3 Biggest X-Factors For Alabama to Take Down Vanderbilt

The Alabama Crimson Tide will be taking on the Vanderbilt Commodores this week, with the team heading out on the road.

Alabama will be heading into the game with a record of 7-2 for the year, going 5-2 in SEC play so far. The Crimson Tide are coming off a massive win a week ago against the LSU Tigers on the road.

As for the Commodores, they have struggled this season, with the team going 4-5 for the year, holding a record of 1-5 in SEC games. Vanderbilt is coming off a victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs last week.

Here are three of the biggest X-Factors for the Crimson Tide to take the game this week on the road against Vanderbilt.

1. Keelon Russell Continues to Play Well

After another strong game against LSU, quarterback Keelon Russell only added to his potential case for the Heisman Trophy race. Russell has garnered some buzz with the award, and he has three more regular-season games to prove himself.

The signal-caller has given this Alabama offense life all season, and the team will need him to come through again this week. If he can put on a show, it could help the team win while improving his Heisman candidacy as well.

2. Get the Running Game Going

One area that could help Alabama avoid a letdown is to get the running game going strong this week. Even in the win over LSU, the Crimson Tide were only able to muster up 79 yards on the ground.

Against Vanderbilt, the team should be looking to establish the run, which could control the pace of the game, while creating a well-rounded approach to offense. The Crimson Tide have the pieces to make this work, but will need to prove themselves on the field this week.

3. Don't Get Ahead of Yourself

Given where the Crimson Tide are entering this game, the team can't afford to have any slip-ups on the field. Coming off a big win like they had a week ago, Alabama has to make sure that they treat Vanderbilt in the same manner as they did LSU.

If the Crimson Tide come into this game too confident or if they overlook the Commodores, the team could find itself in a battle late in the game. Alabama has to make sure to stay the course, with the coaching staff keeping the players focused only on the task at hand this week.