Leading up to this week’s showdown with Alabama, Saturday Down South’s Drew Laing breaks down the battle between the Crimson Tide and the Florida Gators.

Alabama Crimson Tide

Week 4 vs. Florida (3:30 p.m. ET on CBS)

THE SKINNY: Alabama is the consistent favorite, once again ranked near the top of the AP Poll. Having loss just two regular season games in the past two years, there’s no question that Nick Saban’s team will be a tough out, especially in Bryant-Denny Stadium. They boast their usual strong depth at running back with TJ Yeldon and Derrick Henry as the 1-2 punch and Amari Cooper is arguably the nation’s best wide receiver. Defensively, they may not be as strong as in year’s past, but don’t question the talent of this group. They may be inexperienced in areas, but it’s a unit full of big-time athletes.

KEY PLAYER: Blake Sims. The Crimson Tide quarterback certainly isn’t the most talented player on the offense, but he’s the one player Florida can’t afford to let beat them. He’s played considerably better than Jacob Coker, who has been competing for the starting job, but Sims hasn’t been overly impressive. A strong passing performance and good game management from Sims against Florida would really make this Alabama team hard to stop.

WHAT TO WATCH: Wide receiver – defensive back battles. The premier matchup will be wideout Amari Cooper and Gators defensive back Vernon Hargreaves, two of college football’s most talented players. Cooper has enjoyed an incredible start to the season, but Hargreaves is arguably the best cover corner in college football. On the other hand, a matchup between Alabama defensive back Cyrus Jones and Gators wide receiver Demarcus Robinson will be another matchup to watch. Robinson has emerged as the definite playmaker of Florida’s offense and with injuries sustained in the Alabama secondary, Jones will have the responsibility of shutting down the 6-foot-2, 205-pound wideout. Look for Jones to play Robinson very physical at the line of scrimmage in hopes of nullifying the distinct height advantage for the UF sophomore.

FINAL SAY: Alabama is a two-score favorite over the Gators and with the home-field advantage, there’s a slim chance Florida can pull off the upset. I will say this, however. The Gators have the talent to pull off the upset, it’s just a matter of if they can finally put it all together. A disciplined Florida team that establishes the run game will stay competitive with the Crimson Tide and perhaps keep the game close enough to escape Bryant-Denny Stadium with a win. They are a team hungry to make a statement and this would be the perfect game for Muschamp’s team to do just that.