Tennessee football 5 takeaways: Alabama treats Vols like everyone else

Tennessee football falls for the 12th straight season to the Alabama Crimson Tide. Can’t say we are surprised but here are five takeaways of the game.

If you are trying to find a positive of the game you have to go all the way back to the opening drive. Alabama has scored a touchdown on every opening drive this season, and they did it against Tennessee. However, it did take them nine plays which took 4:02 off the clock.

No one expected the Vols to win, but man that was bad. We all knew Tennessee would struggle to stop the dynamic Tua Tagovailoa and his wide receivers, but where was the offense? Jarrett Guarantano and the offensive attack was nonexistent.

Here are five takeaways from the embarrassing loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide.

1. The offensive line play was hot garbage

It only lastest a week. The offensive line wasn’t great last week against Auburn, but they showed improvement. This week against Alabama, not so much. In fact, they look flat out horrible.

One of the knocks on quarterback Jarrett Guarantano is he holds on to the ball a tad bit too long and maybe that is true, but some plays he never had a chance. He even had to leave the game due to an injury.

Keller Chryst came in and actually looked good for the first time this season. Now, I will not be the one to spark up a quarterback controversy. We all need to remember what Jarrett Guarantano showed us against Auburn.

Nonetheless, the offensive line play has to get better for the Vols to have a chance at a bowl game.

2. Jauan Jennings is proving he is the best receiver on the team

If you don’t like Jauan Jennings, you don’t like college football. There isn’t a player in the nation that plays with more heart than that guy; It wouldn’t matter if the Vols were losing 100-0 Jennings would be playing like the game was tied in the fourth quarter.

Jennings finished the game with six receptions for 102 yards with a long of 40. He is healthy and is showing everyone why he is the best receiver on the roster. That is a good sign for the Vols going forward; they are going to need him to get to six wins.

3. Ty Chandler makes history

It’s starting to become a weekly trend with Ty Chandler. Week after week  Chandler continues to put up numbers, and against the Crimson Tide, he made Tennessee football history. With 7:21 to go in the second quarter, quarterback Keller Chryst hooked up with Chandler for a ten-yard touchdown grab.

The touchdown marked the third straight game Chandler scored a receiving touchdown making him the first running back in Tennessee football history to do so. That is quite a remarkable record considering all the great backs that have played for the Vols over the years.

4. Vols defense scores again

Something new this season under Jeremy Pruitt is the defense and special teams are making big plays. You can add Kyle Phillips to the list with his 27-yard interception return for a touchdown. No, it wasn’t against Tua Tagovailoa, but it was an interception nonetheless.

5. Alabama is on another level

Look, everyone knew this was coming, the question was just how bad it was going to be. Alabama is without question the best team in the nation. Honestly, I’m not sure there are too many teams that can even play them to a 20-point game.

Before the halfway point in the first quarter, the Tide were already up 21-0, and Tagovailoa had two touchdown passes. Alabama only ended up scoring 58 points which is a rivalry record. They broke the previous high of 56 points which was scored in 1986.

We tried to be a bit more positive with the takeaways because, in the end, this game didn’t matter. Tennessee could have lost 100-0 and still manage to reel off a few wins at the end of the season to get to eights wins. I know it sounds crazy, but it could happen.