The No. 11 Ole Miss Rebels are about to embark on their biggest game in school history when No. 3 Alabama comes to town this weekend. It won’t just be the Tide rolling into Oxford; ESPN’s College GameDay and CBS will also be in town for this weekend’s action, setting up a monumental SEC West showdown with major implications for both sides.

Here are five Alabama players all Ole Miss fans should know before Saturday’s kickoff:

  1. Blake Sims: Sims is a first-time starter in Lane Kiffin’s offense, but he has looked better with each game, culminating with a 445-yard, four touchdown performance in a win over Florida two weeks ago. Sims is as mobile a quarterback as the Tide have had in years, and he proved against the Gators that he can sling it around as well, finishing the game with the second most passing yards in a single game in program history. If Sims gets comfortable early, he could have another huge day throwing and running against one of the best defenses in the nation.
  2. Amari Cooper: Cooper is far and away Alabama’s most dynamic weapon on offense, and he may be the best player at any position in the nation (December’s Heisman results will determine if that’s true — he’s definitely a contender). He’s posted six straight games with at least 100 yards dating back to last season, has five touchdowns in his last three games and is now the program’s all-time leader in career touchdowns by a wideout with 20. Cooper will be matched up with Senquez Golson for much of the night, and that battle on the outside should have a huge bearing on the eventual outcome.
  3. Derrick Henry: Henry is Alabama’s top tailback, leading a deep group of talented Tide rushers this season. He has a team-high 320 yards and has averaged more than 6 yards per carry this season, proving himself to be a dynamic tailback in the SEC. What’s scariest for Ole Miss is Henry shares time with a few other backs, meaning he should be fresh as a daisy for Saturday’s showdown after Alabama’s bye last week. The Rebels must make an effort to stop the run early, or Henry could torch the Rebels with a few big plays.
  4. T.J. Yeldon: Again, Alabama is deep at the running back position, and Yeldon, the team’s most noteworthy rusher entering the season, is just another dynamic contributor to the run game. He leads the team with 57 carries in four games, but has averaged fewer than 5 yards per carry while only recording two touchdowns. That said, Yeldon is the Tide’s most athletic back, and it would only take one big run for him to make the Rebels pay on Saturday. He, like Henry, will be plenty fresh for this showdown, and Ole Miss must make sure he does not have a breakout game this weekend.
  5. Landon Collins: Collins has been the Alabama defense’s most consistent player and best playmaker so far this season. He leads the team with 32 tackles from his safety position, and has contributed in all areas on defense to help the Tide to a 4-0 start. He has an interception, a tackle for loss, a quarterback hurry, three passes defended and two pass breakups through four games, indicating his versatility as a sure tackler, a viable blitz option, a tremendous safety in coverage and an astute run-stopper. Ole Miss will be keeping tabs on Collins all night, and they’ll absolutely gameplan around him prior to Saturday;’s kickoff.