Alabama hosts Tennessee in a must-win SEC matchup that will boost one team, and ruin the other. Last season, The Vols got the best of the Tide, ruining a winning streak that stretched nearly a decade and a half.
This season, Tennessee travels to Tuscaloosa and they must take on an Alabama team that has one goal: reach the College Football Playoff.
Recently, ESPN’s Bill Connelly broke down this highly-anticipated SEC matchup (subscription required). In his analysis, he stated that these two teams are fairly similar on both offense and defense, with the exception of Jalen Milroe’s deep ball that he throws a couple of times every game.
“The defenses appear to hold the advantages,” writes Connelly. “Tennessee ranks 12th in points allowed per drive, and Alabama is 15th. Both offenses rank in the 50s. The Vols are winning with a solid run game and awesome defense … just like Bama. To the extent that the Tide have an advantage here, it’s in Jalen Milroe’s occasional deep shots: They have 28 passes of 20-plus yards (tied for 24th in FBS) to Tennessee’s 11 (126th), which isn’t at all what we expected when big-armed Joe Milton III took over behind center for the Vols. It doesn’t appear that too much separates these two teams, but home field and Milroe give the Tide at least a slight edge.”
Milroe’s game, for the most part, is relatively limited when it comes to Tommy Rees’s playcalling. While some have been hesitant to praise Milroe for his arm, doubters cannot deny that he is good for a few deep passes every game. By sticking with the run game and short-yardage passes, the offense is afforded an opportunity every now and then
The historic rivalry that takes place the Third Saturday in October will be an interesting one to watch this season, as Josh Heupel looks to make a statement by proving he can hang with the elites of the SEC even if it means winning on the road.
Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football as the 2023 season progresses.
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