How's everyone still feeling? Pretty dang good? Love it. No. 14 (for now) Tennessee got the job done against No. 6 Alabama, with the defense stealing the show, while the offense made the plays needed in the second half to make sure cigars were lit with smiles on faces at Neyland Stadium.
With the win, the Vols are serious contenders to reach the College Football Playoff, while Alabama's season is hanging in the balance. When looking back at the action, it's clear there were four main winners for the Vols, while two guys in the Bama locker room must still be shaking their heads.
DeSean Bishop (winner) keeps coming up huge for Tennessee when his number is called
No one is going to be sick and tired of reading about DeSean Bishop. It's tough to come up with the words that appropriately describe just how sensational he's been for the Vols this season. Against the Crimson Tide, Bishop carried the ball 32 times for 159 yards and two touchdowns.
He's the workhorse for the ground game and he's so incredibly tough to bring down. In the second half, his two scores had everyone off their seats, including his second one to close the door on any hope for the visiting side.
Kalen DeBoer (loser) has Alabama fans questioning him again
A lot can change in only a couple of weeks, right? It wasn't that long ago that things were going smoothly for Alabama, with an undefeated record looking strong. However, back-to-back losses to Georgia and Tennessee have been posted, and the Tide have just looked sluggish.
As BamaHammer's John Mitchell noted, Bama was unprepared to take on the Vols, which can never be the case for a rivalry game. This is becoming a theme in the Tide's losses. With another defeat this fall, the Crimson Tide will be watching the CFP from home. If that happens, DeBoer's seat might start heating up a touch.
Jim Knowles (winner) has been worth every penny for Tennessee this year
Take a bow, Jim Knowles. When the Vols brought him in as the team's new defensive coordinator to replace Tim Banks, it was viewed as a home-run hire for head man Josh Heupel. Through seven games, that 100 percent has been confirmed.
Tennessee's defense made life incredibly brutal for Alabama's offense, with both the passing game and ground game looking off. Knowles was applying pressure at the right times, while he had his group FIRED up to take down a Top 10 team. In total, five sacks were posted, with two interceptions. Not a bad day at the office for the Tennessee defense.
holy smokes they got knowles to buss down pic.twitter.com/YL6eBvYcsm
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) October 18, 2026
Keelon Russell (loser) looked nothing like a Heisman contender
Speaking of two interceptions, no one can argue with the fact that Keelon Russell was downright poor against the Vols. Credit to the Tennessee defense for that, but Russell was flustered and couldn't get his offense into any kind of a rhythm. On the day, Russell, a former 5-star recruit, tossed for 147 yards and two INTs. That's never going to cut it in a Bama-Tennessee showdown.
Tyree Weathersby (winner) has quietly had a huge year for the Vols
We could give a 'game ball' to the entire defense. Dejaun Lane, Xavier Gilliam, Arion Carter and Kayin Lee - the list goes on. However, it's time to show some appreciation for the work that EDGE Tyree Weathersby is putting in this campaign.
He's not a national name, but that needs to change soon. Against the Crimson Tide, Weathersby's motor simply would not stop. He was fighting with passion, which led to four total tackles (2.5 for loss) and two sacks. The 6-5, 275-pounder is now up to 6.5 sacks on the year, which leads the Vols and top ten in the country. Keep it going, Tyree.
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