Ja'Tavion Sanders: Texas will get 'whooped' at Alabama if we don't come out with right mindset

Alabama opened as a 7-point favorite over Texas ahead of Saturday’s big showdown in Tuscaloosa, according to VegasInsider. The game is generating plenty of hype considering both teams’ College Football Playoff hopes and as fans hope for a repeat of last year’s thriller.

But even though the Crimson Tide are favored by a touchdown, Ja’Tavion Sanders knows the Longhorns have to be fully prepared for the game. If they’re not, he knows what Nick Saban and Co. are capable of doing.

“If we don’t come out there with the right mindset,” Sanders said, “we’re definitely gonna get whooped.”

Both Texas and Alabama got off to fast starts to the season. The Crimson Tide cruised past Middle Tennessee State as Jalen Milroe shined as the starting quarterback for the game, accounting for five total touchdowns. As for the Longhorns, they picked up a 37-10 victory over Rice thanks to a solid showing from Quinn Ewers. He threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns as he completed 19 of 30 passes.

But Sanders said Texas has to wipe the slate clean ahead of Saturday’s game. Even last year’s matchup, which came down to a Will Reichard field goal in the final seconds, doesn’t matter. It’s another chapter in the rivalry between the two schools, and with some fresh faces on both sides, Sanders is staying focused on the task at hand.

“We’ve got to come into this game empty-headed, clear-minded, put the past in the past,” Sanders said. “Even our game last year with them, put it in the past. We’re a whole new team, a whole new season. They’re a whole new team. We’ve just got to come out there and execute the game plan.”

During last year’s game against Alabama in Austin, Ewers’ day was cut short due to an injury. Still, he looked solid in his limited action, completing 9 of 12 passes for 134 yards before getting hurt.

Ewers knows the high stakes of Saturday’s game. It feels like all eyes will be on Tuscaloosa as College GameDay to The Pat McAfee Show make the trip to T-Town. But he’s not worried about what could happen in the game.

He just wants to go out and get the victory.

“I’m going into this game like any other game,” Ewers said. “I don’t really play the ‘what ifs’ [game]. I’m just focused on what the offense is preparing to do and what the team is preparing to do… This team does a good job of going into each game with the same mindset and every game is a big game for us. We just want to be enamored with us, at the end of the day.”