Tennessee’s week-to-week climb has brought it right into the middle of another heavyweight SEC fight, and oddsmakers are treating Saturday’s trip to Neyland Stadium as a tight one. After the Vols survived Arkansas 24-17 and Alabama fell 20-17 to Georgia, sportsbooks opened Tennessee as the favorite in the annual showdown with the Crimson Tide.
FanDuel Sportsbook listed Tennessee as a 6.5-point favorite, while DraftKings Sportsbook had the Vols laying 7. Both books set the over-under at 53.5 points.
The matchup kicks off at 3:30 Eastern time Saturday and will be shown nationally on ABC.
Tennessee enters at 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the SEC, with the AP placing the Vols at No. 14 on Sunday. Alabama is 5-1 and 3-1, and the Tide slid to No. 6 after taking their first loss of the season. Georgia, now the nation’s top-ranked team, handed Alabama that defeat.
Saturday’s result in Fayetteville carried plenty of weight for Tennessee beyond the scoreboard. The Vols picked up their first SEC road win and their first win at Arkansas in 25 years, even though the Razorbacks pushed them harder than expected. Tennessee had already gotten its first SEC victory on Oct. 3 against Auburn, and this one came with a different quarterback situation.
Sophomore George MacIntyre made his first career start after replacing freshman Faizon Brandon late in the first half of the Auburn game. Against Arkansas, MacIntyre finished 18 of 29 for 247 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He also lost a fumble in the closing seconds of the first half when he appeared to run into running back DeSean Bishop in the backfield as he was getting ready to throw.
Even with the mistakes, MacIntyre gave Tennessee its biggest passing day from a quarterback this season. He threw for 105 yards in the fourth quarter and helped the Vols erase a 14-10 deficit.
Bishop kept doing what he’s been doing, only bigger. After posting career highs against Auburn with 220 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 34 carries, he followed that up with 138 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries at Arkansas.
Tennessee also got a spark from sophomre tight end DaSaahn Brame, who caught three passes for 87 yards and added a 1-yard touchdown run.
The Vols will need that balance again against an Alabama team that has been piling up points all season. Before last Saturday, the Crimson Tide had scored at least 45 points in each of their first five games, and every one of their victories had come by 14 points or more. Sophomore quarterback Keelon Russell has thrown for 1,599 yards, 12 touchdowns and two interceptions in his first season as the starter, while also adding 225 rushing yards and four scores.
Tennessee has also built a defense that can make life difficult on anyone. Through six games, the Vols lead the nation with 25 sacks and rank 25th nationally in total defense under first-year coordinator Jim Knowles. They’ve held three of their last four opponents under 300 yards, and no Tennessee opponent this season has topped 356 yards.
The series has leaned Alabama’s way for most of the recent run, but the Vols have taken the last two home meetings, including a 24-17 win in Knoxville in 2024. Still, those are Tennessee’s only victories in the last 19 games against the Tide. Alabama won last year’s meeting 37-20 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
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Tennessee Climbs Again But One Vols Question Still Hangs Over Alabama
Tennessee left Fayetteville with a 24-17 road win over Arkansas and a fresh bump in the AP Poll, climbing one spot to No. 14 as the Vols settle in as the SECs No. 6 team. It was also a notable day for sophomore quarterback George MacIntyre, who made his first start and gave Tennessee a mixed outing with 247 passing yards, one touchdown, two interceptions and a lost fumble in a game that still ended in a conference win.
Josh Heupel did not use the postgame spotlight to lock in the quarterback situation beyond this week, which keeps one of Tennessees biggest questions alive as Alabama comes to Neyland Stadium next. The Vols have plenty to feel good about after responding on the road, but the margin for error tightens quickly now, and the quarterback decision is one more layer to sort out before a marquee SEC showdown. [Read more 🡒]
Heupel Shares Emotional William Inge Update Tennessee Fans Needed
William Inge has been away from Tennessees day-to-day football work since Sept. 25, when the Volunteers linebackers coach was hospitalized because of a personal medical issue. It has been a difficult stretch for a staff that has had to keep moving through the season without one of its newer assistants, since Inge arrived in 2024 after previously coaching at Washington.
Josh Heupel offered a reassuring update on Inges condition, saying he is recovering well and should be released from the hospital around the middle of next week before beginning rehabilitation. For Tennessee, the news brings some needed relief after a quiet, worrying absence, and it gives the program a clearer sense of what comes next for a coach whose presence has been missed on the sideline and in the meeting room. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Heads Into Alabama Week With Something To Prove At Home
Tennessee is heading into one of the SECs biggest stage games with Alabama coming to Knoxville for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ABC, and the matchup already has the feel of a measuring-stick afternoon. FanDuel lists the Crimson Tide as 6.5-point favorites, with the over/under set at 54.5, which only adds to the sense that the Vols will need to make a statement at home if they want to change the conversation around the matchup.
Josh Heupel spent part of last week trying to keep his team grounded, denying Tennessee was peeking ahead to Alabama during the win over Arkansas. Now comes the part that matters most for Tennessees season, and for a fan base that knows how much this rivalry can swing on one game. The Vols will get their chance in front of their own crowd, with plenty still to prove when the Tide arrive. [Read more 🡒]