The task is certainly daunting. A 35-point underdog, Tennessee looks for someway to shock the college football world. Before even thinking about an upset, the first challenge is to try and push Alabama in the second half. No one has to date. They have outscored opponents 166-42 in the first half. They have been tied once and trailed once after the first quarter this season. So getting the game to the half is something no one has been able to do. To have a chance, Tennessee has to play pretty much mistake free. They can’t turn the ball over, can’t allow penalties to kill drives and have to find a way to stay on the field.

Defensively, they have to tackle in space and limit explosive plays to some degree and the Vols need help. They need the Tide’s offense to have an off day starting with Tua Tagovailoa.

Again, it’s not something anyone has been able to do to this point. Jeremy Pruitt calls tonight a great opportunity. An opportunity to play free and an opportunity to see where you measure up. Tennessee won’t be scared. They won’t play tentative, but they don’t have enough to beat the No. 1 team in the country.

Alabama 49 Tennessee 13

Tennessee’s only shot in this game is if Alabama comes out flat and the Vols are able to get some early momentum. It’s happened a couple of times in Tuscaloosa in the last ten years but isn’t likely.

Throw in the fact that the Vols could be without a couple of starters due to injury and the mountain sure looks to tall to climb.

Alabama’s defense isn’t what it normally is but they are still plenty good. The Vols likely try to shorten the game by running the ball on offense and defensively by keep Alabama in front of them.

Tennessee just doesn’t have the horses.

Alabama 48 Tennessee 17

Tennessee has dropped a dozen straight to Alabama, including three consecutive losses by an average of 38 points. Now, the Vols are five touchdown underdogs Saturday night against the No. 1 Crimson Tide, with cigar smoke expected to fill Bryant-Denny Stadium well before midnight.

The only chance Tennessee has in this game is by going unorthodox. Jeremy Pruitt joked earlier this week that maybe the Vols should just avoid giving Alabama the football. Well, try it. Be aggressive on fourth down. Onside kick. Don’t settle for field goals. The Vols must do anything it can to limit the amount of possessions for Tua Tagovailoa and the nation’s most explosive attack. If Kyle Trask can pick apart Tennessee’s pass defense with RPOs, imagine with Tagovailoa can do.

Avoiding an early slaughter is key to any upset thoughts, as the Tide have jumped on the Vols quickly the last few years, including going up 28-0 in the first quarter in 2018. Ultimately, the Vols will make a few plays, but not nearly enough.

Alabama 48, Tennessee 14

No matter who starts or plays the most at quarterback for Tennessee this has the potential to be a long Saturday. I think the Vols will move the ball and score some points, I just don’t think it will matter against this Alabama offense.

It feels like Tennessee found something against Mississippi State, and I think they’ll compete in this game, they’re just going to be outmatched against one of the best offenses in the nation.

For the Vols to hang around and take this game into the second half with a chance they’re going to do several things — primarily don’t turn the ball over and limit Alabama’s big plays. I don’t have a ton of confidence that they’re going to be able to do both of those things.

With a conservative game plan like we saw in the second half against Mississippi State they may be able to take care of the football, but that game plan was against an offense that really struggled to move the football. I don’t think you’re going to be able to dial up nine straight runs—as we saw at one point last week—against this offense and be able to stay close.

So Jim Chaney is facing a tough call this week, open things up with an offense that has been turnover prone and may be playing a true freshman in his first road start to try and keep up with Alabama, or dial things back and hope the defense can keep one of the most explosive offenses in the nation in check.

Alabama 51, Tennessee 20