It's the Third Saturday in October, which means Alabama football fans must wait patiently to see if they can smoke their cigars.
The No. 7 Crimson Tide (5-1, 2-1 SEC) take on their rival No. 10 Tennessee (5-1, 2-0 SEC) in their annual game, this year in Knoxville, Tennessee. Both teams have had a similar couple of disappointing weeks, including a loss to an unranked opponent on the road followed by a closer-than-expected home win vs. another ranked opponent.
This week's matchup brings even more stakes, as both teams have one SEC loss and need to avoid another to keep some margin of error to make a conference championship game and get a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff at the end of the regular season.
REQUIRED READING: How has Alabama football fared in top-10 SEC matchups before facing No. 10 Tennessee?
The Crimson Tide lead the all-time series 60-38-8, including a 34-20 Alabama victory in Tuscaloosa last season on Oct. 21. The Vols came up with a 52-49 win in the previous trip to Knoxville, snapping a 15-game losing streak to Alabama.
Alabama lost 40-35 to Vanderbilt in Nashville in Week 6. On the same day, the Vols lost 19-14 on the road to Arkansas. Last week, the Crimson Tide clung to a 27-25 victory over South Carolina, while Tennessee needed overtime to beat Florida 23-17. Both teams have things to figure out ahead of this one on both sides of the ball to get back to the championship-contending level both teams displayed through the first five weeks.
Follow along for live scores, updates and highlights of the SEC rivalry matchup between Alabama and Tennessee from Knoxville on Saturday:
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This section will be updated when the game begins.
The Crimson Tide and Volunteers will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Oct. 19, at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The annual rivalry game between Alabama and Tennessee will be broadcast nationally on ABC. Sean McDonough (play-by-play) and Greg McElroy (analyst) will call the game from the booth, while Molly McGrath will serve as the sideline reporter. Streaming options for the game include ESPN+, ESPN's subscription streaming service, and Fubo, which carries the ESPN family of networks and offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Colin Gay, The Tuscaloosa News: Tennessee 35, Alabama 28
"The combination of a raucous Neyland Stadium atmosphere, Dylan Sampson and the Tennessee run game, and the Volunteers' defense that has become one of the best in the SEC will be too much for the Crimson Tide on Saturday afternoon. While Vanderbilt left Alabama shocked, Tennessee will bring Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide a first true 'Welcome to the SEC" moment.'"
Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel: Alabama 28, Tennessee 24
"It's a battle of two teams that haven't yet put it together this season. Will Tennessee's offense get right or will Alabama's defense rise up? I'm betting on the latter as UT's offense has been a mess in SEC play.
ESPN Analytics: ESPN analytics predict Alabama has a 53.9% chance of beating Tennessee. That gives the Volunteers a 46.1% chance of pulling off the home upset and setting up another field-storming at Neyland Stadium.
Here's a look at Alabama's schedule in 2024, including available start time and TV channel information:
Here's a look at Alabama's schedule in 2024, including available start time and TV channel information:
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