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The Alabama Crimson Tide's Week 4 matchup will be a pivotal SEC West conference game against Ole Miss. It will also be the first conference game for the 13th-ranked Alabama football team this season, who are now 2-1 on the season.
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There's a lot to say going into this game that makes it one of the many must-see games on the loaded weekend slate. First, you have Alabama, who for the first time since 2015 finds themselves out of the top-10. That's obviously uncharted waters for any Nick Saban-led Alabama football team. However, the Crimson Tide entered the season with some obvious question marks but one in particular: the starting quarterback.
That still seems to be the case even going into Week 4, although Saban has come out recently and said that Jalen Milroe, the original starter to begin the season, will now be QB1 moving forward. However, it's not as if Milroe was the needed answer to the question — he's just the best option available. Alabama looked more than awful against South Florida last weekend, where they only scored 17 points. Saban tried to see what he had in Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner and Ty Simpson. Buchner looked terrible, while Simpson was serviceable. But overall, it was one of the worst showings by a Saban-coached Alabama team that has left many shaking their heads in disbelief.
The Crimson Tide, however, are very much alive still in the SEC and even the College Football Playoff. Even if the South Florida game felt like a loss, their only blemish thus far this season is to No. 3 Texas. That loss was also to one of Saban's former assistant coaches, Steve Sarkisian. This week, Saban will once again face another in Lane Kiffin and the No. 15 Rebels. Will two former assistants get the best of Saban this season, in three weeks' time no less? Let's get into Alabama football Week 4 predictions.
4. Jalen Milroe throws for one touchdown, runs for another
It's the number one talking point this season concerning Alabama football: the starting quarterback. Saban has now said that he's sticking with Milroe, who definitely looks like he gives the Crimson Tide the best option at winning games. That may not be saying much, though. With Milroe, Alabama has the opportunity to at least make plays through the air and on the ground, keeping defenses on their toes. That doesn't mean Milroe won't make some mistakes. It just means that Alabama has a plan and must execute a well-designed offensive game plan for Milroe, those of which exercise his strengths at the position.
Saban and Ole Miss' first-year defensive coordinator, Pete Golding, know each other quite well (he was last year's Alabama defensive coordinator), so it wouldn't surprise me that Saban and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees have something dialed up for him. Rollouts and screen passes may be at an all-time high for this Alabama offense.
3. Alabama stays focused on the ground game
Alabama is just 64th in the country in rushing offense, which seems sacrilegious after all the years of success running the ball they've had under Saban. This feels like a game that will be heavily emphasized on clock management. Although the Crimson Tide offensive line hasn't been great all season, I think this area will begin to improve as the season moves along, starting with Ole Miss. That's not to say they still won't have their issues (more below on that).
Running the ball effectively is old-school Saban offense 101. At this point, Saban knows what he has at the quarterback position, meanwhile, he has a stable of backs capable of making plays. Look for Alabama to have their most productive day on the ground, rushing for around 220 yards.
2. Alabama offensive line surrenders at least four sacks to Ole Miss
In a staggering, mind-boggling statistic, this year's Alabama football team has surrendered 12 sacks in three games, ranking them at 123rd in the country in sacks allowed. Much like the rest of the team this year, that's simply unheard of. Ole Miss is currently tied as the 16th-best team in the country in team sacks with 10. Even MTSU got a piece of the Alabama front. This is likely to be another long day for the offensive line protecting their quarterback.
1. Nick Saban, Alabama football loses to Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss
This is not one of those predictions I feel very comfortable with, but nonetheless, these are bold predictions after all. This just feels like a comeback game for Alabama, though, one that we've seen time and time again after we all thought they were done for. It will feel weird if Ole Miss comes into Tuscaloosa and beats Alabama in just Week 4. That means Alabama would not only have two losses but two losses within the first month of the season. That didn't even happen in Saban's first year in Tuscaloosa back in 2007.
There's so much on the line here for Alabama where the pressure is on them. However, there's also an immense amount of pressure on Kiffin to beat his former boss in Saban and further advancing the Rebels program. So far, Kiffin is 0-4 against him, going all the way back to when the Rebels' coach took his first college head coaching job at Tennessee. If Ole Miss football can jump out to an early lead, there's good reason this prediction comes true and Alabama goes to 2-2, Saban loses to a second assistant, and the sky all but falls in Tuscaloosa.
