Tennessee's biggest game of the season

Hello. This is the Josh and Swain Newsletter, a quick roundup of the week’s top stories and topics involving Tennessee and the sports world.

Here’s what we have for you today:

• Why both Alabama and Tennessee are nervous and optimistic at the same time

• Coaches’ optimistic view of Tennessee’s potential the rest of the way

• Can Tennessee basketball (and Zakai Zeigler) repeat last year’s incredible run?

• A big-time football game means a big-time recruiting weekend for Tennessee

THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER

Tennessee and Alabama are in unusual positions. 

Both teams are doing well — each team is ranked inside the top 15 of the polls. 

And with only one loss, the winning team will feel great about its chance of making the College Football Playoff. 

But what about the feeling entering the game?

Tennessee is still trying to get its offense to catch up with the defense. 

Who predicted that sentence at the start of the season?

Alabama was good enough to hand Georgia its first regular season loss since the 2020 season. 

But Bama lost at Vanderbilt on Oct. 5 and almost lost to South Carolina at home last weekend. 

The ups and downs on each side have created nervous energy entering this huge matchup between Alabama and Tennessee. 

📍 Neyland Stadium
⏰ 3:30 p.m. ET
📺 ABC
📻 99.1 The Sports Animal/WIVK

What will each team try to do to win the game this weekend?

Here are some points of emphasis for each team this weekend. 

🟠 Tennessee’s defensive pressure

South Carolina’s defensive line caused problems for Alabama last week. 

South Carolina doesn’t have a great team, but their D-line is legit. 

So is Tennessee’s. 

Edge rusher James Pearce Jr. has played at a high level the last two games, earning him SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors following the Florida win. 

Bryson Eason, Omarr Norman-Lott and Omari Thomas have been a force on the interior. 

And we’ve seen other linemen, like Joshua Josephs and Tyre West, make big plays this season. 

Tennessee needs to bring it up front.

🔴 Jalen Milroe

Alabama’s quarterback was a monster against Georgia. 

He threw for 374 yards and ran for 117 while accounting for four touchdowns. 

Tennessee can’t let Milroe get loose on the ground.

“The fact that he can run, that’s the scariest thing,” Jayson Swain said this week. “Not the designed runs.

“It’s the passes that turn into runs; his ability to keep plays alive — going from east to west while being behind the line of scrimmage and still being able to deliver the football. That’s what scares me. That’s what keeps defensive coordinators up at night.”

The loss of linebacker Keenan Pili is a concern for Tennessee. 

Will sophomores Arion Carter and Jeremiah Telander be ready and in the right spots on Saturday. 

They can make plays and force mistakes by the quarterback… and they’ll need to this week. 

🟠 Tennessee’s passing attack needs to win

The Vols had opportunities to make big plays in the passing game last week. 

They fell short. 

Alabama’s defense has been vulnerable, especially on the back end. 

Who would have thought we’d look at Alabama as a “get right” opponent for Tennessee’s offense?

Nico Iamaleava has had a tough time in SEC play.

In three SEC games, Iamaleava has one touchdown and four turnovers.

Will Tennessee’s staff roll Iamaleava out and get him moving to set up passing opportunities?

Nico can make plays with his legs, too. 

He’ll need to avoid big hits from Alabama’s defenders, too. 

🔴 Alabama’s pressure

Alabama doesn’t have a Will Anderson or Dallas Turner — a game-wrecking edge defender. 

But the Crimson Tide still have big athletes up front. 

Jihaad Campbell and Deontae Lawson are a couple of players to watch. 

Campbell got to South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers last week and twisted him around to force a fumble. 

There’s nothing to sugarcoat with Tennessee’s offensive tackles: their pass blocking has been bad. 

And the penalties have to stop.

If Tennessee’s protection improves this week, the Vols’ offense could have its best SEC performance of the season. 

⚫ Big plays

This will apply to both teams as each side has big-play potential. 

Alabama has been more explosive through the air. 

The presence of freshman Ryan Williams — yes, the 17-year-old — has every defensive coordinator’s attention. 

Milroe can deliver big pass plays down the field; he did it against Tennessee in Tuscaloosa last year. 

Can Tennessee finally connect down the field on offense?

There should be opportunities this week. 

Chris Brazzell is due. 

Will freshman Mike Matthews get a shot?

Remember Squirrel White’s big catch against Alabama last year?

Running back Dylan Sampson has been electric — he’s scored the last six touchdowns for Tennessee — but the Vols can’t keep asking him to carry the offense. 

Which team can create more explosive plays on Saturday?

That might be the team that wins.

🗣️ “I think the loser of this game does not get to the playoff. … I think the winner is in really good shape.”

Listen ➔ Chris Low on Josh and Swain

TENNESSEE: BETTER THAN WE THINK?

