Alabama was favored by six touchdowns and outmatched Mercer at every position. The Crimson Tide should have won Saturday's game by 40+ points, and it did with the 52-7 victory over the Bears. But performing well for four quarters in a game like this isn't always the norm.

Alabama football’s non-conference schedule ended Saturday without much of a challenge. The No. 9 Crimson Tide beat Mercer, its annual FCS opponent, 52-7 at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday. Alabama now has 16 straight wins against FCS opponents dating back to coach Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide debut in 2007.

Alabama trounced Mercer 52-7 Saturday. Remember it well, because matchups like that are dinosaurs in the evolution of college football scheduling.