In a year where No. 3 Alabama finally feels mortal, it walks into one of its toughest matchups of the year — on the road, against unbeaten No. 6 Tennessee, in what will be a deafeningly loud Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. Alabama has won the last 15 matchups, and this certainly feels like the Volunteers’ best shot to break that streak. Not only does Alabama finally feel mortal, but the Volunteers boast their best team in recent memory. This is going to be an electric matchup with game of the year potential, headlined by a Heisman contender in Hendon Hooker facing off against the reigning Heisman winner in Bryce Young. 

Matt’s Take on Tennessee/Keys to the Game:

Who is going to separate in the receiver room?

While Alabama hasn’t seemed like quite the juggernaut it normally is, that has mostly fallen on the offense. Its defense remains among the best in college football. The main issue for the Volunteers will be the elite secondary and gaining separation against it. Since Cedric Tillman has gone down, Hendon Hooker has had a few miscues per game with his receivers where they haven’t been on the same page. When you’re winning, those kinds of things can get swept under the rug, but they have an ugly way of biting you in close games. The loss of Tillman also means that Hooker is potentially without his best 50/50 ball receiver. The rest of the receivers will need to separate quickly to slow down this pass rush. Jalin Hyatt has been his go-to man so far, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we have to see Hooker use his legs to get first downs more than a few times. 

Contain Bryce Young.

It may seem kind of obvious, but the key to stopping this offense is stopping Bryce Young. This is probably the worst receiving corps Alabama has had in a while, granted that’s not saying much given the NFL talent that has rolled through here lately, but still it’s notable. Texas had the best example of this; it frequently got pressure on him, forcing him to get off of his spot and take underneath throws. His longest throw in that game was 23 yards, easily his shortest of the year, and it showed the flaw in this Alabama offense. Young will occasionally dissect your defense and hit you for a schemed up big play, but it’s not likely that one of these receivers will beat you by themselves if you force them to. Senior Byron Young is the hottest pass rusher on the Volunteers, coming off a 2.5-sack game against LSU, so look for him and the rest of the pass rushers to get pressure on Bryce Young and force the receivers to beat them.

Josh’s Take On Alabama/Keys to the Game:

Keep Jahmyr Gibbs Rolling.

I have been high on Jahmyr Gibbs all season, and he flashed his talent both on the ground and through the air in the team’s first four games. But after Bryce Young went down against Arkansas, Gibbs exploded with 206 yards and two rushing touchdowns, with those touchdowns coming from 72 and 76 yards out. He followed that by rushing for 154 yards against Texas A&M the next week. Young is looking like he will be available for the game Saturday, but leaning on Gibbs to take the heat off Young makes so much sense. If Young can’t play, it could be the Gibbs show for the Crimson Tide. It is also worth noting that Gibbs is averaging 28 yards per kick return. Could this be the game where he breaks one all the way to the house? 

Do Not Settle For Field Goals.

Of course teams would rather put the ball in the end zone than settling for three points, but for the Crimson Tide, it might be more than just a preference. Will Reichard had a perfect 2020 season, going 14-of-14 and finishing as a finalist for the Lou Groza Award. Since then, he has been almost automatic from inside 40 yards. But from longer than that, he has been shaky. It all came to a head last Saturday when he missed a field goal from 47 yards and another from 35 yards out, which gave the Aggies a chance at the upset. Alabama’s history of kicking woes are well known, and this latest case could influence the Crimson Tide’s decision-making in fourth-and-short opportunities in field goal range. 

Matt’s Players to Watch for Tennessee:

QB Hendon Hooker — Let’s not kid ourselves, this matchup is almost as much Hendon Hooker vs. Bryce Young as it is Alabama vs. Tennessee. They are both the most important players for their teams, and this game could be decided by which of them performs better. Hooker has been sensational this year, as his draft stock is skyrocketing and he is a legit Heisman contender. This Tennessee offense is high paced and relies on him to adjust things at the line of scrimmage. If he doesn’t beat you pre-snap, he has the reaction time to avoid the pass rush and beat you off schedule. I expect him to have a big game with his legs here and cement himself as a Heisman contender and first-round pick. 

CB Kamal Hadden — If the Volunteers defense can muster up a turnover, it would be massive for them. Their go-to guy for turnovers so far has been junior Kamal Hadden, with two interceptions and a forced fumble on the year. Hadden has been getting some draft buzz in the early part of the season, with some people seeing him as a potential day two pick. He is not afraid to get his hands dirty either and is second on the team in tackles. This is going to be a high-scoring game most likely, so a turnover or a big pass breakup on third down could have a massive impact. Look for Hadden to continue his strong start to the year and make a big play this game.

Josh’s Players to Watch for Alabama:

WR Jermaine Burton — Burton made a living at Georgia as a deep threat. This season, he has not done much, though he did score a touchdown last week. But in his best statistical game of the season, he had four receptions for 94 yards with a long of 48, displaying his field stretching ability. With the news of Tennessee starting safety Jaylen McCollough’s arrest on Sunday, it gives Burton a prime opportunity to stretch the field. Even if he does not make many catches, the threat of him going long could open up opportunities in the run game, making the game easier for a banged up Young or Jalen Milroe, who can run but is still making strides as a passer.  

EDGE Will Anderson Jr. — Who else would I pick? Anderson is an absolute terminator who can ruin an offense’s entire day by himself. If you are someone like me who likes keying in on one player for a series or two, just watch Anderson dominate a tackle, blow up a running back brave enough to block him, or take down a quarterback. Tennessee’s starting left tackle Gerald Mincey missed last week’s game with an undisclosed injury but should be back. If he is but is not at 100%, or even worse for the Volunteers he is inactive, it could be a long day for the left side of the line against Anderson. 

Matt’s Score Prediction:

I think this is going to be a high-scoring matchup that is going to be decided by which defense makes the biggest stop. I think this is the year the Volunteers break the losing streak and come out on top of a close game. Tennessee 41, Alabama 38.

Josh’s Score Prediction:

This decision I am currently going with is based on Bryce Young’s availability still being up in the air. I could see Alabama letting him sit one more week to get fully healthy as it cannot afford one loss (see: 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2021). It could change in time for our deadline to get game picks in later this week, but for now I have Hooker staking his claim to be entered into the Heisman conversation as “Rocky Top” plays to celebrate a Tennessee win. Tennessee 34, Alabama 27.