Nick Saban thinks Tennessee’s path to upsetting Alabama is pretty straightforward: make the game smaller.
With No. 6 Alabama heading to Neyland Stadium in Week 7 to face No.
16 Tennessee, the former Crimson Tide coach pointed to a Tennessee team that’s winning in a way few people associate with Josh Heupel’s program. On College GameDay Saturday morning, Saban said the Vols are leaning on defense, the run game and possession control to tilt games their way.
“Nobody looks at Tennessee like a team that plays really good defense, runs the ball, shrinks the game,” Saban said. “That’s never been their M.O.
But that’s the way they’re winning this year. They’re only giving up 15 points per game on defense.
They got really good pass defense - give up 160 yards per game. They’re leading the SEC in sacks, so they’re able to affect the quarterback.
They play pretty well in the red zone. That makes them hard to score against.
They run the ball and shrink the game, and limit Alabama’s number of possessions, offensively. That may be the key for them in this game.”
That formula lines up with the challenge Alabama has already faced in Knoxville. The Vols have made the Tide’s recent trips to Rocky Top miserable, handing them road losses in 2022 and 2024. Kalen DeBoer still hasn’t won inside Neyland, and Alabama could be staring at back-to-back losses if it can’t get the job done Saturday.
The timing of Saban’s message also fits what happened last week, when Georgia went into Alabama and controlled the game by stringing together long drives and keeping the Tide offense off the field. The Bulldogs also spent the night getting after sophomore quarterback Keelon Russell.
Tennessee may not be as talented or as deep as Georgia, but Saban’s point remains the same: if the Vols can dictate tempo, defend the pass, pressure the quarterback and shorten the game, they have a real shot to put Alabama in another difficult spot.
In Other News...
Tennessee Heads Into Alabama With One Big QB Question
Sophomore George MacIntyre is in line to make another start for Tennessee when the Vols head into their rivalry game against Alabama, giving Josh Heupels offense a familiar face as it tries to keep its rhythm in one of the SECs most demanding environments. Heupel had plenty to like from MacIntyre in his first career start at Arkansas, where the young quarterback showed the kind of decisiveness and playmaking that can steady an offense even in a pressure-packed spot.
The bigger question now is what Tennessee gets behind him, and whether freshman Faizon Brandon will be available after being removed from the latest injury report. His status still leaves a layer of uncertainty around the quarterback room heading into a game where every snap matters, and Tennessee would obviously rather have more depth than fewer answers when it meets Alabama. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces A Brutal Tennessee Test It Cannot Afford To Fail
Alabamas trip to Knoxville sits near the center of a Week 7 slate loaded with playoff-pressure games, and it brings plenty more than the usual SEC pageantry. The Crimson Tide are dealing with injury concerns and walking into a road setting that can change quickly, while Tennessee has the kind of home-field edge that tends to sharpen every mistake and amplify every momentum swing.
For the Volunteers, it is the sort of matchup that can shape the rest of the season in one afternoon. Alabama is the favorite on paper, but the road test is steep enough to put real stress on a team trying to keep its footing in the College Football Playoff race, and Tennessee has every reason to believe this is the kind of game that can expose a favorite if it is not ready from the opening series. [Read more 🡒]
How GoVols247 Staff Sees Tennessees Chances Against Alabama
Every week, the GoVols247 crew circles the biggest games on the college football schedule, and this one comes with the kind of weight Tennessee fans know all too well. Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Ben McKee used their weekly picks to look back on their Week 6 records and size up whats ahead in Week 7, where No. 14 Tennessee meets Alabama in another SEC showdown that always seems to carry a little extra history with it.
The matchup brings together recent form, national rankings and a rivalry that has long shaped the discussion around both programs, which is why the staffs read on it matters beyond a simple prediction column. With the series history also in view, their outlook on Tennessees chances offers a snapshot of where the Vols stand entering one of the most watched games on the calendar. [Read more 🡒]