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Tennessee, Ole Miss or Mississippi State – which is biggest threat to Alabama football?

Blake Toppmeyer John Adams
USA TODAY NETWORK

One of the biggest games of the college football season was supposed to occur Saturday, when Alabama hosts Texas A&M.

It is the day of reckoning after Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher exchanged barbs in the offseason. Saban claimed, without proof, that A&M bought its roster, and Fisher dubbed Saban a narcissistic false god.

But when the season kicked off, Fisher's peacocking faded, and A&M got unmasked as a fraud. This looks like a mismatch, and despite Nick Saban's "rat poison" warnings, few outside Alabama's building will seriously consider the Aggies (3-2, 1-1 SEC) a threat to the Tide (5-0, 2-0).

So, if not A&M, which team can threaten the No. 1-ranked Tide en route to the SEC Championship in Atlanta?

On this edition of "SEC Football Unfiltered," a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams consider three upcoming opponents – Tennessee, Mississippi State and Ole Miss.

Of the three, Toppmeyer and Adams agree that Tennessee, which will host Alabama on Oct. 15, is the biggest threat. For all of UT's defensive deficiencies, its offense is high functioning and quarterback Hendon Hooker is playing like a Heisman Trophy contender.

Alabama may require a healthy Bryce Young if that becomes a high-scoring affair in Knoxville.

TOPPMEYER:How Nick Saban won the offseason while Jimbo Fisher mouthed off

ADAMS:Alabama-Tennessee rivalry could cost the Vols a playoff spot

SEC REWIND:A Kentucky belly flop. Pandemonium for Ole Miss. A Pirate runs Texas

Adams lists Mississippi State as the second-biggest threat. That game follows Tennessee. Will Alabama be caught napping after back-to-back games against Texas A&M and Tennessee? The Bulldogs are Jekyll and Hyde, but Adams questions whether Ole Miss has the quarterback to beat Alabama.

Toppmeyer, though, lists Ole Miss as the second-biggest threat. For one, it will host Alabama, while MSU must go on the road. Also, he likes the Rebels' well-roundedness. They're playing solid on defense, have a sturdy offensive line and a loaded backfield. And although Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart isn't piling up passing yards like Hooker or MSU's Will Rogers, he's a decent dual threat.

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A fourth team probably should have been considered in this conversation, and that's LSU, which will host Alabama on Nov. 5. Toppmeyer and Adams plead to being a victim of the moment and neglecting LSU in the conversation after its sluggish victory at Auburn. Brian Kelly's Tigers will have a chance to reassert themselves when hosting Tennessee on Saturday.

Also in the episode

– Did Fisher make a mistake by not mining the transfer portal more? A&M faces many plagues – its offensive scheme looks out of touch, and it did not upgrade enough at quarterback. But Toppmeyer also contends that the Aggies would have benefited from a running back like Jahmyr Gibbs or an offensive lineman like Tyler Steen. While A&M edged Alabama in the 2022 recruiting rankings, Toppmeyer says Alabama is proving it had the better offseason by combining its recruiting haul with portal plunders.

Week 6 picks! Toppmeyer and Adams embarrassed themselves with last week's picks, and now both sit at 11-15 overall in their against-the-spread showdown. The rise comes after the fall.

Arkansas at Mississippi State (-6.5) – Adams: Arkansas; Toppmeyer: Arkansas

Tennessee (-3) at LSU – Adams: Tennessee; Toppmeyer: Tennessee

Texas A&M at Alabama (-23.5) – Adams: Alabama; Toppmeyer: Alabama

South Carolina at Kentucky (-10.5) – Adams: Kentucky; Toppmeyer: Kentucky

TCU (-6) at Kansas – Adams: TCU; Toppmeyer: Kansas

Lock of the week – Adams: Western Kentucky at Texas-San Antonio (-6.5); Toppmeyer: Colorado State at Nevada (-3.5)

Blake Toppmeyer is an SEC Columnist for the USA TODAY Network. John Adams is a senior columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel. You can subscribe to their podcast, SEC Football Unfiltered, or check out their SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.