Alabama will be making their first trip to Nashville since their stunning 2024 loss to Vanderbilt this Saturday in Week 11. Alabama (7-2 overall, 5-2 SEC) is on the verge of locking up a spot in the College Football Playoff (CFP), while Vanderbilt (4-5, 1-5) is fighting for bowl eligibility.

Last week, Vanderbilt picked up their first win since September with a two-point victory over Mississippi State. That same day, Alabama picked up a big win in a ranked matchup with LSU.

What could lead to Alabama improving to 8-2, and what could lead to them potentially suffering a crucial upset loss? Here are three reasons why Alabama will win this week, and one reason they might not.

Why: Ryan Coleman-Williams has big day

Vanderbilt is one of the teams that Ryan Coleman-Williams has had some of the most success against throughout his career. In the upset loss in 2024, Coleman-Williams had three catches for 82 yards and two touchdowns, one receiving and one two-yard rushing score. Then, last season in Tuscaloosa, he went for six catches for 98 yards and a touchdown. Now that he has worked his way back from injury, this is a chance for Coleman-Williams to fully show that he is back.

Why: Alabama forces Vanderbilt to throw the ball

A matchup where one of Alabama's strengths matches up with a question mark for Vanderbilt is with Vandy's run game. Vanderbilt has the second-worst rushing attack in the SEC averaging just 112.1 rushing yards per game, while Alabama has a strong run defense, allowing just 104.6 rushing yards per game, fifth-best in the SEC. Those Vanderbilt rushing numbers are even lower just in SEC play. In conference play, Vandy is averaging just 98.5 rushing yards per game. Plus, if Alabama can jump out ahead, Vanderbilt will have to become even more one-dimensional.

Why: Alabama forces turnovers

One area where being forced into being one-dimensional would hurt Vanderbilt is that, for as much potential as five-star true freshman quarterback Jared Curtis has, one area that he has struggled is putting the ball in harm's way. So far this season, he has thrown eight interceptions on 224 passing attempts. That is the worst ratio of any SEC quarterback with at least 150 passing attempts this season. Pair that with Alabama's defense being tied for fourth nationally, and leading the SEC, with 13 interceptions as a defensive unit, that bodes well for the Tide.

Why not: Letdown spot

With Alabama coming off an emotional win on the road in Baton Rouge where they pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat LSU, 31-13, this could be a letdown spot similar to when they lost to Vanderbilt two years ago, which happened the week following their dramatic win over Georgia. With all the talk about Alabama's place in the CFP, if Vanderbilt can catch Alabama sleeping, especially with it being an early start time, then they could make things interesting.