Game 4: Alabama Crimson Tide at Vanderbilt Commodores -- Open GameThread

The Vanderbilt Commodores host the Alabama Crimson Tide at 2:30 PM CT. The game will be televised on CBS. There's probably a stream available on CBSSports.com. Audio is available from the Vanderbilt IMG Sports Network.

Vanderbilt is off to a 3-0 start for the first time since 2011, though that 3-0 start included wins over Elon, UConn, and Ole Miss (before you get impressed with that last one, that was Houston Nutt's 2-10 year.) In the last fifty years, Vanderbilt has started the season 3-0 just five times (counting 2017): 1984, 2005, 2008, and 2011 are the other years.

Officially, Vanderbilt is 19-58-4 against Alabama. Unofficially, the Commodores' record against the Tide is 18-61-4, with the Tide forfeiting a win in 1993 and vacating wins in 2006 and 2007. Vanderbilt's most recent win on the field came in 1984, when I was exactly four months old. Vanderbilt's most recent win over Alabama in Nashville came in 1969, when now-retired coach Watson Brown was the quarterback and now-color commentator (and also retired coach) Mack Brown was on the freshman team.

Yeah, it's been a while.

Also, Vanderbilt is 0-7 all-time against top-ranked teams, including a 41-0 loss to Alabama in 1980 (and three losses to Tennessee, just to remind them how far they've fallen.) In fairness, the 2017 team is the first Vanderbilt team that will (a) face a top-ranked team and (b) finish the season with more than two wins.

Okay, so if Vanderbilt wins today, it'll be the biggest win in the history of the football program. No pressure or anything. Join us in the Game Thread.