The Best CFB Matchup in Week 7: Tennessee vs. Alabama

It’s the third week in October, or, time for the annual Tennessee vs. Alabama rivalry game! This year, the Vols will host the Crimson Tide in Neyland Stadium in a rare top ten matchup that sees Tennessee ranked No.6 and Alabama ranked No.3. A rivalry dating back to the early twentieth century, the crowd will be loud, electric, and eager for another big win for the Vols. Despite a strong 5-0 start to the season the question remains: Can they beat Bama? The feud continues on Saturday at 3:30 PM EST on CBS!

Touchdown, Tennessee: A Brief Look Back at Week 6

Last week the Vols shut down the LSU Tigers at Death Valley in Baton Rouge. A 40-13 finish put the Vols at 5-0 for the season and added gasoline to the fire for Tennessee fans everywhere. It’s pretty impossible to say anyone had a bad game last week but there were definitely some standout players, hopefully a sign of what’s to come when the Tide comes rolling in on Saturday.

Among the standout players of the game were wideouts Bru McCoy and Jalin Hyatt. Running back Jabari Small had another huge game, while defensive end Byron Young finally had the breakout day fans have been waiting for.

Once again, quarterback Hendon Hooker delivered a top notch performance and controlled the Vols offense to near perfection. Hooker’s Heisman campaign is in full swing headed into Tennessee vs. Alabama on Saturday.

Heading into the Tennessee vs. Alabama matchup, fans are amped and ready for another big day not unlike the atmosphere of the Tennessee vs. Florida rivalry game in week four. While Alabama is a tougher team than any played so far this season, the Vols have been working hard to prepare for this week’s contest.

Tennessee vs. Alabama: What to Expect

For the first time since 1989, both teams are entering this matchup undefeated. Alabama has gone unbeaten but has underperformed against teams like Texas, Arkansas, and Texas A&M. Despite a lackluster showing at Pitt, Tennessee has also gone unbeaten including wins against Florida and LSU, the only two teams so far that really gave much cause for concern. Alabama is undoubtedly the toughest team on Tennessee’s schedule thus far, but history isn’t necessarily destined to repeat itself.

On Monday, Coach Heupel gave his thoughts on Tennessee vs. Alabama week saying, “Obviously, this is why you come to Tennessee and want to be in this league. You have a big-time matchup. Really excited. (College) GameDay, SEC Nation, the environment that will be here on Saturday, really excited about that. Our players have earned the right to be able to get to this point, to play a game like this. Preparation is going to be critical in this one.”

Preparation, indeed. Alabama is a strong team on both sides of the ball and Tennessee will need to come out playing their best football to date. Playing their best football includes exploiting Alabama’s weaknesses, which tend to be their corners when faced with quality receivers like Bru McCoy and Jalin Hyatt. Because it is possible Cedric Tillman won’t return this week, the receiving team that has showed up and showed out against Florida and LSU will need to come ready to do it all again.

Tennessee’s defense is its weaker spot. Bryce Young is still not confirmed to be playing on Saturday but even if he doesn’t, the Vols will have to contend with RB Jhamyr Gibbs who will be expected to establish the run early and often. Tennessee’s run defense is a physical group that’s tough to get past but their pass defense doesn’t perform as consistently and the secondary is questionable.

However, when asked about options at strong safety Heupel responded, “We figured out the guys that have played at that position, we have flexibility in the secondary, guys who have been trained to play multiple positions, you know? So we’ll see as the week unfolds here, but I have great trust in all those guys.”

Tennessee vs. Alabama is a rivalry with a long history. A win for either team won’t be easy this year, but unlike in years past Tennessee has a real chance to bring victory back to Rocky Top.

Tennessee vs. Alabama: Vegas Odds

Obviously, Alabama is favored to win again this year. Right now they’re ranked No.3 while Tennessee is ranked No.6, and Tennessee’s schedule hasn’t been particularly tough in weeks past.

But if you’re sticking with me to bet Tennessee, here’s all you need to know as of right now. Per FanDuel Sportsbook the spread for the Vols is +7. The moneyline is +230 and the over/under is 65.5.

Happy Third Saturday in October, y’all. Roll Vols!