The Third Saturday in October has another ranked heavyweight feel to it, with No. 6 Alabama heading to Neyland Stadium to meet No. 14 Tennessee in a game that carries plenty of weight for both sides.
Alabama comes in at 5-1 overall and 3-1 in SEC play after taking its first loss of the season last week against Georgia. Tennessee is 5-1 and 2-1 in the conference, and the Vols are still hunting their first ranked win of the year. For the fifth straight season, both teams are inside the top 25 when they meet.
Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC.
There’s also a throwback touch to this one. In a nod to how the rivalry looked in the 1970s, Alabama will wear crimson uniforms on the road.
Friday night’s availability report brought several notable absences. Tennessee had six players ruled out, while Alabama had seven.
The biggest Alabama loss is leading receiver and team captain Ryan Coleman-Williams, who will not play. Starting center Racin Delgatty was also officially moved from doubtful to out, and defensive line starter Terrance Green is unavailable as well.
There is some good news for Alabama, though. Wolf linebacker Justin Hill is listed as probable after sitting out the Crimson Tide’s last three games.
Tennessee freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon is no longer on the report, which means he is available to play. How much he sees the field remains to be seen.
This matchup will be played at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, which holds 101,915. The weather outlook fits the moment: around 60 degrees at kickoff, dipping into the 50s by the fourth quarter, with no rain in sight.
Alabama has won the previous meeting. The Crimson Tide beat Tennessee 37-20 at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Oct.
18, 2025. In that game, Tennessee was threatening just before halftime while down 11, but Zabien Brown turned an interception into a 99-yard touchdown return.
Alabama stretched the lead to 23-7 and never gave it back.
Sean McDonough will handle play-by-play for ABC, with Greg McElroy as analyst and Katie George on the sideline. The Crimson Tide Sports Network will carry the radio broadcast with Chris Stewart on play-by-play, Tyler Watts on color, Damion Square on the sideline and Roger Hoover hosting.
In Other News...
DeBoer Called Out What Fueled Alabamas Offensive Meltdown At Tennessee
Tennessees defense spent Saturday night making Alabama look unsteady in all the ways that matter, forcing four turnovers and holding the Crimson Tide to just 201 total yards in a 26-10 loss in Knoxville. DeSean Bishop led the way for the Vols with 159 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Alabama was stuck all night trying to find any rhythm against a defense that kept the pressure on and the Tide off schedule.
Kalen DeBoer was left to sort through the offensive breakdown afterward, and his halftime message pointed straight at the emotional side of the meltdown. Alabama needed more composure and better decisions, but those fixes were easier to identify than to find once Tennessee had taken control of the game and turned every mistake into a bigger problem for the Tide. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Saban Backed Alabama But His GameDay Warning Stood Out
As ESPNs College GameDay rolled through its weekly pick segment, the usual mix of confidence and caution came out around Alabamas trip to Tennessee. Pat McAfee and Steve Young leaned into some eye-catching calls elsewhere on the board, but the conversation around the Crimson Tide centered on a familiar theme: talent is one thing, handling the road in that atmosphere is another. Nick Saban was part of the broadcast lineup, adding his perspective as the analysts weighed the strengths and challenges facing both teams.
The picks themselves mostly tilted Alabamas way, with the panel generally backing the Crimson Tide against Tennessee while Young was the outlier. Still, Sabans presence gave the segment extra weight, especially as the discussion turned from simple prediction to warning signs and execution. Even in a show built around official picks, the broader takeaway was less about who everyone chose and more about how thin the margin can be when Alabama steps into a game like this. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Saban Sees One Real Threat In Alabama's Trip To Neyland
The buildup to Alabamas Week 7 trip to Neyland Stadium is centered on more than just the rankings, because Tennessees defense has given the Crimson Tide a real reason to pause. Former Alabama coach Nick Saban singled out the Volunteers on College GameDay, pointing to a group that can limit scoring, defend the pass and pressure the quarterback, all traits that tend to make life difficult for even the most polished offenses.
For Alabama, that means every possession could matter in a matchup that already carries plenty of weight. The Tide are headed into one of the SECs louder environments with a defense on the other side that looks built to make the game uncomfortable, and how Alabama handles that pressure may go a long way toward deciding whether the afternoon in Knoxville turns into a statement or a struggle. [Read more 🡒]