Tennessee Could Be the Roadblock That Wrecks Alabama’s CFP Dreams in Week 8
Let’s be real: surviving an SEC schedule is like trying to win a marathon with hurdles, landmines, and a bear chasing you. For Alabama, every single week is a chance to slip up and blow their shot at the College Football Playoff. But this year? One game really stands out: the Third Saturday in October. That’s when Tennessee rolls into town—and it might just be the game that makes or breaks Bama’s season.
Alabama’s got some baggage here. They’ve lost two of their last three showdowns with Tennessee—and both losses were in Knoxville. So you know new head coach Kalen DeBoer is breathing a little easier having this one in the friendly confines of Bryant-Denny Stadium.
But location aside, this game is sandwiched right between a bruising road trip to Athens (hello, Georgia) and a brutal three-week gauntlet featuring South Carolina, LSU, and Oklahoma. In other words, Bama has to win this one.
If they handle Tennessee, even if they stumbled against Georgia earlier, they’re still in great shape for the new 12-team playoff. But if they lose? Well, DeBoer could be staring down the barrel of another three-loss season—especially if that L comes to a Vols team that doesn’t even have its original starting quarterback anymore.
Speaking of which, Tennessee’s QB situation has been messy. After a standoff in the NIL world, former 5-star Nico Iamaleava packed his bags for UCLA. Yikes. In scramble mode, Josh Heupel reached back out to Joey Aguilar, who’d dipped into the portal but returned like a prodigal son. The catch? Aguilar’s coming from App State and now has to face SEC defenses every week. No pressure, Joey.
Even if the offense doesn’t light it up like it used to, Tennessee’s defense might just have a game-changer: Jermod McCoy. This guy might be Alabama’s worst nightmare, especially for new QB Ty Simpson and sophomore star wideout Ryan Williams.
Williams is already a freak—he was torching defenses as a 17-year-old freshman. He put up 865 yards and 8 touchdowns last season and had a solid outing against Tennessee… but here’s the catch: when McCoy was covering him? Basically locked down. Just one catch for 12 yards on five targets. Brutal.
And McCoy didn’t just mess with Williams—he embarrassed Jalen Milroe too, holding him to 16 yards on 9 targets and snagging a pick he ran back 54 yards. You don’t forget plays like that.
The twist? McCoy tore his ACL back in January during a training session. He might be back by Week 8, but that’s a big question mark. If he is, Simpson better start working on his reads now—because throwing McCoy’s way could end badly.
Bottom line: Alabama’s road to the CFP might run straight through Tennessee. Win, and they’re on track. Lose, and the pressure’s back on DeBoer—and the fanbase won’t be thrilled about it.
