Back ‘Bama To Get Back On Track Against Tennessee

Alabama vs. Tennessee, 3:30 ET

Alabama vs. Tennessee, 3:30 ET

College football has been a bit of a wild ride to this point in the season. I suppose each year is a bit like this, but this one feels a bit crazier considering the new playoff format. With so many teams entering into the mix, the focus extends beyond the top four teams and now out to the top 12, meaning the stories and movement are more significant each week. Today we have two teams that should both end up in the playoffs, but neither can really afford to lose as Alabama takes on Tennessee. 

Alabama had an extremely short-lived time at the top of the College Football pyramid this season. After defeating Georgia in that wild game, they followed it up with a huge letdown game against Vanderbilt. Yes, Alabama lost to Vanderbilt. It was like the defense decided they were not going to bother coming, and the team probably lost focus after the big win the week prior. It wasn’t just that, though. Last week, they looked like they were still a bit lost and reeling as they had to squeak out a win against South Carolina. This would’ve been an even worse loss considering they were at home. Were they looking forward to this game? I’m not really sure. Their offense still looks like it is more consistent and balanced than the majority of opponents they will face. However, they also have moments where they seem stagnant and struggle to get things going. Against Tennessee, they will need to keep their foot on the gas because if they don’t the Volunteers offense can explode past them. 

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE – OCTOBER 12: Nico Iamaleava #8 of the Tennessee Volunteers plays against the Florida Gators during their game at Neyland Stadium on October 12, 2024 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

Tennessee looked like it was going to be one of the best teams in College Football and I still think they should be looked at with the potential. However, right now, the biggest issue seems to be that their quarterback, Nico Iamaleava went from looking like a baller to now seeming like he could be overmatched against the defenses. He hasn’t thrown a touchdown in either of the past two games and only has seven for the season. He has only thrown one touchdown in his past three games, and four in his past five games. I’m not sure if he is hurt or he just can’t figure out opponent’s schemes. The team is relying on the ground game a bit more, which I have no objection with. Dylan Sampson has almost 700 yards and 15 touchdowns for the year. Still, Tennessee lost two weeks ago to Arkansas and barely escaped with a win over Florida, a 23-17 overtime victory. In this game expect Alabama to focus on stopping the ground game and seeing if Iamaleava can actually move the ball against their secondary. 

Alabama hasn’t looked good in a couple of weeks, really in their past 10 quarters they haven’t seemed quite as sharp or engaged on either side of the ball. However, Tennessee hasn’t looked great either. Their offense seems a bit one-dimensional right now and that’s a recipe for disaster against a good team like Alabama. I’ll take the Crimson Tide to win this one on the road and cover the -3. 

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