CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS
STRUGGLING TENNESSEE FACES TOUGHEST OF ALL CHALLENGES: ATNO. 1 ALABAMA
KEYS FORT ENNESSEE
Offensive spark. The Volunteers have managed one touchdown in their last two games, getting shut out by Georgia and then mustering just nine points in a loss to South Carolina. Facing the Alabama defense, then, is really not a good prescription for what ails Tennessee. Nonetheless, the Vols need to get something out of Jarrett Guarantano and the rest of their offense if they are to pull a surprise.
Play free. At this stage, there’s not much left for Tennessee to be tight about. Its hopes of winning the SEC East are shot, and every loss brings the Vols a step closer to a coaching change that’s starting to feel inevitable.
KEYS FOR ALABAMA
More of the same. In four conference games, only once (at Texas A&M) has an opponent managed to remain even remotely within striking distance. Alabama crushed Vanderbilt and Mississippi to begin its SEC schedule, and it quickly made easy work of Arkansas last week. The Crimson Tide is rolling along without a blemish on its record, and continuing to play as it has over the last month is going to result in plenty of victories the rest of the way.
Apply pressure. S Minkah Fitzpatrick and the Alabama defense can go about its business many ways, from technical precision to a show of aggression. Against Guarantano and the Volunteers, there’s something to be said for trying to force some early mistakes and remove any doubt about the eventual outcome within the first few possessions.
PREDICTION
Alabama 45-17. The Crimson Tide is 10-0 against Tennessee under coach Nick Saban, a run that spans four different coaching tenures. One of those— Butch Jones’ — appears likely to come to an end this season, and Alabama can make it even more likely by pushing the Volunteers below .500 for the first time since early in the 2015 season. Expect it to happen in emphatic fashion.