Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Tennessee Volunteers Pick & Prediction OCTOBER 19th 2024

Preview and Prediction

In previous years, suffering a second defeat on the third Saturday in October would put a team's chances of making the playoffs in serious danger.

However, with the current season being the first to have a 12-team playoff, a second loss this early on is no longer a death sentence. This is good news for both No. 7 Alabama and No. 11 Tennessee as they face off on Saturday in Knoxville, Tennessee.

This Southeastern Conference showdown is still crucial as the winner will have a chance at securing one of the four first-round byes.

Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC) is also looking to reverse their recent record against Alabama, having lost 16 of their last 17 meetings. Their only win in this stretch was two years ago (52-49) when the Crimson Tide (5-1, 2-1) last visited Knoxville.

"Another important game for us," said Volunteers coach Josh Heupel on Monday. "This is a rivalry game and it doesn't get much better than college football with these two teams facing off. We're looking forward to seeing our fans out there on Saturday and we need a great week of practice to prepare for a very talented football team."

This game will also mark Alabama's first matchup against Tennessee without Nick Saban as their coach since 2006.

"This rivalry has been around long before Nick Saban or I were a part of it," said Heupel, who will be coaching against the Crimson Tide for the fourth time. "The significance of this rivalry lies in its history and what it means within this conference."

First-year Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer has been hearing about the importance of this game for months.

"I've been told it's a big deal, and I understand that it's a big deal. You can see it from a distance," said DeBoer on Monday. "As a coach, every game is important and we take them one at a time. But I do understand the significance of this rivalry and our players will be motivated to give their best and prepare well for Saturday."

The Crimson Tide have not been at their best in recent weeks. Two weeks ago, they were ranked No. 1 when they suffered a shocking 40-35 loss on the road against Vanderbilt. Last week, they narrowly escaped with a 27-25 victory over South Carolina, with the game only being decided by a failed two-point conversion attempt by the Gamecocks.

Star quarterback Jalen Milroe has been a standout for the Crimson Tide all season, accounting for 23 touchdowns (12 passing, 11 rushing). Milroe has an impressive average of 41.4 yards per passing touchdown and has completed 72.4% of his passes.

However, Milroe did throw two interceptions against South Carolina. DeBoer has addressed these mistakes with Milroe, who has now thrown four interceptions this season.

"We keep building on these moments," said DeBoer. "He will remember everything that happened in this game and he will remember what happened four weeks ago, and that's what I love about him."

Freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams has been involved in many big plays for Alabama, with an average of 25.0 yards per catch. Seven of his 23 receptions have gone for 43 yards or more.

Tennessee, on the other hand, has a strong defense. They currently rank second in the nation in total defense (249.8 yards per game) and fourth in scoring defense (10.7).

However, the defense suffered a major blow in their last game against Florida when linebacker Keenan Pili suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Star running back Dylan Sampson has been a standout for the Volunteers, rushing for 699 yards and 15 touchdowns. This puts him second in the nation for rushing touchdowns, behind only Boise State's Ashton Jeanty. In fact, Sampson's 15 touchdowns are already the fourth-highest single-season total in Tennessee's history. The record of 18 was set by Gene McEver in 1929.

Sampson had a stellar performance against Florida, rushing for 112 yards and three touchdowns. This was his fifth 100-yard game of the season.

PREDICTION

Alabama Crimson Tide

Tennessee Volunteers