We have one of the biggest games of the season this Saturday at Neyland stadium with Alabama at Tennessee. Both of these teams are coming off ugly wins. Which team needs the win more?
Alabama needs this win way more because of the pressure that comes with being at Alabama. They hate losing in Tuscaloosa. Alabama survived a game vs South Carolina and Tennessee got a win in a close game against Florida. Both teams are playing for their CFP spot and both have losses vs non ranked teams.
Alabama lost to Vanderbilt in the shocker of the decade and Tennessee lost to Arkansas. These two fan bases are both on edge for this game because of the lack of consistency. The Tide have one of the most passionate fan bases in the country. With that comes a lot of expectations. After two ugly games back to back the Tide need this win.
The Volunteers need this win as well. This would give them a signature win and put them in a great spot for the CFP. Their offense has struggled and Nico Iamaleava has looked like a young quarterback. He has made some mistakes that young quarterbacks make. The two big storylines in this game are Tennessee's defense and Alabama’s offense. He may have been overhyped this preseason but there's still a lot of season left. Alabama has one of the best offenses and quarterbacks in the country. Jalen Milroe looked like Lamar Jackson; he can do it all.
They can run and throw the ball down the field really well. Freshman receiver Ryan Williams is incredible and is a nightmare for defensive coordinators. On the other side the Volunteers defense has played great all year but this will be their most difficult test yet. The environment at Neyland stadium is going to be electric but I have the Crimson Tide going to Tennessee and getting the win. I have major questions about Nico Iamaleava and that offense. They have not won against anyone all that well. I need to see they can beat a top 10 team before I go picking them to beat Alabama.
This game is going to be a classic and have a lot of CFP implications. The winner is in a great spot and controls their own destiny. The loser has a lot to go over and fix.