Paul Finebaum is already circling Tennessee-Alabama as a swing game in the SEC race.
During an appearance Tuesday morning on ESPN’s First Take, the SEC Network analyst walked through Alabama’s schedule and had the Crimson Tide dropping three games in all. Finebaum sees Alabama opening with five straight wins, then taking its first hit at home against Georgia on Oct.
- From there, he believes the skid continues a week later in Knoxville.
“This is the season for Alabama, at Rocky Top,” Finebaum said. “I don’t think Alabama wins that game either. Another loss for the Tide as the season starts to spiral.”
In Finebaum’s version of the season, Alabama finishes 9-3 with losses to Georgia, Tennessee and LSU. He also projected wins over South Carolina, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and Auburn.
Not everyone on the First Take set agreed with that Tennessee pick. ESPN’s Chris Canty, the former Virginia Cavaliers defensive lineman, was aligned with Finebaum on losses to Georgia and LSU, but he put Alabama’s third defeat at Kentucky instead of against the Vols.
The matchup carries some real early-season buzz because both teams are already in the preseason AP Poll. Tennessee comes in at No. 20, while Alabama is ranked No. 13.
Last season, Joey Aguilar’s Volunteers fell 37-20 in Tuscaloosa, a result that gave Alabama a 3-2 edge in the last five meetings. This year’s game flips back to Rocky Top, where Tennessee has won two straight against the Tide in Neyland Stadium.
The national numbers are a little kinder to both teams than the AP Poll. ESPN’s Football Power Index has Alabama at No. 8 with a projected record of 8.6-3.6, while Tennessee checks in at No. 16 with a projected mark of 7.3-4.7.
At SEC Media Days last month, Josh Heupel talked about what rivalry games mean across the conference.
“I think rivalry games absolutely matter,” Heupel said. “I think one of the unique things at Tennessee is different eras of our fan base kind of point to a different game.
Could be the Florida game, Alabama game, some other teams as well. I think the passion, the tradition of some of the games are what make college football unique.
But I do also like that as a program and for your fan base, you’re going to have the opportunity every four years to be able to go to every stadium inside of the SEC footprint.”
Tennessee is in the final stretch of fall camp as it builds toward its Sept. 5 opener against Furman in Neyland Stadium. Alabama is one of four preseason-ranked teams on Tennessee’s schedule, along with No.
5 Texas, No. 8 Texas A&M and No.
11 LSU.
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