SEC Nation is headed back to one of Tennessee’s most familiar game-day backdrops.
The SEC Network’s weekly pregame show will broadcast Saturday from the lawn of Ayres Hall as No. 14 Tennessee prepares to host No.
6 Alabama in a top-15 showdown in The Third Saturday in October. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m.
ET on ABC.
The show will run from 9 a.m. to noon on SEC Network, and overnight camping will not be allowed.
This week’s SEC Nation crew features Matt Barrie, Chase Daniel, Paul Finebaum, Roman Harper, Tim Tebow and Marion Crowder. Marty Smith and Ryan McGee will also be part of the edition.
Ayres Hall will be busy well before kickoff. The Paul Finebaum Show Presented by Johnsonville will also originate from the site, with #FinebaumFriday airing live from 3-7 p.m. ESPN SportsCenter will broadcast from there Friday from 5-5:30 p.m.
Fans heading to Neyland Stadium will see gates open at 12:30 p.m., and concessions will be half-price during the first hour, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. UT has game-day details available at UTsports.com/gameday.
Saturday’s meeting marks the 109th game between Tennessee and Alabama. The matchup has carried the Third Saturday in October label since 1939, and this one adds another layer to the rivalry: the teams are both ranked in the top 20 for the 24th time and both in the top 15 for the fourth time in the last five years.
Neyland Stadium will also be full again, with the sellout streak reaching 32 straight games.
SEC Nation has made plenty of stops at the Tennessee campus over the years, and Ayres Hall will host the show again for this latest Tennessee-Alabama weekend.
In Other News...
Tennessee Faces One Huge QB Decision Before Alabama Arrives
Josh Heupel still has not said who will get the first snap at quarterback when Tennessee meets Alabama, and that uncertainty hangs over everything the Vols are doing this week. George MacIntyre helped sharpen the conversation with a steady first career start against Arkansas, showing the kind of composure and willingness to attack downfield that can matter in a big-game setting.
MacIntyre finished 18 of 29 for 247 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, a line that reflected both the promise and the risk that come with leaning on a young passer. Faizon Brandon is still working back from injury and had been less effective in recent games, so Tennessee enters one of its biggest games without a clear answer at the sports most important position. [Read more 🡒]
Heupel Hinted At Two Big Tennessee Concerns Before Alabama
The build-up to Tennessees trip to Alabama has the feel of a measuring-stick game, and Josh Heupel knows it. With both teams sitting at 5-1 and the Volunteers headed in as the 14th-ranked team against No. 6 Alabama, the head coach spent his time with the media leaning into the standard issues that come with a rivalry of this size: preparation, execution and the need for individual players to be ready for every snap.
Heupel also touched on the matchup in a way that suggested Tennessee has already identified the places where this game could tilt, even before the teams take the field Saturday. For a Vols team trying to keep pace in the national picture, the stakes are obvious, but so is the challenge of handling an Alabama opponent that has not given many easy answers in this rivalry. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama May Be Missing The Weapon Tennessee Feared Most
Alabamas passing game may be heading into Saturdays matchup with Tennessee without its most productive target. Ryan Coleman-Williams is not expected to play because of head and leg injuries, and coach Kalen DeBoer said the receiver is also dealing with a knee issue as the Tide work through the week.
For a Tennessee defense already bracing for a major SEC test, the injury status matters because Coleman-Williams has been Alabamas leader in receptions, yards and touchdowns this season. DeBoer indicated the receiver is expected to be week-to-week after the Tennessee game, leaving the Vols to prepare for a version of Alabama that may look a little different than expected. [Read more 🡒]