The Alabama Crimson Tide and their star quarterback Jalen Milroe have had a shaky couple of weeks following their massive 41-34 victory over Georgia. Since then, the Tide has lost to Vanderbilt and narrowly avoided a calamitous home defeat against South Carolina. Milroe’s play over those two games has been well below what fans have been accustomed to seeing, having just two touchdowns to three interceptions.
Alabama’s upcoming trip to Tennessee will be a pivotal point in their season. A victory would eliminate much of the bad taste left from the past two underwhelming efforts, while a second defeat in three games could put the Tide on pace for their worst season in 17 years. Overall, it is a massive game for both teams and for the entire landscape of the SEC.
Keys to the Game for Alabama
Alabama has dominated the series against Tennessee in recent years, owning a 16-1 record since 2007. With that being said, the Tide lost their last trip to Knoxville in a 52-49 thriller won by a last second field goal.
Oddsmakers currently have Alabama as a 3-point favorite and rightfully so, despite their recent underwhelming performances. Tennessee has been equally unimpressive in their last two games, losing at Arkansas and barely squeaking by a mediocre Florida team at home in OT. The Volunteers offense has also stalled over the past month after ranking as the highest scoring unit in the FBS after the first three weeks.
For the Tide, one of their biggest concerns will be containing Volunteers QB Nico Iamaleava. While Iamaleava has not played particularly well over the past several games, he can make plays with his feet. The Alabama defense has struggled to defend against mobile quarterbacks throughout the entire season.
On offense, the main emphasis will continue to be on Jalen Milroe. Milroe has 5 turnovers over the past three games, including several crucial ones which directly changed the outcome of the game in the loss to Vanderbilt. In order to leave Neyland Stadium with a victory, Milroe needs to return to his early season form which had led to him being among the Heisman Trophy favorites.
Alabama must remain focused on staying disciplined. Far too often have the Tide shot themselves in the foot with penalties, having 22 of them accepted in the last three games. Avoiding egregious errors, like failing to cover an onside kick in last week’s game against South Carolina, is also of paramount importance.
Implications of the Game
As was expected before the season even started, this edition of the Third Saturday in October will have major implications on the College Football Playoff picture. The winner will have a huge boost on earning a spot, while the loser will be on the outside looking in.
From Alabama’s perspective, this could be viewed as a must-needed victory, especially considering the tough road ahead with games against No. 19 Missouri and No. 8 LSU to follow. A win would also help cement Kalen DeBoer as a worthy successor to the legendary Nick Saban, continuing on Saban’s dominance of one of their most bitter rivals.
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