It’s hard to believe that we’re down to the final 4 games of the 2023 regular season. But as we prepare to turn the calendar to November and fall back on Daylight Savings time, we also marvel at the perseverance of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

After being dismantled by Texas in the 2nd game of the season, this team has pick off opponents one after the other over the next month-plus to once again become the class of the SEC West and put themselves in position to play for another SEC title.

This team has shrugged off mediocrity, refusing to fall back into the division pack. Doing what it takes to come out on top, 1 game at a time, Alabama has compiled a 7-1 record, 5-0 in SEC play, and here’s where the Crimson Tide will finish the 2023 season.

After a bye next weekend, it’ll go like this:

Week 10: vs. LSU

Skinny: This game will all but decide the SEC West, as it has so many times before. The Tide lost a heartbreaker in overtime to the Tigers last season in Baton Rouge. But this game will be played at Bryant-Denny Stadium, where the Tide have won 4 of the past 5.

Slowing down the high-powered LSU offense is the priority. Slowing it down is the best any defense can hope to do. There’s no stopping Tigers QB Jayden Daniels and that offense. But slowing it down might be enough, because while the LSU offense leads the SEC by a wide margin, its defense ranked no better than 12th in the conference after the first 7 games of the season.

So, outscoring the Tigers might be doable, especially considering that Florida State did it (45-24) and so did Ole Miss (55-49).

Prediction: Alabama 38, LSU 37

Week 11: at Kentucky

This is about as lopsided a series as it gets. Alabama has a decisive all-time advantage of 38-2-1, including a 15-2 edge in Lexington, where the Tide have won the last 3. The Wildcats haven’t beaten Alabama in Lexington since 1997, a 40-34 decision.

To continue their dominance, the Tide must contain Kentucky RB Ray Davis, who at the midway point in the season led the SEC in rushing with 781 yards.

Through the first 7 games this season, the Alabama defense had allowed only 3 teams to rush for more than 100 yards in a game. Keeping that trend going will be key to Alabama turning back Kentucky’s upset bid.

Prediction: Alabama 28, Kentucky 16

Week 12: vs. Chattanooga

This Southern Conference opponent has never beaten Alabama in 13 tries. These teams first played way back in 1908 but haven’t tangled since 2016. Alabama has shut out the Mocs in 7 of those games, outscoring them 494-71. The closest they came to victory was a 1953 nail-biter in which the Tide prevailed 21-14.

Only 3 times has Chattanooga come within 2 touchdowns of the Tide, and all in succeeding games in the decade of the 1950s. Alabama won 42-28 in 1952, 21-14 in 1953 and 13-0 in 1959. Other than that, it hasn’t been close. The Tide’s largest margin of victory was a 63-0 triumph in 1914.

They may not equal that this year, but the Tide should have no problem running away from this cupcake.

Prediction: Alabama 52, Chattanooga 0

Week 13: at Auburn

Nothing would punctuate Alabama’s comeback this season like a convincing victory in the Iron Bowl. Who knows what the Auburn team will look like in late November, but one thing’s for sure: A Tigers’ victory would certainly make a success of the first year under head coach Hugh Freeze.

But that’s not going to happen. Not with continued development of the Alabama defense. Not with continued maturity of quarterback Jalen Milroe. Those 2 key elements will lift the Tide to a 4th consecutive Iron Bowl victory and 50th win in a series in which the Tide hold a 49-37-1 advantage.

Prediction: Alabama 23, Auburn 13