The bye week has finally reached and Alabama should be feeling pretty good about only suffering one loss through the first eight weeks. The schedule has not been as tough as many expected it to be at the beginning of the season. While you’re working your way around other games this weekend, here’s a list of how to watch Alabama’s opponents in week nine.
Week 1: vs. Wisconsin – Win at Illinois 24-13
Joel Stave went down to an injury but backup quarterback Bart Houston threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns in the road victory. The Badgers held the ball for 40 minutes of game time.
Next week: vs. Rutgers, 11:00 am CST, BTN
Week 2: Middle Tennessee -Loss at Louisiana Tech 16-45
Despite 414 yards of total offense, the Blue Raiders were doomed by three second half turnovers. Their fourth loss in five games dropped them to 3-5 on the season.
Next week: BYE
Week 3: Ole Miss – Win vs. Texas A&M 23-3
The Rebel defense bounced back with a huge performance against a strong offense. They held Aggie quarterbacks to just 134 passing yards with a 40 percent completion rate. They forced three turnovers and made up for another weak Chad Kelly performance to keep control in the SEC West.
Next week: at Auburn, 11:00 am CST, ESPN
Week 4: Louisiana Monroe – Loss at Idaho 13-27
The Warhawks lost their fifth straight game, allowing 489 offensive yards and 28 first downs to Idaho. Garrett Smith and the screen passes haven’t been enough for Monroe to get a conference win, especially with the lack of a defense.
Next week: at UL-Lafayette, 4:00 pm CST, ESPN3
Week 5: at Georgia – BYE
The Bulldogs are going into the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party as a 3-point underdog, which was completely unexpected back in August. The loss of Nick Chubb and disappointing play at the quarterback play have been issues but Georgia still controls their destiny in the SEC East and could get back to Atlanta with a win on Saturday.
Next week: vs. Florida, 2:30 pm CST, CBS
Week 6: Arkansas – Win vs. Auburn 54-46 (4OT)
In one of the best games of the year, the Razorbacks got a big win to stay off the bottom of the SEC West. Brandon Allen threw three touchdowns passes while Alex Collins ran for another score. Kody Walker only got eight carries but two of them went for touchdowns in the overtime periods, including the game winner.
Next week: UT-Martin, 3:00 pm CST, SECN
Week 7: at Texas A&M – Loss at Ole Miss 3-23
Kyle Allen threw 34 passes and still couldn’t break the 100-yard mark. That isn’t a good combination for trying to win. His offense could only put up three points and there may be some background problems with Kyler Murray that kept him off the field. The defense forced four turnovers but it wasn’t enough to keep the Aggies’ dream season alive.
Next week: South Carolina, 11:00 am CST, SECN
Week 8: Tennessee – Loss at Alabama 14-19
Next week: at Kentucky, 6:30 pm CST, SECN
Week 10: LSU – Win vs. Western Kentucky 48-20
A slow start combined with a good Brandon Harris performance and 150-plus yards for Leonard Fournette seems to be the makeup for any LSU win this year. They’re off before the big matchup in Tuscaloosa but the LSU offense paired with any decent defensive performance may be unstoppable.
Next week: BYE
Week 11: at Mississippi State – Win vs. Kentucky 42-13
A resounding win led to Dak Prescott being named the SEC offensive player of the week and may have gotten his name into more Heisman talk. The senior threw for 348 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 117 yards and three more touchdowns. That’s pretty good.
Next week: BYE
Week 12: Charleston Southern – Win at Gardner-Webb 34-0
The Buccaneers went on the road and held their opponents to 110 yards of total offense. They moved up to the 19th spot in the FCS coaches’ poll. They now host the top-ranked Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina in a big Halloween matchup.
Next week: Coastal Carolina, 7:00 pm CST, ESPN3
Week 13: at Auburn – Loss at Arkansas 46-54
The Tigers rushed for six touchdowns but only averaged three yards per carry throughout the game. Questionable play calling in the final overtime led Auburn to the bottom of the SEC West and it is hard to see them getting out of the spot anytime soon.
Next week: Ole Miss, 11:00 am CST, ESPN
Caleb Turrentine is a contributor at Touchdown Alabama Magazine. Follow him on Twitter, @CalebTurrentine.
