The college football season is inching closer every single week to resume season in terms of the College Football Playoff and with the Big Ten and Pac-12 seasons beginning soon, it’s time for teams to start putting together a list of wins that leave little doubt in the committee’s mind.
Alabama is in a much more favorable position than most especially when coming off of a 41-24 win against No. 3 Georgia one week ago.
But there are games on every team’s schedule like today’s when the Crimson Tide need to put it all together and prove that they are the best team in the country.
So far this year Alabama’s offense, led by quarterback Mac Jones, has overpowered every team in its path. This has lead to the defense having the advantageous position of not having to perform to the highest degree every week due to the amount of support from the offense. But this is not a recipe for a championship and it needs to get on track today against Tennessee.
The Volunteers are a crucial part of its season as it is trying to snap a two-game losing streak before it gets too late in the season.
After dropping a game against Kentucky last week, three of the team’s six final games (including Alabama) are against ranked opponents with those who aren’t ranked contain solid teams like Auburn and Arkansas.
In other words, the Volunteers may be playing with a sense of urgency knowing what is to come down the line.
That’s why Alabama needs to show up big-time and stomp out any bit of hope against the Volunteers. What Nick Saban’s team cannot afford to do is look past the game and let Tennessee hang around for too long.
In 2019, when Tua Tagovailoa left the game with injury, Pruitt’s team played with a different energy on both sides of the ball, and if not for a fumble return for a touchdown by defensive back Trevon Diggs who knows what could have happened in the final minutes of the game.
This midseason rivalry will set the tone for the remainder of the regular season as Alabama looks to propel itself to a complete championship type team.
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 Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
