TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama players received an extra day off from practice Monday, a nice reward following their 31-24 victory over Mississippi State over the weekend. The added day of rest should help the Crimson Tide catch its breath and lick its wounds following what has been a bruising couple of weeks, so should this week’s matchup against FCS opponent Mercer.

Make no mistake, no one on No. 1 Alabama’s roster is taking the Bears for granted, especially after Mercer stuck with No. 6 Auburn in a 24-10 loss earlier this season. However, bigger tests await the Crimson Tide in the future, including an SEC West-deciding Iron Bowl next week.

For right now, we’ll stick with this week’s matchup as Alabama hosts Mercer at 11 a.m. CT on SEC Network for its final game in Bryant-Denny Stadium this season.

Here are five questions to consider heading into the matchup: