"Vanderbilt‘s like the old style of Alabama": David Pollack draws bold comparison ahead of TY Simpson vs Diego Pavia faceoff

Kalen DeBoer and his Alabama team will have a huge challenge waiting in the coming weekend when they face the Vanderbilt Commodores at home. Last year's humiliating loss still haunts Bama fans and this time it will be a home game. Nothing less than a victory can satisfy the crowd, especially when the game is played at Tuscaloosa.

Last weekend turned out to be a big one for DeBoer personally when he managed to take down the Georgia Bulldogs and eventually get off the hot seat list. Ever since the start of his 2025 season, DeBoer has been at the center of criticisms. With multiple wins, this narrative can be easily flipped. According to college football analyst David Pollack, Vanderbilt won't be an easy team to defeat.

Diego Pavia has been on a fun ride with five wins and no losses so far. And given his special affinity towards taking down Alabama, it could be a real challenge.

“I would’ve said there’s as good a chance that that would happen as I’d get fired… oh wait,” Pollack said with a laugh, per On3.

“Both have happened since then. That is crazy to think about Vandy and where they’re at. These are two pretty different styles of football too. Vanderbilt is like the old style of Alabama. Vanderbilt’s like the physical/maul you team, and Alabama is like the spread it out/throw it all over the yard with run game optional,” he added.

Syndication: The Tennessean - Source: Imagn

Diego Pavia shares his excitement for playing in Tuscaloosa

Pavia, who happens to be a Heisman frontrunner, claimed that Alabama will be a fun game to play in. He added that he has never been to Tuscaloosa and experienced the environment and passion of such a large fanbase.

“I’ve never played there. I think a few of the guys have been there. This is what you come into the SEC for, big games like this,” Pavia said to the reporters on Monday.

For both Vanderbilt and Alabama, at least 10+ wins would be essential to keep their playoff aspirations alive by the end of the 2025 season. When it comes to TY Simpson, the quarterback has been showing an upward trend in terms of accuracy and utilizing his resources to run the ball. With opponents like Tennessee, LSU and Auburn ahead, Simpson will have to buckle up and lead the offense from the front.