There are a lot of big games on Alabama’s schedule every year, but aside from the Iron Bowl, the Third Saturday in October holds a special place on the calendar. That fire was starting to wane during the Tide’s 15-year win streak, but the Alabama-Tennessee rivalry has been reignited by the Volunteers' recent resurgence under Josh Heupel.
The Vols have won two of the last three matchups between the two programs, both in Knoxville, but with the game coming back to Bryant-Denny Stadium this fall, the Tide are big home favorites. The FanDuel Sportsbook has posted odds for seven of the most important games on Alabama’s schedule, and Kalen DeBoer’s squad is an 11.5-point favorite over Tennessee. The spread is as large as 12.5 at other major sportsbooks.
Crimson Tide open as two-score favorites over Tennessee
Tennessee has risen back to national prominence, an ascent first signaled by its 52-49 win over Alabama in 2022, and christened by a College Football Playoff appearance last year. However, that progress has been stymied. Ohio State, the eventual national champions, dismantled the Vols in the first round of the CFP, and this offseason, the program was rife with dysfunction.
Former five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava was known as the eight-million-dollar man when he signed with Tennessee out of high school. Tennessee was happy to pay up back then, but after an underwhelming first season as the starter, Heupel refused to give ground in an NIL dispute, which sent Iamleava into the spring transfer portal.
The LA native eventually picked UCLA, and the Vols executed a transfer portal trade, of sorts, bringing back UCLA quarterback Joey Aguilar. Aguilar began his career in junior college before becoming a prolific passer for two seasons at Appalachian State. Though because he’s replacing a highly-touted returning starter like Iamaleava, his arrival has put a damper on optimism surrounding the program.
Unlike its 2022 resurgent season, Tennessee was led by its defense last year, but even that group took a significant dent in the offseason. Beyond losing edge rusher James Pearce Jr. to the first round of the NFL Draft and defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott in the second, Tennessee will be without star cornerback Jermod McCoy, who tore his ACL during a workout in January, for part of the season.
The Vols project to be worse on both sides of the ball in 2025, which has the Tide as big home favorites on the Third Saturday of October, and the pressure on DeBoer to finally light up a victory cigar.