Trent Reinsmith
- What: Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 3) vs. Tennessee Volunteers (No. 6)
- Date: Saturday, October 15, 2022
- Location: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tennessee
- Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: CBS
Two undefeated SEC teams face off on Saturday when the Alabama Crimson Tide travel to Knoxville to face the Tennessee Volunteers in Week 7 NCAA Football action.
Alabama is 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the SEC. Tennessee is 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the NCAA Southeastern Conference. The Crimson Tide are the No. 3 team in the most recent AP Top 25 poll, while the Volunteers check in at No. 6.
Despite winning in Week 6 of the 2022 NCAAF season, Alabama dropped from the No. 1 spot. Meanwhile, Tennessee moved up two positions from their week 6 standing. Alabama is coming off a 24-20 win over unranked Texas A&M. Tennessee knocked the previously No. 25 ranked LSU Tigers out of the AP Top 25 with a 40-13 Week 6 win.
Before we look at the Week 7 NCAAF matchup between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Tennessee Volunteers, check out the current NCAAF betting opportunities and our guide to betting on the 2022 NCAAF National Championship.
Alabama Crimson Tide (3) vs. Tennessee Volunteers (6) picks
| Teams |  |  |  |  |  |
| Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 3) | -280 | -280 | -270 | -290 | -274 |
| Tennessee Volunteers (No. 6) | +235 | +235 | +230 | +235 | +216 |
Alabama breakdown
Alabama was without starting quarterback Bryce Young in Week 6 and that hurt the team in a big way against the unranked Texas A&M Aggies. Young, who is the reigning Heisman Trophy Winner, hurt his shoulder in Week 5 against Arkansas and missed the second half of the game. Without Young, backup quarterback Jalen Young put up 111 yards in the air against the Aggies. In comparison, Bryce Young put up 173 yards of passing in the one half he played against Arkansas. Alabama coach, Nick Saban is hopeful that Bryce Young will be available for the matchup with Tennessee.
The good news for Alabama is that they are not entirely reliant on the passing game for their offense. The Crimson Tide have the best rushing game in the SEC. The club averages an SEC-high 257.5 yards on the ground per game. A good chunk of that yardage has been gained by junior running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who is third in the SEC in rushing yards with 532.
Alabama’s defense is strong. The team surrenders the fewest yards in the SEC with an average of 250.8 per game. They are first in fewest yards allowed in the air (166.3 per game) and on the ground (84.5) per game. Overall, the team is second in the SEC in points allowed, giving up an average of 12.5 per game.
Tennessee breakdown
Senior quarterback Hendon Hooker might not be the most active passer in the SEC, but he has been effective for the Tennessee Volunteers. Hooker has attempted the ninth most passes in the SEC. Despite that low number (140), he has the third most passing yards in the conference (1,432) and the second highest completion percentage at 70.00. Hooker is the only player in the SEC with a yards-per-pass average over 10 (10.23).
Tennessee is the sixth-best offense in the SEC in yards on the season with 2,739. The only team in the conference to play five and not six games, the Volunteers are first in yards per game at 547.8. The team is second in the SEC in passing yards per game at 340.4. Meanwhile, the club is fifth in rushing yards with 207.4 per game. No offense in the SEC has a higher points per game average than Tennessee’s 46.8.
The Tennessee defense is not as strong as the offense. Tennessee ranks 11th in yards allowed per game at 396.6. The Volunteers have the second worst passing defense in the SEC, allowing 307.4 yards per game. However, the club’s rushing defense is sound, ranking second in the conference and allowing 89.2 yards per game.
Our pick
Can the Tennessee Volunteers break a 15-game losing skid against the Alabama Crimson Tide? If starting quarterback Bryce Young is not playing and the Alabama team has a sloppy performance like it did against Texas A&M last week, the best bet will be for the Volunteers to win this game.
If Bryce Young does take the field for the Crimson Tide, he will be the difference maker in this game and get the win for Alabama.
Pick: If Bryce Young does not play, the Tennessee Volunteers will beat the Alabama Crimson Tide.
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