The most overused word in descriptions of college football schedules is gauntlet. However, in the period from Oct. 10 through Nov. 7, calling the Alabama Crimson Tide schedule a gauntlet is no cliche.
Between Georgia and Texas A&M trips to Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide will go to Knoxville to face the Tennessee Vols. After the A&M game, Alabama gets a bye week and then travels to Baton Rouge to take on Lane Kiffin and LSU.
Along with gauntlet, another trite use of words is 'trap game'. Every season, experts predict trap games for almost every college football team. A team without a trap game is so woefully bad that losing to a lesser foe is impossible.
Despite its common use, trap games may not be real. Instead, they may result from a better team not being fully prepared. They may occur because coaches don't have a team prepared. Although no-nonsense coach Gene Stallings once admitted that it is almost impossible to get a team up for every game.
If trap games are real, then the Alabama Crimson Tide surely has one on Oct. 17 in Neyland Stadium. Between Georgia and Texas A&M, Alabama will not get a 'breather' respite against the Vols. The Vols were 5-1 last season going into the 'Third Saturday in October' in Tuscaloosa. Alabama won 37-20. The loss triggered a Tennessee finish of 3-4, including a home loss to Vanderbilt. Tennessee fans are no longer certain that Josh Heupel deserves the offensive wizard label they previously gave him.
Going into the 2026 season, the Vols do not have a proven quarterback. They do have a new Defensive Coordinator in Jim Knowles. The highly respected Knowles should improve Tennessee's defense. Among SEC teams, Tennessee was No. 14 in Total Defense last season.
Tennessee's defensive rebuild may require a couple of seasons. For that reason, Alabama will likely be the favorite this season. The Crimson Tide has a better chance to have its quarterback situation both solidified and surging by mid-October. As good as Jim Knowles is, Kane Wommack should have the better defense in 2026.
Reversing recent Alabama Crimson Tide trend
A concern for Alabama is that Neyland is a tough environment for teams that Tennessee fans hate. And to their core, Tennessee fans hate Alabama. The Crimson Tide has not won in Knoxville since its 2020 national championship season.
It is unlikely that the Crimson Tide will ever again win 15 straight against Tennessee. But given the tougher challenges in the Alabama schedule, the Crimson Tide can ill afford to lose in Knoxville for the third consecutive time.
The Alabama Crimson Tide cannot afford a lull on Oct. 17.
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