Alabama fans want to see what is this edition of Crimson Tide football for real.
They were excited about the win over Georgia, but the last two games had supporters concerned.
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Alabama suffered a 35-40 loss against Vanderbilt and it narrowly escaped South Carolina at home.
Is this team a Southeastern Conference Championship contender or not? Is this version of the Tide a College Football Playoff contender or not? Saturday’s matchup versus Tennessee in the annual “Third Saturday in October” rivalry will show everyone. ESPN’s Pat McAfee said Thursday on his show that ‘we are going to find out about Alabama’ in this matchup versus the Volunteers.
“We’re gonna find out about Alabama, I think. That’s a big question mark going forward for everybody.”
—@PatMcAfeeShow on Alabama Football ahead of Week 8 👀 pic.twitter.com/DTHNKIB1Rh
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) October 16, 2024
“Is Alabama who we thought they were or is it going to take a little bit to figure out who they are in this new time,” McAfee said.
“That is a real question being asked. We believe in Kalen DeBoer. I believe in Jalen Milroe. I believe in the amount of talent they have on the team. I believe in everything they have cooking, but this is a very tough game. This is what happens in the SEC, you have another one, then another one, and another one. Every week we are going to find out about Alabama. I think that’s a big question mark going forward for everybody.”
McAfee and his crew does not see a 3-loss SEC team making it into the 12-team CFP.
Alabama has to handle business this weekend in the hostile environment of Neyland Stadium.
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Stephen M. Smith is the senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.