Although Tennessee got tripped up versus Texas A&M last weekend, there’s no shortage of steam heading into this Saturday’s contest at home versus No. 1 Alabama.
This could be the signature win Butch Jones and his staff have been searching for since taking over the post four years ago.
A victory for the Volunteers could have massive implications not only when it comes to the conference, but also potentially from a national standpoint.
ESPN pundits Jesse Palmer and Kirk Herbstreit both have spoken about the game over the course of the last few days.
When searching for an elixir to beat Nick Saban’s bunch, Herbstreit admitted (on SportsCenter) that Tennessee may possess the requisite potion for the upset:
“I’d be concerned about quarterback Josh Dobbs and his ability to get on the edge. His ability to create the run, which can give Alabama problems. Last week, he did so many different things. If you want to try and beat Alabama you’ve got to have your quarterback got the ball out of his hands quickly, the quarterback has to be a run threat and take some chances down the field.”
Palmer speaks in more general terms — offering some motivation for quarterback Joshua Dobbs. He also believes Tennessee should take advantage of its carnival-like atmosphere:
“Even after losing to Texas A&M, I still think Tennessee has best chance to beat Alabama. They have the talent to win that game at home. And they got have to start fast. I think this could be a career-defining game for Joshua Dobbs. It won’t be easy and he’ll have to throw into small windows down the field, but he’s got a lot of help. Jalen Hurd’s a good inside runner and Alvin Kamara outside. The game’s at Neyland Stadium, by far the most hostile environment Alabama freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts has had to play in, but man, Tennessee has got to start fast.”
