Ty Simpson and the Alabama Crimson Tide are gearing up for a crucial showdown with the Vanderbilt Commodores. With last season’s defeat fresh in their memories, the quarterback in Tuscaloosa dropped a bold message for Diego Pavia and company to listen to.
The 2025 NCAA season has had no shortage of marquee-matchups. This time, a big showdown is brewing in Tuscaloosa as the Crimson Tide and Commodores clash in the SEC. Last year’s defeat on the road still lingers for Simpson and Alabama, but they have learned their lesson.
Now, as undefeated Vanderbilt looks to make a statement across college football, Alabama’s quarterback delivered a firm reminder to his teammates. However, it might just as well serve as a warning to Pavia and the Commodores.
“I wasn’t playing but I was on the team and so I felt how it was last year,” Simpson admitted, per On3. “The mentality in the locker room this week is ‘we remember what happened last year and what are we going to do about it?’ Even though it’s not about last year, it’s about us, we’re not gonna make the same mistake again.”
Diego Pavia at FirstBank Stadium on September 27, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee.
What a difference a year makes
Although it’s impossible for fans across the nation to ignore last season’s historic Vanderbilt triumph, time has passed since. Pavia may still be in command of the offense in Nashville, but Jalen Milroe is no longer under center in Tuscaloosa. It’s Simpson’s huddle now, and he is determined to right their wrongs from a year ago.
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“They’re not the same team as last year and neither are we. They’re better and we’re better in some ways,” Simpson added. “This is a top-25 matchup with College GameDay coming here.
“This is a really, really good Vanderbilt team and it could be one of the biggest games of the year. We need to come in with the mentality like we’ve had in the last couple of games with a chip on our shoulder. Like it’s Alabama vs. The World.”
Ty Simpson at Sanford Stadium on September 27, 2025 in Athens, Georgia.
Chasing history
Pavia has found his place in the world in Nashville with the Commodores. Vanderbilt has fed off the overlooked quarterback’s mentality and is now convinced it can stand up to any program in college football. The Commodores don’t care how many national championships their opponent has won.
Nor, do they worry about how many Heisman trophy winners or first overall picks in the Draft attended the school. They will walk into any stadium with a chip on their shoulder, determined to spoil the evening for the home fans.
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Against all odds
When Vanderbilt walks into Bryant-Denny Stadium, the weight of more than a century of history will be against them. The Crimson Tide has gotten the better of the Commodores time and again, with last season marking the first time in the 21st century that Vanderbilt had the last laugh over Bama. Now, Pavia and company will try to make more history.
Alabama owns the all-time record with 60 wins (two later vacated), four ties, and 20 losses. Moreover, Vanderbilt has won just once in Tuscaloosa—back on September 29, 1984. The Commodores did win more games on the road, but back when Alabama played sporadically in Mobile or Birmingham. More than 40 years later, Pavia will lead the charge, hoping to deliver another big blow to Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama.