Week 5 is here for college football, and Week 4 finally brought me a winning week in the sport. I’m hoping to build off that momentum and keep rolling. We’ve got some great games ahead of us this week, and the schedule is built for a full day of football watching. My first game starts early in the day as Alabama takes on Mississippi State.
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The Alabama Crimson Tide are 4-0, but something feels like this team isn’t quite as impressive as past years. They haven’t won a National Championship since the 2020 season. Since Nick Saban has left, they are 24-8, including this year’s 4-0 start. Certainly things have gotten more difficult for all teams, but Alabama’s success is slipping away as they continue to search for a new identity under Ken DeBoer.
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Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell makes a sidearm throw around South Carolina edge rusher Dylan Stewart at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Sept. 26, 2026. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
So far, the team is ranked 7th in the nation, but they face a tough schedule ahead. This is the first of four games against ranked opponents in five weeks. This could be a trap week as well because they have Georgia at home next week, always one of the toughest teams in the country, and one of the toughest games on their schedule each season. Keelon Russell, the team’s quarterback, has looked solid in the past two games, throwing for seven touchdown passes and 685 yards. If he can be a difference-maker at the position, I expect Alabama to make a real run at the National Championship.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs are 4-0 and currently the 16th ranked team in the country. They haven’t had an especially difficult schedule to start the season, but they did have a challenge last week as they beat Missouri. It was probably best for them that they were hosting the game, but even as the home team, it feels like Mississippi State is a tier below the top College Football Playoff teams.
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Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Kamario Taylor (1) runs the ball against Wake Forest during the first half of the Duke’s Mayo Bowl NCAA college football game. The game took place in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Scott Kinser)
They are led by a Heisman hopeful in Kamario Taylor. He is currently 10th in yards at 1,192, 1st in touchdowns at 14, and 9th in QBR at 87.1. He has thrown an interception in the past two games, and really hasn’t been as effective on the ground as he was in the first two games. A win here would be big for his Heisman resume, and for Mississippi State pushing for a chance to get into the College Football Playoffs.
Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Kamario Taylor (1) scrambles past South Carolina Gamecocks defensive back Kelvin Hunter (3) in the second half at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images (Jeff Blake-Imagn Images)
Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, I don’t feel like they are ready to get there, and I don’t think they’ll win this game. Alabama should win this one without much of an issue. The line has already moved higher and in favor of Alabama. I wouldn’t take this at anything higher than -7, but I do think the Crimson Tide should cover it against a good, but not quite great Mississippi State team. Give me Alabama.
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