Sep 27, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Deontae Lawson (0) reacts after a fumble recovery against the Georgia Bulldogs in the first half at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Alabama Football Maintains Intensity Regardless of Saturday's Opponent

Originally posted on Alabama Crimson Tide on SI
By Joe Gaither | Last updated Oct 21, 2025 2:54 PM ET

- No. 4 Alabama just navigated a historic stretch in college football, defeating four ranked teams in succession without an open week. The Crimson Tide, now riding a six-game winning streak, still has its season's goals in play after losing the first game to Florida State, but must maintain its intensity through another week before getting to enjoy the second bye week of the season.

Alabama hits the road to take on a struggling South Carolina team that hasn't tasted victory in the month of October, but that doesn't mean the Gamecocks aren't dangerous. The matchup sparks memories of the Crimson Tide's 2024 road trip to Norman to play an Oklahoma squad that hadn't won an FBS game two months, but still found a way to upset and destroy Alabama's playoff chances.

"Yeah, it popped up," linebacker Deontae Lawson said. "You just kind of get the feel for it for a little bit, coming off a whatever we are, a four-game ranked win streak. You don't want complacency to creep in for anyone. That's been a focal point for everyone when we walked in the building this morning or even yesterday, just remove anything you've got because we're not here to be regular, and that's what we're living on."

Lawson continued by saying the morning's practice gave him a positive sense of the team's mentality heading into the road trip.

"I think just the juice was up," Lawson said. "The energy was up. We were executing. Tuesday is always going to be a clean up of things, but I just think the intensity and everything that was supposed to be there was there."

The Crimson Tide faces the worst scoring offense in the SEC, and the Gamecocks have allowed the second-most sacks in the conference, but Lawson's not the only Crimson Tide veteran sounding the alarm on complacency.

"We can't fall into the trap that we did last year," safety Keon Sabb said. "We've got to continue to build in this part of the season. Some teams decline at this point. Some teams continue to rise and build forward, and I feel like that we're on a trajectory going higher."

Alabama has its second bye week along with Halloween and the school's fall break to enjoy but can only relax if the program takes care of business against its fifth straight SEC opponent.