Tennessee defensive end Marlon Walls (58) and tackle Daniel McCullers (98) have played well in the Vols resurgence. (Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports)
It is not the third Saturday in October but it is Alabama vs. Tennessee and that means something in Southeastern Conference football … or at least it used to before Alabama took control of the rivalry six years ago.
That was in 2007 when Alabama beat Tennessee 41-17, which was the beginning of the current six-game Alabama winning streak in a series that’s been marked by streaks.
Tennessee had won 10 of the previous 12 games. Alabama has had winning streaks of seven and 11 games since 1971. The Vols have enjoyed winning streaks of seven games and three streaks of four games each.
That leads us to Saturday’s game in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama is riding a winning streak of 11 games dating back to last November’s loss to Texas A&M. Tennessee is coming off losing seasons in four of the last five seasons.
But the Tennessee fans finally have reason for hope. New coach Butch Jones has injected new enthusiasm to the Vols’ program. Last week the Vols had their biggest win of the Jones’ tenure when they beat South Carolina 23-21. The game before they lost a heartbreaking 34-31 overtime loss to Georgia.
So does this mean Tennessee has a chance at upsetting the No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide? After last weekend, when five ranked SEC teams were beaten, anything is possible.
“This game with Tennessee is a very special rivalry for a lot of people – a lot of our folks in Alabama and especially is for our team,” said Nick Saban. “It has been one of the best rivalries in college football for a long time. In the last two weeks, Tennessee has emerged as a very good football team. They had an opportunity to beat Georgia, and they beat South Carolina last week. I think Butch Jones has done an outstanding job there.
“When a team improves like they have improved, it’s always a sign of good coaching and a good coaching staff and a lot of people doing a very good job.”
Jones knows that his team will be facing its toughest test this weekend, at least its toughest test since losing 59-14 at Oregon in the third game of the season. The Vols have come a long way since that trip to Eugene and Saturday’s trip to Tuscaloosa can be used as a measuring stick as to just how far the Vols have come.
“We talk about the mental conditioning. Now going into Alabama, all of that is going to be tested. Our mental conditioning, our physical conditioning. Everything will be tested,” said Jones. “They are very deserving being the number 1 ranked team in the country. You look at them defensively, very impressive. Athletic, very physical. Best secondary we have played, a lot of press coverage, fundamentally sound, detail oriented. Everything you would expect from Alabama.
“Then offensively, they do so many great things, big, physical, strong offensive line. Quarterback who has won a couple of national championships, very poised, very confident. Great team speed on the perimeter, deep at running back. Again, they are the number one team in the country and very rightfully so,” he said.
The Crystal Ball says the Vols have improved, but they are still a little ways away from beating the Crimson Tide. … Alabama 38, Tennessee 17.
Around the rest of the SEC, look for Missouri to officially lock down the SEC East against South Carolina: Missouri 17, South Carolina 15; Mississippi State 31, Kentucky 24; and Texas A&M 42, Vanderbilt 14. In the three non-conference games, look for Auburn 48, Florida Atlantic 3; LSU 45, Furman 17; and Ole Miss 47, Idaho 9.
