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Wk 7 · 2026

Alabama Crimson Tide at Tennessee Volunteers — Sat, Oct 17

Sat, Oct 17 · Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN · ABC

Weather at kickoff

44°F overcast
6% chance of precipitation · wind 12 mph
Forecast from Open-Meteo
#6 Alabama Crimson Tide
SEC · 5-1
at
3:30pET
ALA -6.5 · total 56.5 DraftKings opened +1.5 · 5 toward ALA
Ratings differential ALA by 10.5
#15 Tennessee Volunteers
SEC · 5-1

What is at stake

Third Saturday in October. The winning locker room lights victory cigars — a tradition old enough that it has survived two smoking bans and every realignment since. A SEC game — it counts in the standings that decide that league's championship game. Run the race. Alabama is ranked #6 (AP Top 25 · 2026-10-04). Tennessee is ranked #15 (AP Top 25 · 2026-10-04).

What the ratings imply

The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers: The CFB King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus 2.4 points of home field. It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026 games are played it is last season’s measurement of two teams that have changed.

Efficiency · 2026 ratings

Alabama: +27.4#1
Efficiency margin
Tennessee: +14.5#16
Alabama: 45.6
Offense (pts/100)
Tennessee: 38.8
Alabama: 9.2
Defense (pts/100)
Tennessee: 15.2
Alabama: 64.7
Pace (plays/g)
Tennessee: 69.0
Alabama: 7.00
Yards / play
Tennessee: 6.01
Alabama: 5.41
Yards / play allowed
Tennessee: 4.71
Opponent-adjusted ratings from The College King's 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.

Team stats · 2026 per game

Alabama: 44.2
Points / game
Tennessee: 34.7
Alabama: 20.7
Points allowed
Tennessee: 15.5
Alabama: 452
Yards / game
Tennessee: 415
Alabama: 336
Yards allowed
Tennessee: 294
Alabama: 236
Pass yds allowed
Tennessee: 161
Alabama: 100
Rush yds allowed
Tennessee: 132
Alabama: 1.17
Turnovers / game
Tennessee: 1.33
From completed 2026 box scores; defensive yardage covers the regular season and conference championships.

Alabama form

L 17-20vs UGAW 56-23at MSSTW 49-18vs SCW 50-36vs FSUW 45-17at UK
2026 season

Tennessee form

W 24-17at ARKW 24-14vs AUBL 17-20vs TEXW 42-9vs KENNW 45-24at GT
2026 season

Alabama this season

Straight up5-1 · 83% (6 games)
Against the spread4-2 · 67% (6 games)
Over / under5-1 · 83% (6 games)

Tennessee this season

Straight up5-1 · 83% (6 games)
Against the spread3-3 · 50% (6 games)
Over / under1-5 · 17% (6 games)
Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.

Common opponents · 6

OpponentAlabamaTennessee
Kentucky
SEC
at W 45-17 previewvs Wk 10 · scheduled preview
South Carolina
SEC
vs W 49-18 previewat Wk 8 · scheduled preview
Texas A&M
SEC
vs Wk 8 · scheduled previewat Wk 11 · scheduled preview
LSU
SEC
at Wk 10 · scheduled previewvs Wk 12 · scheduled preview
Vanderbilt
SEC
at Wk 11 · scheduled previewat Wk 13 · scheduled preview
Auburn
SEC
vs Wk 13 · scheduled previewvs W 24-14 preview
Open these two in the comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.

Series history · 2006–2026

Since 2006, Alabama leads 17–3 · Alabama won the last one
20 meetings in 2006–2026 · average margin 20.3 points toward Alabama
Yr DateResultSiteWon
20252025-10-18Tennessee 20 — 37 Alabamaat ALAAlabama
20242024-10-19Alabama 17 — 24 Tennesseeat TENNTennessee
20232023-10-21Tennessee 20 — 34 Alabamaat ALAAlabama
20222022-10-15Alabama 49 — 52 Tennesseeat TENNTennessee
20212021-10-23Tennessee 24 — 52 Alabamaat ALAAlabama
20202020-10-24Alabama 48 — 17 Tennesseeat TENNAlabama
20192019-10-19Tennessee 13 — 35 Alabamaat ALAAlabama
20182018-10-20Alabama 58 — 21 Tennesseeat TENNAlabama
20172017-10-21Tennessee 7 — 45 Alabamaat ALAAlabama
20162016-10-15Alabama 49 — 10 Tennesseeat TENNAlabama
20152015-10-24Tennessee 14 — 19 Alabamaat ALAAlabama
20142014-10-25Alabama 34 — 20 Tennesseeat TENNAlabama
20132013-10-26Tennessee 10 — 45 Alabamaat ALAAlabama
20122012-10-20Alabama 44 — 13 Tennesseeat TENNAlabama
20112011-10-22Tennessee 6 — 37 Alabamaat ALAAlabama
20102010-10-23Alabama 41 — 10 Tennesseeat TENNAlabama
20092009-10-24Tennessee 10 — 12 Alabamaat ALAAlabama
20082008-10-25Alabama 29 — 9 Tennesseeat TENNAlabama
20072007-10-20Tennessee 17 — 41 Alabamaat ALAAlabama
20062006-10-21Alabama 13 — 16 Tennesseeat TENNTennessee

Alabama leaders 2026 regular season

PassingKeelon Russell QB #1294/132, 1414 YDS, 11 TD, 2 INT
Austin Mack QB #103/4, 23 YDS
RushingDaniel Hill RB #451 CAR, 247 YDS, 4 TD
Trae'shawn Brown RB #1742 CAR, 211 YDS, 5 TD
EJ Crowell RB #1326 CAR, 204 YDS, 3 TD
ReceivingRyan Coleman-Williams WR #120 REC, 376 YDS, 4 TD
Lotzeir Brooks WR #321 REC, 352 YDS, 1 TD
Rico Scott WR #716 REC, 196 YDS, 3 TD
Marshall Pritchett TE #97 REC, 148 YDS
Defense
TacklesLuke Metz LB #438
Caleb Woodson LB #733
Red Morgan DB #622
SacksDevan Thompkins DL #13
Terrance Green DL #992.5
Caleb Woodson LB #72
InterceptionsRed Morgan DB #62
Yhonzae Pierre LB #01
Caleb Woodson LB #71
full roster and per-player history

Tennessee leaders 2026 regular season

PassingFaizon Brandon QB #1161/101, 697 YDS, 7 TD, 1 INT
George MacIntyre QB #1214/20, 148 YDS, 1 TD
RushingDeSean Bishop RB #1888 CAR, 540 YDS, 7 TD
Daune Morris RB #1746 CAR, 299 YDS, 2 TD
Faizon Brandon QB #1153 CAR, 130 YDS, 3 TD
ReceivingMike Matthews WR #418 REC, 318 YDS, 3 TD
Braylon Staley WR #1417 REC, 140 YDS, 2 TD
Radarious Jackson WR #39 REC, 115 YDS
Ethan Davis TE #03 REC, 43 YDS, 2 TD
Defense
TacklesArion Carter LB #733
Amare Campbell LB #032
TJ Metcalf DB #123
SacksXavier Gilliam DL #24
Mariyon Dye DL #94
Tyree Weathersby DL #183.5
InterceptionsDejuan Lane DB #102
Kayin Lee DB #141
Jeremiah Telander LB #221
full roster and per-player history
These are regular-season totals for the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year, taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's roster, so a leader who has since transferred or run out of eligibility still appears against the year he earned it; the roster pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is. A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game. The roster pages count bowl games too, so a player's two lines can differ by a game.