Week 8: Tennessee at Alabama

Alabama is 5–2 overall and 3–1 in the league, but the Tide will face its most difficult challenge of the season, according to head coach Nick Saban.

“Tennessee, I think, may be the best team we’ve played relative to how they’re playing now and the way they’ve played the last three games,” Saban said Monday afternoon.

Those three games have been wins over Arkansas State, Georgia and Mississippi State. After a dismal start that included lopsided losses at Cal and Florida, Tennessee has righted the ship due in large part to the Vols’ ability to run the ball consistently. In the first three games, UT averaged 113.7 yards rushing; over the last three, that number has jumped to 196.3. The improved running attack has given the offense some much-needed balance. Erik Ainge has been very good all season long, but the offense has been more effective overall since the emergence of the running game.

Alabama, on the other hand, has run the ball well this year but has not received consistent play from veteran quarterback John Parker Wilson. But after last week’s 26-of-40, 265-yard effort against Ole Miss, Saban hopes Wilson has turned the corner.

“John Parker had his best game, not only just in throwing the ball, but the game management part of what he did in terms of getting us in the right plays, reading the right things, taking what the defense gave. (It) probably was the most consistent, best performance.”

The Alabama defense has only allowed more than 24 points (in regulation) once this season, but the Tide will give up some yards. Three of Bama’s past five opponents have topped the 400-yard mark, including Ole Miss, which gained a season-high 420. Bama ranks fourth in the league in rushing defense but has had an opponent rush for 100 yards or more in each of the past two games.

Meanwhile, Tennessee has played well defensively over the past two weeks, holding Georgia to 243 yards and Mississippi State to 338.
What we don’t know is if Tennessee’s improved production — on both sides of the ball — is due to a softer recent schedule (Georgia is struggling and Mississippi State is one of the weaker teams in the league) or if it can be attributed to fact that the Vols are simply playing better football.

The guess here is the latter.

Tennessee by 6