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The Matchup: No. 3 Alabama (4-0, 1-0) at No. 11 Ole Miss (4-0, 1-0)
The Venue: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
The Kick: 3:30 PM ET
TV: CBS
Series record: Alabama leads 47-9-2 (without vacated wins or forfeits, Alabama leads 51-8-2).
Last meeting: The Ole Miss offense was overwhelmed by a nasty Alabama defense, dropping a 25-0 decision in Tuscaloosa. The Rebels defense fought hard to keep the game close, limiting the Crimson Tide to just nine first half points, but the Tide pulled away in the second half to earn an easy SEC West victory.
Coaches: Hugh Freeze (49-18), Nick Saban (169-57-1)
Last game (Ole Miss): The Rebels appeared shaky on offense, but the defense was masterful in a 24-3 win over Memphis. The Rebels held Memphis to just 104 yards of total offense for the game, overcoming four turnovers by the Ole Miss offense including three by quarterback Bo Wallace. The Rebels defense now ranks third in the nation in scoring defense behind only Stanford and TCU.
Last game (Alabama): Alabama enjoyed a bye last week, but two weeks ago it throttled the Florida Gators 42-21 in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide overcame early turnover problems and eventually blossomed on offense, posting a whopping 645 yards of offense for the game. Blake Sims had the second best passing performance of any Alabama quarterback in program history, and Amari Cooper pulled in three touchdowns to set a school record for touchdowns by a wideout.
Ole Miss wins if: The defense can dictate what Alabama does on offense, and if Wallace can protect the football. The defense must shut down the Tide’s rushing attack and eliminate the threat of wideout Amari Cooper on the outside. Likewise, Wallace must have one or fewer turnovers to allow Ole Miss to maximize its offense’s potential.
Alabama wins if: It can force Wallace to make a handful of costly mistakes. Wallace is among the most turnover-prone quarterbacks in the SEC, and Alabama needs to force him into a few turnovers to counter the Rebels impressive defense. The Tide will get nothing easy on offense, but if it can give itself a short field by forcing turnovers on defense, Alabama could score enough to win this game. Likewise, every Wallace turnover is one more drive without points for Ole Miss, which then requires Alabama to score less on the Rebels defense to earn a win.
What it means if Ole Miss wins: An Ole Miss victory would establish the Rebels as a true contender for the SEC West crown and a spot in the College Football Playoff field. The Rebels would certainly jump into the top 10 in next week’s polls with a victory, and would have all the momentum of a signature win on a national stage to carry them along through a daunting SEC West schedule.
What it means if Alabama wins: An Alabama win would mean this team is just as good as Tide teams of years past, and not a regression from last season’s disappointing finish. Some questioned Alabama’s top 5 status after earning ugly wins over West Virginia, Florida Atlantic and Southern Miss to open the season, but after its dominant performance against Florida, fans are beginning to believe in ‘Bama once again. Another win over a top-flight foe from the SEC West would only further establish the Tide among the elite teams in the nation.
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.
