It's here. Kickoff for Alabama vs. Tennessee is coming up, and the No. 14 Vols can send a needed statement to the rest of the country by taking down the No. 6 Crimson Tide. With a win, Tennessee will put itself in a fantastic position to reach the College Football Playoff this winter. In order for that to happen, some luck might be involved.
Vegas doesn't see the fans in the stands leaving Neyland Stadium happy, as Alabama will enter this showdown favored by 7.5 points per the FanDuel Sportsbook. The line opened at 6.5 and then jumped to 8.5, but it settled right in the middle. We've got our bold predictions for this matchup below, including a final result we think many of you are going to be thrilled about.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
3. Alabama opens the scoring with a pick-six, but George MacIntyre bounces back
If the Vols want to post an upset, George MacIntyre has to take some shots and ruin life for the Alabama defense. However, Saturday is going to start off in deflating fashion for the second-year signal-caller. With MacIntyre hoping to create some magic, we see him trying to force a pass to Mike Matthews midway through the first quarter.
Unfortunately, an Alabama defensive back is going to jump the route and take it back 24 yards to put Alabama up 7-0. HOWEVER, that turnover will be the lone back-breaking mistake from MacIntyre, who will finish throwing for 265 yards and two touchdowns after his early INT.
2. Qua Moss delivers with another punt return for a touchdown
It's not just offense and defense that will need to be at its best for the Vols. Special teams is also going to have a monster impact on this game, which is where Qua Moss can step in and remind everyone of how electric he can be with the ball in his hands.
It wasn't that long ago against (then) No. 1 Texas that Moss had the game-changing play to get Tennessee right back in business to potentially pull off an upset of the Longhorns. Moss' punt return for a TD set off a huge celebration in Knoxville, and a similar sequence will be needed against the Crimson Tide. This time around, look for Moss to take the ball back 65 yards to the house to give Tennessee a 14-7 lead. It will look quite similar to what happened vs. Texas:
WHAT A PUNT RETURN 🔥 pic.twitter.com/uB8qiEq8qE
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 26, 2026
1. Tennessee shocks Alabama and moves up to No. 9 in the new AP Top 25
In the last five meetings between these two teams, Alabama has won all three games in Tuscaloosa, while the Vols defended their home turf in Knoxville twice. More of the same is going to be on the way in Week 7, with us predicting Tennessee to record a 31-27 win over the Crimson Tide.
MacIntyre won't play perfect football, but he'll make the necessary plays, while DeSean Bishop's 167 rushing yards and two TDs will help out as well here. Come Sunday at 2 p.m. ET when the new AP Top 25 poll comes out, too, the Vols will check in at No. 9 in the country. Yup, that all sounds pretty darn good.
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