Tennessee has won two out of the last three against Alabama and will look to continue its success on the Third Saturday in October with a road win in 2025.
CBS Sports shared the most important game for every top 25 team for the 2025 season, and CBS Sports writer Will Backus named the Vols' road matchup against Alabama as Tennessee's most important game this year.
"The calculus for Tennessee's 2025 season changed a bit after a brutal spring that saw it lose high-upside starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava and whiff on some much-needed wide receiver reinforcements in the transfer portal," CBS Sports' Will Backus writes.
"Yet the Vols still have a shot to make it to the CFP for a second consecutive season. In order to get there, they will need to show that they can hang in tough road games, including one against an Alabama team that they've beaten twice — both at home — in the past three years."
A win against Alabama on the road is challenging in itself. With Tennessee heading into a quarterback battle this summer, the Vols face a different challenge than they have in the Josh Heupel era.
Whether it be Joe Milton, Hendon Hooker, or Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee has always known who its quarterback will be heading into the summer. However, the Vols are several steps behind offensively before stepping foot on the field because of the current quarterback questions.
UCLA transfer Joey Aguilar, Jake Merklinger, and George MacIntyre are battling for the QB1 spot heading into the summer. Aguilar might have the upper hand in experience and playing ability, but Merklinger and MacIntyre know the system better, which Heupel has proven in years past is an important factor in determining playing time.
The Third Saturday in October is always an important game for Tennessee and Alabama fans. The rivalry is over a century old, and CBS Sports believes this could be Tennessee's biggest game of the year.