Football Playoff berth.
The Bulldogs’ fast start has been impressive, but the underlying numbers point to a tougher test against Alabama. Per Game On Paper, Mississippi State trails Alabama in net adjusted EPA/Play. The defensive profile is also a concern, with Mississippi State sitting 73rd nationally in EPA/Pass and outside the top 60 in success rate against passing plays.
That’s where Russell’s recent form becomes such a problem for the Bulldogs. Alabama’s defense already handled LaNorris Sellers and South Carolina in Week 4, holding the Gamecocks to 18 points. Mississippi State allowed that same South Carolina team to score 34 in a seven-point win in Week 3.
The spread has already moved from Alabama -3 to -6, and the Tide are still short enough to back for this one. As long as the number stays inside a touchdown, Alabama looks like the side to take.
In Other News...
Kamario Taylor Just Gave Mississippi State Fans Another Reason To Believe
Nick Sabans on-air suggestion that Kamario Taylor should enter the transfer portal turned into one more flashpoint in Mississippi States surprisingly lively start. Instead of feeding the noise, Taylor doubled down on his commitment to the Bulldogs, and the team has backed him up with a 4-0 run that has pushed Mississippi State into the AP Top 25 at No. 16 after a win over Missouri.
Now the conversation shifts from outside skepticism to what Mississippi State can do next, with Alabama on deck in a matchup that will draw plenty of attention. Taylor has already answered one high-profile challenge with a public show of loyalty, and the Bulldogs get a chance to keep proving their early surge is real when the schedule gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Kalen DeBoers Unusual Road Routine Just Put Alabama Fans On Alert
Kalen DeBoer is taking an unusual approach for Alabamas trip to Starkville, with the Crimson Tide planning to travel on the morning of the game instead of making the usual day-before move. The short distance between the two campuses makes that possible, and it lets Alabamas players stay home and sleep in their own beds before heading east for one of the SECs more intriguing early kickoffs.
It is a small scheduling wrinkle, but it adds another layer to a matchup already carrying plenty of weight. The game is set for 11 a.m. and pits two undefeated SEC teams against each other, so every detail around preparation is getting extra attention. For Mississippi State, the setup means the Bulldogs will be waiting on a visiting team that is choosing a road routine not often seen at this level. [Read more 🡒]
Mississippi State Has Earned A Ranking Debate Fans Wont Ignore
Mississippi States 4-0 start has put the Bulldogs squarely into the national conversation, and the latest AP Poll slot at No. 16 only sharpened the discussion. A 2-0 mark in SEC play, highlighted by a win over No. 25 Missouri, has given this team a rsum that looks sturdier than the typical early-season surprise, especially with sophomore quarterback Kamario Taylor driving the offense.
Taylor has already thrown for 1,192 yards and 14 touchdowns, tying for the most passing scores in the country, and that kind of production is hard to ignore when the rankings debate turns to the Power Four picture. The bigger question now is how long Mississippi State can keep climbing, with Alabama and LSU looming as the kind of games that can either validate the Bulldogs place in the poll or force another round of second-guessing. [Read more 🡒]