“The only place you play in the SEC that’s not hard to play is Vanderbilt.” That’s what Nick Saban expressed last September before the Alabama vs Vanderbilt game in October. That’s what happened when they lost to Diego Pavia and the Commodores; he called it “atrocious,” saying, “you don’t lose to Vanderbilt. And that’s not what happens when you go to Bama.” Now Vandy is undefeated, sitting at No. 16 in the AP poll and headed to Bryant-Denny as 10.5-point underdogs to No. 10 Alabama. Is another upset on the cards for Kalen DeBoer‘s Tide?

Things really got spicy this week when Mark Ingram’s Bama pride boiled over during an exchange with Urban Meyer. On October 3, reporter Mike Rodak posted Meyer’s comments about Diego Pavia. “That quarterback, it’s fun to watch. Good for them. I hope that city jumps all over him, too,” he said. Ingram didn’t let that slide. His response is unfiltered, with pure fire. “They can jump all over his a– after we tap that a–. I’m sick of this s—, man,” he replied. He made more than one sarcastic remark.

Before unleashing at Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram had already made waves on the Triple Option podcast, calling Vanderbilt “a damn problem” and telling Bama to “bring your hard hat and your lunch pail, and change your identity to be able to be a tough, physical team that can stop the run.” Alabama better get back to its old-school, smash-mouth roots if it wants to avoid another embarrassing stumble. One can’t tell he’s mistaken.

Vanderbilt’s offense is cooking. Diego Pavia has been shredding defenses with both his arm and legs. Sedrick Alexander is a hammer in the backfield, and Junior Sherrill keeps defenses honest outside. Add in tight end Eli Stowers, and this Commodore unit is blowing the door off hinges.

Still, Mark Ingram doubled down on Alabama. He joked about storming the field himself if the Tide pulls off revenge. “You said we’re gonna storm the field? We probably deserve it after what they did to us last year… I might storm the damn field,” he said. He also chuckled at the 10.5-point spread and picked Bama to cover.

Why? Because, despite the warts, namely one of the SEC’s worst run defenses, he believes Kalen DeBoer has the Tide playing with new urgency after the early stumble against Florida State. “The same improvement we’ve made from Week 1 to Week 5, we’ve got to continue to make those improvements from Week 5 throughout the rest of the season,” he added. “Because we have no room for error, and Alabama, we gonna roll.” It automatically sets the stage for what might be the most intriguing clash of the SEC weekend.

Alabama vs. Vanderbilt – SEC prove-it game

Alabama is eyeing its fourth straight win when it hosts the unbeaten Vanderbilt on Saturday. The stakes are a program statement on both sides. Vanderbilt (5-0, 1-0 SEC) just dropped 55 on Utah State and owns one of the league’s most dangerous rushing attacks. Alabama (3-1, 1-0 SEC) is fresh off a gutsy 24-21 win over Georgia, a game that showed signs of the toughness Mark Ingram keeps preaching about.

Ty Simpson leads the Tide with precision at QB, already tossing 11 touchdowns without an interception. Wideout Germie Bernard has taken over Ryan Williams and emerged as the go-to playmaker, and the Tide looks steadier by the week. But all eyes will be on whether Alabama’s rush defense can survive Diego Pavia, who accounted for five touchdowns against Utah State. One thing that’s raising concern is how Alabama has a knack for struggling against mobile QBs. 

Vandy hasn’t beaten Bama in Tuscaloosa since forever with 11 straight losses, but this isn’t the Commodores of the old. This one with Diego Pavia feels different, and even Mark Ingram, while still bleeding crimson, admits it’s going to be a street fight.