Alabama vs Tennessee Game Preview: Everything You Need To Know Before Kickoff
Rivalries make college football special and this Saturday one of the greatest rivalries in the country will be on full display.
Alabama-Tennessee, better known as the Third Saturday in October, will be played for the 101st time this weekend in front of more than 100,000 fans and the Crimson Tide will be looking to build its series-record winning streak to 12 games.
This series couldn't be more lopsided since Nick Saban's arrival but first-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt will try to become the first former assistant to ever knock off Saban.
Here's everything you need to know about this weekend's game.
No. 1 Alabama (7-0, 4-0 SEC) vs Tennessee (3-3, 1-2 SEC)
When: Saturday, October 20 at 2:30 PM/CT
Where: Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, TN
Weather: Hope you enjoy football weather because that's what they're expecting in Knoxville this weekend. The high on Saturday is only 62 and could dip into the 50s during the game. It's expected to be cloudy with a slight chance for showers during the day.
TV: CBS (Play-by-play: Brad Nessler, analyst: Gary Danielson, sideline reporter: Jamie Erdhal)
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (Play-by-play: Eli Gold, color analyst: John Parker Wilson, sideline reporter: Rashad Johnson). Listen on 95.3 the Bear and Tide 102.9/100.9 in Tuscaloosa or download the station apps to stream the game for free.
Spread: The Crimson Tide opened as a 28.5-point favorite and it moved up to 29.5. The total for the game is 57 points. After failing to cover the spread in three straight games, Alabama picked up a cover against Missouri by a single point.
Series History: This is one of the great series in the South and dates back to 1901 when Alabama and Tennessee drew, 6-6, in Birmingham. The Crimson Tide leads all-time with a 55-37-8 record which includes 11 straight victories since Nick Saban took over in Tuscaloosa. Prior to his arrival, the Vols had won 10 of 12 including seven straight from 1995-2001. Tennessee is 20-25-1 at home against Alabama.
Last Meeting: Nick Saban's top-ranked Crimson Tide scored the first 28 points of the game against current Alabama intern Butch Jones' team in Bryant-Denny Stadium and rolled to a 45-7 victory. The only positive takeaway from the lopsided contest was the Vols interception return for a touchdown against quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Tennessee managed just 108 total yards and seven first downs while Alabama piled up 604 yards and 35 first downs.
Last Week: Alabama scored on the second play from scrimmage when Tagovailoa connected with Jerry Jeudy for an 81-yard touchdown. Missouri would keep it close in the first quarter after a 20-yard Drew Lock touchdown pass made it 13-10 after the first 15 minutes. But the Tide would control the final 45 minutes and pull away to a 39-10 win. The biggest story from the game was injuries as Tagovailoa re-tweaked his knee and all three starting wide receivers had to leave the game at some point.
Tennessee is coming off its first SEC win since beating Missouri 23 months ago. The Vols went into Jordan-Hare Stadium and knocked off 21st-ranked Auburn, 30-24. Tennessee took advantage of three Auburn turnovers to give Jeremy Pruitt his first signature win as head coach and give fans a little optimism for the first time in a while.