Tennessee Volunteers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide: Complete Game Preview

For many of the past few years, the famed "Third Saturday in October" rivalry between Tennessee and Alabama hasn't been played on the third Saturday, much like this season.

But when the Volunteers and Crimson Tide meet on the fourth Saturday of the month this week, it's another recent tradition that the Vols will be trying to break: losing to UA.

A long eight losses have passed since Tennessee celebrated a win over the Tide. Most of those games haven't been close, either. Granted, the streak covers one of the darkest eras of Vols football and some of the best of 'Bama's rich history, but it's still ugly.

Coinciding with Nick Saban coming to Tuscaloosa, Alabama has dominated the series, winning by an average of 23.5 points. In five of those meetings, Alabama was ranked either No. 1 or 2, and in all of them but one, the Tide enjoyed a top-10 ranking.

Last year, they stormed to a 27-point lead before UT turned to Joshua Dobbs and wound up losing 34-20.

Though that still wasn't good enough, it did lead to a Dobbs-led run down the stretch that culminated in a bowl victory. This year isn't expected to be close, either. Tennessee will try to do what very few think it can, especially at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Let's take a look at everything you need to know about this year's rendition of the storied rivalry.

Date: Saturday, Oct. 24

Time: 3:30 p.m. ET

Place: Bryant-Denny Stadium; Tuscaloosa, Alabama

TV: CBS

Radio: Vol Network, Alabama Crimson Tide Sports Network, Sirius XM 84

Spread: Crimson Tide by 14.5, according to Oddsshark.

Tennessee Keys to Victory

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Let Dobbs be Dobbs

Most Alabama fans will use the excuse that Tennessee inserting Joshua Dobbs took the Tide by surprise a season ago, and that's the reason for his success.

The truth is 'Bama just had a difficult time with the dual-threat quarterback in something that would become a theme late in the year for that defense. The then-sophomore wound up with 192 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns and added 75 more on the ground.

"I think what we did is we relaxed a little bit, but you've got to give Tennessee's guys a whole lot of credit because they surely didn't flinch," Alabama coach Nick Saban told the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "They didn't give up at all. They kept playing hard."

No matter what happened last year, Dobbs will have a difficult time duplicating those numbers. Alabama's front seven may be the best in all of college football, and they are next-to-impossible to run on.

But if Dobbs can get outside the tackle box and turn up field, the Vols could give Alabama fits. He was a running weapon against Florida and Georgia and put up huge numbers. Offensive coordinator Mike DeBord tried to make him a pocket passer against Arkansas, and it neutralized him.

Dobbs has to have a massive game for UT to have a chance—on the ground and through the air.

Pressure Coker

Alabama senior quarterback Jake Coker has been impressive at times this year and average at others.

When opponents pressure him, he tends to panic and throw balls up for grabs. Some of his back-foot throws have drawn the ire of coaches and fans throughout the season.

Unfortunately for Tennessee, the Vols have struggled to reach quarterbacks all year with Derek Barnett a little gimpy and Curt Maggitt out for much of the season. 

The Vols need to find ways to get to Coker and rattle him. That will be much tougher if UA senior center Ryan Kelly plays, as expected. Kelly suffered concussion-like symptoms and was held out of the second half against Texas A&M.

Saban told BamaOnline.com's Charlie Potter afterward, "I think he'll be OK."

If that's the case, the Crimson Tide should be better than OK against UT.

Open it up

The Vols have sustained drives and want to control games on the ground, but that's going to be difficult to say the least against the nation's third-ranked rush defense.

It isn't going to be one of those games where UT can give the ball to Jalen Hurd 25 times and expect to grind out first downs.

They're going to need to get some chunk gains with splash plays downfield. The Vols finally opened things up a bit in the passing game against Georgia and were rewarded with some big plays. 

They aren't great yet throwing, and Dobbs is never going to be the most accurate signal-caller, but the only real way to attack 'Bama's defense is through the air against its young, talented but up-and-down secondary.

DeBord is going to have to call the best game of his brief UT stint for the Vols to stay in the game.

Alabama Keys to Victory

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Just run, baby

Derrick Henry is coming off a career game against a Texas A&M defense that had been pretty solid for much of the season.

Were the Aggies really soft, or is Alabama's rushing attack just getting better each week? Regardless of the answer, UA offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin needs to keep calling Henry's number against the Vols.

Tennessee is down to a four-man rotation at defensive tackle after talented freshman Shy Tuttle was lost for the rest of the year after an illegal block injured his ankle against Georgia. UT also has a true freshman middle linebacker in Darrin Kirkland Jr.

While the Vols have been pretty good much of the year against the run, Arkansas imposed its will in the second half. Then, UGA hammered Tennessee before halftime before the Vols figured things out and got stingy again.

Henry may be the best back UT has faced this season. He needs to be fed the ball, and it's difficult to imagine he won't produce.

