The 2025 SEC football schedule won’t get any easier for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
After getting out to an early 14-0 lead in its 24-21 win over the Georgia Bulldogs last Saturday behind a red-hot Ty Simpson (24-of-38 for 276 yards, two TDs), Alabama welcomes the undefeated Vanderbilt Commodores and quarterback Diego Pavia to Tuscaloosa for another top 25 matchup Saturday.
Alabama (3-1 overall, 1-0 SEC) is ranked No. 10 in this week’s AP Top 25 poll, where Vanderbilt (5-0, 1-0) is No. 16. The Crimson Tide are No. 11 in the US LBM Coaches Poll, with the Commodores No. 17.
Alabama wants to avoid a repeat of last year’s game against Vanderbilt in Nashville. After a similarly thrilling win over Georgia that earned them a No. 1 ranking in the polls, the Crimson Tide suffered a stunning 40-35 loss to the Commodores — a first in 40 years.
ESPN Analytics doesn’t see a repeat of 2024 happening Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. ESPN’s matchup predictor, which offers a prediction model based on its college football power index (FPI) ratings and other variables, gives Alabama a 74.3% chance to win and Vanderbilt a 25.7% chance.
The Crimson Tide are still No. 3 in the latest FPI ratings. Kalen DeBoer’s team has a 23.1 overall rating (up from 22.1 last week), while the Commodores have a 16.5 mark.
Kickoff for Alabama vs. Vanderbilt is at 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on ABC. Sean McDonough and Greg McElroy will have the TV call of the game.
Alabama football odds of reaching 2025 College Football Playoff
In the updated FPI ratings, Alabama’s chances of reaching the 12-team College Football Playoff are 68.2 percent entering Week 6’s matchup. The Crimson Tide are given a 33.6 percent chance of winning the SEC title, a 20.8 percent chance to reach the national championship game, and a 12 percent shot of winning the national title.
Alabama trails only the Oregon Ducks (24.2) and Ohio State Buckeyes (23.5) in the latest FPI ratings.
SEC football teams, ranked by ESPN FPI
What are ESPN FPI ratings?
ESPN explains:
“The Football Power Index (FPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team’s performance going forward for the rest of the season. FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 20,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule. Ratings and projections update daily. FPI data from seasons prior to 2019 may not be complete.”
Alabama football schedule 2025
All start times Central.
- Aug. 30: at Florida State (L, 31-17)
- Sept. 6: vs. UL Monroe (W, 73-0)
- Sept. 13: vs. Wisconsin (W, 38-14)
- Sept. 27: at Georgia (W, 24-21)
- Oct. 4: vs. Vanderbilt, 2:30 p.m. ABC
- Oct. 11: at Missouri, 11 a.m., ABC or ESPN
- Oct. 18: vs. Tennessee, TBA
- Oct. 25: at South Carolina, TBA
- Nov. 8: vs. LSU, prime time
- Nov. 15: vs. Oklahoma, TBA
- Nov. 22 vs. Eastern Illinois, 1 p.m., ESPN+
- Nov. 29: at Auburn, TBA
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