The Alabama Crimson Tide has been the class of college football for the better part of the last decade. Since Nick Saban came into the fold, the rest of the SEC has had to get in line and find ways to scrounge for relevancy during his tenure.
There have been great SEC teams that have gotten the best of Saban’s dynasty. Joe Burrow’s LSU Tigers, Cam Newton’s Auburn Tigers, and how about last season’s Georgia Bulldogs?
For the Tennessee Volunteers, they have been in the shadow of the SEC East for the better part of the last 20 years. That’s all changed in 2022 though. The Volunteers have a superb offense, a defense that has made timely plays, and is in the top 10 of the college football rankings for the first time in forever.
Of course, great things aren’t always known to last. Tennessee’s crisp 5-0 start will be put to the test Saturday when they host the Crimson Tide in the marquee showdown in the SEC Saturday.
We have everything you need to know about the top college football matchup here.
#3 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. #6 Tennessee Volunteers
Where: Neyland Stadium
When: 3:30 pm – ET
How to Watch: CBS
Spread: Alabama -7
Over/Under: 66
The Matchup
Tennesee has lost to Alabama for 15 straight games. That alone is enough to make both teams worried. The Volunteers have gotten nothing off of Saban, but the Crimson Tide know that their SEC counterparts could be due for a big game.
It also doesn’t hurt that this game has major college football playoff aspirations. As a part of the SEC East, Tennessee still has to compete with Georgia for a spot in Atlanta.
While Alabama does still have to deal with a top-10 team in Ole Miss, it’s very hard to see them not coming out of the SEC West. Therefore, there appears to be a much bigger win-now scenario for the Volunteers than for Alabama. The Crimson Tide are coming off a scare of their own against Texas A&M and will have questions surrounding the health of quarterback Bryce Young.
Hendon Hooker, on the other hand, has been excellent for Tennessee throughout the season. If The Volunteers can pull off the upset, it will be because of Hooker.
Tennessee’s defense has been known to give up the big play all year, but their offense is without a doubt one of the best in college football.
Definitely take the over.
Top Prop Bets
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Tennessee – Over Team Total Points
When you consider the fact that the total points for Tennessee are just at 28.5, you would think you’re dreaming. The Volunteers have put up over 30 points in every game they have played so far this season including a 40-13 thrashing of LSU last week.
Alabama’s defense is probably the best Tennessee has seen all year, but that isn’t enough of a worry for Tennessee’s offense. They can score in different ways and Hooker is playing great football right now.
28.5 will be relatively easy for them to cover and hit the over on in today’s college football.
Tennessee – First Team to Score
The Volunteers are +110 to score the first points on Saturday. Think about that.
In a big game like this, the road team needs to take the crowd out of a game early and often. For the Volunteers, they can’t allow Alabama to score first in a game of this magnitude. Even if you think that Alabama will win the game, an offense as good as Tennessee’s will get its own when it matters most.
Tennessee has scored first in almost every game they’ve played this year and should be expected to do much of the same again. I like Tennessee scoring early and often in this game, even if they don’t end up winning in the biggest game of college football this year.
