College Football
Alabama, Tennessee meet in Knoxville with matching 5-1 records
AT
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 6 Alabama and No. 14 Tennessee come into Saturday's game at Neyland Stadium with the same 5-1 record. Kickoff is 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
Alabama is coming off a 20-17 home loss to Georgia. Tennessee beat Arkansas 24-17 last week with George MacIntyre at quarterback.
The rivalry
Alabama leads the all-time series 61-39-8 and won last year's meeting 37-20 on Oct. 18, 2025.
The home team has won each of the last five meetings. Tennessee won the last two games played in Knoxville, 52-49 in 2022 and 24-17 in 2024. Tennessee counts the Oct. 17 game as the 109th meeting. The series record is Alabama's count; the NCAA lists it as 60-40-7.
What's at stake
Both teams have one loss. The winner goes to 6-1. The loser falls to 5-2 with half a season still to play.
For Alabama, a win would end Tennessee's two-game home streak in the series and protect a top-10 ranking. For Tennessee, it is a chance to beat a top-10 team at home and move up from No. 14.
Players to watch
Keelon Russell, Alabama QB
DeSean Bishop, Tennessee RBAlabama quarterback Keelon Russell has completed 110 of 162 passes for 1,599 yards, with 12 touchdowns and two interceptions. CBS Sports reports he is expected to be without receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams, who was hurt against Georgia.
Tennessee quarterback George MacIntyre is set to start, according to reports on Thursday. Freshman Faizon Brandon, who started the first five games, has been dealing with a shoulder injury and is listed as questionable.
Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop has 678 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 107 carries.
How they get there
The season numbers show two different offenses. Alabama scores more and throws more. Tennessee leans on the run.
| Per game | Alabama | Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 44.2 | 34.7 |
| Rushing yards | 182.2 | 228.3 |
| Passing yards | 270.3 | 186.5 |
What it means for the season
The result will shape where both teams stand in the poll and in the SEC as the season heads toward November. The winner leaves Knoxville with one loss and a ranked win. The loser has to rebuild its case with a second loss on its record.
The line
Alabama is a 7.5-point road favorite with a total of 50.5, according to DraftKings odds shown by ESPN as of Friday afternoon. Lines move. This is information, not betting advice. See our betting disclaimer.
Weather
The National Weather Service forecast for Knoxville calls for partly sunny skies and a high near 58, with a north wind of 10 to 15 mph, gusts up to 25 mph, and almost no chance of rain. That forecast is as of Oct. 16 and could change.
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Sources: schedule, records, AP rankings, rosters and team and player stats from ESPN public data; series history from rolltide.com and Tennessee's game notes; odds from ESPN (DraftKings); quarterback and injury reports from CBS Sports and On3 via SI; forecast from the National Weather Service (api.weather.gov).