This upcoming weekend brings us the third Saturday of October. Leaves may start changing colors and falling from trees, and the temperature may shift from hot to moderate. The only guarantee we have is that Alabama and Tennessee will be facing off on the gridiron.
Both the Crimson Tide and Volunteers enter their rivalry affair sporting 5-1 records. Alabama, the No. 6 team in the country, has failed to beat No. 14 Tennessee on its last two trips to Knoxville.
The Vols may have home field advantage at Neyland Stadium, but ESPN’s Bill Connelly believes the Crimson Tide will come out on top. His SP+ has Alabama beating Tennessee 30-26 in Saturday’s matchup.
The Crimson Tide’s projected four-point margin of victory suggests the Volunteers (+8.5) will cover the spread this weekend.
A Vols’ win would be huge for Tennessee’s College Football Playoff resume. Josh Heupel and Co. have not beaten a ranked opponent this season (0-1) and only have two other opportunities (vs. Kentucky, vs. LSU) for wins over ranked foes on their schedule.
Kalen DeBoer’s team, meanwhile, wants to avoid back-to-back losses and preserve potential margin for error coming down the stretch. The Crimson Tide and Volunteers kick off at 3:30 p.m. E.T. (ABC) on Saturday.
