Alabama now a 13-point favorite over Tennessee
On Sunday, Alabama opened as a nine-point favorite against its upcoming opponent in rival Tennessee.
It didn’t take long for that to shoot up to double digits, as the Crimson Tide now enter the Third Saturday in October with a 13-point edge in Vegas. And as Vince Ferrara points out, it’s been a few years since Tennessee has lost a game by 10 points or more … it just so happens to be that its opponent was, well, Bama.
Alabama is now a 13-pt favorite over UT. Last time Vols lost by double digits: Oct. 25, 2014 vs Bama (34-20). Last 6 losses by 32 total pts.
— Vince Ferrara (@VinceSports) October 10, 2016
This weekend will mark the first time that both Alabama and Tennessee enter the game as ranked teams since 2005. Alabama is looking to extend its winning streak vs. the Vols to 10 games on Saturday — a streak in which the Crimson Tide have won by 20 or more points six times.
Not surprising. Our entire defense is absolutely decimated by injuries… It’s incredible that we even forced double overtime against TAMU despite the turnovers and our defenders dropping like flies.
Moral victories……
This is week 7 of the SEC….
Every team has injuries……
You’re right, it’s no excuse. But not everyone has 3 all-SEC defenders out.
No team has anywhere near the injuries that Tennessee has.
You guys have to excuse ekiinggill, he’s a Deking-head. Hate to be the one to inform him the Aggies will finish with 3 -4 losses this yr. Injuries def hurt the Vols. To turn the ball over 7xs and still go to double ot is crazy.
Alabama looks stronger than ever this year and the magic is over for Tennessee. 34-10, Bama wins.
Lol chill out. It’s these kind of comments that annoy me because it’s not like every year TN has a good hail mary pass. Last year and the year before people have said how “unlucky” TN football is. Within 9 months we’re a “magic”, “lucky” team that’s getting hated on constantly?
Good luck Vol’s you are going to need it I think Bama is better this year than next at this point I’m left with rooting for Clemson and Ohio State to take them down in the playoffs
LadyVol – Get use to it, if you stay in the top 10 you attract plenty of haters, no one knows that better than Bama.
Same story every week. “TN will lose by 2 scores!!”..
Hasn’t happened yet. Hasn’t happened since 2014 actually.
UT will “bring it” Saturday, injuries or not, and ‘Bama had better be ready for four quarters of all-out combat. Butch Jones has done a marvelous job holding his team together in the face of significant player attrition & building their self-confidence to an extraordinary level. So despite the loss at A&M, Tennessee will be prepared, motivated (9-game losing streaks tend to do that), and especially energized before their home crowd to avenge their close loss to UA last year. So…the Tide needs to come out smoking at the opening bell, put its superior depth and talent on UT’s throat on both sides of the ball, and — above all else– hope its talented but inconsistent secondary plays well enough to neutralize Malone and Jennings, two big-bodied receivers who will be Josh Dobbs’ primary targets. ( In this kind of setting, a 13-point spread seems a bit ambitious.)
Last year Bama took a knee with 3:14 left in the game on ut’s 3 yard line. Final score doesn’t tell the whole story.
After a late fumble, not because they drove the field.
Did that somehow make his statement wrong?
UT led with five mins to play, from what i recall
I think Butch Jones is the problem for UT. He hasn’t been able to get them to play consistent football. They come out dead to start every game and then desperately try to claw their way back into it. He’s not doing a good job of controlling their emotions and getting them to prepared to play evenly.
Bama by 14+.
I agree with you Ladyvol. The bottom line is that Tenn is a good team….period. You can’t continue to get behind like they do and expect to pull it out each week, but they have shown they are capable of doing so and that requires you to be a good team. I expect Bama to win, but an honest observer knows this could be a dangerous game. Once or twice…lucky. Four or five times…pretty good team.
I think it will be closer than that spread, but I don’t think Dobbs is a good enough passer to take advantage of Bama’s D. That’s their only weak spot. Very aggressive defense with lots of blitzing…leaves secondary on islands. Arkansas actually did quite well considering their poor OL play. On the other side, I think UT’s DL will be able to put pressure on Hurts to force some turnovers. I expect a low scoring game. Bama 17 – Vols 13
Bama’s O line is too good they got to blitz a little too. Get the kid shook up,
Maintaining mental toughness as well as physical throughout an entire game is very difficult. There are so many influences like getting way behind and fighting back. It takes a toll eventually. Tennessee has dealt with a lot of these factors and, while a good team, these are beginning to catch up to the players. Alabama probably won’t cover, but it’s likely to be due to a big enough lead late to allow backups to get playing time. Alabama 42, Tennessee 30.
Dead on cmnt8r…Roll..tide! Couldn’t have said it better myself. To add to it I believe a big difference maker in this game is on the road Bama will look to eliminate the crowd as much as possible and nothing does this more than long methodical drives. So I would like to see Ala run the ball early and often and because Tenn is lacking only due to injuries that I could see Bama putting up a lot of rushing stats and that means they will win the time of possession. However, it never goes that smoothly so expect some crazy things but Bama pulls it out 38-21
Vols by 7
fine by me! haha
Keep dreaming…
Great analysis.
Turn overs for the Vols are probably going to decide the game. Seriously great effort to stay in a game where you had SIX FORCED and one unforced turnovers at Kyle. On one side, that’s a great “moral victory,” stat, but in reality, that is HORRIBLE ball control. Horrible. And that game was not that far off from previous games this year. Can UT fix that in a week, going into game 7? Not sure, but if you can’t then:
Meet the number one ball stealing / scoring team in the country. I do not get the feeling this game is going to be all that close, unless Bama starts coughing it up too.