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October 24, 2009
3:30 PM ET, CBS
The Tennessee Vols (3-3, 1-2) and Alabama Crimson Tide (7-0, 4-0) meet yet again for their annual matchup. Both teams are looking to secure a victory to improve their seasons.
The Vols are coming off of a bye week after stomping Georgia the week before, and Lane Kiffin wants to build off of that and play a good, solid game. They’ll have to do that to beat the Tide, who are just hoping to get through this week with a win on their way to a national title.
Both teams know it will be a hard-fought battle, as it is every year, and while each coach has been praising the other throughout the week, when Saturday comes there will be only a tough battle between athletes in Tuscaloosa.
Last Three Games
| Opponent | Result |
| Ohio | W 34-23 |
| Auburn | L 22-26 |
| Georgia | W 45-19 |
Tennessee has been up and down the past few weeks. They played Ohio close in a letdown game that scared many Vol fans, and then they got beat against Auburn as the offense couldn’t get in a rhythm.
The inept offense did recover at the end of the first half and in the fourth quarter to show some signs of life, and this was carried over to the Georgia game in which Tennessee just blasted the Bulldogs out of Neyland stadium.
Depending on which Tennessee team shows up, it appears that they have the tools to play solid football. And they’ll need to perform flawlessly against Alabama this Saturday.
| Opponent | Result |
| at Kentucky | W 38-20 |
| at Ole Miss | W 22-3 |
| South Carolina | W 20-6 |
Alabama has played seven straight games without a bye week. They’re bruised and beat up, which makes this a perfect opportunity for Tennessee. The Tide, though banged up, has posted some very impressive wins lately over Ole Miss and South Carolina, and everyone knows that they’re a tough team to beat.
Lane Kiffin even stated that “one poll got it right” in a press conference earlier this week as he praised the team, and this Alabama team has definitely earned that praise.
| Category | UT Rank | UT Avg | AL Rank | AL Avg |
| Total Offense | 48th | 393 | 21st | 432 |
| Rushing Offense | 35th | 184 | 9th | 229 |
| Passing Offense | 70th | 209 | 76th | 202.71 |
| Scoring Offense | 26th | 32 | 13th | 35 |
| Total Defense | 13th | 272 | 1st | 227 |
| Rushing Defense | 31st | 110 | 3rd | 63 |
| Passing Defense | 10th | 161.83 | 12th | 163 |
The Vols lead two categories, but the teams are so close in both of those categories that you really could consider them a tie. The Alabama defense has been nothing short of phenomenal this year, allowing only 63 yards on the ground per game and 227 total yards per game. Tennessee has a real test here, as they have been suspect on offense this season.
Offense 
Alabama’s offense isn’t flashy, and it doesn’t try to trick you. They pretty much tell you, “We’re coming right at you, stop us if you think you can.” So far this season, no one has been able to. Mark Ingram is averaging 131 yards per game and almost seven yards per carry. Last game against South Carolina, he pounded out 248 yards on the ground, so rest assured, he’s the major threat on this Alabama offense.
Alabama’s quarterback, Greg McElroy, started off the season fairly well but in his last three games is only gaining 129 yards per game. He has been careful with the ball all season, throwing only three interceptions. Overall, don’t expect Alabama to throw all over this Vol defense because it just won’t happen. Instead, Ingram’s going to be getting a lot of carries Saturday, and Tennessee’s undersized defense faces a huge challenge in stopping this rushing game.
The Vol offense looked beautiful last game against Georgia. Jonathan Crompton threw for over 300 yards and four touchdowns, and Montario Hardesty hit the 100 yard mark and landed in the endzone once. The receivers stepped up and made huge plays both by catching passes and getting large chunks of yards after the catch. Fans watching this game were mystified as to what had happened.
They will have to click on Saturday, too, facing a defense that doesn’t let anyone get yards easy. Montario Hardesty has to have a big day on the ground, but don’t forget about Bryce Brown. He’s been impacting in subtle ways all season, and I think we might see a few big catches from him. Crompton showed last week that he can be dangerous, whether Alabama can stop the rollout pass plays will be a huge factor in the game. If the running game stays dangerous, then Tennessee can make a few plays in the air, but we won’t see anything close to the kind of numbers Crompton had against Georgia in this game.
Defense
Alabama’s defense is a beast. Really. Even when teams held Alabama’s offense to field goals (see Ole Miss), they still never came close to having a chance because the Tide D is astoundingly good. Ranked number one in the nation for a reason, they’re big and fast and will be the toughest D the Vols face all season
Tennessee’s offensive line has to block extremely well against an Alabama defense that is getting three sacks per game, otherwise Crompton won’t have time to make any throws. Alabama will be hitting Tennessee hard all game, and it’s up to the Vol offense to get some first downs to rest the defense.
Tennessee’s defense is no joke, either. They have played extremely well considering all of the problems that have been tossed their way: injuries, freshmen, new coaching scheme. This defense can stop the Alabama offense, BUT will they be given the chance? What I mean by that is, the Vol offense has to get first downs. It’s more important in this game than ever because the Bama offense will just steamroll over the Vols.
They run the ball, run the ball, and run the ball. Part of their offensive philosophy is that if they just keep hitting the opposing defense, it will eventually wear them down. The Vol D has to make third down stops, and they have to play tough, physical football.
Personally, I don’t have any doubt in the Tennessee defense to play well, but it all depends on the Vol offense.
Three Key Points
- Just as I’ve been saying: Tennessee HAS to get first downs. They cannot let the defense do all the work, get tired, and blow the game that easily. The playcalling will be mixed up, but the real question is can Tennessee execute again? They have to if they want to win.
- On the other side of the football, the Vols have to STOP Alabama on third downs. This Bama offense wears opposing teams down until they’re not able to stop a high school rushing attack. If Tennessee makes these critical stops, then they are doing themselves a huge favor.
- Tennessee needs to play flawless football. This includes special teams, offense, defense, and Smokey on the sidelines. Everyone has to play great and no mistakes. Tennessee can’t win by watching kickoffs go all the way back for touchdowns (UT’s special teams needs to step up in a big way), and they can’t throw pick sixes either. This game is all about smart football.
Prediction – Tennessee 10, Alabama 20
This definitely won’t be a high scoring affair, but it’s hard to predict a score in a game like this. Rivalry games tend to end up across the board, but I’m gonna have to go with Alabama by ten points, but the game probably won’t be as close as the score might indicate.
Tennessee CAN win this game, but even after last week’s performance, they still haven’t proven that they will. I think Tennessee plays a good game, but the offense doesn’t have the ability to keep the Vols in the game like they’re needed. I hope the Vols prove me wrong, though.
Go Vols!
Images courtesy of al.com
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