It's a lot of fun to win pretty. That's what the Vols did for the most part last year. An unstoppable offense and a precision passing game is really nice to look at. But that's not the only way to win. For most of the history of college football, the best teams won by playing great defense and running the ball. There's something about a swarming defense that puts a quarterback on the ground all day and running the ball down a team's throat that's just good for the soul. And that's what we got against Texas A&M.
That was the first time under Josh Heupel that Tennessee won a game without scoring 30 points. Heupel is growing as a coach before our very eyes. He made some bad decisions and he owned them to his credit, but he was able to recognize that playing field position football and relying on his defense gave him the best chance to win that game and that's exactly what happened. This game was a big step for Tennessee as a program. The great teams know how to win games like this where you have to grind it out until the end. Tennessee learned how to do that last Saturday. And I also need to point out that Tennessee has learned how to win in general. The Vols have won 16 of the last 19 games. Can you imagine thinking that would happen a few years ago? Winning is contagious. Heupel has built a winning culture and he's proving he can win in different ways.
The Texas A&M game felt like an old school Phillip Fulmer football game. And that's what I expect the Third Saturday In October to feel like as well. You know, I was bouncing around on YouTube earlier today and the end of the Alabama game last year happened to show up on my feed. I watched all of it and all of the emotions I felt that night just flooded back into me. I'll be honest, I've seen snippets of that footage a lot over the past year and it always evokes the same reaction in me. It doesn't matter what I was feeling in the moment. Happy, sad, angry. The instant I see that footage, the feeling I felt that night always sweeps back over me. It's like drinking cold water on an empty stomach. I can just feel it seep into my body.
For the longest time, the 1995 win over Alabama was my favorite Third Saturday In October. That game broke a long winless streak as well. It was the first time I have a conscious memory of Tennessee beating Alabama. It will always hold a cherished place in my heart. But it's not my favorite Third Saturday In October anymore. The culmination of misfortune and heartache, wondering for thirteen years in the desert of irrelevancy, and finally seeing Neyland Stadium rise from the ashes to reclaim its place in the pantheon of college football have made last year's game against Alabama my favorite regular season game of all time. I'm older now. I'm in my early 40's. I appreciate how special that game was after not tasting victory over those guys for fifteen years in a row. And it was also special to see so many people realize why the Alabama rivalry will always be number one for those of us a bit older. Tennessee had a 7 game winning streak over Alabama from 1995-2001. During that, I got so used to beating them that I took it for granted. I will never make that mistake again. Any win over Alabama is special. Even if you've won 7 in a row. Don't ever lose sight of that.
But we can live on last year forever. Time marches on. Here we are a year later and the Third Saturday In October is two days away as I write this. This is a winnable game for Tennessee. There haven't been a lot of years you could say that since Saban has been the coach. Alabama is a solid team and they are winning ugly, just like Tennessee is. They also have some deficiencies, just like Tennessee does. Both teams have a great pass rush and shaky quarterback play. Alabama's fans will be loud for sure after what they saw in Knoxville last year. Their players will want revenge. And in all likelihood, the refs will making sure they get plenty of TV time. This will be as hostile of an environment as Tennessee has faced since probably the Georgia game last year.
Like everyone else that's analyzed this game this week, I would expect Saban to emphasis stopping Tennessee's rushing game. I've expected this all year but teams really haven't been doing that to this point. Surely after seeing what Tennessee did to Texas A&M on the ground, Saban will try to make Milton beat him through the air. I think Milton will have opportunities to hit open receivers. He's had plenty of them all year and they've rarely been on the same page. Either Milton is inaccurate or the receivers drop balls that hit them right in the hands. I think Tennessee will have to connect on at least a few this week to be able to win the game. I also think Milton needs to run the ball more. With Tennessee's running backs, Tennessee could have a lot of success with the zone read. Of course Milton would have to make the right reads. That's an iffy prospect. But I really think Tennessee needs to have success passing at the very least to win this game. Alabama is also very good at pressuring quarterbacks so the Vols have to protect Milton. They did a decent job last week against a very good A&M pass rush.
I'm beginning to sound like a broken record every week but the key to the game will be the pass rush. For both teams really. Alabama is near the bottom in the entire country in sacks allowed. They are giving up 4 or 5 a game. Tennessee will need to keep that pass up and perhaps even better it. Alabama's running game is pretty average. Jalen Milroe is a very dangerous runner but Alabama seems to be trying to limit that because they have no quality quarterback play behind him. Milroe has been making some deep passes and that's how Alabama has been winning the past few weeks. Tennessee's defensive backs are in danger of being exposed Saturday. That's why the pass rush is so important. They will have to get after Milroe to be able to win this game. If they can keep him contained and get to him quick, the Vols have a real shot to win.
I think Tennessee will play hard. I think they liked the taste of winning this game last year. I think they will play much better than they did at the Swamp. But to this point, Tennessee hasn't showed me they can win a game like this on the road. That's the next step in the progression of the program but I don't think it happens Saturday. Not without better quarterback play. I think there will be one mistake that costs Tennessee the game. I'm not sure what that mistake will be, but I think it will be a product of the hostile environment. I just can't pick the Vols to win a game like this on the road until they prove they can do it. I hope they prove me wrong.
Alabama 23
Tennessee(+8.5) 20
In other games...
Ohio State 27
Penn State(+5.5) 26
Florida State 34
Duke(+14.5) 24
Missouri(-7.5) 38
South Carolina 27
Ole Miss 27
Auburn(+6.5) 24
Miami(+3) 30
Clemson 28
USC(-7) 39
Utah 31
Last Week 3-3(4-2 ATS) Overall Record 4-2(18-17-1 ATS)
That's all I have for this week. Cherish ever second of football. Especially the Third Saturday In October. There's been talk that the SEC is leaning toward the 1-7 scheduling model. That means this game would only be played every other year. That would be a real shame. The overlords of college football have stripped away so much of what made it special in the first place. The old bowl system. Pitt/West Virginia. Oklahoma/Nebraska. Tennessee/Auburn. Pitt/Penn State. Changing the clock rules to sell more stupid commercials. It would be borderline criminal if they take away the Third Saturday In October as a yearly game. Hopefully sanity will win out in the end but I wouldn't bet on it.
As always, I appreciate everyone who takes the time to make me part of your pregame. Thank you for reading.
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Have a great weekend everyone and stay safe. Go Vols and God Bless!
