Tennessee-Alabama Preview

Only in the South is the Third Saturday in October played on the fourth Saturday in October. Tennessee travels to Tuscaloosa today to play No. 1 ranked Alabama at 3:30 p.m. The last time the Vols beat a team that was 7-0 or better was in 1998. As you can tell by that stat, a win over the Crimson Tide would be one of the biggest upsets this decade for the Vols. Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin did not grow up with this rivalry, but his recruiting background makes him aware how important this rivalry is in the SEC and in recruiting. A win over the Crimson Tide would do wonders in helping the Vols get commitments from recruits that are considering both SEC schools.

Alabama is heavily favored in this game because of the run game. Running back Mark Ingram is having the best season of any player in the nation and Monte Kiffin will have his hands full with Ingram and freshman Trent Richadson. Tennessee defensive end Gerald Williams is questionable for today’s game, meaning that a defense that has been plagued by injuries is facing severe depth issues. Middle linebacker Nick Reveiz would have been huge in this game, but he is out for the year with a knee injury. Keep an eye on how Monte Kiffin uses safety Eric Berry against Alabama’s offense. Berry is very good at tackling running backs in the backfield and the Vols need Berry to have his best game of the season to beat the Crimson Tide.

Tennessee quarterback Jonathan Crompton had a career game against Georgia, but Tennessee fans need to realize that on a scale of 1-10 of defensive coaches, Willie Martinez is one and Nick Saban is 10. Expect wide receiver Julio Jones to break out against Tennessee’s cornerbacks and have 100 yards against the Vols. Montario Hardesty keeps Tennessee close in the first half, but Ingram and Jones lead the Crimson Tide to a 24-14 win over the Vols.