For the third straight year since the conference expanded, the Crimson Tide will face the defending national champion in the regular season.

This is much bigger for Alabama football than just a Week 2 game. It's the first SEC game. And it's on the road.

Alabama will have to play a cleaner game this week than last to avoid a dicey situation on the road. This will be a big test for Kalen DeBoer. These are the types of games where Alabama has had issues in his first two seasons as the head coach.