Alabama vs Tennessee Game Preview: Everything You Need To Know Before Kickoff
The Alabama Crimson Tide travels to Knoxville for a top-10 matchup against rival Tennessee. Get set for the afternoon game with a preview of what to expect.
No. 1 Alabama (6-0, 3-0 SEC) vs No. 9/11 Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC)
When: Saturday, October 15 at 2:30 PM CT
Where: Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee
Weather: Mostly cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. High will be 79F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
TV: CBS (Play-by-play: Verne Lundquist, color analyst: Gary Danielson, sideline reporter: Allie LaForce)
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (Play-by-play: Eli Gold, color analyst: Phil Savage, sideline reporter: Chris Stewart). Listen on 95.3 the Bear and Tide 102.9 in Tuscaloosa.
Spread: Alabama is a 13-point favorite, according to Bovada. The Crimson Tide is 3-3 against the spread in 2016.
Series History: Saturday marks the 99th meeting between the two schools in a rivalry that dates back to 1901. Known as the 'Third Saturday in October,' Alabama has won nine-straight meetings and leads the series with an all-time record of 52-38-7. The two schools have met every year since 1928 with the lone exception being 1943 (neither school fielded a team due to WWII).
Last Meeting: No. 8 Alabama needed a late fourth-quarter touchdown to avoid the upset. After Tennessee took a 14-13 lead with 5:49 remaining, the Crimson Tide answered with a scoring drive capped off by a 14-yard Derrick Henry touchdown. The Alabama defense put an exclamation point on the win by forcing a Joshua Dobbs fumble and recovering it inside the five yard line. The final score was 19-14.
Last Week: Alabama continued to show its big-play ability on offense in a 49-30 win at Arkansas. The Crimson Tide scored 35 first-half points and rolled up more than 500 yards of total offense against a top-20 opponent. The defense continued its scoring ways by returning a fumble and an interception for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Tennessee nearly pulled off its third-straight comeback victory at Texas A&M. After falling behind 28-7, the Vols rallied with 28 points in the final 22+ minutes to tie the game at 35-35 and force overtime. The Aggies eventually closed out the game in the second overtime, 45-38. Tennessee's 684 yards of offense wasn't enough to overcome seven turnovers.