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Tennessee football at Alabama: 10 keys for Vols and Crimson Tide

By Caleb Calhoun

TUSCALOOSA, AL - OCTOBER 05: A general view of Bryant-Denny Stadium prior to the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia State Panthers on October 5, 2013 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
TUSCALOOSA, AL - OCTOBER 05: A general view of Bryant-Denny Stadium prior to the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia State Panthers on October 5, 2013 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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In Tuscaloosa, Tennessee football will be looking for the upset of the year. Here are 10 keys for the Volunteers and Alabama Crimson Tide.

It’s not quite the disproportionate matchup we thought it would be a couple of weeks ago. After all, Tennessee football no longer looks like the worst team in the SEC, and the Alabama Crimson Tide may not actually be the best team in the conference.

But you’re still talking about the 2-4 Vols facing an undefeated team that is ranked No. 1 in the nation on the road, oh, and they’re in the midst of a 12-game losing streak to that program that dates back to Nick Saban’s first year at Bama. In fact, given the forfeitures of that 2007 season, UT is technically Saban’s first win.

So that’s how deep Alabama’s dominance over UT goes, and this doesn’t seem like the year for that to change. However, the two schools still have to play each other, and as we said, Jeremy Pruitt has Tennessee football looking better prepared to play than he did a few weeks ago.

Also, the Georgia Bulldogs upsetting the South Carolina Gamecocks last week just might be what gives the Vols the confidence they need to make this a game. Okay, we’re joking. But maybe they have a few things they can work with.

As we get set to dish out our keys to this game, it’s important to note that UT may have some small advantages. How much of a difference they make, we don’t know, but we do know that enough of them going in the right direction could make this game interesting.

At the same time, it could all turn disastrous. The Tide could win by 55 points while Saban embarrasses his former assistant. We’re just not yet sure how this is going to work out, even if we’re all but sure of a Bama win.

How can Pruitt’s kids make it interesting? What will determine whether or not Alabama runs away with this one? Let’s break all of that down here. These are our 10 keys to the game for the Vols and Crimson Tide when Tennessee football visits Tuscaloosa Saturday night.

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