I spent the night in Birmingham after flying in pretty late and just had a fantastic breakfast at a nice little spot in town. Getting ready to head over to Tuscaloosa, so I figure it’s about time for a last-minute predictions and keys story.

Prediction: I know Alabama has two losses, including to Vanderbilt, but the Tide are very good. They’re more talented than Missouri and don’t have an injured quarterback operating the offense. I’m sorry to say it, but Alabama is probably going to win this one. But I do think Missouri covers that huge spread and looks competitive.

Key: Look competitive. The Tigers cannot have another no-show game like Texas A&M. If they do, say goodbye to the playoff. I think if Missouri plays well, but loses, it still has an argument if it makes a dominant run through the final third of the season after the bye. But if it looks bad out there, there’s nothing that will erase two awful performances on national stages from the minds of the CFP voters.

Prediction: Brady Cook plays, but is clearly hampered. There’s a lot of room for injuries like high ankle sprains to get worse a couple of days after they happen. He’s not going to look like he did when he came back out of the tunnel last week and was running better than he had all season. And without his mobility, I don’t think Missouri’s offense can operate on all cylinders. So they score, and I think Josh Manning could have an impressive game, but get ready for a lot of Marcus Carroll runs.

Key: Speaking of Carroll, if the Tigers are going to have a good game offensively, he is going to have to carry the load. Jamal Roberts will probably get some run, too, but Carroll has to have his best game of the season against a Tide defense that has struggled against the run at points. That’s the best way to protect Cook and keep the offense on the field for as long as possible.

Prediction: Ryan Williams has at least one huge catch, but otherwise the defense plays a respectable game. I think the specific issues the Tigers have had in the secondary will show back up, but they should be able to bottle up Alabama’s run game pretty well.

Key: Keep Jalen Milroe in the pocket. I’m not saying he can’t still have a great game from inside the pocket, but he’s most dangerous when he finds a lane between rushers and is able to extend plays with his legs. He’s going to be on the move on designed runs, but if the Tigers can contain the scrambles, that takes away a lot of his skillset.

Head on over to the Tiger Walk to let me know your predictions and keys.