Neutralize Dobbs

This seems a bit repetitive considering it's the opposite of Tennessee's key, but you simply cannot say it enough: If you stop Dobbs, you stop UT's offense.

'Bama has such a strong defensive line, it doesn't always have to stack the box to be successful defending the run. In those cases, then, it would benefit the Tide to spy Dobbs with a fast linebacker to keep him from gaining the edge and getting big gains on the perimeter.

There's little UA can do about the designed quarterback runs on the read-option. Dobbs is going to do that, and he's going to get some tough yards between the tackles on jet keepers.

But if he doesn't have any of those big game-breakers that he had against Florida and Georgia, Alabama will be OK. The Tide will definitely have a plan in place to limit his production.

Isolate Ridley

One of the biggest revelations of Alabama's season (and especially in the past couple of games) is the emergence of freshman wide receiver Calvin Ridley.

The former 5-star prospect has caught 38 passes for 437 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Tide in receptions, yards and average per game.

He's a legit deep threat, and while he's nowhere near approaching the production of departed megastar Amari Cooper, he's as talented and is showing flashes that he could become that type of player soon.

Given how much trouble the Vols secondary has encountered this year, it's almost a given there will be times when Ridley is isolated in man coverage, and he should be able to exploit that, especially if he's up against Emmanuel Moseley or Malik Foreman.

When those opportunities present themselves, Coker has to realize it and get him the ball. Let Ridley's ridiculous talent do the rest.

Tennessee Players to Watch

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Darrin Kirkland Jr.

Without question, the biggest growth on Tennessee's defense that needed to occur over the bye week was that of freshman middle linebacker Kirkland.

There's no denying his immense talent. But Kirkland needs to make more plays on the ball, he needs to be more disciplined in his run gaps and in lining up the interior of the defense. That's a lot of pressure to put on a first-year player, but it's the nature of the position.

He's the best option UT has in the middle.

Against Alabama, any little mistake will show. That's why Kirkland has to be better than he has been at any point of his young career. A big game here could catapult his career, and GoVols247's Wes Rucker noted just how important his development is to the team.

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…[T]he Vols need Kirkland to be a stud the second half of this season. He's clearly a more physically gifted option than sophomore walk-on Colton Jumper at the position, and his combination of athleticism, toughness, intellect and work ethic should make him a star at some point. But he’s had some clear freshman moments in the first half of the season, and the Vols need him to do much less of that in the second half of the season. Kirkland is smart and talented enough to do that, but he has to go out there and prove it. We’ll see if that happens.

"

The Vols need him to make plays and to get the rest of the defense in a position to make them. If he takes a jump, the rest of the defense will.

Alvin Kamara

There's no doubt that Jalen Hurd is going to be a centerpiece of UT trying to sustain drives against Alabama, and the 242-pound sophomore is just the type of battering ram a team wants to attack the big, brawny Tide.

But the past couple of games, it seems Tennessee's coaches are figuring out different wrinkles to incorporate speedster Kamara into games as well. Even when they don't hand him the ball 10 times a game, he's still getting touches.

Kamara scored two touchdowns on slip-out pick passes against Georgia, and offensive coordinator Mike DeBord loves to get him the ball on screens and on quick passes to the edge to let him try to make plays in space.

Alabama is much faster on defense than it has been in years past, but Kamara is the type of player who has given the Tide problems over the years.

Plus, there's that added element that he began his college career in Tuscaloosa and would love to show Nick Saban and crew that he shouldn't have been buried on the depth chart.

This is a huge opportunity for him, and the Vols should realize that and give him opportunities to get rid of that chip on his shoulder.

Young O-linemen

With the bye week, there wasn't a lot of chatter from Tennessee players or about Vols players since last week's win over Georgia.

But in that game, UT dealt with the loss of star guard Jashon Robertson to injury as well as Brett Kendrick and Mack Crowder. All the bumps and bruises forced freshmen Jack Jones and Chance Hall into the lineup.

So, while it's unclear whether either of those guys will get the start against the Tide, it wouldn't be a surprise to see at least one of them and maybe both get some reps. What a huge test and opportunity it would be to go to battle against future NFL defensive linemen.

That's obviously not an ideal situation for Tennessee if it occurs, but the two were up to the challenge against the Bulldogs and have bright futures. It'll be interesting to see if they'll continue to be guys UT depends on in the present.

Alabama Players to Watch

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Calvin Ridley

The 6'1", 188-pound freshman from Pompano Beach, Florida, would be the toast of the SEC's first-year players if not for Texas A&M's Christian Kirk.

Still, it has been more than an impressive start to Ridley's career. Besides Derrick Henry, he's the team's biggest big-play threat. He routinely blows past defenders, and while Oregon State transfer Richard Mullaney does the dirty work, Ridley provides the star power.

