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Tennessee football vs. Alabama: 10 keys for Vols and Crimson Tide

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 20: Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt of the Tennessee Volunteers and head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide shake hands after the second half of the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on October 20, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Alabama won 58-21. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 20: Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt of the Tennessee Volunteers and head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide shake hands after the second half of the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on October 20, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Alabama won 58-21. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /
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The sun peeks over Neyland Stadium before the University of Kentucky and the University of Tennessee college football game on Volunteer Boulevard in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020.Kentucky Vs Tennessee Football 202095971
The sun peeks over Neyland Stadium before the University of Kentucky and the University of Tennessee college football game on Volunteer Boulevard in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020.Kentucky Vs Tennessee Football 202095971 /

These will be the determining factors for the Tennessee football Volunteers against Bama.

This is why Tennessee football really dropped the ball when it lost so badly to the Kentucky Wildcats. The Vols now have to face an Alabama Crimson Tide team that looks invincible after a dominant 41-24 win over the Georgia Bulldogs.

So to avoid going into their bye week with a 2-3 record, UT has to beat a team it has never beaten since Nick Saban took over 13 years ago, and this might be the best team Saban ever had. Even in a pandemic-adjusted season, that seems like an impossible task.

Although there are some positives with Tennessee football and some weaknesses that were shown with the Tide before last week, there is nowhere near enough for anybody to expect this to be a game. This is just a giant mismatch.

How is Jeremy Pruitt’s team supposed to pull out a victory here? Well, that’s part of what we’re discussing today. As we get set to do our weekly keys to the game, it seems a bit pointless for this one. Is there anything Rocky Top can do to pull out a win?

Short of one of the biggest miracles in a few decades, UT has no real chance. However, there are things they may be able to do to make it interesting, provided Alabama fails to do a few other things. If Alabama plays its game, this won’t be close.

We should note, though, that the Vols were a bad roughing the passer call and a dumb decision by Jarrett Guarantano to go rogue away from potentially being tied with this team in the fourth quarter when Mac Jones was the starter. That’s something for encouragement.

On the other hand, Saban still hasn’t lost to an assistant of his, he still hasn’t lost to the Vols while at Alabama, and UT hasn’t beaten a top 10 team since before Saban got to Tuscaloosa. What would have to happen for all of that to change? Let’s break that down here. These are the keys to the game between Tennessee football and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

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