Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia has been the talk of college football after leading the unfancied Commodores to a flawless (5-0) start to the season and a No. 16 AP top 25 poll ranking. The quarterback's rise started last season when he led the Commodores to an upset win against the Alabama Crimson Tide in Week 6 of college football action. Ahead of the sides meeting once again, during Friday's segment of "The Triple Option" podcast, former Ohio State Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer voiced his admiration for the polarizing Pavia and the change he has wrought over the Commodores. “They don’t act like Vanderbilt,” Meyer said. “They are a problem at quarterback. And I mean that. It is fun to watch. Good for them, man. I’m really happy for them. I hope that city jumps all over them too. I just like when you watch Vanderbilt play, the energy, the arrogance. They’re not the Vanderbilt they once were. They are a problem at quarterback. It is fun to watch.”During the same podcast, charismatic Alabama Crimson Tide legend Mark Ingram threw shots at Diego Pavia and the praise that he has garnered nationally this season. "They can jump all over his ass after we tap that ass," Ingram said. "I'm sick of this shit, man."Diego Pavia lays down the gauntlet for AlabamaDuring his weekly news conference, Diego Pavia did not back down from the challenge of playing against the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa. Instead, he laid down the gauntlet in what has been billed as one of the SEC's most intriguing clashes in Week 6 of college football action."I don't know what they're doing. I just focus on us, but I know we've got to bring it. That's for sure," Diego Pavia said. "The crowd, I think, is going to be a big factor in the game. But we just gotta play within the white lines. If we do that, if we play our game, it won't be close."This season, Pavia has been one of the best quarterbacks in the country and has the third-best QBR in college football according to ESPN. The Vandy QB has gone 94-of-126 for 1,211 yards, resulting in 13 touchdowns and three interceptions, while adding 294 rushing yards, resulting in two touchdowns. According to FanDuel, Diego Pavia is the eighth favorite to win the 2025 Heisman Trophy, showing the esteem with which the Commodores' quarterback is held after his blistering start to the season.