Can Diego Pavia pull off some magic again?
The Vanderbilt quarterback will have the opportunity when the Commodores travel to Bryant-Denny Stadium and look to beat Alabama football for a second consecutive season. Vanderbilt is fresh off beating the Crimson Tide in Nashville this past season, the first time the Commodores defeated Alabama since 1984.
ESPN picked Vanderbilt as the archvillain for the Crimson Tide heading into 2025. For the Crimson Tide, a second consecutive loss to Vanderbilt would be disastrous, even if the Commodores are more competitive than some of the recent Vanderbilt teams.
What was the criteria to be considered an archvillain?
“We’re doing recon on where each post-spring top 25 team stands and who stands in their way,” the article reads. “These are each teams’ potential future villains, the coaches, players and teams that have the chance to make the whole season go south.”
Meanwhile, Alabama was selected as the archvillain for Georgia.
“Georgia has lost nine of the past 10 games in the series and hasn’t beaten Alabama in the regular season since 2007, Saban’s first season in Tuscaloosa, when the Mark Richt-coached Bulldogs won 26-23 in overtime,” ESPN’s Chris Low wrote. “Georgia has vaulted to elite status under Smart, but a second straight loss to DeBoer — especially with this year’s game being played in Athens — wouldn’t sit well with anybody in Athens.”
Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
