Mercer has lost 17 games the last three seasons. Alabama has lost 13 games the last nine seasons. They play each other on Nov. 18. Alabama is going to win. By a lot.
"This will be a great opportunity to test ourselves against a championship program in one of the most storied gameday environments in the country," Mercer head coach Bobby Lamb said in January 2016, also referencing a second matchup in 2021.
It will also be a great opportunity for the program to add a gigantic infusion to the athletic department's revenue. They will earn $600,000 for the game, giving them $1 million for two games against SEC foes — they play Auburn on Sept. 16. Though it's great for revenue, exposure and recruiting, Lamb's wife Allyson thought he was crazy for scheduling the Crimson Tide.
"You're crazy," he told Saturday Down South of her reaction to the news.
Alabama has played an FCS team in nine of Saban's 10 years in Tuscaloosa. They have given up more than seven points just twice, posted three shutouts and outscored the nine teams by a combined score of 438-57.
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Allyson might be correct, but you must admire Lamb and Mercer's willingness to schedule the big boys.
Here's the full article from Saturday Down South that includes stories from other small-school coaches on facing Saban.