Tennessee Volunteers (3-3, 0-3 SEC) vs. #2 Alabama Crimson Tide (7-0, 4-0 SEC)
In a cutthroat conference like the SEC, there just isn’t any room for “getting-there’s” and “nice try, buts…” The Tennessee Volunteers showed a lot of good things earlier in the regular season, but a combination of injuries and a lack of well-roundedness has the Vols staring down the barrel of an 0-4 conference start.
Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa AL
Saturday, Oct. 22, 7:15 pm EST
NCAA Odds from Sportsbook.com:
MoneyLine: Tennessee +1650, Alabama -10000
Spread: Tennessee +29.5, Alabama -29.5
Over/Under: 46
A winless SEC slate and an overall record that dips below .500 is pretty lousy no matter how you look at it. Truly, Tennessee’s prospects in the Third Saturday in October rivalry game do not look very bright.
It seems like no one on the planet could beat the Crimson Tide right now. The only team in the nation that might be playing better than division rival LSU, the Tide is beating opponents in every conceivable way. Alabama’s otherworldly defense is limiting opponents to just a single TD per game – tops in the FBS. Everyone knows – or ought to know – about the glut of defensive players ’Bama will send to the NFL following this season. Head coach Nick Saban plays a notorious stingy style with a set of personnel that is well-groomed for the pros. Tennessee – who has been a strong passing team of late – should expect the sledding to be particularly tough in Tuscaloosa this Saturday night.
The Sherbet and White has its own set of problems to contend with, independent of Alabama’s scary defense. Two of UT’s crucial performers in the high-flying attack, QB Tyler Bray and WR Justin Hunter, are out with injuries. Bray’s replacement Matt Simms has some experience, but Bray took his starting job last year and Simms has never lived up to the lofty expectations placed on him coming out of high school (and, of course, being the son of NFL great Phil Simms). [soliloquy id=”82219″]
The Vols run game is nothing daunting, so if the pass attack is not clicking, the high-scoring Tennessee offense is suddenly hapless. This, combined with the stoutness of its rival Alabama, probably spells disaster for the Vols.
If only the bad news for UT ended there. Linebacker Herman Lathers, this year’s top returning tackler from 2010, is also out, recovering from ankle surgery. This likely means a field day for Tide RB Trent Richardson, who has been nothing short of unstoppable when he is fed the ball. Richardson keeps churning out 100-yard rushing performances, he currently sits at 912 yards and 15 TDs on the season, with a gaudy 6.9 yards per carry average. He is yet another Tide player we will see wearing an NFL uniform in the near future. When Richardson is not carrying, backup RB Eddie Lacy is also very good – he has over 400 rushing yards and five majors in his own right.
This has been a storied rivalry that has lasted many years, but in 2011 the chips only seem to be falling in the home team’s direction. Injuries have weakened the one area that Tennessee was really proficient at, and the Vols travel to bowel-shaking Bryant-Denny to face a team having a season for the ages.
I could talk about the keys for Tennessee in order to pull an upset, but I don’t even think it is worth mentioning. The home team should snag this win in a runaway and give the devoted fans yet more reason to get booze-fueled and celebratory.
Score Prediction: Alabama 36, Tennessee 9
Over/Under Prediction: 45
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