Alabama destroyed its first opponent of the season, No. 20 USC, in a 52-6 rout. However, after seeing most of the SEC struggle during opening weekend, a bigger question comes to mind for Crimson Tide fans.

Is Alabama in danger of overlooking an unranked nonconference opponent?

If we are to believe head coach Nick Saban, the answer is a resounding no. Saban specifically pointed to conference foes that lost during opening week to lesser opponents. Sorry, Mississippi State and Kentucky.

In the case of Tennessee, who was nearly upset by Appalachian State, it was likely a case of an overconfident team. However, with respect to Kentucky, it was a back-and-forth game between one of the top teams in Conference USA and one of the bottom teams in the SEC.

If Vanderbilt got beat by Western Kentucky, which it did in last season’s opener, why wouldn’t Kentucky get beat by Southern Mississippi? If Alabama was on the same level as Kentucky, fans might have more room for concern.

In the case of Mississippi State, maybe the Bulldogs were overconfident and looking ahead to the team’s SEC opener against South Carolina. Also, unlike Tennessee, the Bulldogs were not the recipients of good luck. Kicker Westin Graves missed a relatively easy 28-yard field goal and the Bulldogs lost the game by a point.

The point being: If Alabama overlooks Western Kentucky, anything can happen. If a highly motivated, middle-of-the-pack Sun Belt team can beat an SEC team that won nine games last season, then one of the best teams in Conference USA might, just might, stand a chance against Alabama. That happens only if Alabama ignores the opposition.

Saban is doing everything in his power to ensure that doesn’t happen. Was Saban watching Ole Miss on national television Monday night? You can bet on it. Was Saban already making plans for ways to exploit Ole Miss, thinking of things his team has to work on to overcome Ole Miss’ strengths? In all likelihood, the answer is yes.

However, Saban must publically preach the message that all of his energies are directed toward Western Kentucky. There is little doubt the team will focus on Western Kentucky in practice, and Saban’s primary energies are directed toward that specific game. Coaches are always looking for advantages, so to take just a little time out for advance notes on an opponent that has plagued the Crimson Tide twice in the last two years is not a faux pas in the least.

If Saban wants to ensure that Alabama will reach a third straight College Football Playoff, beating Ole Miss is a big step, but the team must do so without overlooking a team that finished last season with a 12-2 record while winning their conference and earning a No. 24 ranking in the final AP poll. As good as Western Kentucky was last season, the team’s one brutal loss was at the hands of LSU by a score of 48-20.

Still, Western Kentucky does have a high-octane offense. Last season, the team had the school’s all-time leading passer Brandon Doughty at quarterback. This season, the team took a slight step back, although USF transfer Mike White looked outstanding in Week 1 during a 46-14 win against Rice.

In the team’s history, quarterbacks have compiled 500 yards passing three times: twice by Doughty just two years ago and last week by White. The team also has talented senior wide receiver Taywan Taylor, whose 17 touchdowns ranked second among FBS receivers last season.

Looking back, Alabama shut out Western Kentucky during the 2012 season by a score of 35-0, but the Hilltoppers weren’t as talented then. If the same defense that held USC to 6 points shows up at Bryant-Denny Stadium this Saturday, Alabama should be in great shape. Plus, Alabama has won 14 straight home openers.

Certainly, fans saw during Week 1 that anything is possible in college football, but with Saban keeping his team’s focus, the Crimson Tide should earn another home-opening win on Saturday.