The game of the week in college football features the no. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide visiting the no. 6 Tennessee Volunteers. The Crimson Tide has won 15 straight games over the Volunteers in this rivalry game. That explains why Alabama is a 7.5-point road favorite in this game, with the over/under set at 65.5 points.
Alabama remains undefeated on the season but not by much. The Crimson Tide only beat Texas by one point earlier this season and barely survived a close call with Texas A&M last week, getting a stop on the final play from inside the five-yard line. Nevertheless, Alabama is 6-0 and controls its destiny in the SEC West regardless of what happens against Tennessee.
Meanwhile, the Vols look like a serious contender in the SEC East. Tennessee has already beaten two ranked teams this year, knocking off both Pitt and Florida. The Volunteers are also fresh off a dominant 40-13 road win over LSU, pushing them to 5-0 on the season and up to no. 6 in the polls.
On the Hook
Quarterback Hendon Hooker has been the catalyst for the Vols this season. He’s leading an offense that’s averaging 46.8 points per game, throwing ten touchdown passes with no interceptions while completing 70% of his passes.
Hooker has been accurate on deep balls, averaging 10.2 yards per pass while also contributing to a solid Tennessee rushing attack that’s averaging 4.7 yards per carry on the ground.
But don’t sleep on the Tennessee defense, which has also been a key part of the team’s 5-0 start. The Volunteers have allowed 13 points or less in three of their five games, including last week’s win over LSU.
When they’ve been hurt this year, it’s usually been through the air, as the Vols have stuffed the run, holding all five of their opponents to under four yards per carry in the running game.
Hurting Heisman Winner
This game could come down to whether or not Heisman winner Bryce Young is able to play after getting hurt two weeks ago. Backup quarterback Jalen Milroe threw an interception and lost two fumbles in last week’s game against Texas A&M.
While he helps Alabama’s potent rushing attack, Milroe only completed 12 of 19 passes for just 111 yards last week, preventing the Crimson Tide from staying balanced offensively.
In fairness, Nick Saban’s defense is usually good enough to always give Alabama a chance to win. The Tide allowed just 70 rushing yards against Texas A&M last week while holding Arkansas to just 3.7 yards per carry on the ground the previous week.
It was a similar story in the close win over Texas, although much like Tennessee, the Crimson Tide has allowed chunk plays through the air against some of the better teams on their schedule.
Forever Young
If Young doesn’t play, it’s hard to envision the Crimson Tide being able to win on the road. The Vols have a big-play offense behind Hooker and have proven that they can contain the running game.
Even if Young plays, bet on Tennessee to beat the 7.5-point spread, but if Young sits again, bet on the Volunteers to pull off the upset.
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