Rece Davis warns Alabama not to sleep on Missouri

Alabama has found their stride, rolling into Week 7 on a four-game win streak. They’re looking every bit like a College Football Playoff contender once again, rebounding after a Week 1 setback against Florida State.

However, ESPN’s Rece Davis believes the Crimson Tide should be on high alert heading into Memorial Stadium this weekend. An undefeated Missouri team awaits them, led by Eli Drinkwitz, and they have upset intentions.

Alabama has surged back into the national spotlight with a string of dominant SEC wins, but Missouri has quietly built their own résumé. The No. 14 Tigers have combined strong quarterback play and a stingy defense to remain unbeaten, and Davis thinks the timing and circumstances make this matchup dangerous for Kalen DeBoer’s squad.

“One quick thing on Alabama coming into this week — this is set up for Missouri beautifully. It’s a perfect setup for Missouri,” Davis explained, via the College GameDay Podcast. “You had the back-against-the-wall Georgia game and came through. Then you had the revenge motif against Vanderbilt, with all the strife and the yapping with Diego Pavia. They got that done.

“Now, you go to Missouri — you know they’re really good, they’re unbeaten. You’ve got that early kickoff, 11 a.m. Central time. Trying to get up emotionally for the third week in a row — that’s the thing. This is purely anecdotal, but I think the third one is always tough. You can get up for the first one, especially if you’re in a position like Alabama was. The second one, maybe you get some of that juice. But the third one? It’s tough.

“If you exacerbate that with an early kickoff, a quick turnaround, and travel — plus a stadium that, while nice, isn’t exactly the grandest cathedral in the SEC — you could get caught snoozing a little bit. That would not be advisable against Beau Pribula and a very good Missouri team. And Ahmad Hardy — he’s just been brilliant.”

Alas, Davis’ warning comes at a critical point in Alabama’s season. After emotional wins over Georgia and Vanderbilt, the challenge now turns to maintaining their focus and intensity against a team that’s been steadily proving it belongs among the SEC’s best.

If Alabama’s attention wavers slightly, Missouri has the talent — and the confidence — to take advantage. As Davis put it, this matchup might be less about who’s better on paper and more about which team shows up ready when the whistle blows early Saturday morning in Columbia. We’ll see who gets the dub.