The Third Saturday in October has almost arrived.
No. 6 Alabama hosts No. 11 Tennessee in a high-stakes SEC battle that could very well have not just conference championship implications, but playoff implications. While Tennessee has scuffled through SEC play so far, Alabama is riding a wave of momentum, having won three consecutive conference games against ranked opponents.
Second-year Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer and his coaching staff each met with the media early in the week to offer their thoughts on the rivalry and the Vols as a team.
DeBoer on Josh Heupel
In a battle between two offensive-minded head coaches, DeBoer offered praise for the sixth-year head coach of Tennessee.
“Coach Heupel, nothing but the utmost respect for him and his staff,” DeBoer said. “Just what they’re doing, what he’s done at Tennessee, his coaching career. An outstanding coach, great football mind. You can see it on the football field. You can see the culture that they’ve built there, too.”
Heupel has been the most successful coach for the Vols against the Crimson Tide since Phillip Fulmer, and he took the first matchup against the new Alabama coach last season, 24-17.
Importance of rivalry with Tennessee
Last year on College Gameday, Nick Saban turned heads when he talked about the importance of their annual date with the Vols.
“For our players, (Tennessee) was a bigger rivalry game than any other game that we played… even bigger than Auburn, to our players,” Saban said. “It was difficult for me to get our players up for the game; it was never difficult for the Tennessee game.”
Despite his brief tenure in Tuscaloosa, DeBoer has come to understand what this rivalry means to the fans of Alabama football.
“It’s a lot of fun for our fans, it goes back, obviously, generations, we understand how big of a deal this game is to them,” DeBoer said on Monday.
On Wednesday, he said, “It’s one of the greatest rivalries in the country.”
However, his offensive coordinator, Ryan Grubb, is still learning about all the different rivalries in the SEC.
“I thought Georgia was the rivalry too… but I love that, in general, about the SEC,” Grubb said. “Our guys, our players, are up for it, it’s one of the best parts about being at Alabama. You think about playing Tennessee at home and what that stadium’s gonna be like… it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack on Tennessee offense
Kane Wommack has the tough task of preparing the Alabama defense for the high-powered Vols offense. Tennessee leads the SEC in offensive yards per game, passing yards per game, and points per game.
“This is a football team that’s operating at a pretty high level offensively right now,” Wommack said. “…Their players are very disciplined. A physical football team. Created a lot of explosives downfield. They’re committed to it schematically. And they have shown that they can respond to adversity. So we certainly have a great challenge ahead of us, and one that I think we’re all excited to get started on our week of preparation.”
Wommack added that the up-tempo nature of Heupel’s scheme can make it difficult for their defense to get the matchups they want against Tennessee receivers like Chris Brazzell II.
“We’ve got guys that are long, athletic, so we do feel like we can challenge their receiving core,” Wommack said.
The Vols and Crimson Tide kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET in Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday.
