Alabama survived its September slate and heads full-steam into October with a 4-0 record that includes a 2-0 mark in the SEC.
But October will be full of landmines for the now 7th-ranked Crimson Tide, and that first landmine arrives on the first Saturday of October in the form of 16th-ranked Mississippi State and budding star quarterback Kamario Taylor.
Led by Taylor, the Bulldogs have been 1 of the great stories of the 2026 college football season so far, and they also sit at 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the SEC as 1 of the biggest backdrops in years comes to Starkville. The Week 5 matchup will have a ton of eyes on it, on the teams and on Taylor, and they’ll kick it off at noon ET on ABC.
Can Mississippi State prove its really for real this fall with a takedown of the Tide? The Kalshi market believes the Bulldogs can keep it close, but they will be about a touchdown underdog on their home field, opening as a 6.5-point dog against Alabama with a total of 59.5 points.
Mississippi State will be coming off a rousing comeback victory on Saturday night over Mizzou, on the same field in Starkville, while Bama pounded South Carolina at home in Week 4 to stay perfect. Doing that again in Week 5 in the new month might prove a little more difficult, and it’ll be just the start of a month-long series of challenges for the Tide.
Alabama will have a tough road challenge in Starkville in Week 5, as it tries to stay unbeaten, and here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the Crimson Tide’s chances to escape Mississippi State with its perfect record intact:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
