Tennessee football has won its last two games against Alabama at Neyland Stadium. That might not seem like much – unless you know the history of the rivalry.
Not since 2006 have the Vols won consecutive home games against Alabama. They beat the Tide 17-13 in 2004 and 16-13 in 2006.
If the Vols can win Oct. 17, that would give them three consecutive home wins
over the Tide for the first time since 2000.Alabama 24, Tennessee 20: UT’s defense seems capable of keeping the Vols in the game against just about anybody. But it’s hard to imagine Tennessee mounting enough offense to upset the Tide.
The Vols are averaging only 21.7 points in their three SEC games. While they have run the ball effectively, they rank 110th nationally in passing yards per game.
Throwing into Alabama’s experienced secondary will be a challenge. But Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor passed for 259 yards and three touchdowns against the Tide, and Georgia’s Gunner Stockton completed 18 of 22 passes 249 yards.
Alabama is giving up only 99.8 yards rushing per game. However, Georgia rushed for 206 yards even though its top two running backs were out with injuries.
Texas 27, Florida 16: Oklahoma beat the Longhorns. But it didn’t beat the arrogance out of them.
Longhorns pass rusher Colin Simmons gave Oklahoma no credit for its last-second upset.
“Only Texas can beat Texas,” he said.
As error prone as Texas can be, it might not be capable of beating itself against Florida, which has been outscored 83-36 the past two games.
LSU 36, Mississippi State 24: Tigers fans can only hope their 35-34 overtime loss to Kentucky was an aberration, especially since it revived memories of the Brian Kelly era.
The Tigers repeatedly struggled to run the ball last season under Kelly. They averaged only 104.0 yards rushing per game and just 3.6 yards per carry.
LSU’s running game had been functioning just fine under Lane Kiffin – until it ran into Kentucky. The Wildcats held LSU to 94 yards rushing and a 2.6-yard average per carry.
If you don’t buy that explanation for the loss, how about this one: Kiffin has a Kentucky problem.
Two years ago, Kiffin’s talented Ole Miss team was upset by Kentucky. The loss cost the Rebels a berth in the College Football Playoff.
Texas A&M 45, The Citadel 6: Have we seen the beginning of the end of the Mike Elko era at Texas A&M?
Elko ripped a popular Texas A&M media site (Billy Liucci’s TexAgs) after a 27-6 loss to Missouri.
"There's a difference to me between the fan base and social media," Elko said. “So, there’s one group that I really don’t care much about. Billy’s cesspool can go be Billy’s cesspool.”
Elko’s criticism is misplaced. He should be worried about an Aggies offense that has produced only 12 points in its last two SEC losses.
He later apologized to “Billy’s cesspool.” He has yet to apologize for the Aggies offense.
Georgia 34, Auburn 14: The No. 1 Bulldogs might have come up with another star running back. That’s just what the rest of the SEC didn’t need.
With running backs Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens both injured, coach Kirby Smart shifted the running load to 185-pound speedster Dwight Phillips, who responded by rushing for 120 yards on 17 carries.
Few running backs can match Phillips’ speed. He ran the 100 meters in 10.29 seconds in high school.
Missouri 31, Ole Miss 24: Who would have guessed in preseason that Jamal Roberts would be the SEC’s leading rusher in this matchup?
Ole Miss’ Kewan Lacy rushed for 1,567 yards last season but has been slowed by a shoulder injury this season. He got limited work against Vanderbilt on Oct. 10 and rushed for 39 yards on seven carries.
Roberts has emerged as the nation’s second-leading rusher with 828 yards through six games. He has rushed for more than 200 yards in each of Missouri’s past two games.
In the past 21 years, only two other SEC running backs – LSU’s Leonard Fournette and Alabama’s Derrick Henry – have rushed for more than 200 yards in back-to-back games against FBS opponents. Both did it in 2015.
Arkansas 24, Vanderbilt 23: The Razorbacks extended their SEC losing streak to 14 games in a 24-17 loss to Tennessee, which tells me they’re due.
Fortunately for them, the Commodores know something about ending losing streaks.
In 2022, they ended a 26-game SEC losing streak. In 1981, they ended a 33-game losing streak in conference play.
Isn’t it about time the Commodores ended somebody else’s losing streak?
Oklahoma 27, Kentucky 20: I wonder how many Wildcats fans are thinking “maybe, we’re the next Indiana?"
Like Indiana, Kentucky has long been known for basketball. And like Indiana, Kentucky has historically lost much more than it has won in football.
But the Wildcats are off to a 5-1 start under new coach Will Stein, and they have upset LSU, South Carolina and Texas A&M.
Are they on their way to matching Indiana’s national championship in football?
Answer: No. They’re on their way to a loss in Norman, Oklahoma.
But an eight-win season looks possible.
Record: 55-11 (.833), 42-24 (.637) against the spread.
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Is Alabama ripe for a Tennessee upset? More SEC football picks | Adams