He is lightning-fast, so he is a major downfield threat who routinely hauls in fly patterns for big gains. He's also lanky enough and runs good enough routes to get the tough yards, too. He's an all-around receiver in the mold of Amari Cooper, and he looks like a future All-American.

Tennessee struggles immensely with big-play receivers and has all season. Ridley should have big flashing lights on his jersey for the Vols.

Eddie Jackson

The junior former blue-chip prospect took a while to get his college career going, but a position change has helped him begin to realize his massive potential.

Jackson switched from cornerback to safety, and he has become an absolute terror for opposing quarterbacks. The 6'0", 194-pound defensive back is tied for third nationally with five interceptions, and he has returned two of those for touchdowns.

He currently leads the nation in interception return yards, and he has emerged along with freshman Minkah Fitzpatrick to solidify a deep, talented secondary for Alabama under the tutelage of Mel Tucker.

Last year, 'Bama struggled giving up big plays in the passing game. Now, the Tide are making them, and Jackson is the biggest playmaker in the unit.

Jonathan Allen

Just name a freak on that Alabama defensive front, and it'll suffice as a player to watch.

A'Shawn Robinson is the prospect NFL teams are drooling over because of his versatility and ability to play inside and out while being a huge, athletic force. Jarran Reed is second on the team with 34 tackles and also has three tackles for a loss and is a consistent, disruptive force.

But Allen may be the biggest talent. He's the best pass-rusher on the team, leading the Tide with five sacks. His huge frame allows him to bat down passes and disrupt everything quarterbacks want to do while still being able to be a force against the run.

He's going to be a definite pro player, and he is the kind of defender who has given the Vols offensive line fits. He may have a hard time chasing down Joshua Dobbs, but he'll probably have his opportunities.

What They're Saying

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Alabama's 41-23 annihilation of Texas A&M this past weekend embodied the way Tide coach Nick Saban thinks college football should be played, according to AL.com's Kevin Scarbinsky. He may just be able to do the same thing against the Vols.

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Oh, sure, he'll hire Lane Kiffin and his visor and hang double nickels on Auburn if that's what the times require, but deep in his West Virginia heart, the Alabama head football coach is as old school as a leather helmet.

Given a choice, he wants to do exactly what his Alabama football team did Saturday afternoon to stick a pin in the freshly inflated Kyle Field.

Man up and knock you down. Run a tailback the size of a tractor at you until you say no mas. Put up a wall of a defensive front and force you to throw the ball up for grabs to a bunch of sharks dressed as defensive backs.

"

Much has been made about the possibility that Tennessee's rally from down 21 points to beat Georgia 38-31 after three near-misses that included blowing double-digit leads over Oklahoma, Florida and Arkansas may have helped UT turn the corner.

Junior defensive back Cameron Sutton told GoVols247's Wes Rucker that it needs to help set the tone for the rest of the year.

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I feel like the overall mindset of the team, being down that much, it just didn’t break our spirit or our mindset at all. We had the same mindset throughout the game. Guys had opportunities to make plays, and they were able to make those plays. Sometimes the ball goes in your favor, and sometimes it doesn’t, but at the end of the day over 60 minutes I felt like we executed at all three levels Saturday, and we made plays when we had to. We got big stops on third down and fourth down, and the offense moved the ball down the field and put points on the board, and we had key stops, key plays on special teams, and also with (Trevor Daniel's fourth-quarter) punt, as well. All that helped define that game.

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Prediction

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It certainly helps Tennessee that it finally won a big game against one of its "big three" rivals (Florida, Georgia, Alabama) when the Volunteers came from behind to oust the Bulldogs.

It's definitely a benefit that after such a grueling early-season stretch that UT was able to rest and heal up a bit during a bye week before what is sure to be the team's biggest physical test of the year against Alabama.

And it doesn't hurt at all for coaches to have the extra time to plan an attack plan for the Crimson Tide.

But the bottom line is this program just isn't ready to win a game against one of the nation's best on the road.

In order for Tennessee to beat Alabama and end the eight-year streak, the Vols must get to quarterback Jake Coker and force him into mistakes. It has to get another all-world performance from quarterback Joshua Dobbs. And it needs to have the best balance it's had all year on offense.

It also wouldn't hurt to force the Tide into multiple turnovers the way Ole Miss did.

All of those things can happen, sure, but depending on all to happen is tough. UT is closing the gap on the rest of the better teams, but Alabama is the best team the Vols will face all year.

This game should be more competitive than the early two-touchdown plus line suggests. It could set the tone for the stretch run for the Vols to perform well, much the way the second half of the Bama game did last year.

When the smoke clears, however, it would be a monumental upset for Tennessee to complete the win. Do the Vols have it in them? It's possible, but it's also difficult to suggest they're going to, especially on the road.

Prediction: Alabama 31, Vols 23