There’s no denying that Tennessee’s loss to Arkansas and UT’s offensive struggles have affected the overall confidence in Big Orange Nation.

Two weeks ago, the Vols’ College Football Playoff hopes were sky-high… and for a lot of people, a 10-2 record looked like the floor for the season.

That’s not the case now.

But if you read David Ubben’s article from The Athletic, you’ll find that college coaches outside of Knoxville still believe in the Vols.

Ubben (and Sam Khan Jr.) spoke to opposing coaches who have faced Tennessee and Alabama this season.

One coach told The Athletic this is probably the best team, talent-wise, that Josh Heupel has had at Tennessee and when the coach studied tape of UT, he was “struck by how much better the Vols were on both lines of scrimmage.”

Another coach said this:

One of the best teams in the last 10 years? Win the national championship?

That seems a bit generous, at least based on the offense’s performance so far this season.

But the Vols’ defense has played at an elite level so far.

Can Tennessee’s offense respond?

The plan against Tennessee so far has been to slow down UT’s running game and put pressure on Nico Iamaleava.

Here’s what one coach said about defending the Vols’ offense:

The potential is still there, according to opposing coaches.

But Tennessee’s offensive issues have also shown on tape.

This week would be a good time to correct them.

CLICK HERE to read the full article from The Athletic (subscription required). It’s an interesting read about both teams ahead of this week’s game.

SPORTS NUGGETS

🏈 Check out this oral history of Tennessee’s 2022 win over Alabama from CBS Sports (and appreciate John Talty for including me in the story).

🏈 Great story from Chris Low on Tim Banks and the growth of Tennessee’s defense.

🏈 The NCAA closed a loophole that Oregon appeared to use late in its win over Ohio State last weekend.

🏈 Here’s a viewing guide for Week 8 (the season is flying by…) of the college football season.

🏀 Watch these highlights of Dalton Knecht in the Lakers’ preseason win over Phoenix. Knecht scored 20 straight points (!!) on his way to 35 for the game.

🏀 Virginia coach Tony Bennett is retiring immediately, just weeks before the Cavaliers begin their season.

🎧 Josh Pate joined us to preview the Tennessee-Alabama game before his trip to Knoxville. He’ll be at the game on Saturday.

TENNESSEE’S CHANCE TO REPEAT

We’re less than three weeks away from the start of Tennessee’s basketball season. 

The Vols will host Gardner-Webb in the regular season opener on Monday, Nov. 4. (Tennessee will play Indiana at home in an exhibition game on Sunday, Oct. 27.)

Tennessee’s top competition in the SEC this year: Alabama and Auburn. 

Here is the top five from the media’s predicted order of finish:

1️⃣ Alabama
2️⃣ Auburn
3️⃣ Tennessee
4️⃣ Arkansas
5️⃣ Texas A&M

Tennessee has a new-look team but familiar faces leading the way. 

Zakai Zeigler was picked preseason first-team All-SEC. 

Last year, Zeigler received both first-team All-SEC and SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors. 

Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack will help lead this year’s team. 

Can Tennessee repeat last year’s success?

Winning an SEC title and making the Elite Eight is a high bar. 

But the Vols are confident they’ll have a shot. 

“We have a special, special team this year,” Mashack said in August.

Tennessee will benefit from Zeigler being healthier than he was a year ago. 

This time last year, he was still working his way back from a torn ACL.

A few questions we’ll ask along the way:

• Who besides Zeigler can run UT’s offense and create plays?

• Will Tennessee play defense and rebound the way Rick Barnes expects?

• Can the Vols shoot consistently from the outside?

It’s early and the competition in the SEC will be fierce. 

Tennessee (No. 12) is one of nine SEC teams ranked in the preseason AP poll. 

There’s a long way to go — expect that reminder all the way until March — but the Vols built a team they believe will contend. 

Let’s see how far Zeigler can take them.

BIG GAME = BIG RECRUITING WEEKEND

Tennessee’s main focus is on the field with Alabama in town. 

But the big game and electric atmosphere will invite several highly-touted prospects to Knoxville. 

Tennessee’s visitor list this weekend will include defensive lineman Isaiah Campbell, a four-star prospect from Durham, N.C., who decommitted from Clemson in September. 

Tennessee is in good shape with Campbell entering his visit. 

“I think Tennessee is in a really good spot there,” Austin Price told us. “They’ve been working that one behind the scenes months and months before he ever decommitted.”

Steve Wilton of On3 and Tom Loy of 247Sports both predicted this week that Campbell will choose Tennessee. 

The Vols will also host a talented crop of players in the 2026 and 2027 classes, including 2026 quarterback commit Faizon Brandon.

Tennessee projects to have a top-10 class in 2025. 

This weekend could help the Vols position themselves to do it again next year. 

➡️ Check out our full conversation with Austin Price previewing the Alabama game and providing updates on UT football recruiting.

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