Overview

• Kickoff is 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday on ABC at Bryant-Denny Stadium, with ESPN’s College GameDay in Tuscaloosa.
• Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia has completed 74.6% for 1,211 yards and 13 touchdowns with 294 rushing yards, driving an offense averaging 49 points per game.
• Alabama’s Ty Simpson enters with 1,138 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and no interceptions, and the Tide are double‑digit betting favorites despite run‑game and run‑defense concerns noted by analysts.
• Turnovers loom large: Alabama has yet to commit one and sits at +7, while Vanderbilt is +5 with four giveaways.
• Context frames the stakes: Vanderbilt upset then‑No. 1 Alabama 40‑35 last year, has not won in Tuscaloosa since 1984, and Nick Saban cautioned that this Vanderbilt team and Pavia’s passing growth make it a real challenge.