Mark Ingram predicts Alabama to beat Vanderbilt but states 'Vandy's a damn problem'

Alabama‘s season was completely turned on its head last year after its 40-35 upset loss at Vanderbilt. The Crimson Tide, which headed to Nashville ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll following a massive 41-34 win over No. 2 Georgia, went just 5-3 in their final eight games and lost in the ReliaQuest Bowl to Michigan.

Ahead of this year’s rematch, former Heisman Trophy-winning Alabama running back Mark Ingram predicted that the Tide will get their win back on the latest edition of ‘The Triple Option‘ podcast. However, he acknowledged that Vandy is ‘a damn problem’. 

“You said we’re gonna storm the field?” Ingram joked with co-host Rob Stone. “We probably deserve it after what they did to us last year. I might storm the damn field. Listen, man, Vandy’s a damn problem. Last year, it caught everybody by surprise. But this year, they ain’t catching anybody by surprise.

“They’re undefeated and have the No. 2 scoring offense in the SEC. They run the football like you’re supposed to run the football. But Diego Pavia has been a beast and he’s been super productive for them. Great decision maker. They have the running back Sedrick Alexander. They have the wide receiver Junior Sherrill. They have the tight end Eli Stowers.”

A win would be massive for both Alabama and Vanderbilt

“Their offense scores points and they get yards, so this is gonna be a challenge for an Alabama defense that has a lot of injuries and has been one of the worst rush defenses in the SEC,” Ingram continued. “But I think we’re gonna come to play. I think we’re gonna come ready to play. They showed up last week vs. Georgia and they fought. They’re gonna make their plays and have momentum, but you’ve got to fight and stay aggressive. That’s what Alabama did last week and I expect it to carry it over and protect our home turf.”

The ‘Dores are outscoring opponents 245-86 through five games, while the Crimson Tide have enjoyed wins over Louisiana-Monroe, Wisconsin and No. 5 Georgia after suffering a loss to Florida State in their season opener. A win for Alabama would propel it squarely back into the thick of the College Football race, while a Vanderbilt win would give it a 6-0 record for the first time since 1928.

Kickoff between No. 10 Alabama and No. 16 Vanderbilt this weekend is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET. The game can be seen on ABC.