Everything you need to know about Tennessee football vs Alabama
It's the Third Saturday in October, which means Tennessee and Alabama will face off in one of the best rivalries in college football. The Tide will return to Rocky Top.
Both teams are in the same spot—they lost to inferior opponents two weeks ago and survived another near upset last week while holding onto their College Football Playoff lives halfway through the season.
Tennessee's offense has struggled in the past couple of weeks. It has been shut out in the first half in back-to-back games. The Vols came out of the gates hot in the second half but eventually cooled off. It cost Tennessee against Arkansas, but they survived Florida in overtime 23-17.
The Vols' defense continues to carry the team and play like one of the best units in the nation. The defense has not allowed more than 20 points all season, but that streak will be challenged this week by the Jalen Milroe-led Alabama offense.
Alabama has also struggled on both sides of the ball, but this will be the week both teams look to get right in a big rivalry game with postseason implications.
Matchup History
Tennessee and Alabama have met 105 times throughout their rivalry. The first game dates back to 1901, when neither the Vols nor Crimson Tide won the first game in the rival's history. The first matchup ended in a 6-6 tie, but in 1903, Alabama notched the first win 24-0.
Alabama has been dominant since 2007 and has since run away with the lead in the rivalry. The Tide has earned 59 wins to Tennessee's 39 wins, with seven ties along the way.
It has sometimes seemed impossible for Tennessee to beat Alabama, but the Vols won in 2022 and will look to do the same when the Crimson Tide visit Knoxville again on Saturday.
Betting Lines
When the line for this game came out, Tennessee opened as a 1.5-point underdog, but Alabama has since jumped to a 3.5-point favorite as we near kickoff. The over/under is set at 44.5 points.
The Vols, coming into the game as the underdog, have +158 odds to win the game outright, while Alabama has -192 odds to win the rivalry game on the road.
Availability Report
The SEC Availability Report is a weekly report provided by member schools and the conference for every conference game. It is similar to professional sports' injury reports, where schools declare who is out, who is playing, and who is questionable.
Tennessee will be without a few players on defense this Saturday. Defensive back Jourdan Thomas and linebackers Keenan Pili and Edwin Spillman are all ruled out for the rivalry game. Running back Cam Seldon has been ruled as questionable, and offensive lineman Lance Heard is ruled as probable.
Alabama, on the other hand, is coming into this game mostly healthy. Backup running back Daniel Hill and linebacker Cayden Jones have been ruled out, while linebacker Yhonzae Pierre and defensive backs Domani Jackson and Keon Sabb have been ruled as probable.
Kickoff and Broadcast
Tennessee and Alabama are scheduled to kick off on ABC as a part of the new SEC on ABC broadcast at 3:30 PM ET. ESPN's No. 2 crew will be on the call headlined by Sean McDonough on play-by-play, Greg McElroy joining him in the booth, and Molly McGrath on the sidelines.