What time is the alabama tennessee game

It’s not the third Saturday in October but the rivalry continues the fourth as Tennessee visits Alabama. Here are a few of the particulars to keep in mind when these two meet again at 6 p.m. CT.

THE DETAILS

• WHAT: Tennessee at Alabama
• WHEN: 6 p.m. CT Saturday
• WHERE: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa
• SERIES: Alabama leads, 58-37-8
• TV: ESPN
• LINE: Alabama by 25

THIS GAME WILL DETERMINE

How Alabama will complete the first eight-game stretch of the season that’s seen more ups and downs than normal. Of course, there’s a rivalry streak on the line and after 14 straight Alabama wins over the Vols, the pressure to keep it alive only mounts with a new-look Tennessee team coming to Tuscaloosa.

THREE THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1. Which Alabama team shows up?

The Crimson Tide looked like the elite team everyone expected last week at Mississippi State. The 49-9 win came after a week of gut checks and the harsh reality that came with an upset loss at Texas A&M. The question now is which of these two Crimson Tide teams will be in Bryant-Denny Stadium for Tennessee? Did a win in Starkville let down the guards built after Texas A&M or will they sustain that feeling another week against a Tennessee team capable of scoring points?

2. Defensive legs

Given the up-tempo style of offensive play, there can be a week-to-week impact from a particularly challenging game. That’s something to watch for Tennessee coming off a crazy 31-26 loss to Ole Miss. The Vol defense was on the field for 101 plays -- 62 runs and 39 passes -- in a game that ended after midnight last Saturday. That was 19 more Vol defensive snaps than the previous season-high of 82 and the most Ole Miss had run in the Lane Kiffin era. Alabama, meanwhile, played in a similar time slot when Mississippi State ran 74 plays netting 299 yards. The distribution was quite different with 55 passes and just 19 runs (for negative-1 yard). All that said, Alabama isn’t exactly the same up-tempo offense as Ole Miss but it takes some time to recover from a 101-snap night.

3. Third downs

Nick Saban said Alabama played “unbelievably well” on third down at Mississippi State when it converted 12 of 16 opportunities. That 75-percent success rate was Alabama’s best in a game with more than 10 third downs since 2014. Tennessee, meanwhile, has the nation’s 85th-best third-down defense allowing conversions 40.7% of the time. That’s not a great matchup against an Alabama offense that’s No. 3 with a season-long 55.1 conversion percentage.

KEY MATCHUP

Tennessee ground game vs. Alabama front seven. Unlike Mississippi State, this Tennessee offense embraces the run and they like to use tempo. In fact, the Vols average 75.5 plays per game, good for second in the SEC and 16th nationally. They are No. 6 in the country in terms of rushing yards with 249.1 per game. The 458 rushing yards it dropped on Missouri was the most for a Vol offense since 1951 and is the most to date by a Power 5 team this season. The biggest question? The injury status of the top two rushers remains unclear. Starting quarterback Hendon Hooker, hurt late in the Ole Miss game, is second on the team in rushing (55.7 yards per game) behind Tiyon Evans’ 97.2. The top tailback and JUCO transfer missed the Ole Miss game with an injury of his own. Coach Josh Heupel has been coy this week about his status of both injured players with Michigan transfer Joe Milton as the other option at quarterback.

BY THE NUMBERS

32 -- Everyone talks about the 14-game Alabama winning streak over Tennessee but it’s just part of the 32 straight wins for Saban’s program over SEC East teams. Its last came in 2010 against South Carolina and spans six SEC championship games.

TENNESSEE PLAYER TO WATCH

QB Hendon Hooker -- The transfer from Virginia Tech has been the driver of Tennessee’s resurgent offense in recent weeks. Before falling to Ole Miss, the Vols scored 109 combined points in consecutive wins over Missouri and South Carolina. He’s an efficient 68.8% throwing the ball with 14 touchdowns to one interception while ranking second in rushing yards with 390. His 179.7 QB rating ranks fifth in the FBS, just one spot behind Alabama’s Bryce Young.

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.

Once the leaves begin to fall, you know the college football season is in full swing and some of the game’s biggest rivalries are being renewed.

The Alabama-Tennessee rivalry has lasted for decades, and the two programs are set to face off once again this Saturday.

Here is how you can watch:

Kickoff, How to Watch/Stream/Listen

Kickoff: 6 p.m. CT, Saturday, Oct. 23

Location: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Television: ESPN (Jason Benetti, Greg McElroy, Katie George)

Live Stream: fuboTV (try it free)

Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network / TuneIn app

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